RobynE 🚵‍♀️

I have a somewhat unconventional bike. It’s a hybrid, but most people side-eye it and call it a commuter bike. It’s called a Riverside RS700 and it’s from Decathlon. I got it because it felt right and lekker (I had quite severe back and neck issues until 3 x disc replacements over the last 2 years). I mostly ride on our dirt roads in our area, NF and tar roads. With some bushwhacking in between. I think of it more as a gravel bike. So the bike is the typical “decent for the price you pay” spec from Decathlon. Microshift drivetrain, Tektro brakes and KMC chain. It came with “Trekking Speed Hybrid Protect+” tyres (700x38) which I think are manufactured for Decathlon by Michelin, but I’m not sure. I used those for 1000km but decided to change them for my first ever cycling event. I’d only ever had one puncture on one wheel on those (tubed) tyres, so I wanted something else reliable. After a lot of research I went with Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M, and tubeless. I feel a little sorry for the bike. It gets abused. Definitely does its job and then some. It’s heavy, and a hard tail. The stock SR Suntour “trekking” fork is poked. The bike is well-maintained but it’s definitely boxing above its weight class with what I ask of it. There are many times when an MTB would be the bike for the job. But this bike just keeps trucking. Granted it is fastidiously maintained by Mellow and kept clean and lubed by me in between. But - those Pirelli tyres. They are quite literally the dog’s b***ocks. Today I did my first ever event - along with my family. We did Cradle Mountain Trophy. My first 28km I was with my 8yo kiddo on her TR Calypso. It was slow going for the two of us and we missed the markers for our 34km route so ended up at the water point for the 54km, with 28km on my computer. The organisers gave my kiddo a lift to the 34km water point to meet up with her other parent and I then did the leg between the water points and for the first time in 28km I could RIDE. And boy did I take advantage of it. I flew over some seriously sketchy terrain - thick, gloopy mud for daaaays, sharp slate and other stone/rock. Death by corrugation. Now I’ve jarred the wotsits out of all my bits but I didn’t lose traction once even when a particularly savage section of mud did it’s best to buck me off my bike. For a long stint I kept up with some 90km riders, some of whom were on e-bikes, riding through the worst and longest stretches of mud I’ve ever done. Braking was great, pedalling was great, and I had a lekker downhill stint where I clocked 55km/h with no fear. And I was right up there with the guys on the tar stints - though didn’t want to pass because there really wasn’t any point. It’s not to say that the final hill didn’t nearly kill me, but that was a fitness slash leg slash heart rate issue. I crossed the finish line after 58kms feeling fantastic. Tired, but fantastic. The bike and particularly the tyres didn’t miss a beat. My family came through the finish intact and in one piece an hour later. So, a great day all round. The money spent on those 700x40 Cinturato M’s was worth it. Plenty people had punctures today, but my tyres look brand new. Well, they are, but they worked HARD today. They are grippy AF but fast on the hard stuff. They are absolutely worlds apart from the CST Patrols on my wife’s Signal. There is just so much refinement and control on the Cinturatos. They are beautifully engineered. They’ll also sexy as h*ll to look at lol. Coming from a horse riding background good quality kit is expensive and it’s something we expect. So yes, maybe manufactures are taking the p*ss, but the feeling of safety today couldn’t really have a number on it. For the price of 15 lattes at each end of the bike I can’t complain, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Mel there’s a really nice green Momsen on Secondhand Bikes SA Facebook group, posted today. It’s above your budget a bit but zero to spend by the looks of things and I’d say it represents really decent value.

As a 42 year old who came back into riding having last ridden in high school - A 1x drivetrain is a great friend as are disc brakes. I would stick to Titan, Silverback, Giant etc. Good quality tyres make a BIG difference. So if the bike is cheap but needs new tyres, it’s something of a false economy. MTB tyres are anything from 500 to 1.5k a pop depending on brand and purpose. Cheap tyres are a false economy as well. Geometry of the bike is important. I am most comfortable on a hybrid/gravel type. I get quite a sore lower back on my wife’s Signal Skye and sore knees too but I can ride my Decathlon hybrid for hours and hours with no discomfort. Incidentally both bikes are medium and professionally set up for me, so it’s not a setup issue. On that note - try do a bike fit. That takes you from a good ride to a great ride. Well worth the money! Happy bike hunting.

I can really, strongly, recommend the Calypso range from Titan - my kiddo (8) has the 26" - she is a proper little ripper on it (once the obligatory whingeing is over at the beginning of the ride). And she moved from a BMX to this bike without missing a beat. What's cool about this range is that it has a 24" frame but nice size 26" wheels - so they really get moving very easily. The bike is pretty light as well and the low stand-over height is brilliant. Tektro brakes, LTwoo gears, decent tyres, kickstand. I think you get a lot of value for +/- R7k brand new. My kiddo is growing really fast but I reckon she'll get a good 3-4 years out of this bike (she got it in September last year).

My daughter (8) has the Titan Calypso 26 with the 24 frame - she absolutely loves it. It gives her lots of room for growth. She went from a Mongoose BMX to the Titan and didn’t miss a beat. The Tektro disc brakes are brilliant and the bike hasn’t given us a moment’s trouble. I think she’ll have it for a few years at least. Well worth the money at ~R8k. Only bugger is that it’s hard to fit a bottle cage for a regular size bottle. The Topeak bar slash seatpost cage does the trick nicely.

I don’t know much about bikes and components but this looked a bit suspish to me with the SRAM, Rockshox, cranks and Schwalbes. Might be wrong but thought I’d share. Can DM the link or seller profile if anyone needs it. Seller is asking R6.5k.