RatX

I had a Rook Scout from new for a couple of weeks before it was nicked. Not a fixie, so can't comment on that specific aspect, but overall found it to be a good product and stunning value. Overall weight was lower than I expected, and the steel frame felt very rigid - it felt like it would last a long time. The perceived quality of the frame seemed to make it worth investing in better components over time. In terms of the whole package, shifts were OK - not always 100%. It felt like they could be improved with adjustment but didn't have it for long enough to find out. A weak point was the brakes - I think more braking power would be achieved by exhaling heavily. Not relevant for a fixie, but maybe worth noting for anybody else who might be considering one.

I klapped it onto my existing OUTsurance policy, pretty straightforward - I did have to call in and specifically request a "manual" letter which the agent had to have the supervisor create specifying the model, S/N and other exact details (over and above simply adding it to my policy).

Considered a Suzuki Swift? It is obviously on the small side, but it's fun to drive, cheap to run, unblowupable and with the seats down you can get a bike or two in the back (with front wheels off and a bit of Tetris). I had the previous gen for a few years and now the new one, no ragrets. Take one for a spin and you'll see - the grin factor is huge. Or if you're set on something a little bigger they also have the Ertiga, been Ubered in those a few times and they seem to have similar merits.

UPDATE - looked more closely at specs, the 4kW figure is peak, so it might not be as useful as I thought. UPDATE 2 - nominal 3.6kW should still offer headroom over cheapy 3kW units. If you read the manual on the the product page, it looks like the included batteries are Synsynk branded so should be a safe bet: https://www.sunsynk.org/lifelynk Yo did you find any info on that unit? It looks very promising. I'm on a tight budget and been shopping and shopping. 4kW is a great capacity for a smallish home, to enable mostly normal operation during loadshedding (gadgets and lighter appliances). I'm looking for something to slot in to address immediate need but that I can add solar to as budget permits, in order to offset Eskom spend and make this a less catastrophically bad investment. The closest I've been able to price out thus far is a LuxPower 5kW + a dubious "Fox ESS" 2.56kWh lithium battery for about R27k excl installation hardware and labour. The LuxPower seems to be a good unit according to feedback received elsewhere, certainly a step up from the endless Voltronic clones, but not Sunsynk grade and I don't know about that battery. If the batteries aren't fooyongpingpongs I would say your linked product looks like a very solid option. It is a slight concern they don't list the make of the battery - if it was good I feel they would say. MPPT is apparently the better solar charging option, which is included. I just can't find out what the bypass wattage is, my understanding is that this is relevant if you want to run as normal when utility power is available (e.g. heavy load appliances on plugs circuit). The capacity it can take from solar charging is also important, but I don't have a deep understanding of the numbers there yet. Just seems some of the cheaper 3kW/24V clone units are a bit rinky dink in this respect. Please don't make any buying decisions on my input, though - I'm a total amateur also trying to make sense of all of this BS and find an affordable solution.

There is a ramp at Century City station which crosses over to Kensington side. Thus far seems to be one of the best ways of getting over the railway from north to south and vice versa without putting yourself at risk.

Do you have a LuxPower? How you finding it? I've gone back and forth a million times looking at all models from the endless variations Mecer/Axperts through to Sunsynk/Deye. I just can't stomach spending R25k+ for a 5kW inverter to address what is ultimately an inconvenience. LuxPower seems to strike a good balance of features and price, whereby you can put together a more affordable but not junk system for immediate need and add solar later to have it actually yield you some savings.

Thanks again @Hamstring and @odon for your suggestions - combined them on my way home from work today from Obs to Milnerton area. Went Mowbray, Pinelands, Mutual Station over the tracks, Kensington, Century City station over the tracks and made it home in one piece. Much nicer ride than battling with Albert Road in the afternoon, great success.

Gotcha, tnx, will try the "inside line" next time - I scoped it on Google Maps today and see it. Definitely wouldn't recommend going against the traffic in the road along that stretch - very narrow and from a driver's perspective there is too much going on at that point to have to worry about kamikaze cyclists as well.

12.99 I think, apparently went up during my application process...

Another update - this morning I was running a little late, so thought I would try the recommended route Milnerton to Southern Suburbs side against the traffic along Marine Drive (from the market parking lot) - had an absolute blast! Traffic in that direction is minimal (town to Milnerton) - I had to go into the roadway in the wrong direction once or twice where trucks blocked the path, but had ample opportunity to do so safely. Minimal foot traffic to dodge. Spot of gravel and sand on the path, you couldn't do this route on a roadie, but MTB or even gravel bike should handle it without a sweat. On the Woodstock bridge/flyover, do you guys just go up the side and lug your bikes over the railing? I went around the bottom on the harbour side and passed right by 3 little makeshift homes. No sense of danger but that little section is also quite secluded so might just hop the railing next time.

