El Duderino

Giant Revolt is a great Gravel Bike for the price. Love mine.

+1 for Garmin Instinct. No frills, does all the basics well and has outstanding battery life.

You sound like someone who would comment on a rape victim's attire.

Red Shoes! Guaranteed extra 20 watts!!

I have one. It works fine. Does move up a bit on steep descents. But, I'm happy with mine.

Cycling single file on the downhill sections of Chappies is a bit of an issue. I am often behind cyclists on Chappies on the downhill section into Noordhoek or the other side into HB. They are often in the middle of the road. And, they are going at or above the speed limit. If I try pass them...it means exceeding the speed limit on Chappies. Maybe because I'm a cyclist I don't have an issue with this. I just stay behind them until I get an opportunity to pass safely, or they drop me when I stop at the toll. Something to consider.

If you're referring to a Giant Reign (Enduro bike) then, yes....it is a heavy bike. The reign is designed to go downhill fast on rough terrain. It is going to be hard going on long climbs and will be slow when pedaling on fire roads and jeep track. I would not buy a Giant Reign to ride flow trails. You better off with a decent trail bike. Giant Trance or Trek Fuel Ex much better options. And they can also handle steep, rocky stuff if you come across it.

I just came here to see who the most prolific poster is!!

This exact thing happened to me. A call from a legitimate looking number at Cape Town International Airport. I was a bit confused and freaked out. But, I just happened to be driving to SAPS to verify a document, and I said to the caller to call me in five minutes and explain to SAPS official what the issue was. He put the phone down and never called back.

Was going to suggest this too. I have a Revolt Advanced 2. Can take 50mm tyres with ease.

Go for the one that can take the widest tyres.

You're never going to convince anyone here. Motornormativity is like heteronormativity, it is so endemic, you will struggle to get people to see the issue from the perspective of the other side. And we live in a country where victim blaming is ubiquitous. You get hijacked (why do you drive a BMW or Toyota?) or you get run over by a car on your bicycle and people debate flashing lights and the color of your clothes, instead of the bigger problem of inconsiderate, inattentive drivers. Meanwhile, South Africa has 25 deaths per 100 000 due to traffic accidents. One of the highest in the world. That's not because of cyclists riding abreast in dark clothes.

My advice would be to sell the Titan e-bike and keep the Rock Hopper as a dedicated bike for the IDT. Then buy a decent road or Gravel bike for the road. If you get a road bike, get an endurance frame, something like a Trek Domane which has a more comfortable geometry and will put less strain on your back. Gravel bikes also have more comfortable geometry and can take wider road tyres for increased comfort. Having a dedicated bike for the IDT just makes life easier.

I bought a new entry level Tacx smart trainer (Flux S) in mid 2021. Have had zero issues to date.