Need some help/advice buying a MTB

[Jewbacca]

I was always under the impression that the more weight on a tyre the more grip. Hence the lose of grip when you get out the saddle and the use of aerodynamics to create downforce in motor racing.

 

And, before 29er madness, did big guys just walk up all moderate climbs? No, they did not. They rode up them much like they do today.

 

Well technically the loss (not lose) of 'grip' when you get out of the saddle is caused by a shift in the weight, not a loss of weight and the rear wheel spins because of the acceleration of the pedal stroke off the top of the rotation down, causing the wheel to spin at an infrequent cadence, thus creating a stop/start motion and wheel spin. Sitting in the saddle usually generates a more even cadence and even force to the rear wheel, alleviating the stop/start issue and allows the tire to do its job.

 

If you paid attention at Single Speed school you would know this Nick! hahaha

 

But in fairness it is actually less work to climb a 26 inch bike than a 29er due to wheel circumference and pedal arc circumference... But lets be honest here. This is a tit for tat argument.... "get a 26er if you want to do some proper riding" and "29er madness" are ridiculous statements.

 

If you are implying that 29ers arent capable of 'proper riding' you sir are implying I cannot ride. There was also a move away from 26ers world wide and specifically at the top end of the sport (downhill and AM not included) due to their actually working.

 

The OP must buy whatever he likes but the wheel size bashing is just childish and silly.... Pah... proper riding!

 

26ers, 29ers, 650b all have their place and they all definitely have their pro's and cons.

 

Get perspective and stop this griping. You only ride 26ers, cool. He only rides 29ers, cool.... The OP must think everyone bickering idiots... Marshmallow is a better flavour sterri stumpie than banana... No, chocolate! But marshmallow is new so it MUST be better. But chocolate has been around from the start so it must be better because its lasted.....

 

In fairness, 29er is now the industry standard in SA. 26er stuff is being sold cheaply because it is on its way out for most bikes except AM and Downhill. I am not dictating this, the bike companies are.

 

650b is the new trend and from my experience, it is a great wheel size. Giant have set the tone and to be honest most companies are following if not as drastically.

 

OP, general consensus is hard tail to get the best bang for your buck. Other than that it is up to you. Buy whatever you feel comfortable on and happy with. There is no right or wrong way to ride a bike as long as it makes you smile. Its a hobby meant for enjoyment..... Whatever you decide, keep smiling and dont let the weight watching lycra clad godcomplex racers or the flat pedal touting baggy wearing full face helmet gang keep it off your face...

[arendoog]

Absolute rubbish! Everyone was riding 26 inch not so long ago.

Yup, and us tall 100kg oke,s hated it until we found bikes that are actually built with big enough wheels so that we don,t spin out on every climb .I also had a 26' hardtail .It always felt too small and the grip insufficient .Best day ever when I gave it away for a few bucks .I now have 3 29' bikes and will never look at a smaller wheel size again !! And yes you can find 26' bargains .Mine is sold already

[Jewbacca]

Yup, and us tall 100kg oke,s hated it until we found bikes that are actually built with big enough wheels so that we don,t spin out on every climb .I also had a 26' hardtail .It always felt too small and the grip insufficient .Best day ever when I gave it away for a few bucks .I now have 3 29' bikes and will never look at a smaller wheel size again !! And yes you can find 26' bargains .Mine is sold already

 

And I have 2 friends over 2m tall who both still ride 26ers having tried 29ers and gone, ermm, nah. One of these guys is actually a frame builder so has a whole lot of opportunity and knowledge and test time on all wheel sizes.

 

It is a matter of feeling and personal preference. One man's trash is another man's treasure.....

 

You are not wrong, and neither are the 26er believers... you are simply wrong in the way you mock the other one because one works for you better.

[kosmonooit]

Point about 26 HT'ers is that there are bargains to had, also check out which can be converted to 650b.

[porqui]

singlespeedGuy - I was not mocking anyones post - please read my first post carefully.

 

My point also is to choose your bike carefully or accordingly.

 

Most advice splurged most of the time is a biassed opinion.

 

Blitzer was not giving advice he was telling OP exactly what to buy.

