First MTB. Do I need dual suspension?

[Mook]

1 hour ago, MORNE said:

I rode the last WC enduro on a slack, rowdy HT, ive also done a Jonkers enduro on one. I placed exactly where i would have if i did it on my big bike…smack bang lower midfield😅. But it feels great and much more of an achievement doing it with no travel in the back. its also nice chasing guys on full squish bikes for the hell of it. Trailside peeps cheer you on like some kind of working class hero haha. 

Yes it’s more rowdy, not as fast as just smashing through stuff with 170mm enduro bike, sometimes it hurts more…but it’s also super rewarding and more than anything…super fun. A different kind of fun, a more visceral experience, but still fun. All Bikes are fun. 
 

Absolutely true ☝️

Best bike ever is still my '94  26er full rigid steel Gary Fisher. It often hurts BUT the fun is next level.

[SwissVan]

On 9/3/2025 at 1:38 PM, mynameisluka said:

Hi! 

So buying a MTB for the first time sucks.

With all the MTB information I've consumed over the past month I feel like I could enter some kind of All-MTB version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire."  And I'd win.... like that guy who used his Phone-a-Friend just so he could tell his dad he knew the answer for the $1,000,000 question. I digress...

I feel so overwhelmed. I still have no idea what kind of MTB to get. I know I'm looking for a trail bike, not a XC. Something with mid-to-long travel up front.

But... do I need a dual-suspension or is a good hardtail more than capable? I'm 40 years young in January - I'm not in bad shape, but not in great shape (90kg but crossfitting okay!). Would a hardtail destroy my back and my ankles? I hear full sus is more comfortable and gives you confidence. I hear HT is more fun but punishing. Long term... is there a massive difference?  

I know what you gonna ask...

I live 5 min from Wolwespruit, and 10 min from Grootfontein in PTA. So I'll be riding that. All that. Also... I'm probably going to ride harder and faster than I should, and probably take risks (Wired that way, can't help it. It's not overconfidence, it's being immature.)

Now, I'm not trying to set up a full squish (check the terminology guys!) vs HT discussion, but I would like to get expert advice from some fine, handsome people with experience in our local environment.

Been looking at something like the Merida Big Trail 500 or Titan Cerberus Dash for hardtails. And Merida One-Twenty 300 or Titan Skyrim Sport/Dash for the dual-sus (depending on what I can find on sale when the time comes). 

Please help... before I do something stupid with my Christmas bonus. 

Cheers! 

 

 

 

It all boils down to how much you can afford, figure out how much you can afford, add 15% and buy the best specced bike that your budget allows. Don’t forget the other things like riding kit (shoes, shorts, helmet, bike carrier for the car, etc….) 

As already mentioned a HT will work in most forms of MTB and you will learn some valuable lessons by riding a HT, it’s cheaper and easier to maintain and yakkity yak…. Hell in that case you may as well get a fully rigid mtb ( do they even make rigid mtb’s now? ) that will really accelerate the learning curve but leave your 40 year old body feeling like Chris Froome after his latest ride in southern France.

Being somewhat of a veteran (riding and racing mtb’s XCO since last century) I’ve ridden fully rigid to dual suspension xco machines and currently only have 1 mtb which is a dual suspension xco machine, and as we are now in the year 2025 and not 19voetsek that’s what I would recommend, dual suspension xco bike clown bike (clown bike = 29” wheels).

Live in the present and not the past

Good luck and enjoy 

 

Edited September 6, 2025 by SwissVan

[JoeMerida]

Someone on the Forum has Ridden the Argus on a BMX.

Doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. 

[Chadvdw67]

My 2 cents, none of the advice here is wrong, a HT will handle any trail we can ride here in GP, probably even any trail in SA, and 95% of trails all over the world, hell, guys in the 90's were pretty much racing DH on XC HT bikes, but what can YOU handle?

 

I started riding on a HT, despite my mate @thebobtelling me to get a DS, and I loved it, but swiftly, in 6 months from starting riding, moved to a DS (maybe I should have listened), I dont regret the HTs I rode at the time, had epic fun them, but the change to the FS was a game changer, riding, for me, just got more fun.

