Hotdegree Posted November 16, 2015 Posted November 16, 2015 So, I decided to get a new Bike for myself. Currently I use an Elliptigo which I have decided to sell, as most of my buddies cycle. So the question is what do I look for. My intended use will be Road, Beach Pavement, and a bit of Trails. I am not trying to win a competition but at least finish it in good times. When it comes to trails I am looking at basic rides and not serious hardcore rides, as I am a newbie. Goals for the 1st year is a couple of 20 to 60km races off and on road. Initial rides will be beachfront and a bit of road and then moving off road till I gain more confidence. The reason I ask here is I don't want to walk into a store and be conned or bullied into buying the wrong thing. 'My take on buying a bicycle is buy something descent the first time around and not going to cheap and hate the sport altogether. And I rather it be new too. My budget is 15k to 25k. Can stretch it just a tad if need be. The question is what type of bike should I be looking at first. I know its going to be a MTB, just whether I should go softail or hardtail. like I said I want to be able to do like the amashova with this bike and not stick out like a sore thumb. I was eyeing the Giant Anthem 29er (Not Advanced) as a start, just looks a bit silly if I do the Amashova in this although I will put slicks on it. Your thoughts and help will be great kind people.
Cat2forLife Posted November 16, 2015 Posted November 16, 2015 Your first mistake is putting slicks on a mountainbike.. It just looks plain silly. And doesn't really make much of a difference unless you run 2.4 tires. And it's also a HUGE hassle if you put slicks on and you have a tubeless set-up. You could get some nice bikes for that money. In my opinion, for the riding you want to do a dual suspension is overkill, but seeing as you'll probably have this bike for a while, a dual suspension might be a good invesment because the more you get into mountainbiking, the more you'll want one. I guess you have to ask yourself what type of riding you see yourself doing in the next 2 or 3 years. That's usually the turnaround time for a new bike. If you're gonna be shredding trails within a year, get a dually. If not, get a hardtail and the next bike can be a dually.
Hotdegree Posted November 16, 2015 Author Posted November 16, 2015 Wow, funny enough I just got of the phone with a cycle store and he said the same thing to me. In fact he says choose the primary route I want to go first, either road or mtb. Then get a bike for that purpose. So If I choose road for now then later on buy a cheaper mtb till I get more out of it. Likewise if I want a mtb now then get a cheaper road bike later. I just did not want to get 2 bikes. Road use is a going to be primary for now or at least for the 1st 6 months and then some mtb later on but not crazy stuff either. So confusing this is. LOL well to me that is.
Cat2forLife Posted November 16, 2015 Posted November 16, 2015 Having a bike fit for purpose gets you so much more enjoyment out of it. It's not fun riding a mountainbike on the road.. You're gonna be slow and feel frustrated. Also, goes without saying, it's not fun riding a road bike anywhere other than on the road.
Hotdegree Posted November 16, 2015 Author Posted November 16, 2015 Ok, so have decided to go with a MTB for sure, but a hardtail. Looking between Giant XTC Advanced 29erTitan 29ermenspro Any others I should look at?
cpelser Posted November 16, 2015 Posted November 16, 2015 Don't buy a carbon hardtail new if you're starting out. Rather go second hand so that you can recoup some money if in one year's time you want to change. Take it from me, me and the wife started cycling last year and we've had 7 bikes between us since. (Going to sell the 7th and buy an 8th soon) Look for a second hand decent Silverback Sola 1, great value for money.
Hotdegree Posted November 17, 2015 Author Posted November 17, 2015 Ok, so shopping around I also found about the Merida BIG.NINE XT-EDITION (aluminium Frame) How good is this brand and spec as I see it is 4k cheaper than the giant which is carbon though.
slickjay007 Posted November 17, 2015 Posted November 17, 2015 Ok, so shopping around I also found about the Merida BIG.NINE XT-EDITION (aluminium Frame) How good is this brand and spec as I see it is 4k cheaper than the giant which is carbon though.You cant go wrong with a Merida. They well priced and well spec'd in the market. I would suggest as you are starting out to look at secondhand first so that you can familiarise yourself with the geomerty of a MTB and then after a few rides decided on whether to go carbon or alu.