 

And LBS advice is another story.

 

When it comes to bikes keep an open mind and do not be opinionated.

 

Put another way - DO YOUR HOMEWORK - equipment is not cheap

and cycling is a bottomless pit once you fall into its grips

Edited December 22, 2013 by porqui

[Jewbacca]

singlespeedGuy - I was not mocking anyones post - please read my first post carefully.

 

My point also is to choose your bike carefully or accordingly.

 

Most advice splurged most of the time is a biassed opinion.

 

Blitzer was not giving advice he was telling OP exactly what to buy.

 

And LBS advice is another story.

 

When it comes to bikes keep an open mind and do not be opinionated.

 

Put another way - DO YOUR HOMEWORK - equipment is not cheap

and cycling is a bottomless pit once you fall into its grips

 

haha.. I was also just trying to be objectionable. The problem is when guys post things like this it lands up being a slugging match of overimportant opinions and the original question always gets lost.

 

Instead of all of us throwing our opinions at each other we should ask the OP what he wants to do with the bike. If he says a few marathons and crank away to keep fit then the AM and DH guys can fall away and the relevent people can stay involved.

 

I feel we should be more interactive and involve the OP more so as to have a constructive outcome to these 'advice' polls and not just a wheel size/gear ratio/suspension type slinging match which usually leaves the OP more confused and further away from any type of decision he might have made.

 

I fractured my ankle in 5 places a while ago and am in month 2 of being a cripple.... I have read a LOT of these threads in that time (when I would normally be riding/running/climbing in the mountains) and find it all a bit funny how everyone makes the post about themselves so quickly and not the OP who started it.

 

Just my 2 cents.... If someone asks advice they should have to actively follow the thread and be involved or the thread should be removed.

[Stumpmeister]

I would go for a xl hardtail. I was at the Giant demo day the other day and after more than a year on my Xl Xtc I could not get use to a 27.5 dual they had there. There was not a 29er dual but what I can tell you is that what I loose on the down hill I make up when I climb. But that is me, for the money get into a higher spec hardtail and work your way from there. 29er or 26er, well at your size I can tell you that you WILL without a doubt enjoy the 29er way more.

Edited December 22, 2013 by BB Giant

[Mojoman]

I would go for the bike with the best drivetrain parts,wheels and fork. The actual wheel size (to me) is just secondary, I picked up a Trance X1 26in at a good price as the shop owner said it wasnt moving (from 2011!) as the market is just 29'er focused...suits me!

[RocknRolla]

The thing with buying a bike with not much riding experience is that you are totally reliant on other peoples opinions.

Do reasearch so that you know the level of drivetrains that are on the bikes that you are looking at, and the related costs, at least then you can make a more informed decision.

 

Then start riding the bike, get your skills and fitness up, ride with other people.

 

After a while you may want to try a different set up like dual suspension or bigger or smaller wheel sizes. I can tell you each oft hose wheel sizes have their place, and in my experience there is not one that is better than the other as a whole package. Each has it's compromise just as each has its merits.

 

Buy a bike and ride it. That is what it's about.

[schizo]

My advice would be to try and ride the options you are interested in, I was convinced that 29 was the way to go on upgrading from my 26 until I rode a top spec carbon 29 at the cycle fair, I didn't like it at all, So I'm going to go the 650B route rather.

[Andrewjw]

Thanks all for the replies!

 

I have been doing the research and have been visiting the LBS - the reason I posted this thread was because I was getting conflicting answers from the sales people and I thought the community would maybe be less bias that the LBS.

 

Anyway - I have decided to keep my eyes glued to the classifieds section- and hopefully something comes up that will suit my requirements.

 

Thanks once again for all the opinions and recommendations.

Edited December 23, 2013 by Andrewjw

[Stumpmeister]

I started on a Merida Tfs 800 which is a 23inch bike. This was bigger than your normal 26er and it did fit me well. It was well speced and did everything my 29er is doing so maybe keep an eye out for a Merida they will be well priced to. There is another spanner for you.