 

About 3 years into my cycling, I scratched an itch by getting myself a "proper" Trail HT, Silverback Slade, I did 1 ride on it and sold it again, why? Because MY body just cant take the punishment, even though I am not all that old, previous injuries from my younger days sometimes make me feel like I am very old, so just take stuff like that into account.

 

Some people just really like or tolerate suffering/stress more than others, no one can really tell YOU what is right or wrong for YOU, only time and experience can really help you figure that out.

 

So, in ending, take the advice from thebob, go to Wolwe, try a HT and a DS, even if they are from completely different disciplines, you will quickly see which you prefer, and get a better understanding of what is right for you.

 

Fixed some of my spelling....

Edited September 7, 2025 by Chadvdw67

[thebob]

@Chadvdw67 “Trail”. These are not legal proceedings 😂

[MORNE]

On 9/6/2025 at 9:47 AM, JoeMerida said:

Someone on the Forum has Ridden the Argus on a BMX.

Doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. 

And he did is faster than people that seeded in group 3 on proper road bikes? Define what the right bike was😋? 
 

the right thing to do is to ride whatever you want and have fun. Ive ridden the CTCT on everything from hardtails, to gravel bikes to enduro bikes to single speeds. They were always the right bike.

Edited September 7, 2025 by MORNE

[Chadvdw67]

2 minutes ago, thebob said:

@Chadvdw67 “Trail”. These are not legal proceedings 😂

Yes, that one

[MORNE]

I havent followed all the posts in here so excuse me if it’s been mentioned…but a one thing that always slips under the radar is that an avarage mid level full squish bike  will cost more than double in maintenance for a year compared with a similarly specced hardtail. Thats my experience at least. Unless you run coils, airshocks are a pretty penny more expensive to get serviced than a fork lower etc. My own data showed that my enduro bike cost me about R6-8k a year in maintenance. Thats Vs about R2k for my hardtail. 

If you’re unlucky enough to still own a fox x2 (or dpx2 for that matter) you are looking at about R3500 for a rebuild. A fork is about 500 for lowers or free if you dont have two left hands and can do it yourself. A full rebuild depends on the fork but usually around 1-2k.

Then, depending on your bike, a set of pivot bearings could cost anywhere from R2 - 5k excluding labour. Again, if you own bearing drifts and tools to do it yourself you’ll save that R1250 ish in labour.  

all things to consider. And yes you can leave it, not do it yearly i guess…lie to yourself that it still feels fine, but you’ll pay for it in the longrun if you dont do it at least once a year…not to mention every 50h-100h like recommended. 

Edited September 7, 2025 by MORNE

[Doring]

A hardtail will never feel like a DS , but a lot can also be said about tyre pressure - I think too many people run their tyres rock hard when they start out and must think DS is the way to go.  It's almost astonishing how much ride quality on a hardtail  (or any bike) improves with softer (and sometimes slightly bigger) tyres

 

[Pandatron]

S-Works Epic 8 at the very least

[mynameisluka]

Thank you hubbers.

No dual sus required. Can now confirm. 

Edited January 15 by mynameisluka

[CorrieTheron]

1 hour ago, mynameisluka said:

Thank you hubbers.

No dual sus required. Can now confirm. 

Probably the best looking Trail Hardtail atm. Stunning, stunning bikes! Paradox V3 is it? Congrats! Welcome to the HT gang! 😊

[mynameisluka]

On 1/15/2026 at 10:17 PM, CorrieTheron said:

Probably the best looking Trail Hardtail atm. Stunning, stunning bikes! Paradox V3 is it? Congrats! Welcome to the HT gang! 😊

Heyoo!

Thank you! Yes, it's a Paradox V3. I'm new to MTB and feel like I got really lucky getting it. Just eats everything up - way above my skill level, but great coz it's really inspiring my confidence. Sure is a looker too  As is that Silverback!