The ARGUS 2025 Thread (AKA CTCT)

[DieselnDust]

35 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

what's going on here....has admin moderated this?

From what I can see from quotes I missed some ebiker coming out swinging defender her right to do wtf she feels like?

I'm VERY PRO ebikes, think they are excellent machines and make our sport better. But chops gonna be chops, so we all have to have rules.

An ebiker wants to get the "same experience"? Unfortunately you don't just get to ride in a fast bunch without paying your dues. You need to do a bit more than swipe a credit card and twist a grip. There is a real issue with people who's bikes are much faster than their ability to handle them in a bunch. You only get that skill with experience.

 

 

 

Since I'm all for transparency.

Here's the current name and shame list from winningtime, (apologies to those who are here with a DNF).

 

 

there's also 20+ ebikers with a UOF (so taking longer than 8hrs). Totally different scenario, but would love to hear these stories!

 

 

Fugglesticks,......I see a repeat offender

[NGM]

37 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

what's going on here....has admin moderated this?

From what I can see from quotes I missed some ebiker coming out swinging defender her right to do wtf she feels like?

I'm VERY PRO ebikes, think they are excellent machines and make our sport better. But chops gonna be chops, so we all have to have rules.

An ebiker wants to get the "same experience"? Unfortunately you don't just get to ride in a fast bunch without paying your dues. You need to do a bit more than swipe a credit card and twist a grip. There is a real issue with people who's bikes are much faster than their ability to handle them in a bunch. You only get that skill with experience.

 

 

Correct on all counts. She took a pop at bikehub's senior ebike representative, @ChrisF and said she didn't get what the big deal was as normal bikes got to go fast so why can't she. Things escalated rapidly from there, things were said and counseling even was suggested, but to her infinite credit (I'm actually being serious here) in the end she conceded that she was wrong and should have followed the rules. Normally when one is irrefutably wrong about something and it's there in a written timeline for everyone to see (as is the nature of forums), people seem to just dig their heels in even further to avoid acknowledging defeat. So credit where it's due. I'm guessing she has since asked for her account to be deleted.

You missed a real duzi though.

Edited March 12 by NGM
typo

[NotSoBigBen]

17 minutes ago, Mamil said:

Some of the newer road and gravel ebikes have higher limits - I think the trek domane ebike version gets assist right up to 45kmph - which is bonkers - probably great fun but bonkers nevertheless.

Those, and all these 'chipped' things are not bicycles and those are not cyclists .... Anyone would be hard pressed to convince me otherwise!

Akin to the talks of races where dopers should be allowed to race each other and take whatever they want so there should be races for these help my traps where they 'outchip' each other

Really sad for the many many ebike cyclists who just get saddled with this bad rap

Right now I've got that of my chest ... I'll go for a ride 😎

[bleedToWin]

2 years ago at One Tonner when the infinitely wise organisers started medium ahead of long route an ebike jumped into our elite bunch. His movements in the bunch and his responses to changes in pace and changes in gradient were so unnatural and he was not comfortable having us close to him, yet he insisted he paid for the race so he's allowed to be in any bunch, and swore at anyone asking him to leave (to be fair the asking also involved swearing). Luckily we dropped him on Helshoogte as it was an accident waiting to happen.

[DieselnDust]

26 minutes ago, NGM said:

Correct on all counts. She took a pop at bikehub's senior ebike representative, @ChrisF and said she didn't get what the big deal was as normal bikes got to go fast so why can't she. Things escalated rapidly from there, things were said and counseling even was suggested, but to her infinite credit (I'm actually being serious here) in the end she conceded that she was wrong and should have followed the rules. Normally when one is irrefutably wrong about something and it's there in a written timeline for everyone to see (as is the nature of forums), people seem to just dig their heels in even further to avoid acknowledging defeat. So credit where it's due. I'm guessing she has since asked for her account to be deleted.

You missed a real duzi though.

 was it an actual apology,...or a veiled FU2 leave me alone now "apology"

[ChrisF]

2 hours ago, capediver said:

Juice, NO! Unfortunate changes to my schedule had me out the country this year so sadly I had to skip...however, I made up for it .....

Saw Argus organiser Dave Mellors with this one:

And then because I was there.....

Forgot this one.....

And off the bike:

 

 

Did you consider doing the virtual option, just to keep ticking on to the 21 ?

