Best bike for R10000

[Hairy]

It will help you on the technical stuff in my opinion.

 

[Super Sywurm]

Park Cycles in Bloemfontein has a new 2015 Merida for 10k (actually less than 10k).

 

https://www.facebook.com/ParkCycles?fref=nf

[nox1111]

I would agree that you should not forget the protection/accessory/clothing stuff.  If your budget - all in - is 10k, start looking for an R8k bike.  Most secondhand bikes sell without pedals, and new bikes with el-cheapo flats - if they come with pedals.  And if you decide to go clipless - you need shoes and pedals.  You will deffo want a good helmet, and gloves.  Then a couple of bike spares and tools is not a bad idea - think tyre repair etc.  A good chainlube is about R80 - and will be worth 5 times that if used correctly.  If you buy new from a shop you can ask for a couple of extras - bottle cage, etc and they'd normally be happy to help you out.

 

My call would be to go pre-loved.

 

29'er is great, and deffo the buzz word in cycling and has advantages, but not a deal breaker.  I would rather buy a well specced 26'er, than an entry level 29'er - and still pay less.  You do get pretty good deals on secondhand 29ers already, so keep your eyes open.

 

I myself decided to stick to 26 purely because of that reason - I could buy the bike I REALLY WANT par the wheelsize (and seriously - i'm not going to win any races anyways) - and afford it.

The last thing you want is to dish out all your money - and if something goes wrong (it sometimes just does) - be completely in the red and stranded without a bike because you can't fix it.

 

This is what a Daniel Slusser, a top bike mechanic recommends in mix matching parts to get super performance on mid level moneys - you can use the exact same principle and spec it one or two brackets down - does not have to be top of the range for great performance:

To sum it all up the best bang-for-the-buck XTR build would be an XTR rear shifter, SLX or Deore front shifter, XTR front derailleur, SLX rear derailleur, XT cassette, SLX crank, and XTR chain. While this combination will not produce the most cohesive looking build, I think you will love the performance. Moreover your significant other will love that the thickness of your wallet hasn’t been reduced to that of a business card by your purchase.  

 

In regards to suspension - I echo what's been said before, good suspension is worth it! 

Full suspension is not a neccessity, but you should be able to get a decent full susser in your price bracket - and then thats just awesome.

 

Anyways, if you see something you like, you can always pop it on here first and be sure to get at least 5 or six opinions on a buy.

 

What size do you need?  How tall are you? What do you weigh? And where do you stay? This could also give some hubbers some info to help you look and make recommendations.

[EdGe]

If you go second hand, there are great deals to be had. If you're confused or unsure which to buy, I am sure the Hubbers will offer help :-)

With second hand bikes, you'll definitely have a better bike to get stuck into MTBing for R10,000. A great new bike under R10k is difficult to find, bit there are some gems to be had. Momsen, Silverback, GT are the names I've seen that represent great bikes at that price in their new ranges.

[Rick Sanchez]

Check out the 2014 Momsen Al429. Decent spec and since it's "old", you should be able to get it for around R10 000.