Furbz

if anyone is looking for a good VPN - i use NordVPN. they have excellent backup if you are struggling - they even helped me load the VPN onto my router. very effective people there

if you want something truly unique

are they the newer Hookless version that meet with ENVE, Zipp, Cadex and a host of others minimum standards? i know the first lot failed on all of those with safety concerns

Enter the Groupset conundrum for the SS Strada frameset Sram Red with Zipp 353 wheels OR Campagnolo Super Record EPS with Bora Ultra WTO 45 wheels. i know right, first world problems! the heart says Campy the head says Sram Reasons: Could you imagine how good this bike will look with the campy groupset. Hang it on a wall and call it art! The catch is the Bora WTO 45 wheels. this is a Ti bike and should be built with the end vision of comfort. The Bora WTO 45 wheels have a rather narrow 19mm inner rim width and are optimised for 25mm tires. They are expensive and my head says the narrow design is rather yesteryear. So while they look jaw dropping i cannot see them being as comfortable as a more modern 25mm inner designed rim clad in 28mm rubber. NB aero aside on this one - its not the point of this build. i want comfort. Pretty much all other major players have already moved to 25mm Inner rim width. ENVE's new SES 3.4s are now 25mm inner rim width. Zipps 303 Firecrest and 353 NSW wheels are both 25mm inner rim width. so the Sram build starts looking like the best bet. but then again - this would look so mint with the campy kit i'm not a fan of mixing up a campy groupset with non-campy wheels - its just a no go on the visuals side.

Ssshh! you are going to drive the price of Tiagra up!

Sounds fun i do agree though, it would be interesting to go back in the years and total up the claimed % gains made for any manufacturer. bets are over the last 15 years all bikes are 10463% faster than before

You really need to think about the Parlee then. I walk past 3 different road bikes every weekend because the Parlee is the most comfortable bike of the lot

Having owned and loved my 2020 SLR Madone - i must say the logic makes sense in the new bike. The IsoSpeed on the rear was a set and forget affair - I had mine set in the most compliant position both for riding and racing - and I loved how much the bike soaked up road noise. It felt like a jet fighter - above everything (the road), like the road was not even felt. It did give a bit of a muted ride feel but i loved it considering the state of JHB roads. Hearing the IsoFlow is more like being set in the firmest position - i'd like to try one out. I expect it might feel harsher. But would also correct the subtile misbalance felt in the older bike. The front was firmer than the rear and could be felt no matter what setting the IsoSpeed was set to. That said, i still absolutely love and miss my old Madone. Its nice to see a frameset that looks different from the rest - there is no mistaking its a Trek. Most other aero bikes all somewhat look like they fell out the same mold.

this right here is the best advice on this entire thread

wasn't this in that new topgun movie?

have to agree. that is gorgeous

i also have this exact bike - i mean the exact bike in these pictures in stock in a size 54. it was a special request by me and as far as i know its the only one painted in matt like that worldwide https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb8LA0dsL-R/

There is a hand signed Alberto Contador white 54 in JHB at the moment. Its a little special as the decals are not black but rather done in brushed aluminium. i like that Aurum cares enough to actually take the time to sign a bike for their customers - thats special

I always love these threads. i'm going to try be as objective as i can - no promises though! 😋 by the looks of it OP is looking for a dedicated race bike - something a little unique. i can offer the following bikes: The Aurum Magma https://aurumbikes.com/product/shimano-dura-ace/ https://www.instagram.com/AURUMbikes/ The Parlee RZ7 https://www.instagram.com/parleecycles/ or if you want something totally unique. the Bossi SS Strada https://bossibicycles.com/collections/road/products/strada-ss-complete-builds https://cyclingtips.com/2022/01/bossi-strada-ss-road-bike-review-aero-meets-titanium/ My thoughts on mainstream bikes historically was that it would make me just another one of hundreds in a crowd. how dull. That said, i also refuse to believe they are not good bikes. they are all race proven - all of them. this of course is mainly due to the athletes on the bikes. but it still counts The market share of big brands is driven off our own perceptions - if it wins in the big leagues it must be good. i'm sure they are. its also driven by local back up and of course warranty. Go read the LOCAL Roval warranty very carefully - lifetime everywhere except South Africa - no jokes on this one. RSA uses a sliding scale based on the how many years old the wheels are. I got caught out on that personally. Its that reason alone i give Spez a very wide berth. the only advice OP really needs is to buy the bike that makes your groin ache - you should look back after every ride on it and think damn thats a good looking bike and regret nothing!

