Hi, I'm looking to buy a new mountain bike for the first time. My budget is up to R20k, but I have already looked at a few bikes and made a list of my favourites.
I have looked at a few bikes within my budget including the Giant Talon 0 (2021), Trek Marlin 8 (2022), Specialized Rockhopper Expert (2021) and Silverback Stride SX (2021). These four bikes are my top picks, but I lean towards the Marlin 8 and Talon 0 more. Does anyone have any advice between these two bikes? I will use the bike for commuting and some off-road riding over weekends, so currently it looks like it might come down to external looks, brand preference and warranty as I won't be pushing the bike to its limits anytime soon, but that might change over time. If I go with the Talon 0 I will upgrade the tires to tubeless tires, so it will cost a bit more than the Marlin 8.
