Newbie lady buying first bike - advice please!

[scotty]

So what happened to Tiggles then? got spooked by all the conflicting advice... or troll?

Not sure but OP does not appear to be a newbie

 

Hi everyone

 

I'm a newbie to mountain biking, living in Cape Town, and really need some advice on buying my first bike and related equipment.

 

 

(post 2011)

 

Cat

 

 

 

Oh wow! Thank you so much!

 

I think that's mine I left my front wheel at Fratelli's on Sat morning sometime around 10:30am, was just about to post about it. Tubeless tyre with a tube inside (the valve is broken), and disk brake?

 

My email address is murray.cat@gmail.com - could you let me know if that's the one you have?

 

I will be so grateful if so and bring you a LARGE present!

 

Cheers

 

Cat

Edited March 14, 2012 by scotty

[Caerus]

As a fairly new rider myself these topics always interest me. Now I know tigglescat mentioned a R10-R12k budget but, wow, to think I have started out on a R4.5k HT Silverback Phoenix and am more than satisfied with how it is serving me. Now I read on here about recommendations of Specialized and the like. Yes, I would love a R6k fork. Yes, on occasion I do think rear suspension would be nice. But I am quite capable of motoring around Giba on what I have.

 

And I hear this talk of skills clinics and the like, and each to their own, but I just got on my bike and rode! No better way to learn skills than to just do it. Technically I may not be doing somethings 100% right but you soon find out when you come off and you learn.

 

 

You sure about this? Giba Blue route springs to mind.

 

 

I will have to disagree with you here, Skills clinics are there for a reason, they do help, gosh I've been riding bikes since I was a kid as well and still I had bad habits with cornering, hitting jumps, taking switchbacks, just because you have ridden a BMX/ MTB in the past as a kid does not mean you now have the skills to MTB properly, sherbert I've recently retaught myself how to corner and hit jumps properly. This I did by a lot of reading and watching tons of videos, what I thought was correct was not. Nothing like starting with the correct techniques, so get the lighty to a skills clinic as well.

[Grinder]

Hi Cat

 

Get hold of james Thornhill-Fisher aka Mountain Bike Guru.

He will help you find the right bike, the right club (Tygerberg MTB Club) and help with the technical aspect of riding as well as maintence.

 

Tygerberg trails are the best and cheap. Club members friendly and helpful on the trails if you get stuck.

 

Enjoy

[Nix M2]

Without reading the entire thread...I'd say speak to some other ladies. There are plenty of skills clinics offered for women starting out. It really makes a big difference getting advice from experienced ladies. We've done it all, dont have to reinvent the wheel.

Drop me a PM, and i'll help you out.

[Clinton1]

You sure about this? Giba Blue route springs to mind.

We have clearly gone beyond discussing the merits of skills training and are just trying to nitpick now. First the reference to lacking grey matter earlier and now this.

 

1. I prefer sweeping trails to jumps, not sure how this proves a point.

2. Jumping and motoring around are two different things in my books. I know many people with R25k bikes who will not jump them.

 

You guys do realise you are not going to convince me to go and give some person, whose credentials are not proven, some money to teach me how to ride a bike. I have made plenty of acquaintances from my preferred method of just getting on my bike and riding who I can just as easily watch or ask questions if I so desire.

 

Again I'll say, at risk of alienating a lot of users on here, that mountain bikers seem to have this immense desire to try and make their sport appear more extreme than it really is. Yes, some guys are doing extreme stuff but starting out on a bike on trails is hardly extreme!

Edited March 14, 2012 by Clint_ZA

[covie]

You've clearly gone beyond discussing the merits of skills training and are just trying to nitpick now. First the reference to lacking grey matter and now this.

 

1. I prefer sweeping trails to jumps, not sure how this proves your point.

2. Jumping and motoring around are two different things in my books. I know many people with R25k bikes who will not jump them.

3. Do they teach you jumps on these basic skills clinics you are referring to?

 

You have the wrong person there Clint .. some focus required on your part, and do they teach you jumps in the basic skills clinic, no they dont jumping is an advanced skill and for that you would have to go to an .... wait for it ....... an advanced class, not that jumping in the sense that you are refering to is a XC skill either, its a DH/AM skill, in XC all you need to be able to do is manual something properly jumping you do becuase its fun .

 

If i were you i would consider not making an ass of yourself so much

[covie]

You sure about this? Giba Blue route springs to mind.

 

 

I will have to disagree with you here, Skills clinics are there for a reason, they do help, gosh I've been riding bikes since I was a kid as well and still I had bad habits with cornering, hitting jumps, taking switchbacks, just because you have ridden a BMX/ MTB in the past as a kid does not mean you now have the skills to MTB properly, sherbert I've recently retaught myself how to corner and hit jumps properly. This I did by a lot of reading and watching tons of videos, what I thought was correct was not. Nothing like starting with the correct techniques, so get the lighty to a skills clinic as well.

 

See Caerus our friend here seems to think that because everyone can drive a car it would enable them to jump straight into formula 1 racing, or Indy 500, just add rally to the equation as well.

