Wanting to start out. Where and what to buy?

[Bike Dewing]

29 minutes ago, RobertWhitehead said:

Marlins are straight steerer frames, good luck in upgrading the fork

The large has already been upgraded to rock shox air suspension🤷🏼‍♂️

[NC_lurker]

1 minute ago, PandaAttack1 said:

My biggest ick at the moment is buying something and then a week later we see something 'better' because we did not do our homework well enough.
 

There's always going to be a potentially better bike out there, but realistically the best bike is the one you have! 

 

[Bike Dewing]

3 minutes ago, PandaAttack1 said:

Thanks for this, we appreciate the differences between the sexes.

She is stronger than most... When I started crossfit a year ago she deadlifted more than I do. She did a half marathon at Meiringspoort a couple weeks ago, so either way I think she will 'tough it out'. That said, I don't want her to. I want this to be something we actually look forward to doing.

Thanks for the tip on the bib and saddle. We definitely have budget for gear and comfort items. She is specific in what she exercises with, so I'm sure she will be specific to what is required for her mountain biking needs.

My biggest ick at the moment is buying something and then a week later we see something 'better' because we did not do our homework well enough.
 

That ick is a legit concern.. but thats also the bike industry.. the options are so vast that you will almost always find something more suitable if you keep looking.. 

and everything has upgrades.. 

you can go down such a rabbit hole that the bike you bought in two years time isnt even the same bike if we honest.. maybe the frame is still the same🤣🤣🤣.. 

im of the opinion that you just gotta start and learn, and then maybe your third or fourth bike you buy might be perfect.. but probably not🤣🤣🤣

[Daniel “Edward” de Villiers]

3 hours ago, NC_lurker said:

@PandaAttack1 if you really want your partner to get into cycling then best you save some budget for decent bib shorts & the right saddle for her. Nothing quite kills enthusiasm like discomfort down south...

Likewise forget about a carbon frame for yourself, rather get a decent Alu frame bike but if at all possible find the lightest bike available for your partner. Light bikes are fun, heavy bikes not so much. Of course I'm making some serious gender stereotypical remarks, if your partner does a lot of strength training then perhaps a heavy bike won't phase her!

I'm going to get slated for this, but I'd even consider a 2nd hand carbon 26er hard tail for your partner....light, fancy & relatively cheap...

Good luck!

+1 for the women's saddle. Bikes come with saddles that suit the average rider (read: men), and women and men are not the same down there. The first thing that was changed on my girlfriend's bike was the saddle.

[ChrisF]

3 hours ago, Bike Dewing said:

That ick is a legit concern.. but thats also the bike industry.. the options are so vast that you will almost always find something more suitable if you keep looking.. 

and everything has upgrades.. 

you can go down such a rabbit hole that the bike you bought in two years time isnt even the same bike if we honest.. maybe the frame is still the same🤣🤣🤣.. 

im of the opinion that you just gotta start and learn, and then maybe your third or fourth bike you buy might be perfect.. but probably not🤣🤣🤣

 

JIP .... like all sports.

 

A friend of a friend wanted to join us on the trails.

 

R150 to rent a bike at Bloemendal ... the bug bit HARD ....

 

He bought a second hand Scott ..... he is a NINO supporter !  Would not even consider any other brand.

 

Turns out the bike had significant wear .... I dug deep in my parts bin and we rebuilt that bike.  Better most bikes in that price range.... still a hard tail.

 

He upgraded to a full suspension in about 2 months .....

 

Then the new Scott with the integrated rear shock later that same year.

 

A year later he did two of those super muddy events ..... and did not head advise to do a strip down and rebuild ....  one way to destroy a bike with less than 1 000 km on it !!!  Bearings, BB, even the freehub .... all had to be replaced in the following year.

[ChrisF]

8 minutes ago, Daniel “Edward” de Villiers said:

+1 for the women's saddle. Bikes come with saddles that suit the average rider (read: men), and women and men are not the same down there. The first thing that was changed on my girlfriend's bike was the saddle.

 

When buying a saddle .... make sure to have your "sit-bone" width measured.  (LOTS of videos about this)

 

The best saddle in the wrong width is going to hurt you.

 

 

A bike fit can come later, but at least start with the correct saddle width.

[ChrisF]

6 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

 

JIP .... like all sports.

 

A friend of a friend wanted to join us on the trails.

 

R150 to rent a bike at Bloemendal ... the bug bit HARD ....

 

He bought a second hand Scott ..... he is a NINO supporter !  Would not even consider any other brand.

