In Part 2 of our four-part reveal of the 2022 South African Mountain Biking Survey, presented by Garmin, we focus on the bikes. A total of 3 000 took our 57-question survey in December 2022. It’s a similar sample size to the past three years and gives a good idea of bike related patterns and preferences of the South African mountain bike market, including MTB, Gravel and eBike brands, cost, components, tyres and more.
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What brand of bicycle do you ride/race currently?
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
| Specialized | 20.83% | 21.85% | 19.53% | 21.15% |
| SCOTT | 16.20% | 15.35% | 15.14% | 19.80% |
| TREK | 10.04% | 8.01% | 6.40% | 3.06% |
| Giant | 7.03% | 8.89% | 9.49% | 8.91% |
| Cannondale | 6.46% | 7.22% | 6.47% | 7.02% |
| Merida | 5.68% | 5.87% | 6.60% | 6.57% |
| Silverback | 5.00% | 5.35% | 8.32% | 5.94% |
| Pyga | 4.43% | 3.64% | 2.40% | 4.14% |
| Titan | 3.72% | 3.22% | 3.64% | 0.99% |
| Santa Cruz | 3.11% | 3.41% | 3.15% | 2.97% |
| Momsen | 3.01% | 3.12% | 3.48% | 3.78% |
| Norco | 1.42% | 1.21% | 1.17% | 1.17% |
| Yeti | 0.84% | 0.79% | 1.04% | 1.08% |
| Orbea | 0.84% | – | – | – |
| GT | 0.78% | 1.08% | 1.59% | 1.53% |
| Bianchi | 0.74% | 0.75% | 0.49% | 0.72% |
| KTM | 0.67% | 0.98% | 1.04% | 1.26% |
| Canyon | 0.67% | 0.39% | 0.49% | 0.54% |
| Liv | 0.67% | 0.39% | – | – |
| Rocky Mountain | 0.50% | 0.79% | 0.71% | 0.72% |
| Other | 6.83% | 6.21% | 7.03% | 6.04% |
These are the top 20 bike brands based on the results of the survey. Notable climbers since the previous year are TREK, Pyga and Titan. Specialized and SCOTT remain at the top, but the former dropped in market-share slightly while the latter increased marginally. Giant dropped out of the top three for the first time since our annual surveys began and Orbea has made an appearance in the top 20 for the first time.
There were 90 bike brands mentioned!
What did your bike cost?
| Cost of bike | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
| Under R10 000 | 3.92% | 4.95% | 6.66% |
| R10 000-R14 999 | 5.85% | 6.50% | 9.36% |
| R15 000-R19 999 | 6.02% | 5.97% | 6.63% |
| R20 000-R24 999 | 4.74% | 5.58% | 6.43% |
| R25 000-R29 999 | 5.41% | 5.38% | 6.53% |
| R30 000-R34 999 | 5.11% | 6.10% | 6.92% |
| R35 000-R39 999 | 4.94% | 6.46% | 6.95% |
| R40 000-R44 999 | 5.58% | 6.17% | 6.08% |
| R45 000-R49 999 | 5.51% | 5.05% | 5.10% |
| R50 000-R54 999 | 4.70% | 4.43% | 4.35% |
| R55 000-R59 999 | 2.88% | 3.31% | 3.41% |
| R60 000-R64 999 | 3.32% | 3.77% | 3.31% |
| R65 000-R69 999 | 2.74% | 4.04% | 3.35% |
| R70 000-R74 999 | 3.48% | 2.82% | 3.09% |
| R75 000-R79 999 | 2.84% | 3.05% | 2.60% |
| R80 000-R84 999 | 4.53% | 3.38% | 2.66% |
| R85 000-R89 999 | 2.88% | 2.85% | 2.08% |
| R90 000-R94 999 | 2.40% | 2.33% | 2.05% |
| R95 000-R99 999 | 2.06% | 2.20% | 1.40% |
| R100 000-R109 999 | 4.50% | 3.74% | 3.28% |
| R110 000-R119 999 | 3.21% | 2.99% | 1.82% |
| R120 000-R129 999 | 2.84% | 2.26% | 1.59% |
| R130 000-R139 999 | 1.59% | 1.64% | 0.94% |
| R140 000-R149 999 | 2.00% | 1.21% | 0.88% |
| R150 000 or more | 6.94% | 3.81% | 2.50% |
The average bike price based on this survey for 2022 is R65 450, this is up from R55 000 last year and R48 971 from 2020. That’s an 19.98% increase in one year! For some reference, the Consumer Price Index increased 8.5% between February 2021 and March 2022.
