BigDL

Nice

On the subject of battery life. I had to clear an area maybe 60 metres long and about 3-5 metres deep of thick bramble growth and stuff yesterday. Makita brush cutter on the highest setting, batteries lasted roughly 25 minutes of intense work. 3 battery changes and the job was done. Had to cut a tree that had fallen (not huge but not tiny either) yesterday as well to remove it. Same story with the chainsaw. One battery change and got the job done, at least until I caught the fence with the chainsaw and buggered the chain. I don’t miss petrol tools at all and can’t see myself going back to them. I’m not a heavy user compared to some but it’s such a blessing not messing around with spark plugs, petrol and oil etc and the noise levels are not remotely comparable.

Those are beast. I have them in a set. Only issue I have currently is that I cannot get the batteries to charge past 1 light out of three. Need to explore a solution

100000000% this

SA prices for lots of stuff are eyewatering. God knows how the average Joe survives. Ref smartphones, gamins etc, it is hard to see how these prices can be justified in any way, shape or form. Premium or otherwise, 40k for a phone is a shocker

Also, living over here, you have proper protection as a consumer

I don't disagree with you and refer you to my comment how in Europe you would (quite rightly) have more options. Yes, an electronic device should last more than two years, but, in SA, it is not guaranteed to do so. If it were a phone, you would expect to upgrade fairly regularly (every two to three years for most people) and the trade-in value of the old phone would have an impact on the purchase price. Essentially, Garmin are offering you a deal to keep you as a customer. Your watch has decreased in value by 16% a year, based on their offer. Presumably they wouldn't have made the offer if your watch was still working, so they are coming to the party and it seems like a fair offer in the circumstances.

Nope - only the 5’s. Got two with my brush cutter; bought two extra and makita had an offer on at the time for two free batteries as well after a month of ownership, so I started with 6 and have so far not had to worry

As an aside, in Europe you would have access to proper protection of consumer rights up to 6 years from purchase, presuming that the fault can be shown as being an inherent part of the Watch ie the Watch was faulty when you bought it and it is unreasonable for it not to be working however long down the line.

So, are they offering you a replacement at 4k instead of 12k? If so, then the broken watch doesn’t have zero value, they are valuing it at 8k, which is 66% of its original price, which is not bad for a 2 year old electronic watch

Presumably holla doesn’t benefit from forestry support with labour and money

My collection is ever growing as well. I have 6 5AH batteries and have now got brush-cutter, chainsaw, hedge cutter, sander and a jigsaw. Nearly bought a battery post hole digger, but the petrol option was a third of the price (not a makita but I don't dig enough holes to justify £500). Have really enjoyed each of the tools and they really are faultless.

As an aside, after 6 years of wahoo straps, and having bought 6 or 7 over that time, I have gone back to garmin. They all seemed to stop working properly from 6 weeks to 1 year. The technical support folks are very friendly and very helpful, but I couldn’t be arsed to keep going

Not in SA so I can’t comment on prices etc, but you could probably do Sani on a gravel bike if you really wanted to, so 100mm is plenty and dual suspension is a personal choice, but absolutely not critical for Sani, except for being a bit easier on your rear. PS - enjoy the ride. It is awesome

5k for a bag. Ive used a £20 decathlon backpack for years for commuting, does the Job

😂

The mind boggles how they can be a similar price, but I’ve stopped thinking about it years ago.

100% - after I posted yesterday I popped into chain reaction here and then down to the giant dealer in belfast, who is also the specialized dealer, as I need an axle which CRC didn’t have. Because ebikes were in my mind, I looked at a few whilst I was in town. Most look lovely, but I almost fell off my chair when I saw a specialized ebike for over £9000. Not sure how people afford them but good luck to those who can. Me, with one at university and another going to university at the end of next year, I’ll be a few years away from affording toys at that level. Also, my wife would divorce me.

Probably not as easy to fit into a bike bag, hire car etc as well. Also quite a bit heavier to lug about. Probably easy enough to rent in most countries now so maybe this isn’t a major thing

I’m happy to cover the whole amount for the year or a part thereof if it’s not too late

Fair point. I suppose for someone like me, who tends to drag a mtb with if I travel overseas, I wouldn’t be able to do so with an ebike, at least without some significant drama

I was down at my bike mechanic on Friday and he had a couple of e-mtbs in stock. Beautiful until he told me the price. £5200. Can’t see that in my near future. Was out with a mate at a trail centre yesterday and it was insane how many folks were passing us on ebikes in the hills. I reckon maybe 50% of all the bikes we saw (maybe 100 bikes or so) were ebikes, so no doubt they are becoming normal. I just can’t see how they will take over unless the prices drop significantly

Donation made. Good luck to you both. What a great experience to share with each other

thats incredible- well done

In a past life, I was actively involved in tactical firearm and self defence training. The best lesson I ever learned and taught, in my opinion anyway), is that the best defence is to avoid a situation in the first place. Run away, don’t respond, look like a coward who doesn’t shout back, whatever, just don’t escalate an incident into a deadly confrontation. It’s not easy to do, especially in SA where our egos can be fragile, but it’s the best way.