Festka Classic - notes from South Africa

Festka Classic

We took the Classic to South Africa because it’s a tough place.

And because we wanted to ride.

Ondřej and I.

South Africa is full of contrasts. Luxury next to poverty. Hard landscape. Sharp light. Wind that doesn’t ask.

And because of all that, the area around Cape Town is one of the best places I’ve ever ridden a road bike.

You get everything there. Flats, long climbs, steep roads above the ocean.

Some roads are perfect. Many aren’t.

Why the Classic

We didn’t take the Classic because it looks good.

We took it because it makes sense when you travel and ride every day.

Mechanical shifting.

Rim brakes.

A classic cockpit.

Packing is easy. Unpacking too.

No hoses. No bleeding. No problems you didn’t ask for.

Around six kilos.

In long, steep climbs, it simply works.

How it rides

It looks like steel. You expect weight.

But is light.

Call it the best steel bike I’ve ridden...

it just happens to be carbon.

It accelerates easily and smooths out rough surfaces.

Perfect asphalt one moment, broken roads the next.

The bike stays calm and predictable.

Contact points

Classic round bars, fully wrapped.

Hands stay put, even when you’re sweating.

The 12-speed mechanical Campagnolo groupset feels right.

Clear ergonomics. Thumb shifting you enjoy.

Less information. More satisfaction.

Components

The Darimo cockpit fits the character of the bike.

Light, clean, closer to classic stems than modern statements.

Lightweight wheels are iconic.

Braking isn’t perfect but this isn’t a race bike.

Once you stop riding it like one, that concern fades.

What stayed with me

The Classic isn’t about numbers.

It’s about riding.

Long days. Mixed surfaces. Coffee stops. One more climb because it looks good.

Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope confirmed that.

A demanding place.

A strong landscape.

And a bike that didn’t need to prove anything.

For me, that’s enough.

Mauri