Budget mountain bike

Method said:
And don't forgot to unlock your shocks...I forgot to do that once while going downhill on a very bumpy trail...my hand and fingers wanted to fall off.
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This is also a good way of damaging the seals on your shocks...
 
If you cheap out on exercise equipment you will start to feel it in the long run. Makro and Game bicycles were designed to get you from point A to B. Proper MTB's are designed to get you from A to B without putting as much strain on your knees and other joints.

You can't put a price on healthy joints.

You can either take the advice from this thread or you can suffer from ankle, hip, knee and lower back injuries in a couple of months/years.
 
Like mentioned before - Look at The Hub or another secondhand alternatives. You can buy a nicely specced 26" bike for that budget. A lot of people are selling off their 26" bikes in order to buy 29'ers. If you want to get into the game buy a bike with a proper groupset 3x9 or 3x10 (Deore at least), hydraulic disc brakes and if possible an air front fork. If you're struggling with shifting gears, don't have proper stopping power or rattle your teeth loose, I can guarantee you will not enjoy real mountain biking. If you enjoy it and want to get serious, your budget on your next bike might involve some serious discussions with your spouse or bank manager.
Best sport ever!
 
Well you wont cope without atleast front suspension. The Scott has none the Axis and the Avalanche have bad ones but if you had to choose one it would have to be the Avalanche with its slightly better front suspension. For a starter bike the Avalanche should be fine.

Check if you can't find a Silverback in your price range (They're the Hyundai of bikes, bang for buck)
 
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Silverback or even Fuji is not bad for the price.
Try to find a bike with disk breaks as well, you'll be better off for it.
 
bar1 said:
maybe this one?
http://www.vbike.co.za/silverback-stride-20-2014/
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Same front suspension as the Avalanche and they don't give information on the components on the Avalanche. Assuming they are on par(i think they are) which you'll have to find out first the Avalanche is R1300 cheaper and you seem to be on a tight tight budget. The Avalanche would probably be a wiser choice in this case. It's alot of bike for the price.

Don't worry too much about disc brakes the V brakes work fine and they require less maintenance and are much much cheaper to maintain. Brake performance is also absolutely acceptable.
Focus on suspension, components, wheels and frame then extras like disc brakes(they're nice to haves)
 
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Alert:- Really dumb noob question coming up

How do you tell what size frame, wheels, saddle post etc you need if you're a total beginner? Is there a chart with leg length and height and corresponding frame sizes? I'm on the large side too, and worry that I'll crush the thing...
 
Wheels 26" or 29" has nothing to do with your size but smaller riders might find the 29" harder to handle tightly. In general I find the handling to be tighter on a 26" but i'm medium-small. I would say go 29" only if you can physically and are willing to handle the bigger bike. Alot of big guys still prefer 26"ers

Frames: take the smallest frame that is still comfortable, must not be cramped (lighter, easier to handle and lift for jumps) probably a M unless you're really big.
Any bike shop will assist further.
 
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Colin62 said:
Thanks for the info.




So buying through the Internet's not a good idea for a beginner?
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I wouldn't - not for a beginner. A good bike shop will also setup the bike correctly for your size. I've seen far too many people cycling with their saddles too low - does way too much damage to the knees.
 
Thanks. I'm tall, and have longer than usual limbs even for my height, so I suppose it's off to a bike shop. Problem is they all want to know your budget first, and "as cheap as possible" isn't usually the answer they're looking for. :)
 
Colin62 said:
Thanks. I'm tall, and have longer than usual limbs even for my height, so I suppose it's off to a bike shop. Problem is they all want to know your budget first, and "as cheap as possible" isn't usually the answer they're looking for. :)
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So set a value that you're happy spending and quote that value.
 
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