Hey Gareth... Welcome to the Hub... If possible, try and save a bit more - you won't regret it. Whereas I'm not trying to dis Avalanche bikes - it's simply not one of the recognised MTB brands... Spend a little bit of time here on the Hub, and you will quickly start picking up the stalwart brands... Mongoose, Silverback, GT, Raleigh (and several others that will no doubt be suggested by Hubbers) are the more established brands, with a long history behind them. Entry level bikes in these brands will only set you back a extra few thousand Rands (if that much), but will be a much better purchase... If you'll excuse the terrible and inaccurate analogy - rather get an entry level Toyota, Golf, Nissan, Mazda etc. than a Tata or GWM (nothing against the latter ), but hope you know what I mean... If you're simply looking at getting a foot in the door - then you don't need to break the bank, but a bit more research and patience (and saving up) will make a huge difference... If possible, go and check out some of the bigger LBS's - the one you've been at might have a reputation for being a bit cheaper - but the bigger stores can often get better prices on the entry-levels, simply because they sell more - and will have a larger variety on display. Window shopping costs nothing - as does surfing the Hub! Good luck - and don't be shy to pop up some more options as you find them!
