The Absa Cape Epic is seen globally as the ultimate test in mountain bike stage racing. A combination of the world’s best racers, the potential for extreme weather conditions, rugged terrain and the high pressure that comes with a UCI HC-race ranking, the annual eight day South African race is also seen as the true testing ground for marathon racing bikes. In Part 3 of our annual TREAD Absa Cape Epic Survey, we look at the average bike value, most popular bike brands and more bike-related insight.
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Of the 1 380 riders that entered the 2018 Cape Epic, a total of 1 299 took the rider survey. That’s 94%, which is an exceptionally large sample size. Here’s how their bike stats looked as well as some historical analysis…
Average bike value
| Year | Rand value | % increase over previous year | Cost of US $1 on 31 March that year |
| 2019 | R99 296 | 2.21% | R14.30 |
| 2018 | R97 145 | 3.03% | R11.84 |
| 2017 | R94 286 | 23.97% | R13.29 |
| 2016 | R76 052 | 25.18% | R14.71 |
| 2015 | R60 752 | 35.19% | R12.12 |
| 2014 | R44 937 | 6.37% | R10.58 |
| 2013 | R42 244 | 4.69% | R9.24 |
| 2012 | R40 349 | 7.56% | R7.69 |
| 2011 | R37 510 | 4.49% | R6.84 |
| 2010 | R35 898 | 4.91% | R7.39 |
| 2009 | R34 215 | 11.59% | R9.72 |
| 2008 | R30 659 | R8.19 |
We include the Rand=US Dollar rate at 31 March for each year (the Cape Epic month) to add some perspective.
The average price of a Cape Epic bicycle for 2019 is just under R100 000. After three huge increases (2014-2017), it’s been incremental since. It’s worth noting that the weakest the Rand has ever been against the Dollar was in January 2016 at 16.84.
Breakdown of bike value
| Price bracket | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| Under R30 000 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| R30 000-R40 000 | 4% | 3% | 3% |
| R40 000-R50 000 | 6% | 5% | 4% |
| R50 000-R60 000 | 7% | 7% | 6% |
| R60 000-R70 000 | 10% | 8% | 7% |
| R70 000-R80 000 | 9% | 11% | 10% |
| R80 000-R90 000 | 10% | 10% | 10% |
| R90 000-R100 000 | 11% | 10% | 11% |
| R100 000-R110 000 | 10% | 10% | 12% |
| R110 000-R120 000 | 7% | 7% | 7% |
| R120 000-R130 000 | 9% | 12% | 11% |
| Over R130 000 | 17% | 17% | 18% |
A total of 48% paid R100 000 or more for their bicycle. That’s (expectedly) grown from 43% in 2017 and 46% in 2018. Of the total entrants, 57% bought a new bike in the 12 months leading up to the Cape Epic. The split in this number (57%) is 22% South African, 35% International.
New bike purchase in previous 12 months
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| 65% | 59% | 52% | 54% | 57% |
Most popular brands – last 8 years
| ‘12 | ‘13 | ‘14 | ‘15 | ‘16 | ‘17 | ‘18 | ‘19 | |
| Specialized | 23% | 23% | 29% | 36% | 36% | 32% | 33% | 30% |
| SCOTT | 11% | 11% | 15% | 14% | 12% | 14% | 15% | 15% |
| Cannondale | 7% | 7% | 10% | 9% | 10% | 12% | 12% | 13% |
| TREK | 7% | 7% | 5% | 4% | 4% | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| Santa Cruz | 5% | 5% | 4% | 4% | 5% | 4% | 3% | 5% |
| Giant | 13% | 11% | 6% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 3% | 3% |
| BMC | 1% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 2% |
| Merida | 5% | 5% | 4% | 3% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Canyon | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2% |
| KTM | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2% |
| Rocky Mountain | 1% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1% |
| Momsen | — | — | 3% | 2% | 3% | <1% | 2% | 1% |
| Silverback | — | — | — | — | — | — | <1% | 1% |
| Pyga | — | — | — | — | — | <1% | 2% | 1% |
Other than small shifts in percentage, no major changes in the top 6 brands for the past three years. Two brands that have made an appearance in 2019 though are KTM and Canyon with a 2% share each. Specialized continues to be the dominant brand, but has dropped by 3% over last year. After sharing 5% between them in 2018, South African brands Momsen, Pyga and Silverback slipped back to a combined 3% Cape Epic market-share. Cannondale (1%) and Santa Cruz (2%) each enjoyed small increases over 2018.
Note: Other brands do feature in the survey results, but are all less than 1%, so haven’t been listed here. Combined, they make up 16% of ‘Other’.
Most popular last four years
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | ||||
| Specialized | 36% | Specialized | 32% | Specialized | 33% | Specialized | 30% |
| SCOTT | 12% | SCOTT | 14% | SCOTT | 15% | SCOTT | 15% |
| Cannondale | 10% | Cannondale | 12% | Cannondale | 12% | Cannondale | 13% |
| Santa Cruz | 5% | TREK | 6% | TREK | 6% | TREK | 6% |
| TREK | 4% | Santa Cruz | 4% | Santa Cruz | 3% | Santa Cruz | 5% |
| Giant | 4% | Giant | 4% | Giant | 3% | Giant | 3% |
| BMC | 3% | BMC | 3% | BMC | 2% | Merida | 2% |
| Momsen | 3% | Rocky Mountain | 2% | Rocky Mountain | 2% | BMC | 2% |
| Rocky Mountain | 2% | Merida | 2% | Merida | 2% | Canyon | 2% |
| Merida | 1% | Cube | 1% | Pyga | 2% | KTM | 2% |
| Bianchi | 1% | Momsen | 2% | Rocky Mountain | 1% | ||
| Silverback | 1% | Momsen | 1% | ||||
| Cube | 1% | Silverback | 1% | ||||
| Bianchi | 1% | Pyga | 1% | ||||
| Other | 15% | Other | 16% |
Hardtail vs Full suspension
| Hardtail | Full suspension | |
| 2019 | 4% | 96% |
| 2018 | 6% | 94% |
| 2017 | 10% | 90% |
| 2016 | 7% | 93% |
| 2015 | 14% | 85% |
| 2014 | 21% | 79% |
| 2013 | 24% | 75% |
| 2012 | 31% | 69% |
| 2011 | 22% | 77% |
| 2010 | 20% | 80% |
| 2009 | 23% | 77% |
| 2008 | 26% | 74% |
| 2007 | 30% | 69% |
What happened from 2011-2013 you may ask? Well, that’s when 29er wheels found prominence and, for a while, it was a toss-up for many as to whether to ride a 26-inch full sus or a 29er hardtail. Until most bike brands began to refine the 29er full sus frame/suspension design (around 2014) and the full-sus 29er is now pretty much the Cape Epic norm.
Bike brands of final GC top 10 2019:
1st SCOTT (4 stage wins)
2nd Cannondale (1 stage win)
3rd TREK
4th Bulls
5th Specialized
6th SCOTT
7th Wilier (1 stage win)
8th Wilier
9th Canyon
10th Cannondale
