- The president visited one of Cape Town's most established bicycle shops to do some shopping.
- Despite an impressive selection of Specialized bikes on display, he chose a value mountain bike.
- In the week when World Bicycle Day is celebrated, it has provided evidence that the president understands the importance of riding.
Today is World Bicycle Day, and even the president is a keen cyclist.
Despite being a busy man, President Cyril Ramaphosa found some respite in his schedule to go bicycle shopping in Cape Town earlier this week.
The president ambled into Revolution Cycles on Bree Street, which happens to be a Specialized dealer with some authentically revolutionary branding.
Possibly attracted by the Revolution Cycles logo, which is a graphic of Che Guevara, the president modestly stepped inside. His security detail were at pains to be subtle and not disrupt customers already in the store.
So many bikes, but which one for the president?
Stan, one of Revolution Cycles' young sales assistants, was first to oblige Ramaphosa's entourage. The president was shown an array of options, and with Specialized having one of the most diverse portfolios of bicycle products, there was no poverty of choice.
Would the president go for a sleek, aerodynamic carbon-fibre road bike? As a man with keen interests in cattle and game farming, maybe he would prefer a Diverge gravel bike? Or an e-bike, perhaps, with Specialized being an early innovator in battery-assisted mountain biking…
After seeing what was available, the president eventually settled on one of Specialized's most proven bikes, the Rockhopper, which has a very reasonable pricing spectrum of R9 500 to R19 000.
This might be Specialized's most affordable mountain bike but it doesn't suffer cheapness. Standard features include hydraulic disc brakes, a front suspension fork and contemporary frame geometry.
Keeping within the budget
President Ramaphosa was shopping with his daughter and purchased two Rockhoppers – one new and the other pre-owned. As one would expect from a lockdown leader, the president gave the new Rockhopper mountain bike to his daughter, selecting the second-hand version, which is in mint condition, for himself.
Revolution Cycles' mechanic, Percy, ensured that the president's Rockhopper was correctly configured and ready to roll. Before leaving Revolution Cycles, the president and his daughter ensured that they had the appropriate PPE for riding, in the guise of new helmets and gloves.
The president was particularly thrilled with his new Revolution Cycles hydration bottle, which features the iconic Che Guevara image, captured by Alberto Korda.
As cycling surges in global popularity, with more people embracing active commuting and riding as a choice fitness activity, it's good to know that the president is part of the two-wheeled revolution.
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