Help a girl out: 1st dual suspension purchase

[Rouxle]

Hi guys,

 

I currently ride an old small hardtail Scott Scale 940 with mixed SLX/XT components so I want to upgrade to dual suspension and 1x.  Unfortunately, small secondhand bikes are quite scarce. Will be used for tar/gravel and a little bit of trail riding/racing.

 

My budget is about 35k.  I am leaning towards one of the below:

 

MERIDA ONE TWENTY RC 9 XT-EDITION (2020)

https://bike-addict.co.za/collections/mtb/products/merida-one-twenty-rc-9-xt-edition-2020

 

 

New Trek Top Fuel 9.8 (S)

https://bikemarket.co.za/shop/bicycles/mountain-bikes/trek-top-fuel-9-8-s-bm3742/

 

Pre-Owned Specialized Camber

https://bikemarket.co.za/shop/bicycles/mountain-bikes/pre-owned-specialized-camber-s-bm4499/

 

Please help me choose    Very unsure of the SRAM SX so at least want to go for NX - if I can find a small frame.

 

Thanks

Rouxle

[sirmoun10goat]

Merida-best group set of the lot. And it’s brand new, so no immediate surprises

 

The camber is the older model, it’s heavy and dated.

[Warrenlee]

Have a look at the Momsen Vipa's! You wont be sorry.

[Super Sywurm]

Out of these three, Merida.

[Me rida my bicycle]

Definitely the Trek carbon frame, carbon wheels, carbon crank, GX EAGLE works great and Trek has lifetime warranty! Have 2 friends on Trek 9.8 top fuel and 9.8 fuel ex and to be honest its what I should have bought instead of the Scott Spark. Trek has a great pedal platform very little pedal bob and at the same time great on small bumps and can take the big hits.

It must be witchcraft????????

[thebob]

The Merida won’t fit a bottle in the cage in size small. That Top Fuel is a proper XC race bike, so won’t be very comfy if you are looking to ride cruise rather than race. The Merida is a true trail bike and will be more forgiving than the Trek and has a dropper post. Pick the right bike for what you want to ride in the right size. That is much more important than the groupset

[Jewbacca]

Also, the Merida has quite a slack seat tube. This will influence the pedalability and stability of the bike while seated negatively (compared to a steeper seat tube).

 

I see there are a few decent Small bikes in the classifieds. Might be worth taking a look.

 

I saw a decent giant anthem 2019 and a couple of other options that look pretty handy.

 

Is it for out and out racing or trail riding in it's spare time? Confidence and comfort would then win me over so I would suggest a Trance..... 

[DJuice]

Take a look at the Titan Racing Cypher RS Expert, brand new.

[Riaan H]

Size Small bikes are scarce to bee sure.

 

If you want something light and racy there's also this to consider, would do nicely on gravel, and still capable enough to race.

 

https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/dual-suspension-bikes/419794/specialized-epic-comp-s-2016-price-drop?referrer=homepage

 

The bikes noted earlier would be heavier but more comfortable, and easier to ride on rough terrain as they would be more confidence inspiring.

 

It comes down to a choice of riding style, I have a 2016 Camber which is really comfy on long rides, or technical ones and has kept me out of E.R with it's capability, but feels a little bit slow at times (and my wife hates it). My wife has a 2016 Epic which she loves, and feels like a missile every time I ride it, but I only ever chose it for non-technical rides as the Camber has allowed me to often ride mindlessly on technical terrain, which the Epic would not allow, expecting a bit more skill from its rider.

 

 

 

[Vallende Vaandel]

I have sellers remorse - sold my small camber comp carbon (exact same model) last month. This price is waaay over inflated, and its in fact a 2015 model not 2016 and also it's a bit misleading since its a 11 - 50 shimano cassette in the specs so not full Sram GX as the description... If the price can drop then I would go for the Camber.

I started on my sister's borrowed scott scale 920 hardtail and the camber was my first owned bike. Loved it and it changed my whole riding experience! W2W was a breeze and many 30-40km races were enjoyed and hard raced on that bike. I had the confidence to ride any trail, hit smaller jumps and drops as well as join my friends for gravel grinding.

