ScottH

First impressions: Just messed around for 12km. Super comfy. Gears, suspension and brakes all work well. I also like the weight - not too light, just enough to feel planted. Satisfied.

Thanks a mill to everyone for all the advice. Just bought a Merida One-Twenty 800 from Masons Bike Inn, Stellies. Great service, a discount and a couple of freebies thrown in - still went over budget though! Bike all setup suspension-wise for my weight, height, brakes swapped around to suit my preference. The only problem now is that the bike looks so good that I don't want to get it dirty!

Oops, correction...got quoted on hard-tails not FS.

Thanks Charl. I'm going to look at the Merida this morning. Found a very good price R7669 for 500D/R8500 for 800D (apparently it is a 2011) so it's gone to the top of my list based on this info.

I've been away and had little time to make progress on this, but have entered an event on 14 May, so need to get a move on! Does anyone have any thoughts on the... - GT Sensor 4.0 - KTM Comp R 2.0 (which looks awesome, although not sure where to find one in CT) Also, Scott Spark 60, although slightly pricier, looks well specc'd and might keep me happy for longer before wanting to upgrade things - is it worth the R2k-odd premium? Decisions, decisions!

@Tubeless Yeah, from what I've read on the forums here it would seem a little ambitious, so a little wishful thinking on my part maybe! @DJR Thanks for the info. I'm in CT, so unless I head into the Karoo as you mentioned, the only time I might suffer a little is on the Argus - which is turning 35 next year, so for what its worth, I plan to make my first attempt a little more meaningful. @berry Thanks, but according to Scott's website it says 80:20 racing/trail, so not sure if its the right balance. Also not sure of the prices and still need to buy helmet, etc, so I'm quite cost sensitive unfortunately. So far, it sounds like the Trance X4 is a safe bet.

Thanks. I actually went to school with Jason & Greg, so they would be my first choice anyway. Surely the non-lockable rear shock counts against the Trance X4? Ideally I would like to buy something that will last me 2/3 years without needing any upgrades.

Hi I'm looking to go MTB-ing because, well, everyone's doing it! With no knowledge on the topic I'd like to make an informed decision before forking out a wad of cash. I'd like to get onto a good all-rounder FS bike and have checked out the Giant Trance X4 - which I like the look of, but has no lock-out on the rear. I've also seen a Merida One-Twenty 500D, which looks to be better spec'd than the Giant for the same money (R10 500). I'm not sure what the equivalent from GT would be, or what other brands I should look at. I just want to make sure the bike carries me up the hills and that I don't have to carry the bike! If someone could fill me in on the brands and models available in this R10 500 price range I'd be grateful, as well as some recommendations for the better bike shops in Cape Town (or 100km radius). Cheers, Scott