ChrisF

2023 Trailseeker had the e-bikes start about 5 minutes before the Junior racers. With the Senior racers starting some time later. We were about 10km into the route when the lead Juniors caught us. I was about mid-pack of the ebikers at that time. On the last few km the routes merged, and 2 or 3 senior riders lost a few seconds on the single tracks. By 2024 Trailseeker had completely split the ebikers from the rest, starting VERY early. With the next groups going on a different route. Never had any analogue bikes catch us. They welcome the ebikers, and put up a damn good route, despite the short distance. And they really try to ensure that the ebikers dont influence the race results. Worth noting .... at least 30% of the ebikers in the Trailseeker series are RACERS !!! 2023 I was fit after Trans Augrabies and also Vines and Views the week before Trailseeker. I was pushed into the red immediately and DROPPED by that lead bunch in no time at all.

AND ..... he did not buy the Silverback .... nor the Marvel .... He popped into the local Trek dealership .... got a VERY good deal on last years model of their 1x10 .... Yes, bit over the 10k budget. But a significantly better bike !!! You have done your homework ... time to start visiting shops and to see what deals are available ....

6:30 start for me .... best get cracking to get done before the worst of the heat .... do expect my last 20 odd km to be a tester .....

YES, I also hate the mindset of putting up signs rather than addressing the issue. I have the "opportunity" to go to project sites along routes where you see a string of signs warning you that it is a "high risk of smash and grab" .... thanks for telling me, now that I am stuck in the traffic with way to avoid the risk !! I am yet to spot a single lost SAPS officer in any of those spots !!! In this case .... as some of the last post have confirmed, once again, there are cyclists that dont follow these social media platforms and who are still unaware of the risk. SURE, I would much rather have the useless polititions stop playing pass-the-ball .... but until that happens it really would be better to warn other cyclists.

with this heat ... get that head start .... then grab onto the B group and get back as soon as possible ....

9 you say .... gonna make for an interesting end for the like of me ....

SAD .... but true ....

I snipped a few bits from your post. A few random thoughts .... 1. Merida is LARGER than Giant, for the same sticker size .... best make SURE of what size works best for you, and more specifically, what size in the BRAND that you want to buy. 2. I want to recommend you go for a proper bikefit, as this will confirm your optimal "reach" and "saddle height" dimensions, critical for selecting the correct size in your next bike. Sadly, a first fit costs a pretty penny ... the cheaper follow ups and the repeat service makes it WELL WORTH IT though !!! Irma at IrmFit is often recommended on this forum. She solved an issue for me two weeks back which goes beyond "bikefit", but caused severe discomfort on the bike ..... 3. Both Merida and Giant provides excellent value for money. 4. Distance .... what is your current longer ride distance ? Doing 3 to 5 hour rides means your bike size and fit really needs to be as good as possible. 5. upgrade ..... if there is nothing wrong with your bike, keep it and keep saving up to buy just that little better .... hiehie .... but thats just me .... most of us (me included) have gone through the quick upgrade phase .... it is part of the journey. ENJOY

Now imagine a nice BIG sign .... Bike hijacking spot Polititions keep passing the buck No action since .... (insert date)

You need to SEE this ... There is the odd born racer that shoots out front. Then the rest ... some can ride level, some can do a bit of single track (very easy tracks), some can shift gears .... it is a lot of FUN. And yes, if your kids have been doing some trails with you, they will be in front of the rest quick enough. ENJOY

so much political promises ..... bunch of hot-Windy ....

Interesting question .... @Titan Racing Bikes has one of the best warrantees, especially in this price range. 5 years, AND transferrable to the next owner. Giant supposedly has a good one as well. But not transferable. I have yet to get a clear and straight answer from Giant as to WHAT is covered on my two Giants .... I did say this is an interesting question ... Silverback ... their distribution has shifted hands, and claims are now done via Cycle Lab. A friend has had two frames replaced.... with MONTHS in between where he was bikeless .... better than nothing, but hardly a perfect system. Marvel vs Silverback .... until last week I would have said Silverback (and we currently have a Silverback Stride). But in THIS PRICE CLASS, with what we saw on the floor now ..... "1x" (one by gearing, i.e. just one ring in the front) is very handy for my friend. The airfork on the Marvel is (hopefully) better than the coil-spring-damper on the Silverback. Some might agree, many will disagree ..... frankly it is much of a muchness. The ease of use of the 1x clinched the deal for us.

10k MTB new .... A friend is looking for similar. Best we have found thus far is at Cycle Lab. Marvel Prime hard tail, for R9k. 1x9 airshock (Marvel stickers on, not sure what brand it is) Shimano Altus derailure Quick release Shimano breaks For the price bracket ... better spec than the other bikes we saw. NOTE .... most bikes in the price range comes with tyres that are NOT tubeless ready .... now here is the interesting bit, not all CL branches have the same specials on tyres to assist you with this. Some do better deals on this to sweeten the deal.

Scroll down ..... Home - Schools Cycling South Africa The 2025 dates will only be available in about 4 to 6 weeks, based on previous experience.

Kindly note their age as of 31 December 2025 is used to determine in which groups they race. I have seen a kid do well, to then be DQ'd because he was supposed to ride in the next group ....