The Absa Cape Epic is a beast of a race. Every year it is hard. Even though the rate of attrition dropped from 2011 to 2012, that doesn’t mean it’s getting easier. Riders are just preparing themselves and their equipment better.
And the Cape Epic is highly demanding of both the rider and their equipment. The Cape Epic rider survery revealed that 69% of riders have chosen to ride a dual suspension bike here. And fair enough. Often the farm roads are rutted, and if it’s rocky the trail is littered with baby head rocks or worse. It’s a fast race, with tight time cuts. You have to keep pedalling. And a dual suspension bike tends to allow that more than a hardtail on rough terrain. And a 29er dual suspension bike just rolls!
At the finish chute of Stage 5 of the 2013 Cape Epic, it’s easy to see a theme amongst the top riders bikes. Here’s a sample from three teams.
Burry Stander – Songo. Christoph Sauser
Christoph Sauser’s S-Works Epic
Frame: Specialized S-Works Epic – possibly one of the most popular frame designs at the Cape Epic. Brain technology on the rear shock and fork – standard as far as we know. Full outer is great for long term serviceability, especially in the dust.
Wheels: Roval Carbon SL, 32 hole.
Gearing: SRAM XX1, with a chain guide on the front due to the use of what appears to be a Rotor ring.
Hydration: Just a single cage, no second cage has been mounted to the aluminium seat post.
Extras: There’s nothing outrageously custom going on here – but most riders would be amazed how Sauser and others got over the steep climbs of monday with XX1. ESI grips for comfort on flat, wide bars with lots of sweep.
Team Bulls: Karl Platt
The Bulls 29FS of Karl Platt
Frame: A departure from the typical Bulls Carbon hardtail that the team has ridden in recent years. Although Bulls were quick to adopt 29ers for a European team, they only just received 29er dual suspension bikes. The frame has quite a forward placed main pivot with an asymmetric swing arm, and chain stay mounted pivots. Assumed travel would be 100mm, and the rear end seems to be 142×12. Built to take full outer and with a tapered head tube. The suspension link is aluminium and the Rock Shoc rear shock has a remote lock out.
Wheels: They look like de-stickered Stans Crests 32 hole, most likely to a Shimano XTR hub, but that isn’t confirmed.
Gearing: Full Shimano XTR, using the Trail crankset for a 26/38 gearing. Trail brakes as well for extra stopping power. But the rear mech is Race GS, not the trail version with a clutch.
Hydration: Like most dual suspension frames, it’s limited to one bottle mount. A second one is run on the seat post.
Extras: Dual lockout but via separate levers, and Platt runs bar ends on his wide flat bars.
Cannondale Factory Racing – Manuel Fumic
The Cannondale Scalpel of Manuel Fumic
Frame: Cannondale Scalpel 29er Carbon. These guys are running a very trail oriented build, and the frame appears to be stock with a Rock Shox shock with remote lockout. Full outer of course.
Wheels: ENVE Carbon, super strong and stiff, but the same weight as a set of Crest rims. Racing Ralph tyres.
Gearing: SRAM X.0 2 x10, with Cannondale’s brilliant SI Cranks. This is a workhorse group set, and these bikes aren’t the XCO race weapons that Fumic and Fontana typically race.
Hydration: These are the fastest backpacks in the race.
Extras: They have taken a very ‘trail’ like approach to the race in baggies, backpacks, and some fun bikes to ride fast.
If you look through the bike park, a lot of people are following a similar theme. Short travel dual suspension reigns supreme, as do 29ers. Specialized, Giant, Trek, Scott and Santa Cruz are all well represented. There are some 26″ hard tails around, and they standout! Especially when they are going so quickly underneath the Team Rwanda riders. XX1 has been spotted on quite a few of the top riders bikes, but only on the bike of one amateur rider. Many riders are mounting second bottle cages on their bikes for the heat and distances between water points.
Some of the more boutique bikes are the Corratec hard tails and the Bianchi Methanol 29 FS bikes being used by myself and Will Hayter (and one other rider!). There aren’t many old bikes here. Many riders are on matching bikes to their team mate, even a long way down the ranking. We haven’t seen a rigid bike, a singlespeed, a fat bike, or a ‘cross bike this year. That’s not saying they aren’t out there, but they haven’t been spotted. It’s the Cape Epic after all. This thing is a beast, come prepared!