Yes the geometry is outdated but unless you aim for podium or black rated trails this bike I can vouch for.

No you can't compare it to an epic, but the confidence makes up for any bit of weight difference.

I sorely miss mine... only reason I sold was that the travel and steep geometry hindered me on advanced trails. If I could own both a trails and xc bike, I would've loved to have kept the camber.

[Alouette3]

The Merida is great at that price bracket. My riding buddy has one.

 

Also did great on the https://enduro-mtb.com/ trail bike shoot out recently

[MirageF1]

Merida offers good value for money.

[MudLark]

Note that the Trek is a 650B wheel size. You probably really want a 29er.

 

Hi guys,

 

I currently ride an old small hardtail Scott Scale 940 with mixed SLX/XT components so I want to upgrade to dual suspension and 1x.  Unfortunately, small secondhand bikes are quite scarce. Will be used for tar/gravel and a little bit of trail riding/racing.

 

My budget is about 35k.  I am leaning towards one of the below:

 

MERIDA ONE TWENTY RC 9 XT-EDITION (2020)

https://bike-addict.co.za/collections/mtb/products/merida-one-twenty-rc-9-xt-edition-2020

 

 

New Trek Top Fuel 9.8 (S)

https://bikemarket.co.za/shop/bicycles/mountain-bikes/trek-top-fuel-9-8-s-bm3742/

 

Pre-Owned Specialized Camber

https://bikemarket.co.za/shop/bicycles/mountain-bikes/pre-owned-specialized-camber-s-bm4499/

 

Please help me choose    Very unsure of the SRAM SX so at least want to go for NX - if I can find a small frame.

 

Thanks

Rouxle

[DieselnDust]

Hi guys,

 

I currently ride an old small hardtail Scott Scale 940 with mixed SLX/XT components so I want to upgrade to dual suspension and 1x.  Unfortunately, small secondhand bikes are quite scarce. Will be used for tar/gravel and a little bit of trail riding/racing.

 

My budget is about 35k.  I am leaning towards one of the below:

 

MERIDA ONE TWENTY RC 9 XT-EDITION (2020)

https://bike-addict.co.za/collections/mtb/products/merida-one-twenty-rc-9-xt-edition-2020

 

 

New Trek Top Fuel 9.8 (S)

https://bikemarket.co.za/shop/bicycles/mountain-bikes/trek-top-fuel-9-8-s-bm3742/

 

Pre-Owned Specialized Camber

https://bikemarket.co.za/shop/bicycles/mountain-bikes/pre-owned-specialized-camber-s-bm4499/

 

Please help me choose    Very unsure of the SRAM SX so at least want to go for NX - if I can find a small frame.

 

Thanks

Rouxle

 

 

Top Fuel.

If you're fitting on a small I think you will be a lot more comfortable on the 650b. That bike is also very light and that helps with maneuvering through tricky terrain.

The merida will feel like a bus with you as the passenger

[DieselnDust]

Definitely the Trek carbon frame, carbon wheels, carbon crank, GX EAGLE works great and Trek has lifetime warranty! Have 2 friends on Trek 9.8 top fuel and 9.8 fuel ex and to be honest its what I should have bought instead of the Scott Spark. Trek has a great pedal platform very little pedal bob and at the same time great on small bumps and can take the big hits.

It must be witchcraft

 

 

fully aligned. It does pedal very well and very comfy too. Its also under 11kg whereas every other option at this price oint is over 13 to 14 kg.

A woman on a small I reckon i weighing in around 45-55kg range. That extra 4 kg of bike mass plus the huge wheels, higher stand over, wiiiiiiiiide bars and longer top tubes will make for a compromised ride

[Spafsack]

Rouxle, you have a nice budget. Also look at the Silver Back Strtos, Al3, maybe even an Al1. The geo is amazing i hear, think Mariska Strauss rides the carbon version. Pop Geo they say. My wife has the small and loves it.