nacnac Posted April 22, 2014 Share Hi there - I am about to buy my first bike. Been doing some research and visiting bike shops and decided on a 2014 Scott Spark 940. I must say it's pretty confusing with so many options available out there. I initially thought I could get something around 20k but soon realized its worth spending about 30k on something with good components and suspension. I plan to first get bike fit and then start doing some races - nothing too serious. If I really enjoy it and decide to do some proper races I want to be sure that my bike is good for this. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers. Oufy MTB (Roadie) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoiZoNouZ Posted April 23, 2014 Share The Spark 940 is an awesome bike, and will last forever. Make sure that you really do want to spend that kind of money on a dual suspension bike and stay commited to this fun sport. Warren_G 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottCM Posted April 23, 2014 Share Bike should last a long long time and be more than you need for any races you want to do. Just don't give up the sport to soon. Most people get this fairy tail dream of cycling but then they realise its hard work to get your fitness levels up to a point where you can actually start reaping the rewards of all your hard work and really enjoy this lovely sport of ours. Enjoy and welcome to the world of MTB'n Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostSixFour Posted April 23, 2014 Share https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/86950-specialized-epic-29er-comp-2013-and-new-parts/ https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/86549-2012-rocky-mountain-element-950-l-29er/ https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/86889-trek-superfly-100-carbon-lots-of-upgrades/ https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/80610-cannondale-scalpel-3-carbon-26-l/ Some DS bikes currently in the classifieds - this way, if you do spend you R30k and end up not liking the sport you can sell it and not lose as much.. Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nacnac Posted April 23, 2014 Share Thanks for the reply guys - will definitely stick to it and make sure I get full value by getting fit and enjoying myself. Gonna miss the throttle on my Yamaha when it comes to hills though :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porqui Posted April 23, 2014 Share I'm going to get shot for this! For a first bike I would buy 2nd hand no more than R5k. Get used to riding - see if you like riding - and what kind of riding you prefer. Set yourself some goals. Then go get yourself the kind of bike you want and park your 2nd hand bike next to the bin (or sell it at about the same price)I know of more seriously good bikes "in storage" than on the road/trail. ByronH, mrbaker and Pusher 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaco369 Posted April 23, 2014 Share what about the Scott Scale 940. hard tailer, but an awesome bike. (do you need a duelie?) this way you spend =- R24k, 6K to get pedals, good shoes and kit helmet etc. never underestimate the value of good shoes and shorts for comfort, and a decent helmet for your pip. i presume you will mostlike do marathon type races in the start, 45 to 80km. hard tailer is perfect for that. and i asure you that if you get into it you will get a new bike or a 2nd bike in the next 12months. mrbaker and The Riding Realtor 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByronH Posted April 23, 2014 Share I'm going to get shot for this! For a first bike I would buy 2nd hand no more than R5k. Get used to riding - see if you like riding - and what kind of riding you prefer. Set yourself some goals. Then go get yourself the kind of bike you want and park your 2nd hand bike next to the bin (or sell it at about the same price)I know of more seriously good bikes "in storage" than on the road/trail. I think it also depends on somebody's financial means at the time, but in principle I agree. I got into MTBing just under two years ago, and at the time, thought I was really 'splashing out' for my Scott Aspect 30 26er at the massive price of R4650 . That is still my primary bike, and have upgraded to an Air fork and cleats. Have done plenty trails and races, and even though it is heavy, it is flipping durable and easy to maintain, which is VERY important when you are just getting into the Sport. I have taken many tumbles and have scratched various parts of it, often just because of Rookie errors! Two years on, I have improved drastically, and have a much better idea of what to eventually upgrade to based on my riding style and preferences. I also hopefully won't make as many silly mistakes once I have spent a proper amount of Mula on my next bike. but ya, I really rate Scott's, and I think the Scale is a great 29er based on the reviews I have read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubehunter Posted April 23, 2014 Share Hi there - I am about to buy my first bike. Been doing some research and visiting bike shops and decided on a 2014 Scott Spark 940. I must say it's pretty confusing with so many options available out there. I initially thought I could get something around 20k but soon realized its worth spending about 30k on something with good components and suspension. I plan to first get bike fit and then start doing some races - nothing too serious. If I really enjoy it and decide to do some proper races I want to be sure that my bike is good for this. