Danger Dassie

ICG, informal group. They meet mostly (99%) at the Engen across from Standard Bank. Introduce yourself and ask for one of the lead riders/captains of the morning and take it from there. Normally they ask that a newb arrives with one of the regulars for a few rides until they get a feel for where they fit in. But since you’ve migrated here it won’t an issue. They also have a gravel and MTB group, more recently there is more formal club option for those who want to have a full race license under the CSA/provincial feudal umbrella, I mean membership.

Karkloof/Howick .... ok, I'm not talking to you anymore. Too jealous! Probably some THE best cycling to be had anywhere!

Would be very careful of organising anything inside SBR, it's a provincial reserve and they're pretty sticky about events. Informal or otherwise, SA Road Champs went through there last year and the organisers had to fulfill a lot of paperwork and liability to do so. Something like East Side Crits could be a good starter, Northcliff used to do parking lot crits every Thursday or so. May be an idea to resurrect?

Titan Racing Cypher gen 1. The 2020 Elite (120mm) was/is probably one of the most speed and fun per rand. Merida 96 XT or Merida 120 XT (6000), super under rated and versatile, really well balanced handling bikes that should have a bigger footprint here..

Also Pyga Stage/Stage Max, some good deals pop up. Nearly caught one last year for a shade under 50k. GX Axs, Deed wheels/components 120/130mm Rock Shox Sid Deluxe.

Another consideration is the Specialized Epic, around 2018 on. Some bargains going around and don't have the Brain fork. In fact an Epic Comp alloy is arguably the precursor to Specialized's current Chisel FS, at a fraction of the cost.

That specific bike but that model yes, they pop up now and then. Some in better colour ways as well ...

Just off the bat, there are Momsen Vipa's around at a bargain with decent specs, mostly carbon frames but now and then an alloy option pops up. Upgrade it with a 120mm for at the right offset, and you have a generally budget-friendly ripper for riding, racing etc. One issue could be boost on the rear, however this could be remedied by a decent carbon/engineering co and even updated to UDH.

Quite a few yea, UK and Costa Rica seem really popular with the brand. The Costa Rica account on Insta has a lot of activity. Stoked to see Tiffany's long standing relationship with TR paying dividends, she's not just a bloody good bike rider but also a properly level-headed person. Been with Das Hutchinson in the UK for a while and represents well. https://www.dashutchinson.co.uk/

I will add to the recommendations, great shop and completely above board. Ian & Wes run a tight ship and have a great team.

Hey Chris, yes although not quite as far as 6 years. I see Shebeen pointed that out already. Although it was in 2023 when they made deeper changes in the marketing/sales side - https://diverge.info/2023/10/09/dragons-sports-adds-experienced-human-capital-to-strengthen-team/ Oli's departure is purely coincidental as far as Signal/Rush goes, notwithstanding that Signal is but one part of Rush Sport's portfolio.

All bias aside, that WC paint job is proper as well. Good job.

Not really, Dragons was bought out, so the entire marketing team/HR etc was revamped and fresh people brought in. Oli, Luke and co. They’re doing great work, especially with Avalanche which has long needed a bit of an overhaul.

170mm on XS to M, so should be fine.

@Marichen Ok I remember that Trek frames can accommodate both 29 or 27.5 for smaller riders. This was (is) from the Top Fuel etc and also for the X-Caliber. Confirmed both on the site and messaging a friend at Trek. So the wheels will work, albeit the frame sizing is more likely still too big for you, at least according to the sizing chart. Which can be found here. https://www.trekbikes.com/za/en_ZA/bikes/mountain-bikes/cross-country-mountain-bikes/x-caliber/x-caliber-8/p/35069/?colorCode=greydark Size Rider Height Inseam XS 145 - 155 cm 4'9" - 5'1" 69 - 73 cm 27" - 29" S 155 - 165 cm 5'1" - 5'5" 74 - 78 cm 29" - 31" M 165 - 176 cm 5'5" - 5'9" 79 - 83 cm 31" - 33" ML 173 - 180 cm 5'8" - 5'11" 81 - 86 cm 32" - 34" L 177 - 188 cm 5'10" - 6'2" 84 - 89 cm 33" - 35" XL 188 - 195 cm 6'2" - 6'5" 89 - 91 cm 35" - 36" 2XL 195 - 203 cm 6'5" - 6'8" 91 - 97 cm Not sure where you are based, but reaching to Trek for some assistance won’t hurt. They’re generally pretty good at assisting where they can. Hope this helps.