RossTopher

@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.

@Gershom Basson have you seen, D'ville Cycles in durbanville has them reduced at the moment. think about 2000 saving

hi Gershom, I owned an Estrada for a bit, and agree it was a good bike. The only real issue was the weight, both the frame and wheels. the Dust is alloy, so may be lighter and appears more off road geometry than the Estrada. i picked one up at a shop and it feels solid and lighter than the estrada, but i dont have any proper info on the numbers. the paintwork does look great. the only downside i know is the specific LTwoo groupset on there gets horrible reviews, like it shifting on its own when bumpy, and rear derailleur setup issues. hopefully there are some owners who can chime in

Polar H10 if you can. H9 is supposedly great too. as @MORNE says, its the gold standard. The likes of GPLama and DCrainmaker have done loads of tests, and the Polar stuff always passes with flying colours. i have read and heard a lot of negatives on the wahoo unit.

this is the way to do it. last couple years i've ridden with friends and had a wonderful time. its the 1 day you can enjoy that scenic route without all the regular issues. we stop in kalk bay and noordhoek for coffee and smoke breaks (not me). i try hammer the climbs to get some efforts in, and wait at the top with my phone to capture the suffering. part of me thinks i am wasting my seeding, but there are plenty races to race, this is a tour. starting 2 hours later than seeded, but the baking heat is outweighed by the gees and quality time with mates

excuse my little anecdote, but here goes. Last time i was on Chapmans (outside of CTCT), i was almost hit head on by a car. i was way left, going towards Hout bay, on a dead straight, fairly flat section. Pajero came around the bend ahead, entirely in my lane. Driver had his arm out, filming the scenery. i am a glass 3/4 empty kinda person, so i'm fairly prepared for threats. i was luckily able to get on the brakes and pit into the run off. i had to stop for a while to let the heart rate and adrenaline drop. last year, on Bottelary coming towards before the Hazendal corner. i was in the emergency lane/. if you know Bottelary, you know its wide. Old fella in his Q7 with all 4 wheels over the middle and heading towards me. i was waving my arms as they approached and he yanked left. i'd almost come to a halt and he'd touched the yellow at one point. in both instances, i was essentially on my own. about 10 metres behind my riding partner, so the drivers had already passed a cyclist before me. Front and Rear lights on EVERY ride i do. yes, some roads are more "cycling friendly" than others, but the idea that riding chappies or any other narrow pass is somehow an acceptance of risk is bizarre. So long as this narcissistic trajectory that society is on, continues, the concept of sharing this planet is lost

Really says it all. Hopefully, with enough views and sharing, this gets to the right people and maybe sees some action. I doubt it, but a boy can dream. If it was just another south african having a moan, it's one thing, but coming from a tourist who comes here every year, puts money into our economy... Maybe, just maybe.

best cassette ratio's, best lever design and shifting experience, best looks, best names, best quality control and longevity. if they don't sponsor world tour teams, maybe it'll just make it more affordable for us common folk

Lazy by name, not by nature! Thanks for articulating my question. I was trying to find the energy to respond with the same info again. Ive had good luck with Sludge over the years, it's just HELLUVA messy if you do get an unsealable. I changed both out in the week, a bit of a waste of good tubes, but hey. Decided to do a little test, Enduroseal in the front and Sludge at the back. All went smooth today

I started in N. 4 of us tore off to catch groups, and I think everything you've said here can be copy pasted to each group I joined along the way. I'll never understand why people pay for race entries and get all kitted up to freewheel and slam brakes for 3 hours, but to each their own. I nearly dislocated my elbow asking others to take a turn when we bridged gaps. There were times along old Malmesbury where my entire group (bar the front 10 or so) was sitting in oncoming traffic. I was just left of the line with the whole lane, but getting windbeaten

Came here to say this (well along these lines) Well put. *except for the 1 toilet I chose to use must have had a hole, so my crisp new shoes got a soaking before the start 😭

Finally come to the realisation that power metrics may not be a bad thing. Pretty much set on going favero assioma (wahoo head unit and look pedals, and I don't like garmin stuff) The big question is uno vs duo. Is the 5k saving worth it or false economy? Anyone kicking themselves for choosing uno over duo? Is 2 sided overkill for our recreational needs? And anyone know where I can find duos for sub 15k?

Thanks all. Question was specifically about sealant in Butyl inner tubes. I.e. 25mm tyres on narrow non-tubeless rims. Bit the bullet, put in a fresh tube and added sealant. Quick quick

thanks Chris, Yip, i only use the Sludge in my road bike with Tubes. Tubeless setup with Enduroseal on the others - perfect setup. I think i am going to take the front off today, feel if the tube is all lumpy now and replace. i dont want to risk sitting roadside on Sat doing a change.