LazyTrailRider

https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/commuter-e-bikes/653922/3-bikes-just-arrived-from-australia?referrer=homepage

...and for someone who drives 10k km/year and can easily afford it, the Audi is a much better proposition.

Shimano makes good stuff. I run GRX on my gravel bike and it's flawless, I run GX Lunar on my EB and it's also great. I've had 11spd XX1 and GX, and also 12spd NX, all great (even NX when it's still fairly new). But Transmission to me really does look and feel a step above as an overall package. I've been wanting AXS for a while, but held off because of the clutch story, because I want my bike dead silent while smashing through stuff. To me, this is exactly what I want. Yes, it's a @!$%load of money even at GX level, but hey, watcha gonna do?

But on Pinkbike the masses are saying that XT and XTR still shifts better and Transmission is plainly a rip-off 😆

Totally, I didn’t say it doesn’t do the job. Of course it does, and that’s completely fine. But - and here’s my point - there is without any doubt a place for premium/luxury/high-end/upmarket/[insert other marketing term here] stuff. Very often, it just feels nicer. It’s like the nappa leather option in a german automobile, it’s just nicer. Does it do anything different to the fabric or synthetic seats in a cheaper car? Of course not, but it’s nice, and if you can afford it, I don’t blame you for buying it. That’s what I’m talking about here, people are saying R3k or R5k or whatever is a rip-off and something cheaper is exactly the same. It’s not.

Maybe those Trans Baviaans riders were just tough guys, or cheapskates, or both? The are plenty of hardcore riders with crappy gear out there who make me look like an idiot with my expensive kit. I don’t care though. I’ll take the luxury, thanks.

OK, I see now what your point of reference is. This level of kit is fine on a tight budget, but it’s not the same thing. It’s like saying a Fox 36 Factory is a rip-off because a Rhythm-level fork does the same thing. They look they same, but that’s where the differences end…

I beg to differ. A high-end, proper winter jacket is a game changer. R1.2k? That only buys a good long-sleeve normal jersey these days, R2k gets you a good quality flexible windshell, but without warmth. I've had many of those, but when I got a basically new demo Spez Element 3.0 at half-price (retails for around R6k) a few years ago, I realised what I was missing. The combination of wicking, wind resistance and skin feel of a premium jacket is hard to beat.

I've had two, and the climb switches on both have made a significant difference when flipped to closed. Not totally locked out, but very firm. Would've assumed that it's just a quick way to get LS compression from fully open to fully closed, but maybe there's more to it?

Not always. If you treat business relationships this way you’re bound to end up with a ton of churn, losing money on crappy clients who love hearing “yes sir” and needing to keep on investing in sales to find new ones. It’s a rat race. There is a smarter way. I encourage you to read Howard Mann’s “Fewer. Better.” Example: I just told a corporate client that the delays and increased costs on a R300k project are 100% his team’s fault. They usually spend about R1m/year with us, but it’s very close to not being worth the frustration for my team. Being frank and not bending backwards are a large part of why I’ve been able to sell R1m/month worth of billable time to a literal handful of clients for many years. If the client was always right (which they’re not) we’d need a sales team. But because we’re known to say so clearly when we don’t agree with how things are done, we don’t have to do any selling (or even real marketing to speak of). The good clients keep returning to us for projects, because they know we won’t BS them and tell them they’re right when they’re not.

Is that a replacement of the standard flip/climb switch?

The current-gen Apple TV remote with Siri is a game changer. I can’t imagine going back…

The 3x X-Fusion Manic droppers I’ve had have been fantastic compared to the Reverb I had (what a POS), several Spez Command Posts, and a Lyne. I’m light on components and don’t keep them for very long, but still…

That sounds like an excellent plan.

I rode the bridal path recently after not doing so for a few years. Beautiful climb and still pretty technical down, definitely worth it if you have the legs (or you're on an EB like I was 😆).

Tokai’s soil drains well, but not that well…

Just take a photo on your phone and favorite it. I haven't shown anyone my physical card in a long time...

OP, this is a great option. It looks very close to new.

Judge away! 😜

I had this bike purely because I LOVE riding it. I didn't get it to put miles on it, its sole purpose was quality over quantity for my typical 16-20km techy singletrack/flowtrail rides. I have a Diverge which I put 3700km on over the last 3 years, that is more "using it" (even though I know it's still very low mileage). Look, I made the calc purely for trivia's sake. I've been riding bikes my entire life. This one made me happy when I bought it, happy every time I rode it, and I'm happy with what I got for it. Bicycles clearly make the world a better place!

Not going to do this for the total cost over the last 25 years, don't really feel like crying... 😆

R25k for +-16 months of use is R1500/month. This is perfectly fine. The R69/km academically looks less sensible, but I still feel like it was worth every cent! Update: I got the mileage wrong, it's 360km not 300km, for what it's worth...

Where are these beers?!

An update on what the market's like out there. I sold two bikes in the last week. They were listed for a week. 2022 Stumpjumper Evo - Cost R85k last year, current new price R89k. It's got a brand new Fox 36 and wheelset/tyres on it from the new Levo I bought, so it's close to as it was new. 300km on the clock, sold it for R60k. 2021 Levo SL - Stock except for an upgraded carbon bar and brand new Code RS levers (Guide R was stock). 360km on the clock, sold it for R86k. To the armchair economists (there were some claims that used bikes have a ceiling of R40k 😉) - make of this what you will.

"Gave it in by Garmin" should tell you everything you need to know about the level of savvy this particular individual possesses...