Sling Aircraft making bikes. The Sling Cycles Tagati

[b-rad]

Sling Aircraft, a truly local is lekker global success story within the aviation circles, have started producing bicycles. Sling Aircraft are really fantastic aeroplanes as I'm sure those who have flown one would agree.

The Sling Cycles Tagati looks to be a titanium frame, gravel/multi purpose machine.

 

https://www.slingaircraft.com/news/introducing-the-sling-cycles-tagati/

[tinmug]

Nice!

[The Ouzo]

I like the idea.

Picture makes the geometry look old school (in my eyes), but i like that someone local decided to just use their manufacturing expertise to do this.

[andreas17777]

Price of frameset?

[MudLark]

Nice bike. You will not survive for long on E Cape - or indeed many other - farm roads on that bike.

[Steady Spin]

Definitely on my list

[Mountain Goat]

I really like this! It reminds me of the Curve Gmx. 

[RocknRolla]

Price of frameset?

And do I get a discount voucher on one of their aircraft if I buy one?

Edited April 7, 2021 by RocknRolla

[117]

Those ain't cheap either

[Mad Mule Cyclery]

Good afternoon. Bicycle from that picture is our no.1 prototype. At the time picture was taken I was testing setup with a fork manufactured for us in Canada that wasn't able to accommodate tire size that frame is design for. I was using 27.5 x 2.2 tires and prototype no.1 was design to take 27.5 x 2.6 or 29 x 2.2.

 

I have removed that fork and installed ENVE adventure fork instead, coz that fork is wide enough to accommodate tire sizes we wanted to test on the bike.

 

This is how it looks today.

 

[Mad Mule Cyclery]

And this is prototype no. 2. It is using belt drive with internal gear hub Kindernay XIV

 

 

[Mad Mule Cyclery]

I have done until today 1800 km this year on the bike, testing various setups on various terrains across South Africa and James have done almost as much on his one, and I must say that bicycle is more than capable to handle almost everything my MTB and road bike are together. We will soon have 5 demo bikes available for test ride at our Sling factory at Eikenhof. 

 

Final frame design can accommodate tire size up to 29 x 2.4. It will be available in three setups with two different forks as well as frame set only.

 

Web page will be released soon and will have all the details as well as prices.

 

If you are interested to come and see or test ride any of two prototypes you can contact me on cycles@slingaircraft.com

 

If you have any questions about the bike feel free to ask me here.

[tinmug]

Thanks @KITTEDSA, I sincerely hope we get to see James and Mike do their usual thing on these frames. 

[MudLark]

It's an interesting project and a variant on my own hybrid. I think I'm going to try 2.2 tyres - Race Kings - on my hybrid. The gravel bike tyres work okay but I think Race Kings may be better.

 

I would actually like to compare the two bikes. I suspect Sling's geometry provides certain advantages but the soft tail and shock absorbers on my bike also provides certain advantages, depending upon terrain. I built this bike specifically for very bad farm roads, such as you get in the Eastern Cape and for events like a Race to the Sun. Also for general use on our increasingly bad roads – I have found that it is a much safer bike than a standard road bike. You are far less likely to take a fall if you hit a pothole or an uneven road surface at speed.

 

But I have found that it's not a very fast bike. I am not quite sure why; maybe the geometry. It's a great "go anywhere, do anything" bike and works well for doing long distances over bad terrain but I don't think it is well suited for competitive activities – although I still need to ride it a bit more and try to refine it a bit more. Maybe as I fettle it I will conclude otherwise.

 

I tend to think the ultimate is probably the Niner MCR but I can't quite justify the cost in my own mind.

 

 

 

[ichnusa]

Just been to your website...

 

Nevermind bicycles... I love your planes!  Imagine a Sling TSI, remove 2 back seats for bikes and baggage and off you go!  Travel the country with wifey!

[MudLark]

Just been to your website...

 

Nevermind bicycles... I love your planes!  Imagine a Sling TSI, remove 2 back seats for bikes and baggage and off you go!  Travel the country with wifey!

 Ditto. I am now actually playing with the idea of maybe acquiring one.