 

See his phylosphy is since you already know how to drive a car you can go master any of the advanced disciplines, becuase its just a car. No special skills required to do any of those disciplines. So he is best ignored. everyone here and especially ones that have done clinics have made it clear that they benefitted greatly from the skills taught, so that should be enough of an answer for the OP.

[covie]

Without reading the entire thread...I'd say speak to some other ladies. There are plenty of skills clinics offered for women starting out. It really makes a big difference getting advice from experienced ladies. We've done it all, dont have to reinvent the wheel.

Drop me a PM, and i'll help you out.

 

[Clinton1]

See Caerus our friend here seems to think that because everyone can drive a car it would enable them to jump straight into formula 1 racing, or Indy 500, just add rally to the equation as well.

 

Well now, how interesting that you used this analogy. From my reading of the initial post, and many more referring to skills clinics, I cannot for one second see where the person referred to wanting to "race formula 1 cars"! I'm pretty much seeing this argument of yours playing straight into my hands, that someone starting out does not need "formula 1" training.

 

See his phylosphy is since you already know how to drive a car you can go master any of the advanced disciplines, becuase its just a car. No special skills required to do any of those disciplines.

 

Philosophy.

 

Ah, I see. So I passed my driver's license on the road. This obviously means I really need to go on a special skills course if I venture to the Transkei and want to drive on the dirt roads there. Of course, you will be silly and take this further and compare this to rally racing. Hardly similar. Again it is a mountain biker trying to put their sport in the same extreme class as formula 1 and rally driving. How laughable.

 

I'm not even going to be silly and venture into the fact that amateur track days and amateur rallies exist....

 

So he is best ignored. everyone here and especially ones that have done clinics have made it clear that they benefitted greatly from the skills taught, so that should be enough of an answer for the OP.

 

Ok, OP, apparently covie has declared himself the all knowing oracle on here so the verdict seems to be that you should not even worry about getting a bike but rather spend as much time studying skills and going on clinics. Actually riding a bike is clearly secondary to the benefits you will get from these. Good luck and start saving.

Edited March 14, 2012 by Clint_ZA

[Clinton1]

You have the wrong person there Clint ..

 

If i were you i would consider not making an ass of yourself so much

 

I edited my post once I realised this but clearly in your eagerness to get personal and just attack you failed to notice this. Understandable really.

 

Buddy, I'm not an 18 year old that you can scare off with your insults. I have been around the block more than a few times. If you'd like to engage me on a subject feel free to do so but leave the petty, childish insults out. Thanks.

Edited March 14, 2012 by Clint_ZA

[covie]

Ah, I see. So I passed my driver's license on the road. This obviously means I really need to go on a special skills course if I venture to the Transkei and want to drive on the dirt roads there.

 

See now you make sense you dont need to learn skills on a MTB if your going to ride jeeptrack only ... ok sorry i get your point. You go enjoy your jeeptrack my friend.

[covie]

I edited my post once I realised this but clearly in your eagerness to get personal and just attack you failed to notice this. Understandable really.

 

Buddy, I'm not an 18 year old that you can scare off with your insults. I have been around the block more than a few times. If you'd like to engage me on a subject feel free to do so but leave the petty, childish insults out. Thanks.

 

Sure come donwn to CPT and lets go for a ride and talk about this more than happy to oblige.

[Clinton1]

See now you make sense you dont need to learn skills on a MTB if your going to ride jeeptrack only ... ok sorry i get your point. You go enjoy your jeeptrack my friend.

 

Wow, I must be far more skilled than I thought. I have tackled almost every trail at Giba (I say almost every as I am sure there must be some I have missed) and I am yet to go on any skills course. And yes, most of those trails are comfortably completed without putting a foot down. But of course, I need to inform Jason that Giba is apparently full of jeep track only according to you. Will be news to him I think...

Edited March 14, 2012 by Clint_ZA

[covie]

Wow, I must be far more skilled than I thought. I have tackled almost every trail at Giba (I say almost every as I am sure there must be some I have missed) and I am yet to go on any skills course. And yes, most of those trails are comfortably completed without putting a foot down. But of course, I need to inform Jason that Giba is apparently full of jeep track only. Will be news to him I think...

 

Your my new hero, now lets stop argueing next time your in CPT look me up we will go for a nice spin.

Edited March 14, 2012 by covie

[Clinton1]

Your my new hero

 

Is that your best? Sad. Jeeptrack my foot!

 

And not sure if I could possibly join you for a ride in CT. After all you have been to a skills clinic and I haven't. No possible way I could even think of riding with you!

Edited March 14, 2012 by Clint_ZA

[covie]

Is that your best? Sad. Jeeptrack my foot!

 

And not sure if I could possibly join you for a ride in CT. After all you have been to a skills clinic and I haven't. No possible way I could even think of riding with you!

 

Lol sorry buddy you have been weight measured and been found wanting. Like i said looking forward to riding with you. Now please lets stop hijacking this thread.