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers. Howzeeet Erwin! (GrimRieper's boet here. Recognise the nacnac nic from edirt days) Solid choice in steed for your first bike and will match your biking needs IF you plan on mostly doing marathon based events. In the mountain biking world XCM (CrossCountry Marathon)is the equivalent of offroad races and XCO (CrossCountry Olympic) or more specifically MTB enduro is the same as the enduro scene. The spark is mostly geared towards XCM style racing which is what the overwhelming majority of races around SA are while bikes with longer travel and slacker head angles are geared towards taking bigger hits whilst not being complete downhill bikes and impossible to ride uphill are more suited to the technical stuff, aka enduro style. The Spark should be good enough to get you started on these too. It is a more than capable starter bike! Catch you at a race sometime! P.S. It is slightly cheaper than racing bikes... CheersJay Edited April 23, 2014 by Tubehunter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaco369 Posted April 23, 2014 Share Catch you at a race sometime! P.S. It is slightly cheaper than racing bikes... CheersJay barely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eugene Posted April 23, 2014 Share Read through these and then decide if you still want a Scott. By the way, the warranty does not pass to the second owner. Don't buy a second hand Scott, it could be costly https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/135538-ive-scott-a-problem/page__hl__scott+spark https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/133221-scott-spark-29-epic-failure/page__hl__scott+spark https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/130412-scott-and-pro-bike-very-dissapointing/page__hl__scott%20spark https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/126858-scott-spark-29-elite-frame-cracked-2-times/page__hl__scott+spark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blits Posted April 23, 2014 Share Hi! I have a Scott Spark and did the Sani2C, Three Towers and Epic with it .... without any problems! Love the bike! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sukka Posted April 23, 2014 Share Scott Spark +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kosmonooit Posted April 23, 2014 Share wheel size, wheel size, wheel size! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nacnac Posted April 23, 2014 Share Howzeeet Erwin! (GrimRieper's boet here. Recognise the nacnac nic from edirt days) Solid choice in steed for your first bike and will match your biking needs IF you plan on mostly doing marathon based events. In the mountain biking world XCM (CrossCountry Marathon)is the equivalent of offroad races and XCO (CrossCountry Olympic) or more specifically MTB enduro is the same as the enduro scene. The spark is mostly geared towards XCM style racing which is what the overwhelming majority of races around SA are while bikes with longer travel and slacker head angles are geared towards taking bigger hits whilst not being complete downhill bikes and impossible to ride uphill are more suited to the technical stuff, aka enduro style. The Spark should be good enough to get you started on these too. It is a more than capable starter bike! Catch you at a race sometime! P.S. It is slightly cheaper than racing bikes... CheersJay Howzit Jay Small world hey! Thanks for the advice, lots of different opinions from everyone which I appreciate. It's ridiculous that some MTB' s cost the same as a 2014 YZ450 and the tires cost more than MX Tires....go figure. At least the Helmets and shoes are a lot cheaper. Cross country will be be my main focus after getting a bit fit. Have some riding buddies so we can keep each other motivated. Apparently some really good riding spots not far from where I live in Irene / Centurion. Say howzit to Clint for me please. Part of my reasoning to buy new and not second hand is that it will motivate me to use the bike that I have parted with cash for.......plus my missus will keep reminding me to go ride :-) Cheers Tubehunter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Sywurm Posted April 23, 2014 Share My LBS gave me a Scott Spark 900 Premium to ride for a week or two. (and then I have to go back to my 7k Mongoose) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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