Hotdegree Posted November 18, 2015 Author Posted November 18, 2015 Ok, So while browsing gumtree,I came across this 2015 Giant XTC Advance 29er 2 (2nd Hand)Everything upgraded to XT as well as spare Rims with Slicks for R25k. New Price is 24K + Extras add up to 15K so Total for this bike new is around R40k. or I can get a 2016 Merida Big Nine 1000 (Brand New) for R23K Question is, there is no warranty on this GIANT frame which is carbon, Should I be concerned or should I grab this deal? According to owner of the giant bike is a few months old
porqui Posted November 18, 2015 Posted November 18, 2015 Hey Durb's riders !!!! somebody have a cup of coffee with this man - he needs help.
raptor-22 Posted November 18, 2015 Posted November 18, 2015 A carbon Hardtail is a nice way to go. Get a 29er or 27.5 carbon hardtail.For road use simply build a 2nd set of wheels using road rims on the MTB hubs. That way you don't have to mess with fiddling around with removing tyres, just swop the wheels. Once you fit and faster get a road bike.
Tubehunter Posted November 18, 2015 Posted November 18, 2015 Wow, funny enough I just got of the phone with a cycle store and he said the same thing to me. In fact he says choose the primary route I want to go first, either road or mtb. Then get a bike for that purpose. So If I choose road for now then later on buy a cheaper mtb till I get more out of it. Likewise if I want a mtb now then get a cheaper road bike later. I just did not want to get 2 bikes. Road use is a going to be primary for now or at least for the 1st 6 months and then some mtb later on but not crazy stuff either. So confusing this is. LOL well to me that is. No matter how you look at this you will at some stage own more than 1 bike if you get into cycling and enjoy all forms of it. Bikes are fit for purpose and there's no way around that! You're wise to limit yourself to see if this is really for you at first. Starting with a hardtail mountainbike gives you semi decent options with both, but ultimately will not do sharp end of each discipline with as much fun. Road racing will only be uber fun when you get to the point where you are the hold up rather than the bike and trial riding becomes uber fun when your bike doesn't hold you back but rather your skill set that you actively start improving on! You've got time till you get there and going the way you are planning to start is certainly a decent effort! Most people throw 5K at it and get some semi junk effort and end up hating it. You've at least bridged that divide, so chances are we'll see you become a regular and eventually riding more events and contributing on those threads too! Welcome to the hub! We're a crazy bunch particularly on Fridays!
madbradd Posted November 18, 2015 Posted November 18, 2015 Ok, So while browsing gumtree,I came across this 2015 Giant XTC Advance 29er 2 (2nd Hand)Everything upgraded to XT as well as spare Rims with Slicks for R25k. New Price is 24K + Extras add up to 15K so Total for this bike new is around R40k. or I can get a 2016 Merida Big Nine 1000 (Brand New) for R23K Question is, there is no warranty on this GIANT frame which is carbon, Should I be concerned or should I grab this deal? According to owner of the giant bike is a few months old Welcome to Cycling! First up, don't let anyone tell you that buying a R25k and adding 15k worth of extras makes it worth 40k. the most obvious is you cannot "add" to a bike - if you put new wheels on, you don't all of a sudden have 4 wheels on the bicycle, you have 2; and another 2 which he probably sold; with the old tyres on them. I'd say a good rule of thumb would be to divide the value of the extras by 2 or 3 to get an indication of increase in value. Second, when you buy second hand, you lose the warranty. This alone is worth at least 20% of the bike cost in my opinion, and that's if I buy it, walk it out the shop and sell it to you. This does not in any way mean that you must not buy second hand. Browse the BikeHub classifieds. There are some great deals in there, and you've got less change of being scammed from here than other classifieds sites. Most of the guys here will say that when you sell a bike second hand, a good reference is between 50% and 75% of original purchase price, depending on spec, condition, etc. You're also going into the "just after 94.7" period where many bikes will be up for sale. so it's a buyers market. Same thing after the Argus. In terms of bike selection, I think you've made the right choice, a hardtail mtb is a great starting point to see if you like the sport. Bear in mind alot of enjoyment is being able to ride with people and not pop a lung. So while you can ride a MTB on the road, it's difficult to go "road riding" on one since everybody else will be on road bikes, which tend to be faster on the road. So it will more difficult to ride at the same pace as these guys (as if you were riding on the trails with the same bunch of guys), and MTBs also don't do particularly well in group dynamics when road riding - but for a beginner this probably won't affect you as much. Your budget does definitely allow for some nice options. You can save by going for an aluminium hardtail over a carbon one. Depending on which model you go for will affect comfort - a Giant XTC is one of the stiffer, racier hardtails, where a Merida (carbon) is designed to have a bit more flex in it, so it will be a bit comfier to ride. https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/149349-2016-merida-big-nine-xt-2x11-speed/ https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/164925-2014-silverback-storm-race-carbon-29/ https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/160239-specialized-stumpjumper-comp-carbon-2014-custom/ https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/164677-momsen-sl629-fully-carbon/ https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/164897-cannondale-f29/ https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/164554-2014-scott-scale-910-carbon-29-1x10/ https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/163541-cannondale-flash-final-price-drop/ As you can see, plenty in your price range. Then if you really want to ride with slicks in the Amashova you can pick up a set of "road" wheels for under 2k excluding tyres. https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/164928-wtb-i19-wheelset-shimano-slx-10sp-cassette/ https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/127482-dt-swiss-m1800-wheelset-price-drop/ https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/163849-giant-anthem-x2-wheels/ Or save up a little longer and get a road bike as well. 2 bikes > 1 bike. Remember you also need a helmet and shoes and bibs and a jersey. As before, you can buy cheap fit-for-purpose equipment, but I find that comfort affects enjoyability - so don't buy something just because it's cheaper than something else. budget at least R3k for this - Shoes R1500, helmet R1000, bibs R500. If you get a bike with a 1X drivetrain, make sure you get a 32T chainring. if the person riding it before you was really strong and has a 36T on there, you will really battle up the hills. Hope that all helps, and happy shopping!
