For R350k I’d look at the following new or secondhand: Mazda CX-3 Mazda CX-5 Toyota RAV4 (previous shape) Toyota C-HR Suzuki Vitara Honda CRV Honda HRV I worked for a Korean manufacturer, I would not touch their products with a barge pole. The lack of competent dealer and manufacturer support is criminal. Go for something with a proven track record with a solid dealer close to you and with nationwide support.
Ooooooh headshot! Loving the Trance for the time being. My frame of reference is limited, but it does everything I want it to. Climbs well and is a ripper on the downs
I did indeed. It was flying under my radar before that review, now it is top of the (N+1) list. Pity the Trance 29 was not in the test so I could see how it did against my current bike.
Going to the carbon Merida will save a kilo just in terms of the frame, so still 14kg odd. The Spark will still be close to 14kg out the box. Unless you want to pay big ZARs and get something like a top spec Tallboy, Ripley or Trance 29 Advanced I don't think there is a cheap way to "fix" this and meet your requirements
Seems that for the steeps (of which there are basically vokol in Gauteng) the Optic is the bees knees. The Kona seems a bit more of a balanced bike. Like a slightly pumped up Trance 29
Bell Sixer and Bell 4Forty are both highly recommended! Also, cleaning the helmet in the dishwasher does not seem like the smartest idea. The heat could be enough to damage the foam and the glue holding it together. Some warm water and mild detergent (shampoo for example) is recommended by helmet manufacturers and is how I have always done it
A Pike will be a huge step up from a Recon, no matter what the model. It is a more complex fork, so some setup to get the volume spacers, pressure, rebound and compression will take a little time.