Which accurately describes your bike best?
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
| It’s a hardtail | 19.59% | 21.42% | 24.34% |
| It’s a full-suspension | 69.42% | 66.47% | 63.80% |
| I own both hardtail and full-suspension bikes | 10.99% | 12.11% | 11.86% |
A definite trend towards full-suspension since 2020. But since most youth don’t take surveys, it’s likely the hardtail % is indeed higher.
What wheel size is your mountain bike?
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
| 29-inch | 90.22% | 89.50% | 86.81% |
| 27.5-inch (650b) | 4.87% | 5.41% | 7.15% |
| 27.5-inch Plus | 0.78% | 1.15% | 1.33% |
| 26-inch | 3.32% | 3.94% | 4.71% |
| Mullet | 0.81% | – | – |
South Africa is still the 29-inch wheel capital of the world! We added Mullet (27.5 rear and 29 front) because this is a platform in gravity bikes and that market is growing.
What material is your mountain bike’s frame made from?
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
| Carbon fibre | 55.75% | 52.95% | 47.74% |
| Aluminium | 34.27% | 35.76% | 39.75% |
| Carbon/Alloy combo | 7.65% | 8.63% | 9.52% |
| Other (steel, titanium etc) | 2.33% | 2.66% | 2.99% |
That’s a chunk of carbon fibre – and it appears to be increasing each year! It’s unlikely many other countries will have such a high percentage of carbon fibre frames. Light is fast, Bru.
How many chainrings does your mountain bike have?
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
| 1 chainring | 82.31% | 74.87% | 67.99% |
| 2 chainrings | 10.89% | 15.41% | 19.24% |
| 3 chainrings | 6.80% | 9.71% | 12.77% |
The simplification of drivetrains continues with more and more entry-level bikes now also coming specced with a 1×10, 1×11 or 1×12 set-up.
Which component brand does your mountain bike mostly have on it?
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
| Shimano | 38.02% | 42.06% | 45.40% |
| SRAM | 43.34% | 39.11% | 36.04% |
| Shimano/SRAM mix | 17.59% | 17.88% | 17.52% |
| Other | 1.05% | 0.95% | 1.04% |
SRAM has now ousted Shimano from its leading position in the SA mountain bike market. This is reflective of SRAM’s better stock availability and investment in South African marketing and sponsorship.
Which type of pedal do you ride with?
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
| Cleat pedal (clip-in) | 82.24% | 84.48% | 82.52% |
| Flat pedal | 11.64% | 8.66% | 10.59% |
| I use both | 6.12% | 6.86% | 6.89% |
A small increase for flat pedals over the previous year. This is likely reflective of the growing gravity/recreational riding market.
What brand of tyre do you prefer?
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
| Maxxis | 59.74% | 57.32% | 57.72% |
| Specialized | 13.02% | 12.93% | 12.38% |
| Vittoria/Geax | 8.66% | 9.81% | 9.94% |
| Schwalbe | 6.39% | 6.30% | 4.87% |
| Bontrager | 3.59% | 2.82% | 3.22% |
| Continental | 3.04% | 4.07% | 4.94% |
| Pirelli | 1.05% | 0.69% | 0.29% |
| Kenda | 0.68% | 1.21% | 0.97% |
| Chaoyang | 0.58% | 0.66% | 0.62% |
| Onza | 0.44% | 0.79% | 1.07% |
| WTB | 0.41% | 0.39% | 0.75% |
| Michelin | 0.30% | 0.33% | 0.45% |
| Vredestein | 0.27% | 0.23% | 0.42% |
| Goodyear | 0.27% | – | – |
| Hutchinson | 0.27% | – | – |
| CST | 0.17% | 0.33% | 0.45% |
| Panaracer | 0.10% | – | – |
| Mitas | 0.7% | 0.26% | 0.26% |
| Other | 0.95% | 1.86% | 0.78% |
Maxxis and Specialized both increased their market share to remain at the top. Vittoria lost more than 2% over the previous year, but stays at No 3 for now. Continental continued to fall, while Bontrager and Pirelli and Schwalbe all improved a little.
