New mtb'er

[paule]

Hi,

 

I'm new on the hub and new to mountainbiking and looking to buy my first mountainbike. I've been looking at some internet sites and reading some of the posts on the hub for the last week or so.

 

I've visited a couple of bike shops just to see what is on offer and most of the bikes out there seem to be way outside my budget. At the moment I am considering a Schwinn Mesa or a GT Outpost. The Schwinn was selling for R2200 and the GT was about R3500. The GT is already stretching my budget to its limit.

 

If anyone could give me some advice it will be highly appreciated. Would one of these bikes or something else in that price range be worth considering or should I wait a couple of months until I can afford something better?

 

Any input would be appreciated.

[Moab]

Welcome to thehub!!!

For us to give you accurate and amazing advice we need a few details from you - give us the link to those bikes so we can check it out for you.

 

Here are reviews from a site I like:

 

http://www.mtbr.com/cat/older-categories-bikes/bike/gt/outpost-trail/PRD_348855_91crx.aspx

 

http://www.mtbr.com/cat/older-categories-bikes/2003-hardtail/schwinn/mesa/PRD_361609_1510crx.aspx

 

Buy a good second hand bike. You generally get a better bike for your buck but take my advice: buy from the guys here - in general you will be taken care of. I bought a bike from a guy here a few weeks ago. I was going to go with a bike from the Junkmail but the guys took me under their wing and prevented me being ripped off. Yes, I am paying double what I wanted to pay but the guy is letting me pay it off. I now have an AMAZING bike that will see me through many kms. Go for a better bike, dont be budget fixed.

 

Final word: want to go for a ride sometime when you have a bike? Let us know!!

[Cranky]

Hi Paule. Depends on how much time you'll spend MTBing. If you get addicted, you'll soon want to upgrade. I've been MTBing for 8 years and my bikes have been upgraded from a R4000 starter, to R8000 (R4000 bike stolen), to R12000, and now to a R22000 dual susser. If I started over on a limited budget I'd look at a good quality second hand bike. For R3000 you could probably pick up a bike that cost twice that amount less than a year ago. The better shock, lighter weight, better shifting, etc will make your ride much more pleasant. If you plan to ride infrequently and not do races longer than 40km, the Schwinn and GT are fine.

[Elvis]

Paule, my raad aan jou sal wees om eerder aan die begin 'n bietjie beter fiets te koop. Ek het net soos jy begin en 'n "budget" fiets gekoop, binne 3 maande was ek verveeld met die fiets en moes ek opgradeer. Ek dink dis goeie raad om te kyk na 'n 2de handse fiets, jy kan vir onder R5000 'n serious fiets koop. Gaan kyk ook 'n bietjie op bikebay, hulle het nogal 'n paar nice bikes.

[Dirtbreath]

By coming on to the hub to ask you clearly have a keen interest. In that case you will very quickly outgrow a 2-3k bike. As the other guys have advised, rather get a used bike.

 

You will get much more satisfaction and riding enjoyment out of a used higher specced bike than a lower specced new machine.

 

[paule]

Thanks for all the input guys, I am a little reluctant to look at secondhand bikes since I don't know what to look out for, but I will seriously consider it. I can see what everyone mean when they say its addictive because these days when I drive anywhere I'm always on the lookout for bike shops. I don't think it is very likely that I will do any races longer than 40km in the first couple of months while I get my fitness levels up, but I am keen on doing a 24 hour race by the end of next year.

Di CPD, the full specs for the Schwinn can be found on http://www.schwinnbike.com/usa/eng/Products/Mountain-Bikes/Hardtail/Details/983-S8MESA-Mesa

I've looked for the GT on the net and could not find it. I saw it at Westdene Cycle works. I will definitely take you up on that invitation as soon as I have a bike.

[TNT1]

Whatever you do, make sure your budget allows for at least one pair of yellow lycra booties...

[Piernas Flacas]

Paule,

 

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[IanC]

I'm in the same position but made the following decision.

Not sure if it is right or wrong. I were at Rietvlei yesterday and the rent bikes there for a small amount. In the new year I will be going there and use one of thier bikes for a while. That means no maintenance and then when I decide I like it will hopefully be able to make a more informed decision what to buy. And if you going to do the mtb thing only once a week like I am planning to only do it on a Saturday for now, I would be able to rent a bike for 3 years for the price of a cheaper bike and maintenace on it.

[paule]

Thanks IanC, that is an interesting option and perhaps I should also look into it. Where do I find Rietvlei?

[IanC]

paule

Rietvlei is in Alberton. Wendel got the CycleHub there and they habe trails there.

Look at  http://www.rietvleifarm.co.za/web/cyclehub.asp

the directions is somewhere on there.

I think that is probably the best way to see if you want to do MTB and to decide what is the best bike to get.

[paule]

Found the directions on the site, I am from the West rand, but perhaps I will drive down to Alberton this weekend and check it out.

[Daxiet]

I would also recommend a 2nd hand bike, you'll be able to squeeze a bit more spec out with your limited budget. Keep in mind 09 prices have jumped by a huge margin, bikes won't get cheaper next year. Hunting now you may still get new 08 models at good prices, but they will be running low in stock.

When you say you don't know what to look for shopping 2nd hand, that is relatively simple. You can pose questions on the Hub, or search the Hub for "things to check when buying 2nd hand". I am positive I've seen such threads running around here.

 

Quick advice on 2nd hand shopping:

Ideally get an idea of what size bike you will fit on, then hunt for 2nd hand versions in that size. Keep in mind frame sizes differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. Silverback 08 models I know are smaller than most. Raleigh 08's much the same. Min 5cm clearance over top bar is a good start for hard tails. Generally look for anything that looks odd, or shows poor maintenance, eg. rusted cables, loose hubs, play on the crankset, play on the headset.

 

But don't bust your budget on your 1st bike, try get something that will last you 6 months while you get into it, then when you know your hocked and to what degree you trade up and bust the piggie bank.

[Goose1]

hey paule,

always never easy making a decision like this when one is limited by budget, however asking is the right way cos all of us hubbers have been in the same position and some have make good or bad decisions and in the end you can learn from our mistakes or piggy back the good ones.

i have always gone the second hand route as i believe one gets a lot more for you your hard earned cash.

i have just posted a hardly ridden gt 1.0 disk if that helps????

 

cheers and good luck

[keith]

I know 5 grand now sounds like a lot of money for a bike to you, but by buying something semi-descent now you will save yourself big bucks in the long run. Trust me the bug will bite hard and you'll see all these beautiful bikes on the hub and want to upgrade very quickly. Don't worry this is normal Buy something that when you look at it you just wanna ride and go fast! You'll see if you find the bike you love it will live inside, and you'll find yourself just touching it everytime you walk past. This is also normal

[hyper7]

 

You'll see if you find the bike you love it will live inside' date=' and you'll find yourself just touching it everytime you walk past. This is also normal[/quote']

 

Thank god, it is not just me! I have to show my wife this post ASAP! 

 

 (I my bike!)