“This weekend’s Underberg Gran Fondo will have something of an unusual aeronautical theme with Sling Cycles officially joining the event as one of the event’s supporters. Sling Cycles is a fledgling South African-based bicycle manufacturing company that grew out of airplane builders, Sling Aircraft.
While the link between aircraft and bicycles is unusual, there is a precedent: The Wright brothers, who are credited with inventing the airplane, used their knowledge of hand-building bicycles to build the world’s first aircraft.
Ahead of the second edition of the Underberg Gran Fondo this weekend, Sling Cycles has teamed up with the event to help grow the gravel racing discipline. For Director of Sling Cycles, Branko Brkljac, teaming up with the Underberg Gran Fondo was a simple decision.
“With four of our owners from Howick, the event is a local event for us,” Brkljac said. “We love the environment and the atmosphere that surrounds the Underberg region and the event so we are excited to be a formal part of the event.”
