2025: What’s In, What’s Out
The mismatch in supply and demand over the last few years has wreaked havoc on many brands in the industry but is starting to level out. Whilst riding is more popular than ever, retail demand is only marginally higher than before the pandemic madness. In 2025 we can look forward to a wave of new bikes hitting the market, at all price points. Here’s our list of what to expect on the busier-than-ever South African biking scene, in 2025.
| Images: Max Sullivan, Gary Perkin, Troy Davies |
What’s out for 2025
- Daytime road rides without bike lights
- Aggressive trail riding without sufficient protection
- Disrespecting other road users, flipping the bird at motorists
- Short dropper posts on trail bikes
- Exorbitant race entry fees
- Noisy bikes: a little lube, cable wrap and frame tape are affordable ways to keep your machine rolling like a Pro’s bike
- Sh*ting on Trail Builders
- Not trimming MTB bars to fit you; they are supplied wide so everyone can trim them down for optimum fit. You’ll ride better!
- Badly maintained trails: get involved with your trails by donating or volunteering for build days
What’s in for 2025
- Women on bikes
- A lower fork service – one of the best performance ‘enhancers’ on the market
- Hatherly – the guy is lit!
- Tadej and Jonas – they are on another level
- South Africa as a global bike destination. Whether touring, racing or content production – we have the goods and the secret is out!
- Women’s World Tour and MTB World Cup – anyone can win and the racing is exciting
- More kids inspired by SA’s heroes… Hatherly, Lill, Gibbons, Erlangsen, Minnaar
- Fun on bikes – that’s why we ride!
- Massive solo rolls OR group rides – JUST RIDE!
- Gravel
- New gravel races
- AI powered mountain bike suspension?
- Thanking Trail Builders for their hard work
- Trail riding
- Commuting by bike
- Flared bars on road bikes
- Hybrid bikes give way to smaller quivers. As the design gap between genres continues to narrow, riders who historically owned four bikes may only need three, riders with three bikes may now only need two, etc etc
- Respecting concussions for what they are: an actual brain injury that needs treatment
- Short cranks
- Kids: getting them off their phones or gaming addictions and onto bikes
- Checking your tyre pressure before every ride
- Integration, apps and electronics
- More high-spec alloy framed options at retail
- Hydration packs being used at the sharp end of the marathon fields
- More on-bike storage systems for all the stuff we carry
- Respecting everyone who is on a bike
- Riding for the fun of it and not ONLY to smash your Strava PR or Cycletour PB
- Grassroots racing. This is where Champions are built!
- Mass participation events that raise funds for charity – AND riding them socially
- More families riding together – what other sport crosses generations like biking?
- Stopping or slowing down (a lot!) when furry friends and wildlife are on the trail
- You do you. It doesn’t matter where you ride, what you ride or how you ride — just do you.
