New buyer looking for information and tips

[AJW0223]

Hi all,

I am just starting the whole process of getting into mountain biking and am probably going to be doing mostly road and then some trails as well. I had a look online and there is just too many options and I have no idea what is good and what is not.
My budget is around 6k so nothing too fancy...

I found a silverback stride, a titan sport and a titan cruze all 29er's in my area for around 6k then I went to local shop and found a trioblade 29er for around 4k granted I have not found any info on the trioblade online.

I would also need to get a decent helmet but this is not necessarily  included in the 6k budget.

Any and all input is appreciated!

FYI I'm in the Eastern Cape.

Thanks!!

[Rolf Hansen]

Trioblade looks to be a really cheap Indian or Chinese manufactured bicycle. Looks to be identical to the Gielang and Galaxy bicycles. They are really very cheaply(poorly) made. I'd rather buy a Raleigh from Makro than one of those.

For R4k you can buy a new Apex 29er. Still a very basic bicycle that is not intended for trails at all but will be fine if you plan on riding on pavement in fair weather.

For R6k rather go for a used bicycle with quality components.

[AJW0223]

20 hours ago, Rolf Hansen said:

Trioblade looks to be a really cheap Indian or Chinese manufactured bicycle. Looks to be identical to the Gielang and Galaxy bicycles. They are really very cheaply(poorly) made. I'd rather buy a Raleigh from Makro than one of those.

For R4k you can buy a new Apex 29er. Still a very basic bicycle that is not intended for trails at all but will be fine if you plan on riding on pavement in fair weather.

For R6k rather go for a used bicycle with quality components.

Thanks Rolf.
So it would be a better option to go for either of the Titan's or the Silverback

[JJDT]

Titan or Silverback are great bikes. As suggested many times on the forum(previous info questions) try to ride these bikes and see which one you prefer. Also look at the 2nd hand market for a bike with some decent components. Just did a quick search on the classified pages and saw 45 hardtail bikes in the sizes of M and L as most of us fall in this bike size category.

[Vroetelvarkie]

For that budget I would suggest to also look at a 27.5" second hand, will get you a bit more bike for your R's.

[Rolf Hansen]

23 minutes ago, Vroetelvarkie said:

For that budget I would suggest to also look at a 27.5" second hand, will get you a bit more bike for your R's.

Heck if you are willing to go for a 26er like me you can get one hell of a bike for R5k.

[dasilvarsa]

29er

[eddy]

39 minutes ago, dasilvarsa said:

29er

Genuine question.

Why?

[Me rida my bicycle]

Honestly under 8k I would look at 27.5 and even 26 inch. You would get an excellent 26er in your budget and a entry level 29er. 

26er tyres are little more difficult to find, 27.5 would be a good middle ground as they tend to be cheaper than 29er these days. Slap some fat rubber on later it would improve rolling, grip and comfort. 

Bikes you could look at used

Silverback Slade 27.5

Merida big 7 

If you are set on 29er have a look at a used Silverback Sola, even the sola 4 has air shock and can be made tubeless. 

[Me rida my bicycle]

https://www.gumtree.co.za/a-mountain-bikes/strand/merida-big-seven-xt+edition-2014/1009365387010910234079609

 

Not sure what area you are in but something like this would be a great starting bike. 

[dasilvarsa]

16 hours ago, eddy said:

Genuine question.

Why?

29er Advantages

• Faster top end speed

• Larger wheels are much more forgiving than smaller wheels when going over roots, rocks, ect....  Picture the difference between a full size truck and a Honda Civic going over the same pothole.  The pothole would hardly be felt in the truck, where as it'd probably feel like it was swallowing up your Civic because of the difference in wheel sizes

• Larger wheels mean you need less suspension travel to soak up terrain, which generally leads to less pedal bob and increased efficiency.

• Great for taller riders

• Larger tire footprint on the ground at all times means increased traction, which is great for climbing & descending

• Because of increased traction, the ability to confidently ride over more aggressive terrain without avoiding obstacles which you might with a 26" bike and overall increased bicycle stability, the 29er will make you a much more confident rider

• More efficient on longer rides

• Can be run with lower tire pressure, if you so choose, than smaller wheels, allowing for a smoother more comfortable ride

• Increased rotational weight • Current Industry Standard and Easy to Resell for A High Price.

Edited May 20, 2021 by dasilvarsa

[Vroetelvarkie]

2 hours ago, dasilvarsa said:

29er Advantages

• Faster top end speed

• Larger wheels are much more forgiving than smaller wheels when going over roots, rocks, ect....  Picture the difference between a full size truck and a Honda Civic going over the same pothole.  The pothole would hardly be felt in the truck, where as it'd probably feel like it was swallowing up your Civic because of the difference in wheel sizes

• Larger wheels mean you need less suspension travel to soak up terrain, which generally leads to less pedal bob and increased efficiency.

