JOIN THE RIDE

OUR ANGST IS YOUR REWARD. When I met with gear editor Jon Minster and we sat down to discuss our budget bike buyer’s guide for Issue 4 of 2019, the conversation started – as usual – with “how low do we go?” Below R20K? R10K? R5K, even? In the end, we decided that the spec of the bikes Jon would choose would define the price bracket. // THERE ARE PLENTY OF GREAT BIKES BELOW R10K – AND EVEN SOME BELOW R5K WORTH MENTIONING – BUT IF YOU WANT TO BUY A BIKE THAT’S CAPABLE OF HANDLING YEARS OF RIDING WITH A SUITABLE GROUPSET AND A DECENT SUSPENSION SYSTEM, YOU NEED TO SPEND A LITTLE MORE. // WE ALSO DECIDED TO FOCUS JUST ON MOUNTAIN BIKES FOR THIS YEAR’S SHOWDOWN, PURELY BECAUSE THE VERSATILITY OF A MOUNTAIN BIKE MAKES A BETTER-VALUE PURCHASE – you can ride a mountain bike on the road, but you can’t ride a road bike on the mountain! // WHILE WE FEATURE ONLY SIX MODELS IN OUR BEST-BUYS SHOOTOUT, WE BELIEVE THAT THESE BIKES STAND TALL. THEY’RE TOP VALUE, IN A SPORT IN WHICH EQUIPMENT PRICES ARE SKYROCKETING. AND JUST IN CASE YOU THINK THESE BIKES WON’T BE ADEQUATE FOR YOUR NEEDS, REMEMBER THAT OLI MUNNIK – FORMER BICYCLING GEAR EDITOR, AND NOW BRAND MANAGER OF NEW BRAND SIGNAL BIKES – AND HIS PARTNER FINISHED THE RECENT ABSA CAPE EPIC IN 38TH PLACE, BOTH OF THEM ABOARD ALUMINIUM HARDTAILS PRICED AT JUST UNDER R20K (SEE PAGE 90 FOR A REVIEW OF THE SIGNAL ELITE). // And while we’re not suggesting that pricier, top-of-the-range dual-sus bikes aren’t preferable for events like the Epic, there’s also no excuse for not getting out there – even if your budget is more limited.

RIDE ON!