Andre van Aarde

Just dropping a sneaky post hijack here in case you missed it - we will be giving away daily Motul prizes for the duration of the Cape Epic. The prize will include every product from their Bicycle Care lineup. Just click any of the Motul banners to go through to the webpage to submit your entry. Bikehub will announce the winner each day following the draw.

Thanks for the message. This is exactly it; ultimately our focus is to supply product through independent retailers, but this does not mean that we're palming off the consumer. In fact we're working harder than ever to get more and more information to the consumer so that they are able to make better and more informed purchase decisions. And at the same time, we're also working to better train, educate and empower BOTH the consumer and the retailer. Relationships are always key, and having a good relationship with your local bicycle shop and workshop is always a great start, especially in a sport such as cycling. Much like training, repetition builds perfection, and in the workshop this is very true. The more consistent we are with who and where we get to service our bike, the better and more experienced this mechanic and workshop get with both us and our trusty bicycle. This not only helps when (not if) things go wrong, but it also helps to ensure that things get right more and more often.

There is some super interesting test data [independently verified] that I've seen in regards to ceramic bearings. There definitely are some pretty unfounded claims here... One of the most challenging things is of course where the information is coming from, who is conducting the "testing" and what the intended agenda is (there is always an agenda or a purpose). I think the same is true for many things, but in cycling specifically at the moment there is a lot of this type of "testing" being done and published on things such as chains, lubricants and of course ceramic bearings. One of the biggest take away things I've seen from the data Enduro have sent us is that from new there is virtually no significant gain in any premium bearing related product from any of the brands tested. The "gains" happen in what is called "watt soak" which is essentially the loss of efficiency in the bearing over time and the impact that this degradation has in friction and resistance. But this is a topic in and of itself

Hi Mechcal - sorry to read about your frustration here, feel free to DM me directly with the details on this as I would be interested to know. We regularly [every 30 days] supply 150+ retailers with a pretty extensive range of bearings, and are constantly working with their workshop managers to ensure they have stock of what they need for the bikes they see on a regular day-to-day basis. In addition to this, we are able to process orders and get them off to dealers pretty quickly [generally dispatched the same day and sent overnight to all major centres across SA. The challenge for any dealer is always going to be complete cover. With the multitude of bicycle brands, differing applications etc, it is extremely difficult for them to have absolutely everything, and this is why we work on processing and shipping orders as quickly as we can, so that where there are items that are "irregular" for them we are able to get them out ASAP. Regarding supporting the little guy", though we don't supply directly to the public, supporting independent bicycle retailers of all shapes and sizes is exactly what we try to do. Given our spread of products we tend to cover everything from the most high-end premium retailers to the smaller general trading stores in far outlying areas. I've personally fielded dozens of calls and emails this year alone from consumers looking for specific bearings for their bicycles who I have directed to retailers and ensured that the retailer either has the stock on hand or has it enroute, and I always welcome these calls or emails from consumers, especially on the more niche / hard to find bearing sizes.