 

Turns out the bike had significant wear .... I dug deep in my parts bin and we rebuilt that bike.  Better most bikes in that price range.... still a hard tail.

 

He upgraded to a full suspension in about 2 months .....

 

Then the new Scott with the integrated rear shock later that same year.

 

A year later he did two of those super muddy events ..... and did not head advise to do a strip down and rebuild ....  one way to destroy a bike with less than 1 000 km on it !!!  Bearings, BB, even the freehub .... all had to be replaced in the following year.

 

@PandaAttack1 sure this is a typical upgrade cycle .... many of us have gone through this, even if a bit slower.

 

The damage to his bike .... sorry, but if you are going to play in MUD ... learn how to service your bike !!  A strip down and rebuild takes a few hours.  If all the bearings were cleaned out and relubed, he would not have suffered this amount of damage.  He does not work on his bikes, and would not pay a shop for a strip down and rebuild.  I was not going that road with a bike that was still under warantee ....

 

Get a nice TITAN or similar bike.  ENJOY it !!  RIDE it.  and learn how to maintain it yourself.

[Bike Dewing]

4 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

 

JIP .... like all sports.

 

A friend of a friend wanted to join us on the trails.

 

R150 to rent a bike at Bloemendal ... the bug bit HARD ....

 

He bought a second hand Scott ..... he is a NINO supporter !  Would not even consider any other brand.

 

Turns out the bike had significant wear .... I dug deep in my parts bin and we rebuilt that bike.  Better most bikes in that price range.... still a hard tail.

 

He upgraded to a full suspension in about 2 months .....

 

Then the new Scott with the integrated rear shock later that same year.

 

A year later he did two of those super muddy events ..... and did not head advise to do a strip down and rebuild ....  one way to destroy a bike with less than 1 000 km on it !!!  Bearings, BB, even the freehub .... all had to be replaced in the following year.

Also.. rented a mtn bike at the park up the road.. bought a hard tail, spent upgrading some things over 6 months, realised i was riding road a lot and traded for an alloy 2018 scott speedster 10 gravel bike to be more suitable on the road, i now only ride road and have upgraded to carbon wheels with 28 tires, ive replaced shifters and the RD as they were all just worn out.. luckily my chain, crank and cassette were all good.. i have actually put a new chain on now anyways.. oh and fancy carbon aero bars because i like the flat tops for hand placement.. oh my saddle is the same saddle i bought for the mtn bike.. measured my sit bone so my saddle is a winner.. 

saddle, bars, stem, even saddle post could come with me to a new bike, even the wheelset could come with.. pedals as well obviously..

i want carbon frame one day, but im in no rush.. i just love my Scott so much and ive put so much effort into it.. 

 

[PandaAttack1]

1 minute ago, ChrisF said:

 

@PandaAttack1 sure this is a typical upgrade cycle .... many of us have gone through this, even if a bit slower.

 

The damage to his bike .... sorry, but if you are going to play in MUD ... learn how to service your bike !!  A strip down and rebuild takes a few hours.  If all the bearings were cleaned out and relubed, he would not have suffered this amount of damage.  He does not work on his bikes, and would not pay a shop for a strip down and rebuild.  I was not going that road with a bike that was still under warantee ....

 

Get a nice TITAN or similar bike.  ENJOY it !!  RIDE it.  and learn how to maintain it yourself.

Thanks @ChrisF! I've spent a bit more time today scrolling and comparing some of the bikes in the classifieds, and realised if we enjoy it we will inevitably enjoy it. We can get decent starters (used or new) for our budget, and there are other things to consider for comfort than the name or colour.

I will most definitely be servicing our bikes myself. That way I can also sort out any issues on trail if they arise.

I  believe the most important thing is to actually ride what we buy though. 😁

[Me rida my bicycle]

Take your time, your spending real money and don't want to redo it any time soon. 

I see you are doing some homework which is good. There's plenty of knowledgeable people on here always willing to help. 

What I suggest when you find something that you like post some pictures and details on here and ask for advice. 

[MORNE]

Ill be the devil in your ear…

buy yourself a 25k full squish bike and get the GF something with wheels that turn for R5k ☺️😅
 

While there are exceptions, boys play with their toys more and girls usually get bored or move on. For casual gravel road cruises just about anything will do. 

 

Edited November 2 by MORNE

[Bike Dewing]

12 minutes ago, MORNE said:

Ill be the devil in your ear…

buy yourself a 25k full squish bike and get the GF something with wheels that turn for R5k ☺️😅
 

While there are exceptions, boys play with their toys more and girls usually get bored or move on. For casual gravel road cruises just about anything will do. 