[Andrewjw]

I started on a Merida Tfs 800 which is a 23inch bike. This was bigger than your normal 26er and it did fit me well. It was well speced and did everything my 29er is doing so maybe keep an eye out for a Merida they will be well priced to. There is another spanner for you.

 

Thanks!! LOL

[crashy]

Hello, this reply may be abit late, so apologies if you've already found a bike

 

I'm too much of a rookie to jump into the 26/29 or hardtail/duel suspension debate, but just wanted to tell you my stuff. I pretty much took up riding about 8 weeks ago, and before that was also trying to do some research into what to get, and there were tons of conflicting answers (known as opinions).

 

After some debate I bought this - Silverback Sola 4 - http://www.silverbacklab.com/upload/2011_website_SILVERBACK/sola4_14.htm (R6500ish). It's very entry level 29er. One of the main reasons I got it (besides it being mainly black \m/ ) was that it has some kind of air spring front shock, I'm not 100% sure of the actual terms for it, but at my weight (of 100kgs) it was advised that this would help.

 

Anyways, I've ridden up to the blockhouse, all around Tokai forest, almost to Cape Point, around Camps bay and Sea Point, and have really enjoyed my ride.

 

Crash.

[Andrewjw]

Hello, this reply may be abit late, so apologies if you've already found a bike

 

I'm too much of a rookie to jump into the 26/29 or hardtail/duel suspension debate, but just wanted to tell you my stuff. I pretty much took up riding about 8 weeks ago, and before that was also trying to do some research into what to get, and there were tons of conflicting answers (known as opinions).

 

After some debate I bought this - Silverback Sola 4 - http://www.silverbac...CK/sola4_14.htm (R6500ish). It's very entry level 29er. One of the main reasons I got it (besides it being mainly black \m/ ) was that it has some kind of air spring front shock, I'm not 100% sure of the actual terms for it, but at my weight (of 100kgs) it was advised that this would help.

 

Anyways, I've ridden up to the blockhouse, all around Tokai forest, almost to Cape Point, around Camps bay and Sea Point, and have really enjoyed my ride.

 

Crash.

 

Thanks Crash - I have not bought one yet......... Have made my mind up though, and will be going for the 29er HT. If I don't like it then I will sell and go the 26er route.

[Journosergio]

My stepbrother bought the Merida Big Seven TFS 300 that's on as a Christmas special at Chris Willemse Cycles. A very nice looking bike although the components are not altogether amazing. For R7500, down from R10,350 it is a nice discount though.

 

My real bro, who ALSO bought a new bike (no idea where these kids get their cash from), bought the Scott Spark 650b Dual Suspension from a Christmas Special from Cycle Labs for R13,000+- which is apparently a HUGE discount from original price and the cheapest that a brand new full suspension will go for, but that's a bit out of your budget. A very nice bike though - been eyeballing it since he took it out the box lol...

 

I'm a big guy, 1.78m and currently 115kg (put on a lot of weight since quitting smoking nearly 1 year ago), but I ride a hardtail (Scott Scale Team 2012) and yeah would be nice to get a rear shock to absorb some of the vibration - but you only REALLY need it if you're planning to ride considerable distances in one shot. Like 100km rides.

 

Remember full suss is heavier than hardtails and you lose power when climbing hills unless you have a rear shock remote lockout on your bike.

 

26 inch, 27.5 inch (650b) and 29'er?

 

As far as I've seen there has been a major shift away from 26'ers and more towards 29ers and 650b's. Yes 26'er gives you a technical advantage on tight single tracks with narrow turns and switchbacks, but experience will let you achieve the same with the larger wheels.

 

29ers have a much higher rolling speed due to the wheel diameter and so you will thrash anyone on the flats or downhill during an XC race. Higher speeds with lower cadence and BPM means you can go faster for longer than the guy peddling flat-out on his 26er.

 

650b is the bridge between the two, so you need to decide if you want to maximise on rolling speed or get a balance between speed and easier cornering.

 

All those things aside, rather take the time and get a bike that feels good under your size because you're the one that's going to be in the saddle and no matter if the bike is gold-plated and costs R200,000, if it feels like crap you will be put off riding it

Edited December 31, 2013 by Journosergio