Which bicycle?

[Jam Sandwich]

Anybody know DaveDbn

Titan Nova 26R Sport | Hardtail Mountain Bikes | Bike Hub

1. Titan Nova 26R Sport (Grey)• Brand: Titan Racing• Model: Nova 26R Sport• Category: Mountain...

bikehub.co.za

This would be within budget

He also has this but it's size Large

Titan Nova Sport Mountain Bike | Hardtail Mountain Bikes | Bike Hub

1. Titan Racing Nova 27.5" Sport (Blue)• Brand: Titan Racing• Model: Nova 27.5" Sport• Categor...

bikehub.co.za

Do you know what size you need?

I ride a medium and have used a mates XL stump jumper for a ride and although I can ride it, its horrible to ride...from standover height to the reach to the bars....

I'm around 1.70m tall and a medium fits me perfectly.

I no longer buy anything on Hubsa as a lot of the prices for second parts are not much cheaper than buying new in a lot of cases, but I think they offer buyer protection whereby you will pay Hubsa and once you receive your bike/parts and are happy then they will pay over to the seller...

 

[ShaunSA]

Do you know what size you need?

I ride a medium and have used a mates XL stump jumper for a ride and although I can ride it, its horrible to ride...from standover height to the reach to the bars....

I'm around 1.70m tall and a medium fits me perfectly.

I no longer buy anything on Hubsa as a lot of the prices for second parts are not much cheaper than buying new in a lot of cases, but I think they offer buyer protection whereby you will pay Hubsa and once you receive your bike/parts and are happy then they will pay over to the seller...

I'm 1.68. So S/M I reckon. Guess it depends on the bike make as well

wtf knows

 

[ShaunSA]

Other option (and SO prefers I buy brand new) is getting something from CycleLab or Solomons

The APX or Patriot or something

 

[Jam Sandwich]

Other option (and SO prefers I buy brand new) is getting something from CycleLab or Solomons

The APX or Patriot or something

The ultimate question is how much do you want to spend....

If its something you even remotely think you will enjoy then the more the better...If you are not sure then go second hand for a good price and see how it goes...Or see if someone you know will let you ride their bike a few times...?

(If you have Cajees nearby see what they have as well, some years ago I got a lovely Giant Trance X for a great price as it was the last one they had and it wasn't selling as everyone was caught up in the whole 29'er wheel size and this was a 26in wheelsize..
I cried a bit when I had to sell that for some money during a dark period in my life...)

Its a great sport to get into but sadly things are stupidly expensive....from clothing and tyres to spares and maintenance (especially if you cant DIY yourself, and even then you need some tools so thats another expense....

As you say running just needs some decent shoes and clothes and thats about it...the big difference for me is that you can cover a lot of miles (often in peace and quiet), explore a lot of places....and freewheel on the downhills!

 

[shooter69]

Whatever you decide on buying, please do not succumb to the temptation of getting a Makro/Game bicycle. Rather then go for a decent second-hand one. As indicated in the thread, there are some decent deals on the BikeHub classifieds section. CycleLab currently has a new bike that will fit your budget and for and also have a look at the offerings at Solomons Cycles.

I had a colleague that wanted to start cycling to work and back and he approached me for advice since I have been cycling to work and back for probably about 35 years. I also told him to stay away from the Makro/Game/PnP bicycles and rather start off with a decent second-hand bike. However, he went against my advice and got himself a new retail store bike. After about a year later I saw him driving to work again and asked him what was wrong with his bike. Almost all the bearings and bushings have worn out and the bike shop he took it to for repairs told him it would cost almost double what he paid for the bike to service and repair it. He just left the bike at the shop and gave up on cycling to work.

I would definitely try and source a decent pre-owned bike, your local bike shop will probably also have second-hand bikes available.
View attachment 1905709
View attachment 1905710

He should have taken the bike to a different bike shop.

Got one of those Game bicycles(Mongoose) before lock down as I did not want to invest in something I might only use once a year. I was right, used it 3 times in 2019 and then never again .... until 2026.
I started cycling to work daily in April (9km trip) and within the first 2 weeks I had to replace the bottom bracket, the rear axle, converted the bicycle to tubeless and have a full service done. Added new pedals and a more comfy seat. I think I spent about R3k on the bike in April.

Fast forward to today, that was my only expense on the bike this year and still cycling to work with it. Will probably take it for a service after winter.

Funny thing I saw the other day was Avelanche bycles at Sportsmans warehouse having the same Shimano Altus group set that is on my R2000 Game Mongoose. The Avelanche is R10k with sheety paddles as well.