ScottH Posted April 16, 2011 Share 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJR Posted April 16, 2011 Share I ride a Giant Trance X and can recommend them strongly. The higher up the spec scale you go the better the suspension and the drivertain will be, but the frame and suspension design of all the Trance Xes are the same. It is a true all round mountain bike, it climbs well, decends well and can do a decent marathon or a race. It is a very forgiving and stable design, especially on rough terrain and will save your bacon where some more twitchy race orientated bikes would have thrown you off. It is good for small and medium jumps and drops, but will also happily take you to the top of any mountain, provided your legs and lungs can do their part. I think Giant is generally good value for money. Merida and Gt are both very reputable brands, so check them out too. I deal with Olympic Cycles in Claremont and recommend that you talk to Jason or Greg. They've been around for many years and sometimes sell last year's models at great bargains. (PS Welcome to the Hub) Edited April 16, 2011 by DJR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timM Posted April 16, 2011 Share I would recommend the Giant strongly - As DJR points out, the frame and the maestro suspension on the X4 are the same as found on the better spec'd Trances. If the bug really bites, you would be able to upgrade components onto a really decent frame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottH Posted April 16, 2011 Share 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berry Posted April 16, 2011 Share have a look at the scott spark 50 or 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubeless Posted April 16, 2011 Share Ideally I would like to buy something that will last me 2/3 years without needing any upgrades. ha ha..... good luck with that. I have only been cycling for a year and have never locked out my rear shock. Not a big issue that. NB: Make sure you like the look of the bike. Edited April 16, 2011 by Tubeless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJR Posted April 16, 2011 Share Giant's Maestro suspension is an inherently efficient design and, set up correctly, will bob very little on a climb. On the Trance X, even for steep climbs on rough jeep track or especially single track, I prefer not to use the lock-out simply because the traction of your rear wheel is so much better and you can put power down better without spinning out. On the flats, the lock-out has little or no advantage and on the downhills it makes things worse. I've got a Fox shock with lock-out on my Trance X and hardly ever use it riding in Tokai or any of Cape Town's Mtb trails (and will gladly do without it). The only real use of the lock-out is for riding long very steep climbs on jeep track or tar (think going to the mast on Constantiaberg). The other place where I have used it, was for riding endless Karoo dirt roads where you do hours apon hours of just slogging ahead and where any minor increase in efficiency may just help to get you back home before your legs go kaput. If I did these type of rides very often, I would buy a hardtail. Hope this help, and keep in mind I'm a Trance fan. (Wait a few days for the slower Merida and GT riders to report also, even I'm keen to hear from them.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottH Posted April 16, 2011 Share @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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berry Posted April 16, 2011 Share @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. no probs i got the spark 2 week ago but i am a roadie and for me it is nice welcome to the hub Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffy Posted April 16, 2011 Share Scott the Merida is a great bike as well. It is well spect and good price to. I have the HFS 1000 hardtail nothing wrong with that either. Strong bike and no problems have had her over a year now and done some nice races without hassles. For the price and components you cant go wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottH Posted April 29, 2011 Share 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricochet_rabbit Posted April 30, 2011 Share I suggest, that before buying, you actually ride a couple of these bikes. some bikes are just a better fit than others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LazyTrailRider Posted April 30, 2011 Share Everyone's given pretty solid advice so far. What I'd add is that lock-out is not a major issue. Because like DJR has said, it's only really worthwhile having a locked-out rear end if you're going to be riding an entire event/day on a smooth surface. In that case, all you do is up the pressure in the shock for the day and drop it again afterwards. This is perfectly practical in cases like the Argus, all you need is a shock pump (+- R300-R400). I ride an even longer-travel bike than the Trance (mine is a 5.5"er), and when I've upped my rear pressure for specific races it's pretty much transformed into a different bike. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlV Posted April 30, 2011 Share 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! Scott I see you stopped comenting on Merida , if you are looking for one I might be able to get you a good price at Cycle Zone in Rustenburg ,Fareed has really helped me a lot with some good prices on my road and MTB's ,and he will probably arange to have it delivred from his suppier in Cape Town directly to your house ,Let me know if your interested .Charl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottH Posted April 30, 2011 Share Scott I see you stopped comenting on Merida , if you are looking for one I might be able to get you a good price at Cycle Zone in Rustenburg ,Fareed has really helped me a lot with some good prices on my road and MTB's ,and he will probably arange to have it delivred from his suppier in Cape Town directly to your house ,Let me know if your interested .Charl 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottH Posted April 30, 2011 Share 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. Oops, correction...got quoted on hard-tails not FS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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