SLING CYCLES
Sling Cycles is a division of Sling Aircraft. Its chief purpose is to supply the most intelligent, versatile, beautiful, tough and practical bicycles available to humanity. Our first model, known as the ‘Tagati’ is a gravel/bikepacking/commuter ‘cross-over’. A titanium work of art, she’s intended to fully live up to the “One Bike Forever” maxim applicable to our first model.
SLING CYCLES – IT’S ALL ABOUT THE ADVENTURE
ORIGINS – THE SLING TRAIL
During 2020, between COVID lockdowns, employees of Sling Aircraft rode the 35km Sling Trail in Johannesburg South 157 times. A circular route, starting at the Sling factory, the trail incorporates 10 km of tar road and 25 km of dirt, split into several sections which include fast gravel, single track, loose rock and stone, mud, sand and downhill. Over its course, the route gains 321 meters of elevation.
During these rides, with different riders on different bikes, there was lots of banter about the merits of different bicycle styles, the ideal machine for the various surfaces and whether, overall, a road, gravel, XC, trail or downhill design would be optimal.
The bicycle is a winner!
Branko Brkljac (Stores Manager) and James Pitman (Chairman) in particular, spent an inordinate amount of time fantasising about designing the perfect machine to deal with the mixed conditions. Mike Blyth (Director), Jarryd Wilson (Aeronautical Engineer), Armin Neerings (Chief Draughtsman), Andrew Pitman (Director) and Bertus Janse van Rensburg (Sales Manager) all had their say. Finally, in the spirit of Orville and Wilbur Wright, who came to aircraft design as bicycle makers, the team could resist the temptation no more. Consensus was reached and soon two spanking new, freshly manufactured Sling Cycles ‘Tagati’s’ were standing in Hangar 8, Tedderfield Air Park.
Into Production
James explains that his days as Chairman and co-owner of Sling Aircraft are a lifetime away from his previous work as a commercial lawyer and corporate advisor. Helping to run an aircraft development and manufacturing business brings with it a new set of challenges – but they come also with opportunities.
Sling Aircraft has become a much loved and globally familiar product. Almost all manufacturing work is performed by the factory itself.
The business employs many experienced metal workers, and a comprehensive quality system is in place. Aircraft and bicycles go together – and not only because pilots need transport on the other end of the flight.
Following a brief chat between James, Mike and Andrew, the Sling Aircraft owners, it was agreed that, providing it doesn’t interfere with aircraft manufacturing activities, Sling Aircraft would use its established infrastructure to add a cycling product – the Sling Cycles Tagati.
Sling Cycles – Built like a Plane
Oscar Bravo Foxtrot (Obf) – One Bike Forever
James emphasises that while the Tagati is not a downhill or extreme mountain bike – it is almost everything else! Call sign Oscar Bravo Foxtrot, the Tagati really does meet the “One Bike Forever” objective and comes standard with the recommended Campagnola Ekar accessories and Selle Royal saddle.
For aircraft owners, the Tagati can be bought with a ‘frame-break’ for tight packing – fortunately unnecessary for the Sling TSi and Sling High Wing aircraft – both of which take 2 extra-large frame Tagati’s (unfolded)! Fittings for almost any desired pannier, carrier or bag, bottle cages and the like complete the package.
Testimonials
“We bikepacked over 2,000 km during December, from Johannesburg to Cape Town, and we had a lot to say about it.
So, why haven’t we said anything about the bikes?!?
There is absolutely nothing to be said. Not a single problem or hiccup. Not a slipped gear nor a broken or stretched belt.
Not even a flat wheel!
The Sling Tagati Pinion is not a bicycle that gets ignored. If I answered one “Is it an e-bike?” I must have answered a hundred. It is not. It has a gearbox and a belt (so no chain) and the model we’ve been using (C1.12) has 12 gears evenly spaced with a step size of 17.7% and a 600% gear range. It is extremely low maintenance and virtually wear free. Due to the sealed housing design, dirt can’t get into the system so you can forget about cleaning your drivetrain.
We had been riding in diverse conditions. We had a wet start, then some really hot, dry, tar days but mostly gravel and dust. Lots of sand, corrugation and lots of climbing in dusty conditions. We used all the gears and shifting a lot. We hadn’t had the energy to keep the bikes clean and just used a dry bar of soap on the belt for lubrication.
We carried everything we needed for 17 days which amounted to roughly 18 kg extra per bike. We distributed the weight evenly through fork racks, front rolls, frame bags, saddle packs and back pannier rolls. We used the frame bags for the heavier items as well as water. The bikes handled extremely well and although you could feel the weight, it didn’t make the bike feel unbalanced.
The idea was to have the same pedals and swop bikes around but each of us was so comfortable on the bike we were on, that that never happened.
