Lance Branquinho

Twenty years in digital media, with extensive content experience.

Published thought leader in automotive technology, sustainability, and product trends.

Proven short-form mobile and long-form digital SEO content production. Extensive CMS experience. Expert at repackaging content for mobile.

News24 •

The woman who changed mountain bike design


• If you ride a carbon dual-suspension trail bike, it all traces back to a female designer
• The story of mountain biking’s most iconic carbon-fibre design saw a brand revival, meet an inspired artist
• And nobody could predict how influential that collaboration would become

Many women ride mountain bikes. The industry has reacted with more representation among product planners, but pure bike design remains very male.

You can’t have men designing gear and accessories for women riders and micr
News24 •

The Bicycle Builder: Dave Mercer

Carbon-fibre bicycles are amazing. The advanced composites used to shape those carbon-fibre frames are terrifically light and incredibly strong.

A curious feature of the bicycle market has been the enduring appeal of steel. Especially, custom steel bicycles. Built by individual fabricators, often in sheds, garages or historic industrial buildings.

To make a carbon-fibre bicycle you need masterful technicians and advanced moulding and curing tools. It is not something that can be done by a sing
Business Insider •

A new South African gin just won a top design prize in the US


• A one-year-old gin brand just won a top design prize in the US – thanks to its striking logo and packaging.
• Muti Gin was launched by a husband-and-wife team from Stellenbosch.
• For more stories, go to Business Insider SA.

A one-year-old South African gin brand beat 1,500 other entries from 20 countries to win a top prize at the Dieline design awards in the US. The awards recognise outstanding consumer packaging and product design.

Muti Gin was awarded first prize in the category for clea
Business Insider •

Pink South African rescue buoys have saved 43 lives since 2017 – and now Australia is interested in them


• At unguarded beaches bystanders often drown trying to help others in distress.
• With a device, untrained bystanders have a much better chance at successful rescue.
• South Africa’s pink rescue buoy system is now being tested by Australia.

Pink rescue buoys pioneered in South Africa are now being tested in Australia, after being credited with saving 43 lives in SA over the past two years.

South Africa has a 2,850km coastline, most of its swimmable and much of it unguarded. It remains imposs
Cars.co.za •

Why VW fired its boss

Any change at the top of Volkswagen AG is a huge deal. What will the new CEO of the German automotive giant mean for your VW – and South Africa?

What is the most challenging job in the automotive business? Being Elon Musk’s personal assistant? Choosing the next Toyota Hilux’s alloy wheel design? No, neither.

Being appointed VW’s CEO is the most poisoned chalice in the car industry…. not CEO of the Wolfsburg-based brand itself, but Volkswagen AG (VW AG), which includes Audi, Bentley, Lamborghin
Cars.co.za •

Rethink your vehicle type to counter record fuel costs

In a time of record fuel prices, are you driving the right kind of vehicle? When you’re looking to conserve as much fuel as possible, the shape and stature of your ride really matter.

Government levies its favourite kind of tax on fuel. Why? Because as long as there are motor vehicles travelling on our roads, fuel-tax revenue will top up the Treasury’s coffers. There is no way that you, the motorist, can’t avoid fuel tax.

Do you know that petrol and diesel prices have doubled in the past five
Cars.co.za •

The car chip crisis: How do we deal with the semiconductor shortage?

New PlayStation or car? As things stand, you can have one – but not both.

A decade ago, the world’s most advanced car had 100 microprocessors and more computing power than an Airbus A380. In the automotive world, the Mercedes S-Class first-class sedan is regarded as the pinnacle of technological sophistication – in any era – and the 5th-generation model had more lines of code than an equivalent widebody airliner.

Today, the latest Mercedes-Benz’s S-Class has 30 million lines of code. That is s
cyclingnews.com •

Best e-bike motors: Everything you need to know

E-bike motors can either be in the rear hub or mostly, the bottom bracket

The best e-bike motors will balance the scales between power and weight, to offer maximum pedal assistance without weighing the bike down and holding it back. Of course, e-bike motors come as part of the bike itself and aren't yet a component that you can swap out and upgrade, so it's important to know what you're getting into when choosing from the best electric bikes.

The e-bike has well and truly established itself as
cyclingnews.com •

Ceramic bearings: Do you need them for your bike?

When it comes to upgrading components that make you go faster on your bike, many riders' first concerns are about reducing weight or improving aerodynamics, but an often overlooked area of potential improvement is friction. A whole host of products have been launched over recent years that claim to reduce friction and save watts, and ceramic bearings are present in many of them.

Reducing friction has the potential to unlock many gains. Present in your derailleur pulleys, bottom bracket, hubs, p
cyclingnews.com •

Gravel bike vs mountain bike: understanding the differences

Mountain bike ownership has, for many, been a passport to healthy mindful escapism.

Solving the mystery of that forest singletrack, discovering how deep it goes into the woods, conquering a series of rolling hills linked by a testing gradient of gravel road, the desire for exploration is what drives a great deal of the cycling obsession for many. Escaping our immediate surroundings, exploring where vehicle traffic cannot intimidate or threaten you on a ride.

But what is the ideal bike configur