NovaBlue Posted January 4, 2015 Posted January 4, 2015 Hi all, I'm new to MTB and I need your expert advice on a new bike and how to get going. Background details first. I used to be a fit guy - played a lot of rugby, but knee injuries etc. forced me to stop playing. I'm now looking at MTB that can help to get me back into shape, stay fit and enjoy going out with friends doing a trail etc. No pro ambitions, but at least keep pushing myself to get better on the bike as time goes by. I'm a big guy, currently closing in on the 130kgs mark. During my rugby days I would normally weight between 107 - 112kgs. Now, I need a bike that can carry me without any issues. I've gathered that entry level bikes are more or less the same with some bikes having better components, i.e., giving you better value for money. I don't want to spend millions, but I'm sure that it will be possible to get into MTB with a budget of around R8000. For starters, this is what I have gathered I need on a bike:1. Air shock2. Hydraulic brakes3. Tubeless Conversion4. Gears: 3x95. Wheels - 29" 6. ? Looking around it seems that the Silverback Sola 4/3 is a good option. Friends also advised that it may be worth spending a couple of rand more and buy a Sola 3 with better components than just buying the entry level Sola 4. Any comments? Thanks in advance
Zariuss Posted January 4, 2015 Posted January 4, 2015 Sola 3 is a good value for money bike and you get decent components to start with. If you are anything like me you will buy a new bike within 3 months anyway.. haha. just kidding. I am a big fan of Silverback as you get a good quality bike with great components for lower prices than most brands thats worth looking at. Hope you get yourself sorted with a bike quick and enjoy the freedom (riding).
Joe Carter Posted January 4, 2015 Posted January 4, 2015 Dont forget to keep money aside for kit. Probably just the basics (helmet, pants, shirt, shoes, pedals etc...) to get you going will be around R3k?!?! or so... Decent helmet is the first priority. I dont have a R10 brain, so I didn't buy a R10 helmet...
scotty Posted January 5, 2015 Posted January 5, 2015 If you know what you looking for then 2nd hand will always get you better bike for bucks, also check out Solomons in PTA north, they have good bargains. Personally gears I would choose a X10 over X9.
Lurch the stalker Posted January 5, 2015 Posted January 5, 2015 Good luck with getting a bike.I agree with the above points about the Silverback and also considering second hand.Also, maybe consider adding in the cost of a skills clinic once you have the bike, it'll probably set you back a few hundred Rands and you'll have a much better understanding of the bike and more confidence which goes a long way to enjoying the riding. On a side note, the comment about your weight. I also was weighing in around that 130 mark a while back as I was off the bike for a while due to injury, and obviously getting back on the bike was a big factor in losing weight, but, along with that, just eating less/better was a huge part of it. I personally hate the idea of dieting, but, found counting calories worked wonders for me.I used an app that made it easy to track it all (and it helped that my one sister and I did it together so it became competitive as well - the fact that I am a cheapskate and the app is free was a bonus too ). If you are interested, you can check it out here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ (I should get paid something by these people for how I recommend their app to everyone )
NovaBlue Posted January 5, 2015 Author Posted January 5, 2015 Sola 3 is a good value for money bike and you get decent components to start with. If you are anything like me you will buy a new bike within 3 months anyway.. haha. just kidding. I am a big fan of Silverback as you get a good quality bike with great components for lower prices than most brands thats worth looking at. Hope you get yourself sorted with a bike quick and enjoy the freedom (riding).Thanks. Most people say that Silverback is good value for money
NovaBlue Posted January 5, 2015 Author Posted January 5, 2015 Dont forget to keep money aside for kit. Probably just the basics (helmet, pants, shirt, shoes, pedals etc...) to get you going will be around R3k?!?! or so... Decent helmet is the first priority. I dont have a R10 brain, so I didn't buy a R10 helmet... Thanks for the reminder. It makes perfectly sense to spend good money on a proper helmet.
NovaBlue Posted January 5, 2015 Author Posted January 5, 2015 If you know what you looking for then 2nd hand will always get you better bike for bucks, also check out Solomons in PTA north, they have good bargains. Personally gears I would choose a X10 over X9. Thanks, will go check-out Solomons.
NovaBlue Posted January 5, 2015 Author Posted January 5, 2015 Good luck with getting a bike.I agree with the above points about the Silverback and also considering second hand.Also, maybe consider adding in the cost of a skills clinic once you have the bike, it'll probably set you back a few hundred Rands and you'll have a much better understanding of the bike and more confidence which goes a long way to enjoying the riding. On a side note, the comment about your weight. I also was weighing in around that 130 mark a while back as I was off the bike for a while due to injury, and obviously getting back on the bike was a big factor in losing weight, but, along with that, just eating less/better was a huge part of it. I personally hate the idea of dieting, but, found counting calories worked wonders for me.I used an app that made it easy to track it all (and it helped that my one sister and I did it together so it became competitive as well - the fact that I am a cheapskate and the app is free was a bonus too ). If you are interested, you can check it out here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ (I should get paid something by these people for how I recommend their app to everyone ) I'm looking at used bikes as well, but as a newcomer to MTB I'm worried that I may end up with a bike with a significant amount of kilometres on the clock that I've overlooked with my not-so-experienced eye. Thanks for the weight loss advice, I will check out that app.
karlito Posted January 5, 2015 Posted January 5, 2015 Unless you have lots of money to burn I would always go second hand first when trying out a new hobby/sport. Believe me a proper mtb with a good air shock and decent groupset will beat a crappy new bike any day of the week. Not too much to worry about if you are not going carbon, if you can take a friend with but otherwise on a secondhand mtb look out for: Shocks: Scratched or damaged stanchions, the rest can be serviced Drivetrain: Wear on cassette and chainrings, the curve between teeth will be slanted to one side. But for 8k you could even get a nice carbon second hand.
LOOK695 Posted January 5, 2015 Posted January 5, 2015 Just make sure the wheels can handle your weight. You don't want spokes breaking or wheels not staying true
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