RossTopher

well thats perfect. this is ONLY available in a small, and while a little outside your budget, you wont come close to this kind of value anywhere else, and wont need to do any upgrades for a long time: https://www.decathlon.co.za/mountain-bikes/308986-14749-xc-500-29-rr-cn-fr.html i think you can even use payflex, so split it over 4 payments (every 2 weeks) interest free.

i presume this is the 100miler. last year 50 miler was 655m according to my wahoo, and i think the route details said 660

AGAIN??? that doesnt look like the old location on Dartfield Road

@mspalk how tall are you? obviously depending on height, there are some good options going

Websites like cnet, theverge, whathifi and techradar are your friends. They have group tests, loads of reviews and recommendations in various price ranges.

Bang in range. I just checked, and they are around 1000 from most places, 800 on bidorbuy. Ive had mine for just over a year, dropped the case a few times, and dropped an earphone in coffee, and no issues. Highly recommend

Earphones will be just like HRMs, saddles etc. You'll get a million opinions, and people can be fiercely brand loyal. How much are you looking to spend. I recently went down this road, and did loads of research, ending up with the Sony WF-C500, and I am super happy with them. Battery life, signal, sound quality and fit all great.

Gauteng has 5 stores, in odd places, with little to no foot traffic when I've been up there. WC may have a smaller pop, but the % that is "outdoorsy" is massive. A single shop, using the JHB DC seems a no brainer, but them in not in logistics/SCM. Completely agree on Leroy, starved of a decent one stop home&outdoor store. Would certainly shake Builders up.

i've asked a number of times through various channels and its the same story. those bikes on the foreign sites are not part of the SA catalog, and they wont receive any of the newer stock this year. you can let them know of a specific bike you're keen on. they will log the request with the supplier (8-10 week turnaround to likely let you know its a NO. we only get overflow. what baffles me most is how they havent opened a store in the WC yet, they'd clean up

go for the decathlon bike, especially at that price. good warranty, and if you are in gauteng, the stores will help you out well this video covers all you need to know about it. don't worry about the derailleur hanger issue, its only a problem if you crash it badly right at the back

I've never purchased a bike from them, just small bits and bobs, but the dealings in store have always been 10/10. The 1 email i sent, enquiring about suspension seat post availability, got no reply. I mentioned that while in the shop on Sat, as they now have stock, but i'd got one elsewhere.

Sounds like a classic case of upselling. I am willing to bet most of the Dusts weight/limitation is in the groupset, wheels and tyres. Youre going to have to go to over 30k for a decent Speedster Gravel, and the Titans come with mechanical discs, as those fsa cranks with bbs made of cheese and fsa parts supply issues (good luck getting an omega chainring or bb), so it's double the price for good wheels and a carbon fork. Is it really worth an additional 10-15k. Are you going to get twice the satisfaction/experience as the Dust? Again, you've proved you can do all the races on the Estrada, you may be faster and more comfy on something else, but that is probably something higher up than the shops suggestions. You could blow your budget now, or ride something that works and slowly upgrade wheels, tyres and groupset, making it quintessentially yours. As for resale value... The Scotts and titans that land on the hub (and there are many) either sit forever, or sell for a massive discount. Perceived value based on "brand". Titan was once viewed how many now portray avalanche.

Two good things I saw at the expo this year: 1. Enduroseal is now making a road sealant. 2. The sunlight at the exit Wishing everyone a safe, dry, fun, and temperate CTCT. I'm stuffing my bar bag with sterie stumpies, sweet treats and spf50

@Gershom Basson please do give us an update. i'd love to hear how it rides and whether its something to consider down the line. when the bike came out, i was looking all over for reivews but seems nobody has bought one. yours will be the first report back on the hub

We relly need to learn to stick to the topic, and to read what the OP has written. This is all too common across the hub. The guy asked for info on the Dust. He has an Estrada. Responses should be about the Avalanche Dust: the frame, the ride, the groupset. If he wanted a 2nd hand tcx or whatever, he'd have bought it. People write off bikes based on brand alone, when our skills are often the most limiting factor. Go for the dust, ride it. If the shifting is awful, you can pick up microshift centos 11 speed, or old shimano shifters and derailler for cheap.