 

I was trying to be fair but in all honesty i would probably consider the same..!!🤣🤣🤣

 

Knowing what i know now, possibly a full squish and a hardtail for the missus.. however i would want to spend more on a full suss.. so just a higher end hardtail for me i think..

[MORNE]

7 hours ago, Bike Dewing said:

I was trying to be fair but in all honesty i would probably consider the same..!!🤣🤣🤣

 

Knowing what i know now, possibly a full squish and a hardtail for the missus.. however i would want to spend more on a full suss.. so just a higher end hardtail for me i think..

 

[patham]

For what it’s worth, my mtb-ing pathway was incremental based on increased enjoyment along the way.

Step 1. Borrow an ancient ske-donk from a mate- so old it predated even front suspension- so today we would call it a classical gravel bike.

Step 2. Purchase low end but good brand (GT) hard tail- XC.

Step 3 . After about a year- bought a full sus XC  bike near new on the Hub.

Step 4. 6 or so years of tinkering with parts and minor upgrades.

Step 5. Steady state now of new purchases every 5 years or so of mid level, good brand dual sus trail bikes as I have worked out what I like to ride.

In a perfect world you’d know what you’d like to ride on day 1, but life isn’t that predictable. I’d probably do the same all over again rather than overcapitalising on an expensive bike on day 1.

 

[Bike Dewing]

2 hours ago, patham said:

For what it’s worth, my mtb-ing pathway was incremental based on increased enjoyment along the way.

Step 1. Borrow an ancient ske-donk from a mate- so old it predated even front suspension- so today we would call it a classical gravel bike.

Step 2. Purchase low end but good brand (GT) hard tail- XC.

Step 3 . After about a year- bought a full sus XC  bike near new on the Hub.

Step 4. 6 or so years of tinkering with parts and minor upgrades.

Step 5. Steady state now of new purchases every 5 years or so of mid level, good brand dual sus trail bikes as I have worked out what I like to ride.

In a perfect world you’d know what you’d like to ride on day 1, but life isn’t that predictable. I’d probably do the same all over again rather than overcapitalising on an expensive bike on day 1.

 

Yeah those steps make sense.. Step three is a big step.. this is where you can go so wrong.. spend the time and learn what to look for in a good second hand bike. Or like new bike.. lots of okes think their bike is like new but what you cant see is things that are trashed.. bearing, bottom brackets etc.. but easy tests to do when viewing will weed that **** out quick..

remove the chain and spin the cranks, how does it sound.? Grinding sound? Pass

Play with the gears and brakes.. do they shift nicely.? Are the brakes responsive..

check the chain with a chain wear tool.. chain worn out.. pass.. that groupset will be worn out if the chain is worn out.. 

turn the handle bars left and right and listen to the headset, bounce the front wheel, does it sound loose or grindy.. pass if so..

if something sounds loose it might be coming from somewhere else, bounce the bike some more and isolate where its coming from.. 

finally go ride it and it really should feel good or pass on it.. 

not that difficult to do.. 

then i would buy it and transfer my goodies onto it.. my handlebars, saddle etc.. that all fit me really well and DAMMIT THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT BIKE FOR ME… AGAIN.. 🤷🏼‍♂️🤣🤣🤣

soend a ton changing out more things eventually buying a new bike and trying again🤣🤣🤣🤣

good luck guys.!

[PandaAttack1]

Please don't support my intrusive thoughts to spend less on the miss's bike!  👀 Naughty naughty... We've discussed spending less on her bike, but we had a long and hard year. Part of buying everything to start this new hobby is kind of a thank-you gift to her. So I want it to be nice.

We spent some time this weekend to visit a few cycle shops here in Pretoria East. I'm glad I did my research before hand because everything on display etc is overwhelming. 

I am currently considering the Titan Cypher RS Sport for myself. It looks awesome and it gave me sparkles in my eyes when I viewed it in the shop. Currently available for 20k at Solomons cycles. We will see where we are at end of the month.

https://solomonscycles.co.za/product/titan-cypher-rs-sport-mountain-race-bike-dual-suspension-29-x6-aluminum-frameset/

For the GF we also saw many many options. Specialized have a few great looking bikes aesthetically. There are also quite a few hard tails to choose from at the 10-15k mark. I guess she will choose one on the day.

Our minds are still not made up, but glad we are kind-of moving toward making a decision. It was fun looking at all the bicycles and goodies in the stores. The Cycle Lab store on Lynnwood is MASSIVE.