Keagan Wilson Posted March 19, 2023 Share https://www.makro.co.za/sports-outdoor-travel/sports/cycling/bicycle/totem-29-xt-alloy-mountain-bike-/p/000000000000378696_EA Is this a good beginner mtb or is it a waste? I’m planing on using it on trails and on the road my budget is 3-4K is there anything better in this price range? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piernas Flacas Posted March 19, 2023 Share I'd rather look in the classifieds for a more reputable brand. Those bikes tend to be heavy and the components not very durable and/or reliable. It may take you some time to look in the classifieds and check the bikes out but I think you'll get at least a lighter and better frame. justinafrika and MrJacques 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burger 555 Posted March 19, 2023 Share Rather look for a 2nd hand branded 29er. You should be able to pick one up for around R4-5K. There is a reason why makro sells totem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keagan Wilson Posted March 19, 2023 Share 1 hour ago, Piernas Flacas said: I'd rather look in the classifieds for a more reputable brand. Those bikes tend to be heavy and the components not very durable and/or reliable. It may take you some time to look in the classifieds and check the bikes out but I think you'll get at least a lighter and better frame. What about raleigh bikes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisF Posted March 19, 2023 Share 5 hours ago, Keagan Wilson said: What about raleigh bikes? Titan Racing and Signal have decent entry level bikes. Both more than your budget though. A good 2nd hand bike is your best bet at your budget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theunissa Posted March 19, 2023 Share What's your size? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eugene Posted March 19, 2023 Share My daughter is not a cyclist, so I bought her one of these Totems, so she had something to ride on the odd occasion with us. From the word go, the brakes were useless, as in no stopping power at all. You could squeeze them as tight as you could and you could still push it on wet grass without the wheels locking No amount of adjustment helped. Tried every trick in the book. Eventually I banned her from riding it until I could source a set of used Hydraulic brakes. The bike is not that bad. It handles her daily commute on campus and the odd off road excursion. In 5 years, the only issue she had was a bent chain ring and punctures. Having said that, I would take the other's advice and spend your money on a used, better quality bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eugene Posted March 19, 2023 Share 8 hours ago, Keagan Wilson said: What about raleigh bikes? I am going to come under fire here, but Raleigh has a hardtail called a Pro One. It doesn't look that bad considering it's price point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keagan Wilson Posted March 19, 2023 Share 2 hours ago, Theunissa said: What's your size? 29er if that’s what’s your asking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisF Posted March 19, 2023 Share 2 minutes ago, Keagan Wilson said: 29er if that’s what’s your asking 29" refers to tyre size How tall are you ? This will give some indication of S, M or L frame size. Though there are slight variations between different brands. Edited March 19, 2023 by ChrisF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theunissa Posted March 19, 2023 Share 2 minutes ago, Keagan Wilson said: 29er if that’s what’s your asking I mean your physical size. 1.5? 1.6? 1.9? ChrisF 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keagan Wilson Posted March 19, 2023 Share 25 minutes ago, Eugene said: I am going to come under fire here, but Raleigh has a hardtail called a Pro One. It doesn't look that bad considering it's price point. What about the raleigh xtreme? https://www.makro.co.za/sports-outdoor-travel/sports/cycling/bicycle/raleigh-29-xtreme-mountain-bike-/p/000000000000424599_EA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keagan Wilson Posted March 19, 2023 Share 5 minutes ago, ChrisF said: 29" refers to tyre size How tall are you ? This will give some indication of S, M or L frame size. Though there are slight variations between different brands. Oh I’m 5’8 but I’m only 15 so I might grow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burger 555 Posted March 20, 2023 Share Stay away from makro bikes, they are all useless when riding trails(like you said you want to do). Buy a 2nd hand bike. There are lots on here. Set the filter to min and max price point and off you go. ChrisF 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertWhitehead Posted March 20, 2023 Share 9 hours ago, Keagan Wilson said: Oh I’m 5’8 but I’m only 15 so I might grow Three things: 1) Use metric, these dumb ass Americans with their imperial is just causing confusion . 2) At 15 it is not that you "may" still grow it is by "how" much that is the question 3) 1.72 means a M and I would not even bother to get a 29er. I would go with a 26er and use the bike to improve your skills and get to know the sport. You may not even any marathon races on a 26er but then again you're not going to do so on a Totem either ChrisF 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jono Posted March 20, 2023 Share 9 hours ago, Keagan Wilson said: Oh I’m 5’8 but I’m only 15 so I might grow My 2 cents is the same as what everyone is saying above, look for a second hand bike rather than a makro/game bike. Preferably with 29 inch wheels, its a better wheel size (sorry @RobertWhitehead). I'm also 5'8 (172cm) but fully grown 😆 and ride a medium. However with a tight budget options might be limited, so possibly sizing up and swapping out to a shorter stem might be an option. I spotted this... https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/hardtail-mountain-bikes/626240/29er-silverback-spectra-mtb-l-air-fork Try using a filtered search approach with 29 wheel size and R6000 as max price (people are negotiable and even more so when an aspiring young cyclist is getting into the sport) https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/c/hardtail-mountain-bikes?maximum_price=6000&meta_wheel_size[is_multi_select]=true&meta_wheel_size[value]=29" Whatever you end up going with enjoy your new bike and be lekker 🤙 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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