SymbolOfLife

The Marlin 5 is coil, not air.

At present, saddle is completely flat, and centered on the rails yes. I'll see if a slight shift back alleviates the issue.

1.93 tall with inseam of 86cm

So after years of just thinking about it, I finally went and picked up a MTB last week. It's high time this long sedentiary lifestyle got seen to. Anyway, I havent been on a bike since highschool, some 25 years ago. As background, the bike my budget settled on is a Trek Marlin 5. I am borderline between L and XL so I opted for the XL rather. In the store they did all the setup measurements etc you'd expect and set it up for me, but for the life of me, my weight feels scarily too much tilted forward on the handlebars when seated. A fair amount of strain on the arms, shoulders, and sore wrists/palms. I've now subsequently checked a couple of sites and videos to double check seat height and angle, and everything checks out...seat is level and post appears to be the correct height. I so also see that core strength could cause this as a weak core could dump weight to the upper body. I mention this as I've led a pretty sedentiary lifestyle the last couple of years hahahaha, so yes, out of shape is an understatement. Like mentioned I've not been on a bike in over two decades, so I am also not sure if I'm just not used to the eseating position on a MTB anymore.... So, with all that mentioned, and pointers in this regard?

Hi everyone, After a while of back-and-forth, myself and the missus have decided to get ourselves some mountain bikes and getting a little more active. We're in Pratoria East, and I have some general questions, some area specific, and some about bike choices. Bikes. Our budget isnt massive (as I may need to get my vehicle kitted as well possibly...more on that later). Currently looking at Titan Racing Rogue Alpines. I'd prefer to buy new as then at least the bikes havent been abused, but for absolute beginners, is this the way to go? Or rather secondhand? If so, secondhand brand/model recommendations? Reputable secondhand dealers? Safety. I regularly read reports of people getting their bikes hijacked essentially. Is that common? I'd assume it's best to rather drive to a trail and then bike from there. But, on the occasion that we maybe want to go for an afternoon ride without venturing out, is it generally safe? I know this is a tough one to answer as I guess things can happen everywhere. Trails. In the greater area, is there a lot of choice that's failry safe? (Is there maybe an app you can recommend to have a look?) Vehicle kitting. I drive a Suzuki Grand Vitara. Thinking of having it fitted with a towbar for bike transport, but, I'm also thinking that the bikes may just fit in the back with the seats down for now? (We dont have kids...just the two of us). Is it generally ok to store bikes using those wall-hanger type solutions like this? Any other tips/recommendations? Thank you!