Nice bike. I raise you this: i actually have one of these in stock, albeit in s very slightly darker more candy finish.

100% agree - it is stunning! i have a 52 in that on its way so will have one this side for those interested in purchasing to view in person

really excited to get this - there has been a slight delay with DHL shipping. hopefully we will have this in country by next week. i think the craftsmanship on these is just gorgeous I get a sneaky suspicion we might be seeing newer campy launching soon - hoping it is sited at the TDF. this will go a long way in deciding the build kit for the SS

in. shot!

A little unboxing for everyone to drool over. nice it comes standard with a silicone protector

what a pity. i see many people getting them from international sources. the local guys can get knotted if thats the price they are asking. lets keep in mind local customs on bike parts is 0% so i have no idea how they can justify that price.

Thats because they have seen what Garmin is asking for their pedals and decided to undercut their pricing only slightly. will be interesting to see international pricing on this and if it ties in with the launch price or the new price

I love how the first thing that jumps to mind is “oh no! He did an Alaphilippe!”

It’s fairly standard industry practice for most sports I’d assume? I know to be a part of the official golf handicap system you also need to be a member of a club. maybe more knowledgeable members can confirm if other sporting bodies do the same? I must admit I also feel it’s unneeded. I have no interest in being a member of any club. I just want to ride and play golf with mates. I do race and I do play decent golf - neither of which are dependent on me being a member of a club.

a great looking piece of kit - maybe not as sexy as the Fenix/Epix2 but all the features and its lighter. on a side note, i have the following in stock if anyone is keen EPIX 2 Sapphire black Titanium https://www.garmin.com/en-ZA/p/760778/pn/010-02582-12 FENIX 7X Solar Sapphire Black DLC Titanium https://www.garmin.com/en-ZA/p/735563/pn/010-02541-24

I have had a unit going on a year now and my thoughts are it is a Garmin Killer. it landed in RSA at a total of around R7500 the screen resolution is far superior. its absolutely intuitive - simple to setup and use. fast to change anything you wish. climb pro is awesome - it pops up on any hill without the need to load a route. the battery is not as good, but is more than good enough - it got me through Wine2Whales no issues, obviously charging it after each day. i really do not think battery is a concern at all. i've done 8 plus hour rides without any concern. it is effectively a phone that is specialised towards riding, its far far more powerful than a garmin. side loading apps is easy and so awesome - i do a lot of solo rides and often use bone conduction headphones. having itunes/spotify on with songs downloaded and easily available on my head unit is such a win. the biggest win is the 2 year warranty vs garmins and i think all other head units having only 1 year. i've had endless trouble with my garmins breaking 5 months out of warranty. yes garmin assists but its frustrating having to send it in so often. There two things i do not like on the Karoo 2. 1st: The live track on garmin is better - each and every ride it sends an email to my contacts to let them know i'm riding and allow them to track me. really great safety feature. Karoo 2 has a tracker system but it is a link you share and your contacts once off - you share the link and they must save it to reference back in order to watch your ride. it also never lets them know when you start a ride thereafter they have to hunt it down each time. they are also never made aware of when you start a ride. from a safety standpoint this i hope will get addressed later down the line - as this feature is the only reason i miss my garmin. to get around it i ride with my EPIX running concurrently so no big issue. 2nd: The charge port is USB C - awesome! the rubber cover is crappy and gets lost way to easily. to get around this i use a magnetic recharging USB-C cable and part that keeps the port gunk free and makes my life easier when charging the unit. these can be found and bought off takealot if i was in the market to buy a head unit again - i'd still buy the Karoo 2. even with the frustration of having to run a concurrent Garmin watch to keep the wife happy - hey safety first. that said the Edge 130 Plus is a tempting option - simple and does everything i need it to. i have owned the following head units: Edge 510 (replaced once under warranty) Edge 520 (replaced twice under warranty) Edge 530 (replaced twice under warranty, once outside of warranty) before Garmin i was on SRM headunits and before that Polar. i cannot wrap my head around buying another expensive garmin unit only for it to fail out of the blue. maybe i have just been unlucky. bur my maths has me out of pocket R7500 in total in less than 2 years for owning the Garmin 530 (i had to pay in for the out of warranty replacement unit). but even if i write off that bad luck i'd still pick the Karoo 2.