Review: Spot Gen3 and Spot Trace GPS trackers
The SPOT Gen3 is a personal GPS tracking and satellite messenger system that is designed to work with satellite-based communications and can be used for rescue, tracking and messaging where there are no mobile phone networks. The SPOT Gen3 is 6.5 cm tall, 9 cm wide, 2 cm deep, and weighs under 125g. The pocketable […]
Review: SwiftCarbon Ultravox RS-1
The Swift Ultravox is a top end do it all carbon road bike built to perform in all aspects of road racing. SwiftCarbon is among a growing selection of manufacturers worldwide opting for the direct to consumer approach. Naturally cutting out a few links in the chain means thinner margins and a lower end cost. […]
Review: YT Capra CF Comp
Before the launch of YT Industries in South Africa earlier this year, the Capra was a rare sight on our trails. Only a handful Capra’s made it into the country ridden by those willing to jump through a few hoops. Despite the restricted supply, the rave reviews from international media and riders made an impact […]
Review: Specialized Ambush helmet
The Ambush marks Specialized’s entrance into the growing extended coverage trail and all-mountain helmet market. Such helmets are set the tough task of increasing protection whilst remaining light, comfortable, well ventilated and practical on the trail. Specialized have managed to tick all the boxes on their first attempt. Safety first Specialized use varying foam densities […]
Review: DVO Diamond fork
Aimed directly at All Mountain and Enduro riding, the DVO Diamond is an air sprung fork with 130-160mm of travel. The Diamond is available in 27.5″ and 29″ options. It features a plethora of external adjustments that includes DVO’s OTT (Off The Top) negative spring adjust borrowed from its bigger brother the inverted Emerald downhill […]
Trail Daze | Encountering the Puff Adder
Our third and final outing in our search for the North West province’s finest trails took us to the lesser known Pofadder trail at Van Gaalen’s. With no markings or signage in sight, it’s a great idea to have a local show you around this rough and rocky part of town – and to experience […]
Contego Segment Hunter: Episode 2 Preview – Redhill Road
After a successful first episode, Contego Segment Hunter is back. This time we’ve washed off the dirt and headed for the tarred roads of the Cape peninsula to take in the picturesque views of False Bay from the slopes of Red Hill. The Segment Red Hill In to Lookout is our featured segment for Episode […]
First Ride: Giant Full-E+ 1 and Dirt-E+ 1
Giant entered the mountain bike e-bike market with two distinct models. The Full-E a 130mm rear and 140mm front dual suspension bike and the Dirt-E hardtail. Giant Full-E+ 1 Angles on the bike closely match those of the Trance with the biggest difference being the chainstays growing from 440cm to 470cm and the heat tube […]
Review: Verve Cycling InfoCrank Power Meter
Verve Cycling’s InfoCrank is a relative newcomer in a growing power meter market. The InfoCrank hit the shelves in late 2014 after six years of development and testing. This crank based power meter delivers what is said to be a super accurate measurement from both the left and right crank arms. On face value the […]
Training with a power meter: the ins and outs
Cycling is a fairly unique sport due to the ability to be able to get a direct measure of workload. Power meters have been around for a few decades already and are able to measure your power output in real time during training and racing. Immediately after the power meters were first released to the […]
First Ride: Fox 32 Step-Cast fork
Announced in April this year, the 32 Step-Cast (SC) fork is the lightest cross-country fork Fox has produced starting at around 1,355 grams. Designed and optimized for 100 mm travel from the outset, the 32 SC has some unique features. 32 SC Chassis & Damper Design The chasis of the Step-Cast (SC) is noticeably different […]
Review: Lapierre XR 729
The Lapierre XR 729 is the French manufacturer’s cross country race offering. There is a option to have an electronically controlled shock, which is rather intriguing, but a story for another day as we tested the mechanical shock model. Checking out the stock component specification for the bike online, I expected a traditional lean and […]