The Best Bike in Africa will be held at the 2015 Standard Bank Africa Cycle Fair on 23 – 25 October at St Stithians College, Johannesburg. The competition invites fair visitors to vote for their favourite bike at the Best Bike in Africa stand. All the entrants that vote for the bike that wins the Best Bike in Africa will go into a draw to win the bike. Leading up to the fair, we’ll be be revealing the bikes entered in the Best Bike in Africa. First up today is the MercerBikes Hungry Monkey II.
Usually we use our own words but when the man who designs and builds the bike gives you some text, it just feels wrong to paraphrase. So here’s what David Mercer has to say about his Hungry Monkey II:
The frame is designed to accept long travel forks (140 – 160mm), 650B wheels and is equipped with sliding dropouts. The head angle is a relatively slack 66 degrees and the top tube is on the long side. The bottom bracket is lower than the norm to make a stable ride at speed and the chainstay length can be adjusted from 420 – 445mm. A 1x specific design, the Hungry Monkey also has cable routing for a stealth dropper post. The Hungry Monkey is a very versatile frame that can be set up for almost any intended use. Steel’s longevity and liveliness are legendary – this should make the Hungry Monkey a frame for life.
This particular Hungry Monkey has been built with out-of-bounds trail riding in mind. It rolls on wheels from South Industries – their bombroof AM Carbon rims laced to Tune hubs with double butted DT Swiss spokes and shod in Onza rubber. The Pike up front needs no introduction: 160mm of controlled plush has never felt better. A 1×10 drivetrain with SRAM’s GX cranks turning X9 oily bits provides propulsion and SRAM’s incredible Guide brakes help reign in the madness. The saddle is a custom covered Flite Titanium from Velobrien in Cape Town. Stem and seatpost are both from Thomson and a smattering of BX components round out the build.
The Hungry Monkey aims to be the bike you reach most for. It’s fun, involving and rewarding. It’s a bike with soul.
Feed it.
Specifications:
- FRAME:Double butted Nivacrom steel with adjustable dropouts
- FORK:RockShox Pike RCT3 160mm
- WHEELS:South Industries AM rims laced to Tune hubs with DT Swiss double butted spokes
- TIRES:Onza Ibex
- CRANKS:SRAM GX
- DERAILLEUR:SRAM X9 Type 2
- SHIFTER:SRAM X9
- CASSETTE:SRAM 10sp 11-36
- BRAKES:SRAM Guide R with Centreline rotors
- SADDLE:Custom leather covered Flite Titanium from Velobrien (not shown)
- SEATPOST:Thomson
- STEM:Thomson
- HEADSET:BX
- HANDLEBAR:BX
- FRAME RETAIL PRICE:R 12,000.00
- BUILD RETAIL PRICE:R 55,000.00
Find out more about MercerBikes over on their website here.
If you like this bike and would like the chance to own one, vote for it in the Best Bike in Africa at the Standard Bank Africa Cycle Fair on 23 – 25 October at St Stithians College.
ding ding ding...we have a winner