Does your mountain bike have a dropper seatpost?
| 2022 | |
| Yes and I use it all the time | 41.37% |
| No | 50.51% |
| Yes, but I don’t really use it | 8.12% |
This is obviously a new question, but most relevant. Just as we have seen with single-chainring drivetrains, we’re sure to see the number of bikes with dropper seatposts rise each year. Interesting, but not surprising to see that more than 8% have dropper, but don’t use it. What a waste, but also an opportunity for skills instructors…
Do you own an eBike?
| 2022 | |
| Yes | 9.94% |
| No | 86.36% |
| I plan to buy one soon | 3.21% |
| Other | 0.47% |
Another new question because, well, this is a growing category globally and in South Africa. We’ll watch these stats with interest over the coming years. Curiously most of the comments in ‘Other’ were rather aggressive anti-eBike jibes. Likely all from people who haven’t yet ridden one.
If you own an eBike, what brand do you have?
| 2022 | |
| Specialized | 44.89% |
| TREK | 12.58% |
| Giant/Liv | 11.22% |
| SCOTT | 10,20% |
| Merida | 3.06% |
| Pyga | 2.72% |
| Orbea | 2.72% |
| Cannondale | 1.70% |
| Santa Cruz | 1.70% |
| Silverback | 1.70% |
| Darrvin | 1.02% |
| BH | 1.02% |
| KTM | 1.02% |
| Titan | 0.68% |
| Bianchi | 0.68% |
| Darkhorse | 0.68% |
| Lark | 0.68% |
| Moustache | 0.68% |
| RayVolt | 0.68% |
| Vincent | 0.68% |
| Adrenaline | 0.68% |
| Other | 1.02% |
Of the 294 that gave the model of the eBike they own, this is the breakdown. We weren’t surprised to see Specialized at the top because it got a head start on most brands with eBikes, offers a range of eBike models to suit most and, crucially for eBikes, offers very good after-sales back-up.
Do you own a gravel bike?
| 2022 | |
| Yes | 12.18% |
| No | 81.94% |
| I plan to buy one soon | 5.89% |
As with the eBikes question, we wanted to set a benchmark based on the growth of interest in gravel bike riding/racing. Gravel is also a sub-category of mountain biking, according to the UCI.
If you own a gravel , what brand do you have?
| 2022 | |
| Specialized | 20.05% |
| Giant/Liv | 9.62% |
| Cannondale | 7.21% |
| TREK | 6.95% |
| Curve | 4.27% |
| Canyon | 4.01% |
| SCOTT | 3.74% |
| Rondo | 3.47% |
| Momsen | 3.20% |
| Titan | 2.94% |
| Silverback | 2.94% |
| Bianchi | 2.67% |
| Rook | 2.40% |
| Norco | 1.87% |
| Santa Cruz | 1.60% |
| Basso | 1.33% |
| Cotic | 1.33% |
| Lynskey | 1.33% |
| Sling | 1.33% |
| Niner | 1.06% |
| Ridley | 1.06% |
| Ritchey | 1.06% |
| Other | 14.56% |
A total of 374 name their gravel bike band. Quite a spread of brands with Specialized in a fairly dominant top spot. Interesting to see some different brand names here, some of which focus more on gravel or niche-category enthusiasts. There were a total of 61 brands named.
Did you miss Part 1 of our 2022 South African Mountain Biking Survey, presented by Garmin? Here’s the link.
Look out for Parts 3 (Performance) and 4 (Gear) coming soon.