Hotdegree Posted November 18, 2015 Author Posted November 18, 2015 Welcome to Cycling! First up, don't let anyone tell you that buying a R25k and adding 15k worth of extras makes it worth 40k. the most obvious is you cannot "add" to a bike - if you put new wheels on, you don't all of a sudden have 4 wheels on the bicycle, you have 2; and another 2 which he probably sold; with the old tyres on them. I'd say a good rule of thumb would be to divide the value of the extras by 2 or 3 to get an indication of increase in value. Second, when you buy second hand, you lose the warranty. This alone is worth at least 20% of the bike cost in my opinion, and that's if I buy it, walk it out the shop and sell it to you. This does not in any way mean that you must not buy second hand. Browse the BikeHub classifieds. There are some great deals in there, and you've got less change of being scammed from here than other classifieds sites. Most of the guys here will say that when you sell a bike second hand, a good reference is between 50% and 75% of original purchase price, depending on spec, condition, etc. You're also going into the "just after 94.7" period where many bikes will be up for sale. so it's a buyers market. Same thing after the Argus. In terms of bike selection, I think you've made the right choice, a hardtail mtb is a great starting point to see if you like the sport. Bear in mind alot of enjoyment is being able to ride with people and not pop a lung. So while you can ride a MTB on the road, it's difficult to go "road riding" on one since everybody else will be on road bikes, which tend to be faster on the road. So it will more difficult to ride at the same pace as these guys (as if you were riding on the trails with the same bunch of guys), and MTBs also don't do particularly well in group dynamics when road riding - but for a beginner this probably won't affect you as much. Your budget does definitely allow for some nice options. You can save by going for an aluminium hardtail over a carbon one. Depending on which model you go for will affect comfort - a Giant XTC is one of the stiffer, racier hardtails, where a Merida (carbon) is designed to have a bit more flex in it, so it will be a bit comfier to ride. https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/149349-2016-merida-big-nine-xt-2x11-speed/ https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/164925-2014-silverback-storm-race-carbon-29/ https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/160239-specialized-stumpjumper-comp-carbon-2014-custom/ https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/164677-momsen-sl629-fully-carbon/ https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/164897-cannondale-f29/ https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/164554-2014-scott-scale-910-carbon-29-1x10/ https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/163541-cannondale-flash-final-price-drop/ As you can see, plenty in your price range. Then if you really want to ride with slicks in the Amashova you can pick up a set of "road" wheels for under 2k excluding tyres. https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/164928-wtb-i19-wheelset-shimano-slx-10sp-cassette/ https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/127482-dt-swiss-m1800-wheelset-price-drop/ https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/163849-giant-anthem-x2-wheels/ Or save up a little longer and get a road bike as well. 2 bikes > 1 bike. Remember you also need a helmet and shoes and bibs and a jersey. As before, you can buy cheap fit-for-purpose equipment, but I find that comfort affects enjoyability - so don't buy something just because it's cheaper than something else. budget at least R3k for this - Shoes R1500, helmet R1000, bibs R500. If you get a bike with a 1X drivetrain, make sure you get a 32T chainring. if the person riding it before you was really strong and has a 36T on there, you will really battle up the hills. Hope that all helps, and happy shopping! Wow, Solid advise there guys. From you all actually. Buying a bike is worse than buying a car. Well hopefully I will have 1 soon and then start to enjoy this new Sport.
NelAndre Posted November 18, 2015 Posted November 18, 2015 Hi I have a Merida Hardtail I bought last year with full XTR set up and carbon frame. Love every moment on that bike. I suggest you buy a Silverback Sola2 for 15k, spent 4k on gear and put the other 6k away so long because in 12 months you will want to go bigger, faster and better.....it is the nature of the beast. Enjoy.
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