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Advice needed for new bike to tackle 36One and Transbaviaans


Lynnae

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Hi everyone,

 

I'm a Noob when it comes to mountain biking and would really appreciate some advice please.

 

I have entered 36One and Transbaviaans this year after falling completely in love with riding on dirt roads (for hours on end).

 

Most of my off road riding has been on a entry level 3 x 9 speed Momsen Hardtail (my first mtb).

 

As I'm starting to log the km's I've been thinking about upgrading to a dual suspension mountain bike.

This is mainly due to probably being more comfortable in the saddle after a few hours of riding (and possibly having better components than the stock 3 x 9 group set I currently have.

 

Unfortunately I do not have big bucks to spend (my absolute max is 25 K). So my question is:

 

- Would it be better going for a  new modern (ish) entry level dual suspension bike or a older dual sus with better components (I think).

I'm not sure how long wear and tear would affect a bicycle maintenance wise.

 

These are the two bikes I'm looking at.

 

A - 2017 Scott spark 960 - For 25 K 

 

http://www.olympiccycles.co.za/shop/scott-spark-960-2017/

 

B- Giant X 2015 for 16.5 K

 

https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/342544-giant-anthem-x-2015/

 

 

Personally I'm leaning towards the Anthem. Figure with some money left over it could be spent on gear and possibly a upgrade or two.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

 

Lynnae

 

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If mainly for gravel racing (this is my focus too) I'd also consider a carbon 29er hardtail.

 

The difference between aluminium and carbon is huge in terms of comfort. The carbon absorbs vibrations waaaay better.

 

For R 25 k you can get a really nice hardtail under 11 kg and if you fit 2,35 Maxxis Ikon or Rekon Race tyres and get the pressure right, it's really comfortable.

 

I have a Specialized Epic hardtail and it's amazing for long rides.

 

1x11 is adequate for gravel racing and the simplicity of a hardtail is great.

 

I only have three cables coming from my bars (brakes and rear derailleur) compared to many dual sus I see with 5 - 6 for all the lockouts etc.

 

It all makes maintenance cheaper, less to go wrong in 12 hours plus of mud and dust etc and you don't need a NASA degree to fix something if you're in the middle of the Karoo, at night, alone haha.

post-100019-0-82931700-1548247747_thumb.jpg

Edited by andrew5336
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Keep rocking the Hard Tail man, they are so capable and so underrated - especially a 120 mm HT 29er  :thumbup:

 

You and can also pick up a tasty HT with quality spec as opposed to a mediocre full suspension.

Edited by Brick_Top
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If you do not have any pre-existing conditions like a bad back or knees or whatever then you can base your decision off preference and not much else  :D

 

On the other hand, based off the rides you've entered for 2019 and the fact that you only recently started riding I would suggest you consider the dual sus. Solely because I can estimate that the Baviaans will take you in the region of 17-20 hours to complete based off the amount of km's you have in your legs. 

 

I've done 3 Baviaans races on HT's and I did not have any issues other than the constant bouncing resulting in a swollen ass  :P. 227.30 km on a 143mm piece of memory foam really gives you a beating

 

Good luck with the races 

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my experience mainly as a long distance/adventure race type rider who does not do enough training for the things I sign up for!

 

I used to think that full suss = most comfortable ride possible.

I was in the process of moving into the 29er realm and had a FS on the list.

A carbon hardtail* came up at a steal and somehow I bought it, with the intention of switching the parts over to a FS frame eventually.

 

I swear by this bike now for long stuff.

Very important for me - proper saddle, I use a murray orthopod but i think the spesh power saddle range is not that different

rear tyre and tyre pressure.

seatpost, a setback post or even a thudbuster is the way to go.

 

I'm not saying this is the answer for you, but if you're handling the hardtail now then a better one should still work. Second hand market is also best place to get decent bang for buck at R25k range.

 

*rocky mountain vertex carbon

Edited by juan pelota
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scott 970 is too heavy and overkill for what you want to do.

(I have the 2018 scott 940 and use it for everything from enduro, to trail to xc to gravel grinding)

 

If I were you i'd look for a good carbon Hard tail with 1 x drive train, slap on a decent saddle and nice low rolling resistance 2.35 tires...

 

good luck with hunting, it's part of the fun. 

Edited by duanelr
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It's not about the bike :P

 

My advice would be to ride whatever you're comfortable on. Whatever you're confident on. Whatever you trust. And it might just be that Momsen.

 

You want a bike that is reliable, dependable, and ultimately, a bike that is just an extension of your body. A bike that suits your riding style.

 

For both of these rides, 36One and Baviaans, you'll need to figure out how you like riding. Are you a big blade grinder - 42 up front and knees of steel, or are you into this new found trend of spinning (and spinning out) on a tiny 32? Do you ride over everything like a bull in a china shop, or are you nimble and delicate and can pick a smooth line like a pro?

