philip.maree

I bought a pair of Fox Defend Pants from Fox Racing South Africa but sent them back as their sizing is just wrong and they didn't have a larger size in stock. They looked like very good quality. https://www.foxracing.co.za/products/defend-pant They have confirmed that they are getting Fox Ranger Pants in at the end of May. So will purchase a pair as soon as they land https://www.foxracing.co.za/products/ranger-pant Want to try them for winter riding and I think they will look better at a coffee stop than winter lycra's

SE Converted Scalpel 3. Very happy with the ride.

That is a beauty! Would also be interested in some pricing info

I thought it was just my Specialized saddles that made a racket . Out of the various Specialized I have used (Power, Phenom, Taupe, Romin) the Romin worked the best for me for quite a while.

Again, saddles are personal and no one can give you the answer for what will work for you. You will have to buy and try unfortunately. I have been struggling for years with finding a saddle that works and have gone through quite of lot of variations with some to no success. I have been riding SQ Lab saddles for the last couple of months and have found them to be brilliant. They are quite different in their approach to saddle design and for me, it works better than any other option I have tried. They are note cheap but they have a 30day return policy (if the saddle isn't damaged). They actually suggest ride as much as possible in the first month and see if it works. http://sq-lab.co.za/Saddles/

You would struggle to beat this for value. It's Carbon Fibre 2x11 so you would be able to use this on the road. 1x11 on the road is a bit limiting when trying to keep up with the pure roadies. https://bike-addict.co.za/collections/gravel-bikes/products/titan-switch-elite-2020 I like what Titan Racing is doing with their range of bikes. Only real negative is that the brakes are mechanical discs. This also deserves a looking into if 1x11 with hydraulics are what you would prefer https://bike-addict.co.za/collections/gravel-bikes/products/silverback-siablo-cf-2020

I would have progressed the other way, gravel first then road. But that being said, the N+1 strategy doesn't care about the sequence . So buy the bike you "need" at the point where you "need" it. Just clicked on the SuperSix link, and I would like to revisit my previous suggestion. That SuperSix is Super nice.

Have you considered a Gravel bike, and just put skinny tires on it for when you want to be on the road? I am also more of mountain than a road biker, but the versatility of the gravel is awesome in my opinion. It's my go to bike at the moment. But if you are very competitive and want to achieve "results" on the road - I like the Trek Emonda you listed

No more struggling with Suunto's crappy BLE HR Sensor that seldom works. Used it a couple of times without any issues, so so far so good

They might just need a different photographer. The saddles always look in the wrong position in their photos. But they are bringing out really nice looking stuff

Hi Naas Can you do a SLX 1x12 upgrade kit with a Sunrace Cassette? Like this XT one https://www.evobikes.co.za/xt-m8100-12-speed-upgrade-kit-with-sunrace-11-51t-sh-cassette-and-kmc-12spd-chain.html Regards Philip

Was really good to see Mr Meintjies at the front yesterday.

Not really bashing the brand, just bashing the change to something that was working extremely well for me. Cheap bibs don't work for me, different brand expensive bibs are now just the better option where Assos used to be the no brainer. Anycase, I agree that it's a subjective opinion and people should try for themselves. And BikeHub is the braai!

Definitely doesn't work well. Must just be me then, sorry.

I was completely sold on the older model Assos Shorts. The Uno and Mille. Got massive amount of mileage out of them. But someone decided (probably an accountant that doesn't ride bikes) that they could increase profit margin by only partly stitching the padding to the fabric but still charge the same retail price. Hence the padding now doesn't stay in place and moves independently from the fabric. This causes it to bunch right where you would like the least amount of pressure and pinch which makes long rides brutal. So, I partly agree with you. Assos, although never cheap, was always a no brainer purchase, but not anymore. My Castelli is way more comfortable.