SpruitCommuter

Grinder is still up for grabs - Looking to get around R11k for it.

And here's the La Pavoni in action:

Here's a video of the grinder in action - grinding a triple shot:

It was a water carafe (something like the image below). I scored it just above the band around the neck using a little hand glass cutter and then used heat/cold shock to cut the glass (needed a minor sand afterwards).

I am relocating in a few weeks and I'm not 100% sure about whether or not to take my coffee setup - a 90s La Pavoni Europicola Professional lever machine and a refurbished Mazzer Major grinder. So I've decided that at the right price I would be willing to let them go. The Mazzer is a total beast - weighs 18kg and has 83mm flat burrs - grinds very quickly. I replaced the burrs rewired it to run on a simple toggle switch, had it painted and a dosing chute fabricated. The Pavoni is in amazing condition given it's age - it has the pre-millenium groupset and I have a triple and a double basket - I also have the original three hole steam wand as well as a replacement single hole one. I have also cut a segment out of an LED heatsink that supposedly helps with temperature management. I'm based near Northcliff in Johannesburg. PM me if you're interested.

I have a basically new Aeropress (including the original accessories), a Hario Ceramic Coffee Mill Skerton (original not plus) and an Able Brewing fine stainless steel reusable filter. I am not using them and so I wondered if anyone reading this thread would like to buy them from me. I'm located near Northcliff. Drop me a PM if you're interested.

I had a Gaggia Classic for quite a long time - I changed out the steam wand for the Rancilio one and it made a huge difference. I also got a bottomless porta filter and stuck a temperature probe in next to the boiler to watch the temperature cycle.

Martin at partshub has assisted me in the past. http://www.partshub.co.za/

My Escapade in it's latest guise - feels kinda weird having gears after running it as a single speed for a few years. Though I'm very pleased with the bar end shifter - very easy and precise shifting - I can shift through the whole cassette super quickly.

I'm not sure if you're set on the automatic version, but I saw there is a manual version on Gumtree (https://www.gumtree.co.za/a-store-catering-equipment/benoni/expobar-coffee-machine/1002386733160911340035609) for 11k.

Totally agree that if you have to choose between the Silvia and the classic at the same price Silvia is a better bet. But I've found you can pick up the Gaggia Classic much cheaper second hand - e.g. https://www.gumtree.co.za/a-coffee-makers/kempton-park/gaggia-classic/1002389589840911249152009

Had a classic for quite a while. Fun little machine. It has an even smaller boiler than the Silvia and so temperature management is important. I replaced the stock steamwand with a Rancilio one from ebay, also replaced the portafilter and portafilter handle with a triple bottomless one (also from ebay). There's a whole online community around modding these machines - www.gaggiausersgroup.com and getting the most out of them.

I have had the Wega for a few years - very happy with it.

I placed an order on the 10th, completely oblivious to this thread. I selected the (free because the order was large) standard shipping, and it's being handled by DHL. Is it just a lottery or have they switched back?

I've successfully used a hole saw a few times to turn a regular portafilter into a naked portafilter. The brass is pretty soft and so it's not difficult to do. I then used a couple of different grits of sand paper wrapped around the same hole saw to clean up. If your portafilter is brass with a chrome plating (as the ones I've used are) your cut will expose the brass and so the finish will be different where you drill through. I would also recommend getting a nice precision triple basket (VST or IMS perhaps).

Very cool - so very tight on the chainstay clearances? How does the diameter of the wheel with the tyre compare with a 40mm on a 29er/700c (or whatever you were running before)? Wondering how much it drops the bottom bracket...

What tyre width?

Kenda flintridge please https://www.cwcycles.co.za/product/kenda-flintridge-cross-tyre

I have a 58.4 tamper which I use with my triple VST baskets - fits pretty nice and snug - could even be a tiny bit wider.

I commute on a single speed CX bike with hydraulic discs. I have 40mm tyres that I run tubeless and flared drop bars. My commute is a mix of road and spruit - I find myself riding mostly in the drops. Personally I value having good stopping power and brake modulation (especially in the wet) on a commuter. At a lower price point I guess this points towards a hardtail mtb.

The Hylex brakes are full hydraulic. The levers have hydraulic reservoirs and they are connected to the calipers with hydraulic hoses. If you want to use mechanical levers to actuate hydraulic calipers you would need something like the TRP HY/RD system or Hope's V-Twin hydraulic brake system.

I'm still selling them - they're a new set of TRP Hylex brakes. They're not everyone's flavour as the drop bar levers are brakes only - no shifters. So you need to run them on a single speed (as I do) or with bar end levers (there are a couple of other niche alternatives).

I don't have an opinion on either machine - though I see that the Philips can be had at Loot.co.za for R7k. http://www.loot.co.za/product/philips-3100-series-fully-automatic-espresso-machine-b/cynb-4719-g730?referrer=googlemerchant&PPC=Y&gclid=CMOCr5f8utQCFWm77Qod7tYM8A

This is my new Solaris 650b+ build: Large Solaris Mk2 Fox Float FIT4 Performance - 120mm WTB Asym i35 and i29 on hope pro 4 WTB Trailblazer 2.8" tyres Lyne Dropper XT 1x11 drivetrain SRAM Level TL brakes Rapide 50mm stem, 780 riser bars and seat Fun