johanpre44 Posted January 5, 2015 Posted January 5, 2015 Why not get an older 26er? Possibly a 2013/2014 model which is still brand new but never been bought because of the 29ers taking most sales (because all shops recommend them). I suggest that you maybe go around to some shops and see what they have available. Some suggestions:1. Get Disc Brakes (Shimano and Tektro may be cheaper in terms of brake pads compared to other brands, I prefer Shimano)2. Don't be bullied into going tubeless (too expensive for the amount of riding you are going to do)3. Even though everyone say 9/10 speed is the way to go, old 8 speed is still very dependable and cheap to maintain.4. See if its possible to get an Air fork (Like Suntour XCR Air) I got a bike for my wife in March 2014, after much looking around I got a 2014 Silverback Sola4 at a brilliant price (none of the other bikes/brands compared in terms of spec). YOu may be in a good position to bargain with some shops that may still have some 2014 stock on the floor (hope you are not a Large or Medium, they are always the first ones to go).
North Shore Posted January 5, 2015 Posted January 5, 2015 Think about the kind of road bike you would get new for this budget. Then remember that a mountain bike includes suspension/a frame strong enough to accommodate that and you will appreciate why bikes at this price point are going to be heavy, come with mostly coil sprung forks and components that will probably affect your ride enjoyment even if you only plan on shorter less technical routes. At this budget I would only look at second hand options (you can pick up a really decent 26er for that price) or hold out until the budget is high enough to accomadate a bike with an air sprung fork, decent frame/wheels and a tubeless conversion that won't weigh a ton and will vastly increase your riding enjoyment.
Odinson Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 Pothole, here is a quick description of the hierarchy of Shimano MTB components. Have a read through and compare it to the spec sheets for the different bikes - find the bike that has the most higher-end components. Shimano Japan's Shimano offers the widest range of groupsets for mountain biking. The range starts with the most budget Tourney, which is usually found on kids’ and entry-level bikes. While it's included in the mountain bike groupsets, we don’t consider Tourney to be off-road worthy outside of occasional and light use. Tourney is a 6- or 7-speed system (six or seven gears at the rear) combined with a triple crankset. Next is Altus, which is sold as a 7-, 8- or even 9-speed system. No matter how many gears are featured out back, this group is always supplied with a triple crankset. Acera follows, and starts to introduce corrosion-resistant materials such as stainless steel on certain components. Shimano Alivio sits just above Acera and introduces a few performance features such as RapidFire Plus shifters with push/pull trigger action. Like Acera, this 9-speed group is available with a triple ring crankset only. We consider Alivio Shimano’s starting point if you’re seeking a focused mountain bike. Next in line is Shimano Deore, widely considered to be the Japanese company's first performance-ready off-road groupset. It's 10-speed and shares many of the designs and technology of the higher priced groupsets. Deore is offered in both double- and triple-crankset options and also spells the introduction to the clutch-style rear derailleur. Long considered the workhorse group in Shimano’s mountain offerings, SLX is a third-tier offering from the Japenese giant. Generally speaking, SLX offers many of the features and function as the upper-end XT, but at a higher weight and marginally lower shift quality. he first of the discipline-specific groups, Zee, is Shimano’s entry-level gravity groupset, a cheaper version of Saint (see below). Available only with a single-chainring crankset, Zee is designed for fast and rough downhill riding. It’s built heavier (and sturdier) than the similarly-priced SLX offering. Shimano XT sits one below the professional-level XTR. This 10-speed group has nearly all the top-end design features as the range topping XTR and offers all the performance most riders will ever need, but at a weight penalty compared to XTR. XT is available with either double- or triple-ring cranksets.
Nayr Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 Silverback Sola 4 2014 models can be picked up for under 7k now and has an air fork and Alvio components... shop around for last years models going cheap. A friend of mine bought one last month for 6,8K. Awesome value for money...
