ians H2Sport

Yes, excellent. Go see Chris at Allout Adventures

Both parties to blame here, just let it go. Cancel your order with them then don't buy from them again if you are unhappy.

Not questioning your story but it appears you may not have spoken to the owner, Duane. Any service provider or retailer can have issues, it is how they resolve the issues that counts. In my experience Duane would not have let your issues go unresolved. I have been dealing with them since they opened and continue to do so. This type of complaint can be extremely damaging, I just hope you covered all reasonable options before posting it

Sounds like he should have started in A batch. You did nothing wrong.

eishhh, so you only drink beer on Sunday's??

ha, ja not great for ave speed.... I do an upload from my Garmin which only shows time and heart rate. I'm more interested in tracking my training by time than distance

I put all workouts/rides incl my IDT sessions on Strava, but make these private. Strava is a good training tool & a great way to track hours/km per week

I met 4 chaps on the trail 4 years ago. 3 of us still ride together every week. Good mates now.

I say chat to people, be friendly and you may well make some new friends, or possibly even meet your future wife/husband. Having said that, if your riding level/abilities/fitness is not aligned, you may end up either frustrating people or getting frustrated yourself

pic of your 650B single?

Sounds like you were not charged Duty. A bicycle parts purchase (Duty free) normally costs me around 16% on top of the listed price. This is made up of VAT and bank charges on my credit card.

Duty on clothing is either 40% or 45% depending on the product and composition. To calculate VAT, uplift the invoice amount by 10%, add the Duty and X the total by 14%. Clearance fee should be around R25 per entry

this is excellent! Hope it will be offered in various areas of SA

When you travel abroad you are supposed to declare your 'equipment' before you leave the country. Bike, laptop, camera etc etc. If you don't, you can be forced to pay Duty on re-entering the country. There is a limit on gifts etc up to around R5000? where duty will not apply. Anything over this you should be taxed. Duty on assembled bikes is 15%. If you bring the frame in separately from wheels & bars etc (must arrive on separate vessel/aircraft), it is Duty free. This is a loophole SARS is looking at closing. If an item is dutiable and is not declared, you will have to pay the duty plus penalties. If you can show an invoice of 6 months or older (bike bought while you were in the foreign country), you can get a rebate Entry passed which means no Duty.

I agree with Spez Camber. Go see the Standers at Concept Cyclery in Shelly beach

Go to Mountain Splendour just down the road. Owned and run my multi sport athletes Iain and Sue Don-Wauchope. They have some great single track on their property but also take rides into the forests and surrounding areas. Young chap by the name of Sanele works there, he is a great rider and often takes the more advanced riders. Look them up.

this may help: https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/141665-upgrading-vs-second-hand/

Personally I would not consider a 26" bike. Moving to a 29er changed my riding big time. Having said that, you get great value when buying a 26 these days. To match the spec of the Spark 35, you will pay more than double, possibly 3 times for a 29er. The lower spec 29ers seem to come with heavy wheels, making the bikes sluggish. So if you can afford it, spend the bucks and get a well spec'd bike. Alternative is to go for a 29er hardtail. Momsem, Silverback and Giant have some great value bikes at present, especially now with the new 2015 bikes being launched. Let us know what you end up doing

Great bike, I used to have one a few years back. With 26" wheels not being popular at present, especially bigger sizes, sellers are not getting top dollar. Assuming good condition and depending on extra's, I would say definitely under R10k.

26"?

this lost sale should have a significant impact on them. Not only the sale of the bike but services/maintenance in future plus your other in store purchases. Biggest impact is you sharing this - others will surely follow. As I've said before, service in SA is poor, as consumers we can vote with our ZAR's

Aero and rotational mass - depending on which wheelset you go for

A wheelset upgrade should make a significant difference to a lower end road bike.

rip off for sure, give them a poor rating. Don't expect any assistance from Spez SA, they themselves need to learn a lot about customer service. This should not reflect negatively on Concept KZN, they are not related.

I say spend as much as you possibly can. It is one area you don't want to skimp on, especially on long rides. Assos if you are rolling in cash (CWC have a special on now - S7 are awesome). Or try Specialized bibs, good quality but more affordable.