Which make is worth the money?

[Danger Dassie]

@BikeisLife yes i did already update, cheers ; )
Still would be unsure of the fork, personally would rather take a chance on components than a white label fork. 

[austin06]

Buy a bike with a well known air fork, forget about the groupset SRAM vs Shimano. The fork is what set those bikes apart ito weight etc...  

I will look for a entry level bike that is kitted with a SR Suntour Air you can service the Suntour fork, look for a bike with a SR Suntour Raidon fork at least, not the AliExpress forks on some of the bikes mentioned above.

 

[Titan Racing Bikes]

20 hours ago, ChrisF said:

Based on our experience ... Titan Racing 👍

[SNIP]

Objectively .... @Titan Racing Bikes simply has thee best warranty and backup in this market segment.  Not the we have ever needed it with the range of their bikes we had, and still have.  Enough posts on the Hub where @Titan Racing Bikes sorted out warranty issues.

 

19 hours ago, devvydoesdonuts said:

Have to agree with @ChrisF , I do not own or have not owned a Titan, but looking at the price and spec, they really are great value, from their entry to their premium products, they are generally better specced than the other brands.

 

17 hours ago, ChrisF said:

Must admit, that was my very first thought when seeing the thread title ....

 

14 hours ago, Conrad G Jr said:

Titan all the way it has the best build quality my Titan has well over 20000km on it and its held up like a champion. 

 

11 hours ago, Danger Dassie said:

[Snip]

Personally, it would be down to either the Titan or Silverback—good spec, value, get, looks and support. Yes the SX components may not last, but that is just the derailleur and shifter really. They have the least cost ratio on maintenance and are consumable parts which can be upgraded once they're trashed. Bonus, being 12spd you can replace it with Shimano or an up-spec of Sram like NX or GX. 

Thanks, everyone. 👊

[Murray Meyer]

13 hours ago, FirstV8 said:

My choose would be Silverback as its backed by the biggest local bike shop around . I have a Silverback Sido 2 full suspension with ( 60,000km ) and not a single issue . What is your budget ? 

Thanks for the reply 16k

[Murray Meyer]

On 6/8/2023 at 1:16 PM, Murray Meyer said:

Hi, buying my first bike and as advised, I'm trying to get input from people with experience in this field. I've been to a couple of shops but it seems that proper advice is dependant on the makes the applicable shops are selling. I'm looking at these 3 which are fairly in the same price range and would like to know your preferences. Thanks in advance. 

1) SilverBack STRIDE SX (AIR FORK) Hardtail | Sport XC | Alloy | 29"  ... or ... SilverBack STRIDE EXPERT - 2022

2) TitanRacing Rogue Dash 6061 Alloy 29″ Mountain Bike | 1×12 | - 2022

3) Zini Z29 elite ALUMINIUM FRAME 120MM aIR fork 29" WHEELS - 2023 

Thanks for all the replies. a Number of people suggested trying pre-owned first. Will this be a good buy? Does tubeless conversion play a big role in buying or not at entry level? https://bikemarket.co.za/home/shop/bicycles/pre-owned/pre-owned-mtb/pre-owned-mtb-hardtail/pre-owned-mtb-hardtail-aluminium/pre-owned-merida-big-nine-xl-bm8308/ 

[Murray Meyer]

On 6/8/2023 at 1:16 PM, Murray Meyer said:

Hi, buying my first bike and as advised, I'm trying to get input from people with experience in this field. I've been to a couple of shops but it seems that proper advice is dependant on the makes the applicable shops are selling. I'm looking at these 3 which are fairly in the same price range and would like to know your preferences. Thanks in advance. 

1) SilverBack STRIDE SX (AIR FORK) Hardtail | Sport XC | Alloy | 29"  ... or ... SilverBack STRIDE EXPERT - 2022

2) TitanRacing Rogue Dash 6061 Alloy 29″ Mountain Bike | 1×12 | - 2022

3) Zini Z29 elite ALUMINIUM FRAME 120MM aIR fork 29" WHEELS - 2023 

Thanks for all the replies. a Number of people suggested trying pre-owned first. Will this be a good buy? Does tubeless conversion play a big role in buying or not at entry level? https://bikemarket.co.za/home/shop/bicycles/pre-owned/pre-owned-mtb/pre-owned-mtb-hardtail/pre-owned-mtb-hardtail-aluminium/pre-owned-merida-big-nine-xl-bm8308/ 

[ChrisF]

2 minutes ago, Murray Meyer said:

Thanks for all the replies. a Number of people suggested trying pre-owned first. Will this be a good buy? Does tubeless conversion play a big role in buying or not at entry level? https://bikemarket.co.za/home/shop/bicycles/pre-owned/pre-owned-mtb/pre-owned-mtb-hardtail/pre-owned-mtb-hardtail-aluminium/pre-owned-merida-big-nine-xl-bm8308/ 

 

Just confirm the tyres are "tubeless ready".

 

Adding rim tape, and sealant is quick, easy, and affordable. (Less than R300)

 

 

I am a Merida fan ....

 

 

2x drive train ... this is why the price is low.  Certainly nothing wrong with it.

 

 

But lets hear from those that dabble in this market ....

[RobynE]

Do you definitely need an XL? What height are you? 

[RobynE]

On 6/8/2023 at 1:16 PM, Murray Meyer said:

 

https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/hardtail-mountain-bikes/632048/titan-racing-drone-dash

 

[LazyTrailRider]

8 minutes ago, RobynE said:

https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/hardtail-mountain-bikes/632048/titan-racing-drone-dash

 

OP, this is a great option. It looks very close to new.

[AllenH]

Personally... Stay away from used, unless it's basically brand new still. Just like buying a used car from a certain Wholesaler, you're most likely buying someone else's problems and after you've fixed all the small issues, worn drivetrain, brakes, etc/whatever you may as well have just bought new.. I have that T-shirt lying in my garage.

Titan Racing is great, they have epic local support and will help you out when LBS can't. I have a Titan Cypher and it's never let me down.

Don't be fooled into paying big money for a name on a frame, at the end of the day they all go to the same place and do the same thing, if you have the cash to waste by all means, just don't be tricked into thinking a R100k bike will give you a better experience or make you a better rider.