[Lynskey]

1 hour ago, DieselnDust said:

loads of them actually

True story 

[NGM]

8 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

 was it an actual apology,...or a veiled FU2 leave me alone now "apology"

I don't think there was ever an apology and I wouldn't ever expect one personally. But I was happy to see a post that was very much "OK, you were right and I shouldn't have broken the rules." Unless it was some deep level trolling I didn't pick up on, it was a step in the right direction IMO.

[Scalpel]

I wonder if all ebikes entered as ebikes? 

[Shebeen]

1 hour ago, Mamil said:

Some of the newer road and gravel ebikes have higher limits - I think the trek domane ebike version gets assist right up to 45kmph - which is bonkers - probably great fun but bonkers nevertheless.

AFAIK, the government vehicle traffic rules are 25km/h assistance and max 250W. anything above that is considered a motorbike. This might well change in the future, but that is what it is currently.

Which is why the Argus has these as their criteria. clearly it is impossible to police, and would cause a big fuss if they did an inspection at the battery change over for instance. but these are them rules.

 

 

[Pure Savage]

I cannot believe someone went through all these effort and planning... sub 3 on strava... but sit in a car park for 40 minutes. Like even Lance's choices make more sense.

[ChrisF]

1 hour ago, Mamil said:

Some of the newer road and gravel ebikes have higher limits - I think the trek domane ebike version gets assist right up to 45kmph - which is bonkers - probably great fun but bonkers nevertheless.

 

Tech hat on .... 

 

The SANS regulations that define a "motor vehicle" in SA, also has a section on what is NOT a motor vehicle, i.e.:

- A bicycle

- A pedal assisted electric bicycle with a motor of no more than 250W and the pedal assist limited to 25km/h

 

Any other "electric bicycle", be it a larger motor or a higher pedal assist limit is a motorcycle, and must be registered as such.

 

This is just a copy of the European regulations.  Even Europe is struggling to enforce these rules.

 

[dexterdent]

While we are moaning about ebikes, the people that race with their de-restricted bikes to 500m from the end and then wait around for 30 minutes to get an "official" time while still claiming the 3h20 strava time, are just as bad.

Disclaimer: ebikes are awesome, it gives the opportunity to experience something legit amazing to many people who would not have been able to get it otherwise. But the concept of ebike "racing" is to be frank absurd when there are no limits to watts/batteries.

[ChrisF]

7 minutes ago, Pure Savage said:

I cannot believe someone went through all these effort and planning... sub 3 on strava... but sit in a car park for 40 minutes. Like even Lance's choices make more sense.

 

Thats nothing boet ....

1. The damn tandem beat me to the finish ....

2. I missed my 3:50:01 goal ...

3. Then proceeded 800m up the road, had a shower and waited almost 2 hours for a certain lady from Potch ... but we wont drop any names, nê @Scary Rider

4. Kyk, toe BRAAI ons !!

 

best use Italics before I get an angry reply from a newly registered accunt ....

[ChrisF]

8 minutes ago, dexterdent said:

While we are moaning about ebikes, the people that race with their de-restricted bikes to 500m from the end and then wait around for 30 minutes to get an "official" time while still claiming the 3h20 strava time, are just as bad.

Disclaimer: ebikes are awesome, it gives the opportunity to experience something legit amazing to many people who would not have been able to get it otherwise. But the concept of ebike "racing" is to be frank absurd when there are no limits to watts/batteries.

 

Real question - how can one change the DEFAULT on Strava to load a ride as an ebike ?  I have to keep changing it manually after each ride.

 

 

PS - Finish Time suggests that about 30 of the 871 ebikers did the rest-at-the-promenada thing.  Okay, one did a coffee stop at Seattle in Houtbay ....

 

Jokes aside, I was editing a video of a tandem ride.  It is so cool to see the interaction between the tandem riders, a sort of brotherhood.  Nice chat, then off they go .... 95% of ebikers are exactly the same.

 

Looking at the 109km distance, almost 3% of entrants were on ebikes.  It certainly is growing in numbers.  Let's hope the spirit of "joining a fun ride" remains the primary goal for the e-bikers.

[droo]

28 minutes ago, Pure Savage said:

I cannot believe someone went through all these effort and planning... sub 3 on strava... but sit in a car park for 40 minutes. Like even Lance's choices make more sense.

2.5kW of assist, 156 average HR, and my undertrained ass still almost beat him.

Different strokes I guess.