 

My experience is that it's equally tough, whether you ride a 26 inch, a 29er, a hardtail or a dual sus. There are pros and cons to every setup - you just end up hurting in different ways. 

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For everyone saying go hardtail - not all hardtails are equal.  Some are super stiff for racing and aren't suited to long distances.  They'll do them, but you won't be comfortable. 
I did a lot of research into this with the idea of doing long rides and settled on a Scott Scale 910.  It has the damping system on the seat stays (I think it's called SCDS?  Scott Carbon Damping System maybe?) which makes a world of difference and adds some compliance into the frame.  I did many long rides with this although my longest was 250 so not quite into 36one territory and I was mostly pretty comfortable. 

Although after that I moved to an Anthem and, to cut to the point, it was better than the Scott.  It just absorbs the bumps better and makes for a better pedal action.  I'm talking specifically about long distance gravel grinding here.  The Scott was for sure better at a lot of other things, but if grinding out many dirt kays is what you're after then I'd go for the Anthem plus some upgrades.

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if you consider a hardtail, also consider looking at a good quality steel frame as it will allow for some compliance and comfort ..... it will also more than likely be the most robust material of the lot, and will not let you down when you are out in the middle of the bush with a long walk back ... granted breaking a frame in a race is exceptionally rare, but hey.

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Ja nee manne, maybe I'm just soft, but there is no way in hell I'm doing a 36One on a hardtail. I want to suffer, but I would like to have the use of my back after the event...

 

I've done the half on a dual suspension XC bike and I was quite comfy, I am considering doing the half on a steel hardtail with high volume 2.35" tyres - but it's a big maybe. If I was doing the full I would not even think about a hardtail.

 

That said, if you are looking for the most efficiency go for a hardtail, but consider the fact that if you are not conditioned that hammering could cause you more fatigue than a heavier dual suspension bike.

 

My ideal bike for this sort of event would be a 80-100mm travel dual suspension XC bike with space for 3 bottles (I don't want to carry a pack on those long rides) - so that would be 2 in the main frame, 3rd on the seatpost with some onboard storage. 1x11/12 gearing.

 

For your money I would be looking for (hate to say it) a second hand Spaz Epic. If you had a bigger budget I'd be reccommending the new Momsen Vipa Ultra - perfect bike for those races IMO.

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Here is my rig for everything

 

 

Old #varkhart has taken me on many a journey including 1⅔ 36One.

 

I'm not going to lie, when the roads get crappy (corrugations especially) I wish for a full suss.

 

But every time I hear my mates moaning about the maintenance costs of full suss (nevermind the noise they make every now and then) I fall in love with my bike all over again

 

6d71d4159d9f1ce69bbf8724dce6fa8d.jpg

Edited by fanievb
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Thanks so much for everyone's comments. Please keep them coming, they are much appreciated.

 

A carbon hardtail never even crossed my mind!

 

Would this second hand carbon hardtail be worth investigating?

 

https://bike-addict.co.za/collections/pre-owned-bicycles/products/giant-xtc-advanced-1-medium-pre-owned

 

Looks like it is a 2016 model, not sure.

Hy Lynnae,

 

I did my first TB on my Giant XTC alu (3x9). Second year on a carbon dual suspension Trek Superfly (1x11). With the conditions better in the second year I still managed a 30 minutes slower time.

 

I then spent a day with a cousins carbon hardtail. I was not sold on the idea that their is such a big difference between the alu and carbon hardtail. Well, not such a big difference that I would buy a carbon hardtail. What I made my mind up about though, is that a hardtail is 9 times out of 10 more pedal efficient. I am contemplating doing the TB this year on my alu hardtail again instead of the dual suspension just because of that. Then I remember how terrible that last 6km single track next to the railway was. 

 

A dual suspension will definitely be more comfortable when that long in the saddle.

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Ja nee manne, maybe I'm just soft, but there is no way in hell I'm doing a 36One on a hardtail. I want to suffer, but I would like to have the use of my back after the event...

 

I've done the half on a dual suspension XC bike and I was quite comfy, I am considering doing the half on a steel hardtail with high volume 2.35" tyres - but it's a big maybe. If I was doing the full I would not even think about a hardtail.

 

That said, if you are looking for the most efficiency go for a hardtail, but consider the fact that if you are not conditioned that hammering could cause you more fatigue than a heavier dual suspension bike.

 

My ideal bike for this sort of event would be a 80-100mm travel dual suspension XC bike with space for 3 bottles (I don't want to carry a pack on those long rides) - so that would be 2 in the main frame, 3rd on the seatpost with some onboard storage. 1x11/12 gearing.

 

For your money I would be looking for (hate to say it) a second hand Spaz Epic. If you had a bigger budget I'd be reccommending the new Momsen Vipa Ultra - perfect bike for those races IMO.

^^ this

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