OK thanks for the input, I'll check - that's good news. When I quickly read through the contract I thought I saw a statement to the contrary, but I was in a hurry.

I had a happy excuse to make a trip from Mowbray back home in Milnerton area on Saturday, when I was collecting my new ride. I seized the opportunity to try check out my plan to cross over at Ysterplaat Station next to Paarden Eiland, but it's a no go. Fun riding (MTB mandatory - unpaved + sandy stretches) and industrial scenery which I like, but very isolated and I wouldn't go near it early or late in the day. Seriously, the Woodstock bike path feels safer by comparison... Also the station is either dilapidated and/or undergoing construction and you can't get to the ramp from the Maitland side without lugging your bike part of the way. Not even sure if you can get all the way over once you do. That part of Voortrekker Road also sucks for cycling (junkyard mile) - I had a speeding taxi zip by extremely close, and agree with the other comments about trucks. Pushed on through Maitland/Kensington and had a good time - felt safe and did the Century City railway crossing for the first time. It was great and opens up a whole bunch of new routes from Milnerton side to Southern Suburbs and back - bit of a detour for me but looking forward to exploring. Will try the reverse route to work, but through Pinelands instead of desolation alley.

Ended up pulling the trigger with Yonda and Friday afternoon and collected my shiny Trek Powerfly 4 Saturday morning. Excellent service from Yonda and Gear Change in Mowbray, both recommended. Just know what you're getting into if you go the finance route (mainly that there is no apparent benefit to early settlement). Bike is fantastic, I'll maybe do a write-up once I've got some more k's on.

This is a good insight - I suck at maths, even more so any of the financial variety - that does make sense. What put me off is they don't give a clear view as to the total cost to you, especially in terms of deposit excluded from summary of spend (I don't know if this is standard practice). But to get an actual view of what it's going to cost you you've got to work it out manually.

I appreciate the input and I have indeed gone back and forth on this one many times - I hear exactly where you're coming from. I have been watching the used market, and did miss out on one which was exactly what I was looking for and a great bargain, but it sold whilst I was getting the money together. I'm also on a campaign to cut costs elsewhere, in order to hopefully put more into savings instead of burning through every cent earned every month. Going new does get you the benefit of guarantee and dealer support, which I learnt is important on such bikes. With regards to this particular purchase (it is indeed exactly the R50k Trek), I've looked at it from a number of angles and am leaning towards getting it, but it is hard to tell how much of that is the practical vs the excitement of a new shiny + the perceived pressure of missing out on a special. If it's of interest, I'm looking at it from these perspectives: I do want to use it every day for commuting - an ebike makes that easy and fun (esp here in the windy Cape). I've kitted out my current bike to make it better for commuting (slicks, better grips, comfy saddle), which increased my commuting usage, but it's still a bit of a struggle and after two days in a row I'm pap. Daily bike commuting + running errands by bike will save fuel and vehicle depreciation costs + get me additional exercise/outdoor time which I need. I'd like something with a decent groupset, my previous ebike and current hardtail have Deore or better and it's very hard to find a vaguely affordable ebike that is decently equipped in this respect and the smooth + efficient operation does really make a difference to your enjoyment of the product. My last ebike I also bought on special and I was able to sell it for what I got it for, as I kept it in good nick, although that was also very much right time and place luck. Lastly, I still miss my last one - I did indeed use it almost every day. So yah, motivation is split 50% savings from less vehicle use, 50% more exercise, 50% the fun factor and 75% new shiny.

Really useful and interesting articles, thanks for sharing.

Thanks @RRIBike and @dave303e. I'll look into the revolving credit option, I know a friend uses that to help out when he's looking to buy something. Interesting pointer to bike addict's site, I see they reference: Yonda - yonda.co.za - so far actually seeming to be the best of a bad bunch... Update: ended up going with them and not sorry, just do your maths and know what you're getting into. Rola - rola.co.za - looks promising, will give them a try. Update: they also use Wesbank on the back end, so not likely to be much different from Yonda but not as smooth a process Renewed Group / Finmarque / Renewed Gear? / formerly I-ME Gear? - renewedgroup.com - not quite clear if these are all the same, multiple names and online application process aren't confidence inspiring but let's see where it goes. Update: they confirmed my application is underway, let's see what the numbers look like. Update 2: got a call back, and got approved, but their process seems a little laborious Bicycle Finance SA / Wozipo Capital - bicyclefinancesa.co.za - non-starter - their online calculator reports total costs over the term to be 61% over the purchase price... So this thread is useful to others in future, I'll update on my findings with Renewed and Rola.

