Danger Dassie

Reading this article and the subsequent response from Gerrit Pfahl, road director. Only seem to confirm the above. What an asinine string of bureaucratic hyperbole BS! https://www.facebook.com/share/p/168jzH74Fc/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Something to observe as well. Neither Gauteng Cycling nor Cycling SA have said fkall. To me, that’s a disgrace and the leadership need to step up. At minimum, there should be a statement. But there’s nothing, so to me the message there’s no commitment, and absolutely no sense of lobbying. We’re on our own.

💯 this, I’ve found it to be one of my best purchases! Also when on my own I can decide to move onto the kerb/shoulder if need be. Particularly enroute to a group ride. People may hate this, but I feel some of the alcohol restrictions around lockdown should be brought back into effect. They made a noticeable difference when out and about in the twilight hours.

Helluva weekend for riders in Gauteng this weekend There was a hit and run on William Nicol, no fatalities fortunately and caught on camera. MTB crash resulting in a fatality. Sanele from Fly Cycles passed away after being hit by a taxi while out training. David Sejobe killed in a hit and run. He touched thousands of lives everyday with his unquenchable warmth and enthusiasm. https://www.facebook.com/share/1AVhAbUPwu/?mibextid=wwXIfr

That's about average, pretty fair all things considered. Generally takes an hour or so to do properly.

Lots of hyperbole. It's not complicated, just don't ride someone's wheel. The same way you don't/shouldn't tailgate someone when driving. *edit: To state the obvious, we're not talking about a group outing. But randoms, who often think they're being clever.

@Ruben101 no that’s the newer model 2024 onwards; these, 2023/2024

Ideally from what you’ve been describing. The Merida Silex model, before the current model updat (2023/2024) is a what you’re after. More of a hardtail geometry with relaxed angles and taller head tube which means a higher stack height. The Evil is bit more of an all trail shredder, you’re looking for something more balanced. At least going by the discussion here.

They're both pretty much on par framewise, spec differs and there are differences in geometry. Suspension quality is on par. Remember the Giant has a flex point on the swingarm rather than the bearing on the Titan. Both have their pros and cons, arguably the more refined flex point is less active on an alloy material while the bearing being more active also means another wear/service area. It depends on the feel you want from your riding. Also keep in mind that the Titan has bigger travel. On paper the Skrim will more Trail/Enduro and Stance more of a lighter trail feel. Again, depends on what you personal riding will be, take into account your weight as well the bikes. Go with Robbie's advice, objectively the best way to be sure of your choice and riding whats best for you. During the parking lot test move around on the bike, even rolling off an obstacle like a kerb. Get a feel for it. Also chat to a bike fitter for some advice.

Guy called Stefan Smit (These TenFingers) has couple up in the centre. Joburg has some incredible street art and murals, great catching on these riding through town.

Chat to Ashley at Shamrock Paintworks, his stuff is as good as anyone else out there. Worked on a number of international projects as well. He’s based in Joburg though, but chat to him and see if he can assist. https://www.instagram.com/shamrockpaintworks?igsh=MWozYjdmcGl1dzVnYg==

There’s no such thing as a normal licence. It’s a membership or racing licence. https://www.cyclingsa.com/membership/

Have you spoken to CSA/WP Cycling?

Some wacky Wednesday coffee missions… coffee stop was at the newly opened Ukhu in Rosebank. Worth for the coffee and food alone.

Cycled a fair bit and worked on events in Mauritius. Always been fine and enjoyable, despite how chaotic it can seem. There’s a small but passionate cycling scene there and a much healthier adherence to common decency on the road. Was quite an eye opener during their Tour du Maurice, rolling traffic stops with traffic stoppping/yielding with no major issues. Something we couldn’t get right with ToSA.

Definitely get him to join the ICG rides, they do some amazing gravel and MTB on top of their regular road routes. They often meet at Engen in Rosebank. Reinhard at Ukhu would be a perfect introduction. Happy to introduce you guys. I sometimes take a small group of mates on urban/CBD graffiti rides as well, chilled Sundays. Welcome to join in. Suikerbosrand, Cradle etc that you’ve mentioned are also good. There’s some good gravel around Suikerbosrand too. Close to Sandton is Taroko Trails which is gravel friendly and has a bike shop, coffee etc. Loads of great options. 🙂

40mm clearance min if you’re looking at gravel. Frame wise your safest best for peace of mind would be Yoleo, Winspace or from the local options Avalanche, Titan or Silverback. These would also be easier to offload/upgrade if you feel like it.

Fact! Happened to me, but on purpose. Tested one of the very first eBikes to land in SA (Specialized Levo) and rode it flat at Thaba Trails. 5km felt like 15km! eFiets have come a long way since ....

If you're Jhb East/Sandton area, Trailwolf are worth a visit. Chat to Ervin or Jacques. They're based at Taroko/Modderfontein trails.

Each to their own. Although. From 'the outside' it looks like it's devolved into a pod bro club/clique taking themselves way too seriously. Don't think the vast majority of participants know or care about who the top ten or so teams are, outside of some of the actual pro individuals. Who tend to be lowkey and laid back. I've done one DC in the past with a regular group of people with no airs or graces, that was exceptional fun and the true spirit of riding bikes. IMHO. Would definitely be the reason to return for me.

There's definately some good MTB and gravel options there, but it's been so long I don't I even have any Strava files to share. All Out Adventures are further up from Cathkin in the Northern Berg, but you could chat to Chris and he may be able to put you on the right path. https://www.alloutadventures.co.za/contact/ Four Rivers is also worth a shot; https://www.fourriversadventures.co.za/contact-us

Holdfast do something very similar, they’re local as well. Could probably tailor it to what you need. https://holdfast.co.za

Something like this? https://trailwolf.co.za/products/steadyrack-mtb-rack?srsltid=AfmBOoo9pBnNKaL794dmFXJvVqALS2JB2UQEgMEy-9rPWZsvL7il6iAr https://bestbikestorage.co.za/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17806078733&gbraid=0AAAAAowO8bF6Hzwr43SsLg4x7o3LE3K84&gclid=CjwKCAiAoNbIBhB5EiwAZFbYGDhfPnmRUZ9HNd2lad0gQ5hOVq76A9UrErPXTlusYzA8zy5YqCoqDRoCvKQQAvD_BwE

Jan/Feb 2026, they've already received pre-orders.

Doesn't make sense, it's the same ratchet system as DT Swiss so it can be converted by default. As received "we tried with a DT HG and it worked" It does work, perhaps theres a miscomm. You can run a Shimano Micro Spline cassette on the Magene EXAR GR45 gravel wheelsetby purchasing a compatible Micro Spline freehub body. This will replace the stock Shimano 11-speed freehub that comes standard on the wheelset. Compatible Micro Spline freehub The Magene GR45 Pro wheelset is built with a DT-compatible ratchet system, which allows you to use a DT Swiss-compatible freehub body for conversion. DT Swiss Ratchet freehub: The Magene GR45 Pro hub uses a 36T ratchet system compatible with DT Swiss parts. This means you can use a DT Swiss Shimano Micro Spline Ratchet Freehub Body for conversion. Be sure to purchase the correct version that matches the ratchet system in your hub.