RACE
Racing is a big deal in South Africa, whether you're clipping in for a sub-three Cycle Tour attempt or dicing your mates at Wines2Whales. There's also a growing number of gravel races on the calendar. Unsurprisingly, racing is a massive focus for bike brands. On the mountain-bike front, suspension is constantly improving, weight is coming down and handling is getting better. Same with road bikes - they all have disc brakes now, clearance for wider tyres and aerodynamic frames.
The sky's the limit when it comes to how much you want to spend. The top race bikes all clock in at well over R200k. But instead of featuring those, we've looked at models a bit further down the food chain. You still get a thoroughbred bike, but you don't have to take out a second bond on your house. It all comes down to how much you're prepared to spend to shave off grams and get closer to the podium.
XC/MARATHON
THE EPIC SLAYER
SPECIALIZED EPIC PRO
R170 000 / SPECIALIZED.COM
The Epic has the right name. Matt Beers and his partner Jordan Sarrou rode the S-Works version of this bike to victory in the 2021 ABSA Cape Epic, and Beers claimed third place in the 2022 race with Christopher Blevins.
And the best thing about a massive company like Specialized is that all the trickle-down tech from Beers' bike has been pumped straight into this model. ("A waterfall of performance, coming straight down from Mount S-Works" is how Spez puts it, rather poetically.)
BRAIN technology front and back locks out the suspension when the track is smooth, for extra efficiency, and opens it up automatically when things get rough. The rear triangle of the frame is extra-stiff to further enhance pedalling power, giving the bike hardtail-like performance on the climbs but plenty of cush
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