hansi06

Since I've now done a deep (and very dark😂) dive into mountain biking, I think a Shimano deore would be more than adequate and perfect for my use. I am leaning a bit to the merida big nine 500, as it is new, on the lower side of the budget, and local to me. However, it has a 2x11. Is it a deal breaker compared to a 1x12?

But it's true...😅

Thanks! Excuse my ignorance, what would be the main advantage of this compared to: https://solomonscycles.co.za/product/merida-big-nine-500-aluminum-frame-mountain-bike-2022/

Hi guys, the forum has been a wealth of information, so I appreciate you all. So, my kids and their cousins have really gotten into mountain biking (aged maybe 7-12) and I've been taking them on some trails around Durban every weekend or so for the last few months. I'm currently keeping up with them on a trusty old Trek 4100 (maybe 20 years old) while they all have some decent junior Titans/Signal bikes, so I'm feeling slightly left out😆 I briefly did road biking about 10 years ago, and did the argus, but I'm really enjoying the technical trails and (smaller) jumps in mountain biking. I'm not planning to compete, but I do hope it will become a long-term hobby. I'm about 177 cm tall so usually between a large and a medium, so any advice on that would be appreciated too. That being said, I think I have 3 options Option 1) Service the current bike properly and continue with it. (may be a waste of money or a saving depending how you look at it) Option 2) Buy a new bike (budget would be 10-15k). Probably best to look at just hardtails. Thoughts on these? I may just wait for Black Friday though https://solomonscycles.co.za/product/merida-big-nine-500-aluminum-frame-mountain-bike-2022/ https://solomonscycles.co.za/product/signal-s930-6061-alloy-tubing-29-mountain-bike-shimano-deore-1-x-11-2023/ https://solomonscycles.co.za/product/silverback-stride-elite-29-6061-aluminium-frame-mountain-bike-2022/ https://cyclezone.co.za/products/merida-big-nine-slx-edition Option 3) buy a second-hand bike. Durban has relatively few listings, and I don't think I'm clued up enough to check for issues buying second hand, let alone without viewing them in person. But there do appear to be really good deals. Again, looking at just hard tails with a budget of 10-15k. https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/hardtail-mountain-bikes/768308/trek-marlin-29er-medium https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/hardtail-mountain-bikes/765781/silverback-stride-elite-2022 https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/hardtail-mountain-bikes/748022/signal-elite-l-gx12spd-fox32 https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/hardtail-mountain-bikes/761879/merida-big-9-nx-edt-sram-nx-1-x12-manitou-air https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/hardtail-mountain-bikes/708696/titan-drone-pro https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/hardtail-mountain-bikes/762784/scott-scale-965-slx-1-x-12-rockshox-air https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/hardtail-mountain-bikes/678431/silverback-sola-1 https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/hardtail-mountain-bikes/762652/trek-x-caliber-8-m Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated! 😊