One of the really great features of titanium is that it doesn’t mark so no scuff marks where the bags were touching and hanging on the frame.
I really love riding this bike and would suggest it for anyone wanting a dependable, low maintenance and multiple use bike. It can be really nippy and fast but is also a great workhorse.
And it’s built by guys who are really passionate about bicycles and the people riding them.”
“If I wanted to test ride the latest model Dunlop spring suspension mountain bike, I would have found someone to ask if I could borrow it. I wanted a titanium bike, and because the marketing endeavour of Sling Cycle’s piqued my interest, I decided on their bike.
You might ask what qualifies me to review this bike? Firstly, I’m a girl so I really just rode the bike and that actually counts for a lot. I compare the handling and the responsiveness to everything I have ridden over the last 3 decades, and that includes steel, aluminium, carbon fibre, 26-inch, 29-inch, rigid, soft tail, full suspension and time trail specific bikes. Also, I’m not speaking about just an afternoon with the bike. I tested it over mixed terrain for more than a week and clocking over 1,400 km. And to the boys, the technical stuff is important, so please go and familiarise yourself with it.
Looks
The bike looks like they forgot to paint it. Once you get used to it (say 20 seconds) the guys will tell you that titanium does not corrode, so it does not require painting. Titanium is a high fatigue resistant, which means it can flex without failing. Which is why it’s touted as “One Bike Forever” The look grows on you very quickly, and although it can be painted, I wouldn’t.
The flare on the handlebars look aggressive and unnecessary. I soon realised that it actually allows you to confidently stay in the drops over challenging terrain. It also means that when you go bike packing (which we all know is just one idea away), you have more packing space. In addition, it has all the rack and fender mounts.
Handling
I had the Vredenstein Aventura 700x38c tyres and wasn’t sure how they would respond on different terrain, but I am confident that you can basically go anywhere with them. I never had a puncture (tubeless) that didn’t self-seal, they have a low rolling resistance and were grippy in wet and dry conditions. The truly amazing thing is that the route isn’t dictated by the bike you are on. I will admit that chunkier tyres might have served me better on the really technical sections, but it didn’t stop me from going where I wanted. It is liberating to go from tar to gravel to single track without even giving it a second thought. The bike is responsive, and as titanium is over twice as dense as carbon fibre, it is less brittle and absorbs more energy and ultimately makes for a smoother and more comfortable ride. Once you get it up to speed, it basically floats over bumpy surfaces. This means less jarring which fatigues your body and takes away from the enjoyment of riding a bike.
Groupset
The bike I used, had a Campagnolo’s gravel specific Ekar groupset. I was under the impression that I didn’t like Campy. It claims to be the world’s lightest gravel groupset; reliable, durable and fast. It has the 9T sprocket, Ekar’s unique and innovative 1×13 drivetrain which delivers a full range of gear ratios with smooth natural gear progressions for the perfect cadence whatever your speed or riding style. Needless to say, I was wrong. It never missed a shift. It took some getting used to, but once you get that the brake lever is just a brake lever, I loved it! You can reach both levers from either the top of the handlebars or from the drops. The down shifter has a little wing that you can reach with your thumb, so you can stay in the drop bars, out of the wind and change gears to your heart’s desire.
The guys at Sling Cycles are very approachable and accommodating and they made it very easy for me to test the bike. They are passionate about cycling and cyclists. Give them a call, book a test ride and experience the magic of the Sling Tagati.
And guys, you don’t have to wait for birthdays or anniversaries. Your wife deserves this bike!”
“Custom built titanium frames built by guys who build their own aeroplanes. I can’t think of anybody I would trust more to build me a bicycle.”
“When last did you ride a bike that did everything YOU want? The Sling Cycles Tagati ticked so many boxes for our mildly-repressed South African explorer genes, we had to make a video about it!”
“Hi Branko, just a bit of feedback regarding the Tagati. It rides amazing! It has the speed and acceleration of my road bike with the fun and versatility of my MTB. I originally had 43c gravel tyres with tubes on it, but after some bad corrugated roads, I am now putting on Racing Ray/Ralph tubeless tyres. Hopefully this will help. I can see why you use a lefty. Happy Riding!”
Social Responsibility
We’re not only passionate about bicycles, we’re also passionate about our people and environment.
Sling Cycles comes out of Sling Aircraft, which employs 240 people, most of whom live within a short bicycle ride of Tedderfield Air Park. Over the years, Sling Aircraft has been actively involved in several community outreach programs, including The Children’s Flight, Race for Rhinos, activists in local rights marches, multiple sponsorship efforts for both local and international pilots in training.
Also included are educational tours for our local scholars as well as family day flights and festivities for our own staff and family members.
Titanium bicycles last forever and can provide an ideal commuting platform. “More riding, less driving” is good for the soul, the body and the environment. We intend, through progressive contributions, to contribute to a better world!