Short version - finance alternatives to Yonda? Long version - I'm looking to purchase a new bicycle (Trek hardtail eMTB), for commuting, errands and leisure. I've owned an ebike before and hardly ever used my car when I had it, but had to let it go due to a temporary cash flow constraint. I have pursued finance options through Yonda/Wesbank. Yonda's response times are great and Pam who seems to run the show is very helpful and efficient. However, when you calculate the total cost of their offer (deposit + charges + x number of monthly repayments - 36 in my case), you end up about 33% over the purchase price. Obviously finance comes with costs, but this to me seems excessive. I tried approaching Wesbank directly as well via their online leisure banking form, but after a long and frustrating runaround reminiscent of dealing with Absa or Telkom, they referred me back to Yonda. I've got the option of putting it on my credit card, but I like to keep that clear for emergencies. Anybody know of any good alternatives? I'm giving "Renewed Group" a try, but it's too early to say and I'm hoping they're not just a front to Wesbank's poor offering. UPDATE - after shopping around and doing my homework + getting a better understanding of interest on finance, Yonda's offering is competitive and certainly better than the few others out there. Also thus far excellent service. Pulled the trigger with them on a Trek Powerfly 4 on Friday afternoon and collected Saturday morning.

Nice one @Hamstring, will def give that route a try as well - nice to have a selection of routes to keep things a bit more interesting. No hassles crossing over the railway at Century City?

@tedza - interested to see your post, exactly what I came here to find out. I live in Rugby and work in Obs and I'm trying to find different routes. I currently take the cycle path along the bus route all the way through Paarden Eiland to Woodstock, usually somewhere between 6:00 and 6:30am. So far I've mostly crossed paths with regular folk walking to and from work, but the long stretch going along the railway line past Woodstock is very quiet and there is definite opportunity for mischief. I make an effort to greet everybody, and thus far on only one occasion crossed paths with a group of four chaps that I got very hostile vibes from. Most mornings there is a traffic police vehicle parked at one end, but I think they're more interested in catching people taking shortcuts in their cars. There are also occasionally armed response vehicles patrolling, but they are rare. I have considered hopping on the bus through this section, but not sure how feasible this is. I'm not crazy about cycling along Marine Drive against the flow of traffic, but plan to give it a try as an option. I've also considered going through Paarden Eiland which seems to be reasonably safe, and rather crossing the N1 over the pedestrian bridge (-33.918094186846936, 18.475994652323056) that comes out at Ysterplaat Station, and then cycling up Voortrekker Road into Woodstock. This will bypass the badlands along the railway, but I see on the Voortrekker Road side there is some construction going on so not sure how feasible this is either. I might try it and report back with my findings. Anybody else tried this route? I see there's also a pedestrian bridge from the harbour that comes out in Woodstock near Albert Road, but I don't know if cycling through the harbour is permitted.

This is great news. I'm hoping by the sunny season to be fit enough to cycle commute between home in Woodstock and work in Century City. Currently for the bulk of the route I can follow the cycle path along the red bus route, but getting between home and the closest entry point (Woodstock BRT station) is a bit of a mission - I'm not yet comfortable cycling in traffic and would prefer to avoid it if possible. A safe connecting route along Albert Road would be perfect. On the Milnerton end I plan to zip up Boundary Road and navigate the back roads of Tygerhof to eventually get to Century City, can't wait for my first attempt.

He's grumpy because I woke him up.

That's what it said on the tin. Slick tyres if that counts for anything? Although I believe the wheels are 26", there are other versions with 700c's - this is the middle of the range one. No Headshok (yet), just a nice chunky unsprung fork for now.

Tarantaraaa! Whipped off the back wheel and the pinch punctures were in a completely different spot to the "crack", talk about a red herring (front was in the same spot). Punctures fixed, wheels re-attached and Dino has shiny new chew toys. Thanks all!

I plan to - never expected so many responses so quickly. Awesome site and forum.