Arriving in Jozi (after huge peer pressure I’m buckling to using “z” in the spelling of the affectionate diminutive for Johannesburg instead of “s”) just over a year ago it was great to get out on the road on my bike and hook up with old friends. However, all too often I had to decline riding invites because the roadies also did off-road – big time!
After a few months it was clear; if I didn’t want to ride on my own I’d need to get a mountain bike. And so began the research...
The next few posts will be my reviews of the new gear I’ve purchased to be able to ride single track. Along with the bike (Boardman Pro Hard Tail), I’ll cover the rest of the essential kit that ate my cash: shoes (Mavic Razor), pedals (Look Quartz Carbon Cro-Mo), long finger gloves (Specialized BG Ridge), replacement tyres (Continental Mountain King 2.2 and Continental Race King 2.0 Protection), Stan’s No Tube Tubeless Conversion Kit and bar ends (Ritchey WCS SL Ergo 110mm).
As a budget sensitive consumer I’ll also give a nod to price comparison across several UK on-line retailers (Chain Reaction Cycles, Evans and Wiggle), one not-so-on-line retailer (Halfords) and the financial shock of trying to source the same products in South Africa!
Getting equipped is one thing, getting savvy is another. After just a couple of outings I’d got my handlebars cut to size, changed to a new lube, adjusted the brake and gear shift positions, changed my saddle height and been converted to using CO² instead of a hand pump! Some additional bits and bobs had to be bought and I’ll bring all of this for review.
I still spend more time on the road than off and I’ll soon review my new road acquisitions: a light weight mini pump (Topeak Master Blaster Rocket Micro CBT Road - PV 160psi Carbon) and bibshorts (dhb Finchdean White/Black), plus a comparison of that major source of weight saving - the water bottle.
As they say in France,
A plus…
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