• Great for taller riders

• Larger tire footprint on the ground at all times means increased traction, which is great for climbing & descending

• Because of increased traction, the ability to confidently ride over more aggressive terrain without avoiding obstacles which you might with a 26" bike and overall increased bicycle stability, the 29er will make you a much more confident rider

• More efficient on longer rides

• Can be run with lower tire pressure, if you so choose, than smaller wheels, allowing for a smoother more comfortable ride

• Increased rotational weight • Current Industry Standard and Easy to Resell for A High Price.

Yes agree to all above, when your budget is R15K plus. But with a R6k budget I disagree. I had a Merida Big 7 which I used to prepare for the Sani, and did a few 50-60km races, and finished the same times as 29'ers.... (and I weigh 100kg) Big 7 will get you decent RS fork, hydraulic brakes and 2x11 SLX/XT groupset for R6-R8k. 

If you can only afford the "Civic" you can still enjoy it as much as the guy with the truck, and maybe even win him!

Edited May 20, 2021 by Vroetelvarkie

[Jensie]

https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/hardtail-mountain-bikes/472643/29er-mountain-bike-gt

https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/hardtail-mountain-bikes/474690/momsen-al029-29er

Momsen have loads of extras and is tubeless. 
Make sure you get the right size bike otherwise you wont have a happy riding experience. If you have a bike shop that is willing to measure you and give advice it will help a lot. 

 

Enjoy riding

[Steady Spin]

29er Advantages
• Faster top end speed

Based on what? Rider determines the speed. 29er maintains the speed a tiny bit better though. Also takes more effort to get up to speed. 

• Larger wheels are much more forgiving than smaller wheels when going over roots, rocks, ect....  Picture the difference between a full size truck and a Honda Civic going over the same pothole.  The pothole would hardly be felt in the truck, where as it'd probably feel like it was swallowing up your Civic because of the difference in wheel sizes

To a certain extent they do roll better over rough terrain. I'll agree there but not to the Civic vs Truck level.

• Great for taller riders

Frame size plays a much bigger part than wheel size.

• Larger tire footprint on the ground at all times means increased traction, which is great for climbing & descending

Tire width determines the contact patch on the ground. Not wheel size. 

• Because of increased traction, the ability to confidently ride over more aggressive terrain without avoiding obstacles which you might with a 26" bike and overall increased bicycle stability, the 29er will make you a much more confident rider

Agree with the increased wheel size rolling better and increasing confidence.

• More efficient on longer rides
Agree but not so much that the average rider will really notice it. 

• Can be run with lower tire pressure, if you so choose, than smaller wheels, allowing for a smoother more comfortable ride
Tire volume and rim width determines the pressure you can run at.

• Larger wheels mean you need less suspension travel to soak up terrain, which generally leads to less pedal bob and increased efficiency. 
Again, tire volume and not so much wheel size. A 29" wheel wont absorb more of the terrain unless you refer to rolling over bumps more efficiently. It will make zero difference to pedal bob. That comes down to suspension design.

---

You are close with your benefits of a 29er but not on everything. 

My biggest motivator would be that it is the industry standard and easier to find tyres and wheels for. 

[rudi-h]

Honestly, if you're really keen on cycling and know that your bike won't be a white elephant, I'd urge you if at all possible to save up & double your budget.  My bikes are my most valued assets (from a lifestyle perspective - not financial) and if you calculate the cost of ownership over 10 years, another R6k now becomes virtually immaterial.

I've seen too many times that people (including myself) bought something cheap just to have severe buyers remorse a year later, saving up and buy something double the price tag within a year or two.

You can get some really nice 2nd hand hardtail bikes for R10k+ with the weight, geometry and build quality that will serve you well for at least a decade to come.  If you're going to buy a R6k cheapie, you likely won't enjoy the riding as much, fall subject to a never ending battle with punctures and mechanicals.  Chances are almost guaranteed that you'll either give up on the sport altogether or throw multiples of your initial budget towards upgrades within the next 24 months.

Edited May 20, 2021 by rudi-h

[Rolf Hansen]

To add to what @Steady Spin has said above many/most of the differences you won't notice.

 

I ride a 26er and everyone that I ride with have 29ers, except for my wife - she has a 27.5". 

The faster you pedal, the faster you go. If you are a downhill champion you will notice the 29" wheel keeping speed easier than the smaller wheels. If not, the speed depends on you.

What I have noticed with smaller wheels is the are less stable than the larger wheels but the flip side of the coin is a more maneuverable bike. Over rough terrain like rocks and roots the larger wheels are definately better. In the end I'd much rather have a high-end 26er than an entry-level 29er.