PandaAttack1

Thank you so much for all the inputs! I am much more comfortable now and don't believe we've missed anything. It seems the most important is at the very least one good quality bib and protection against the sun. @JayLow thanks for your list!

Hi all, So the time is nearing to buy mountain bikes for myself and my GF. We will mostly be doing cross country and some trail mountain biking. Where do we start with clothing? I've read a bit and have some inputs, but there are still quite a bit of options available out there. Bibs, cycling shorts, mtb shorts, jerseys, special socks? Where do you guys recommend we start? To keep this entry an enjoyable hobby, I want us to be as comfortable as possible from the start. If we're going to need it soon, might as well buy it now. Start with bibs, cycle shorts, cycle shorts with exercise shorts over them? What's the most comfy for longer distance mountain biking? Normal pants (I already know this out)? Start out with loose technical shirts, tight shirts, cotton shirts? Are all bibs the same? All technical shirts the same? 🙈 Is one bib enough? They are quite pricey. We have a holiday coming up where we can basically cycle every day. Cycle, handwash/rinse and use again the next day? How hard wearing are these bibs? Hard to research... Use Mr Price cycle shorts for the 30-40min rides, use the bibs for the hour+ rides? Both of use are starting out with flat pedals. Are tekkies okay for a start? Where do we go from there? Luckily the clothes are not as committed as the bikes, but it is still a couple hundred to 1k -2k per item. 👀 Any thoughts or inputs will b appreciated.

Yes sir, I got the the sarcasm. My 'confused' emote was also in jest. The end of Nov can't come soon enough! We are ready to sweat and ride!

Thanks for this @ChrisF. Will take some screenies to compare when we are ready to buy. Will have a closer look at the Trek bikes, although most of them seemed out my budget.

Please don't support my intrusive thoughts to spend less on the miss's bike! 👀 Naughty naughty... We've discussed spending less on her bike, but we had a long and hard year. Part of buying everything to start this new hobby is kind of a thank-you gift to her. So I want it to be nice. We spent some time this weekend to visit a few cycle shops here in Pretoria East. I'm glad I did my research before hand because everything on display etc is overwhelming. I am currently considering the Titan Cypher RS Sport for myself. It looks awesome and it gave me sparkles in my eyes when I viewed it in the shop. Currently available for 20k at Solomons cycles. We will see where we are at end of the month. https://solomonscycles.co.za/product/titan-cypher-rs-sport-mountain-race-bike-dual-suspension-29-x6-aluminum-frameset/ For the GF we also saw many many options. Specialized have a few great looking bikes aesthetically. There are also quite a few hard tails to choose from at the 10-15k mark. I guess she will choose one on the day. Our minds are still not made up, but glad we are kind-of moving toward making a decision. It was fun looking at all the bicycles and goodies in the stores. The Cycle Lab store on Lynnwood is MASSIVE.

Thanks @ChrisF! I've spent a bit more time today scrolling and comparing some of the bikes in the classifieds, and realised if we enjoy it we will inevitably enjoy it. We can get decent starters (used or new) for our budget, and there are other things to consider for comfort than the name or colour. I will most definitely be servicing our bikes myself. That way I can also sort out any issues on trail if they arise. I believe the most important thing is to actually ride what we buy though. 😁

Thanks for this, we appreciate the differences between the sexes. She is stronger than most... When I started crossfit a year ago she deadlifted more than I do. She did a half marathon at Meiringspoort a couple weeks ago, so either way I think she will 'tough it out'. That said, I don't want her to. I want this to be something we actually look forward to doing. Thanks for the tip on the bib and saddle. We definitely have budget for gear and comfort items. She is specific in what she exercises with, so I'm sure she will be specific to what is required for her mountain biking needs. My biggest ick at the moment is buying something and then a week later we see something 'better' because we did not do our homework well enough.

Thanks for your inputs! I've been told to be somewhat weary of carbon frames used? Although it would be sick to say I or the SO have a 'carbon bike'. I'm sure I will learn a lot in the coming month. I might just go the used route if I feel comfortable enough. Having local people willing to give their time to help out is also a massive bonus!

Thank you for the welcome and input guys! @Mook What would you look at in my budget range? I've seen many of the upgrades, but to be honest I'm not too sure what I'm looking at. 🙈 I'm sure with time and guidance we will figure it out. Thanks @madmarc! Been eyeballing their bikes on Solomons website. I've only read great things about them. Hopefully near the end of the month there will a bunch of great specials again for us to consider. @RobertWhitehead Thanks for the welcome! I will take you up on your offer. It would be great to have a coffee sometime to discuss some of my, erm, concerns. Will definitely take a look at what you have end of Nov. Suits my buying time perfectly. @Bike Dewing I have a budget of around 30 - 40k for both bikes. GF is not too sure where she wants to go for this, therefore don't want me to over invest on a cycle for her. I was eyeballing dome of the entry level dual suspension bikes... Their mechanical parts are pretty. And I do like pretty mechanical things. Since I am as green as they come when in mountain biking, I'm quite hesitant with buying used. I have no idea what to look out for and the options are simply overwhelming...

Hi all! My GF and myself want to start mountain biking. To be completely honest, I've been completely overwhelmed with the amount of info and options available to us. There are a few questions that we are not even sure of ourselves that are constantly asked when I am searching for good beginner bikes etc. Lets start with the basics. The main objective is to spend much more of our free time in nature being somewhat active. My GF don't intend to do any 'rough' or 'hectic' trails, however I'm not sure about myself. I know if the bug bites I will try and do the more tricksy stuff. I've been racing dirtbikes for near 15years so I definitely have the 'itch'. We live in Pretoria East, so there are quite a few popular trails and mountain biking locations around us. We also have family in George so travel quite often to other areas of the country where the cycling will be fantastic... I'm about 1.81cm and weigh 105kg. My gf is about 1.74cm. I'm looking to buy end of November. Budget is around 10-15k for my gf and 20-25k for my bike. Then helmets, shoes and a bikerack... The rest we will buy as time goes on. I've been looking at one of the Specialized Rockhoppers for my GF, and a Titan Cypher Sport RS for myself. Both of these are on sale at the moment and hopefully won't be much more expensive when I am ready to buy. I have zero knowledge on bicycles and therefore not comfortable buying used. I'm still in two minds if the full suspension is necessary for me. Maybe the Rockerhopper will be good enough for me as well and I can upgrade same time next year if the bug bites? I'm really not sure how this game goes... Any thoughts, recommendations or general insight is more than welcome.!!