Barker Posted January 6, 2015 Author Posted January 6, 2015 Pothole, here is a quick description of the hierarchy of Shimano MTB components. Have a read through and compare it to the spec sheets for the different bikes - find the bike that has the most higher-end components. Shimano Japan's Shimano offers the widest range of groupsets for mountain biking and that might just be ok for me. The range starts with the most budget Tourney, which is usually found on kids’ and entry-level bikes. While it's included in the mountain bike groupsets, we don’t consider Tourney to be off-road worthy outside of occasional and light use. Tourney is a 6- or 7-speed system (six or seven gears at the rear) combined with a triple crankset. Next is Altus, which is sold as a 7-, 8- or even 9-speed system. No matter how many gears are featured out back, this group is always supplied with a triple crankset. Acera follows, and starts to introduce corrosion-resistant materials such as stainless steel on certain components. Shimano Alivio sits just above Acera and introduces a few performance features such as RapidFire Plus shifters with push/pull trigger action. Like Acera, this 9-speed group is available with a triple ring crankset only. We consider Alivio Shimano’s starting point if you’re seeking a focused mountain bike. Next in line is Shimano Deore, widely considered to be the Japanese company's first performance-ready off-road groupset. It's 10-speed and shares many of the designs and technology of the higher priced groupsets. Deore is offered in both double- and triple-crankset options and also spells the introduction to the clutch-style rear derailleur. Long considered the workhorse group in Shimano’s mountain offerings, SLX is a third-tier offering from the Japenese giant. Generally speaking, SLX offers many of the features and function as the upper-end XT, but at a higher weight and marginally lower shift quality. he first of the discipline-specific groups, Zee, is Shimano’s entry-level gravity groupset, a cheaper version of Saint (see below). Available only with a single-chainring crankset, Zee is designed for fast and rough downhill riding. It’s built heavier (and sturdier) than the similarly-priced SLX offering. Shimano XT sits one below the professional-level XTR. This 10-speed group has nearly all the top-end design features as the range topping XTR and offers all the performance most riders will ever need, but at a weight penalty compared to XTR. XT is available with either double- or triple-ring cranksets. Thank you. This puts things into perspective for me. Ok, so these bikes are really entry level when it comes to the components. Now what about shocks and things like that. Was told by a guy at work today (he does downhill mtn biking) that you look at the shock on the bike first and you don't buy it unless it has a rox shock or fox cause apparently the shock is the most important and most expensive part of the bike...but i think thehe is just in another league than me - as i said - this will be a socializing bike. Some gravel, jeep trail riding, chit chat followed by braai and dop.
JXV Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 Thank you. This puts things into perspective for me. Now what about shocks and things like that. Was told by a guy at work today (he does downhill mtn biking) that you look at the shock on the bike first and you don't buy it unless it has a rox shock or fox.........Components wise aim for Alivio or better...Deore is rock-reliable stuff if avail in your price range and it perfoms very well...the higher level stuff is mostly just lighter and prettier and more costly Regarding the forks, well forks need maintenance at least every 6 months if ridden once a week or more.... Rockshox and Fox have the best spares availability and lots of bike shops are able to work on them so these two brands make sense in SA. I have previously also been very happy with Marzocchi forks but spare seals were tricky to find.
Odinson Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 Thank you. This puts things into perspective for me. Ok, so these bikes are really entry level when it comes to the components. Now what about shocks and things like that. Was told by a guy at work today (he does downhill mtn biking) that you look at the shock on the bike first and you don't buy it unless it has a rox shock or fox cause apparently the shock is the most important and most expensive part of the bike...but i think thehe is just in another league than me - as i said - this will be a socializing bike. Some gravel, jeep trail riding, chit chat followed by braai and dop. I don't agree with that statement. The Suntour forks (even coil-sprung versions) are more than adequate for your intended riding. Regarding Suntour's "XC" forks hierarchy, I believe it's as follows: XCT < XCM < XCR. If you can get a bike with Suntour's XCR AIR, you'll be good to go. Also have a look at stancion diameter - try to get at least 30mm.
porqui Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 Potty - for you - 2nd hand is the way to go. Better spec components that way.
arendoog Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 Be patient and look at used bikes in the classifieds .Those new bikes arn,t going anywhere .You are looking at a 2012 2013 2014 well specced bike that the wife got for chrismas in 2012 and is gathering dust and taking up space or somebody that is going for a FSB Put an ad in the wanted section
cpelser Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 Agreed with a lot of the above.Did a lot of research last year, ended up buying my wife a Silverback Sola4.The XCR Air shock makes a huge difference over coil versions as you can pump it according to your riding style/weight. Paid R5000 from a woman who got it as a present, but immediately had back-pain due to spondolitis or something. Anyway, let me end the search for you: Coil shock, but Deore/SLX - for R7000 :http://www.solomonsonline.co.za/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=136_4_17_503&products_id=1911 Higher end Air Shock, Crazy value for money - SLX/XT - R11500: http://www.solomonsonline.co.za/CYCLING-EQUIPMENT/BIKES/MOUNTAIN-BIKES/AXIS/Axis-A20-29er-2013 Both these bikes even come with Continental RaceKing tyres, much better than what you'll get on the three options you mentioned. You'll eventually want to do more offroad, then going tubeless won't cost > R1500, but rather just R400 odd, since you'll have the right tyres already.
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