18 replies to this topic Post Order

[Clg1]

Hi. Please help. I'm a beginner. I'm not the most dedicated person to sports. So now I find myself wanting to give cycling a go. I went to game and they have a bike called backtrail for 899 and sportsmanship warehouse have a avalanche bike for 1499. Will there be a major difference in the the quality of the ride between the 2 bikes??? Really??? The gears on the cheaper bike look crappy where the gears on the avalanche look much nicer.

[Daideron]

I hope you give cycling a proper try, as it is a great sport! My 2c however...why not try a proper bike shop, not Game or SW. I know they offer cheaper bikes, but at the end of the day they are not actually assembled by mechanics who know what they are doing, and you'll end up either getting frustrated and quitting, or sending it to a bike shop and spending more money to get it running properly.
So, rather go to the bike shop first, discuss the situation with the manager and see if he has anything that will be on parr. Bike shops will assemble their bikes properly, you'll get the right sizing info from the start and that makes all the difference.
I am the first to agree that "its not about what bike you ride"...but you'll enjoy it more on a bike that has been assembled properly! Trust me, I've just been through this same ordeal with a friends son, and the bike they bought has ended up costing so much more to get it rideable.

Here on the Hub there are lots of generous people when it comes to advice and assistance, and I am sure there are probably some good deals to be had second hand. Maybe some of the MTBikers can advise?

Enjoy regardless, and always wear a helmet!

[Mojoman]

Don't let your first bike be the one that puts you off cycling for good. A friend bought a game special and rode a race with me, hated it. I loaned him an old Raleigh and now he is much happier.save a few pennies more and buy something secondhand. Those Game bikes are heavy and will torture you!

[Wayne_Potgieter2]

Dont buy from game. Go to a bike shop and get something proper.

My wife's first bike came from game for R1499. It broke on the first ride at northern farm. Got my money back, went to cajees and bought a schwinn for R1700. It lasted three years before she wanted an upgrade.

You can get something decent without having to break the bank. It gets even better if you buy second hand and wait for a bargain.

Have fun.

[cptmayhem]

Dude, as the others say - Do not buy a game/makro/hyper special. They are THAT bad. Rather save your money for a bit longer and get an entry level Axis/Silverback/Raleigh Nomad/Schwinn from a proper bike shop. It's not so much that the game specials aren't put together by proper mechanics, but rather that the components that they spec on them (as well as the frame material) are of such low quality that you will never be assured that your gears will change properly, that your crank won't fall off and that your frame won't break at the first obstacle.

Seriously though - steer clear of them, please. They have a bad rep for a reason... One of my mates (used to be know as Donkey ere on ze 'Ub) won one as a prize at one road race. He used it on the next MTB race in the cape region. The frame broke, suspension broke, as did gears. He came stone last.

And as a proviso - he's just come back fro China after representing SA at the World Student Champs. So he's not slow by any stretch of the imagination.

Edited by cptmayhem, 27 January 2012 - 10:47 .

[Clg1]

Hi. I have been offered a "spadling" brand. I've never heard of this bike?

[Clg1]

Not to worry. I see it's another makro special! Think I'll pass on this one.

[Wannabe]

Clg1, on 28 January 2012 - 02:35 , said:

Hi. I have been offered a "spadling" brand. I've never heard of this bike?

Nope. You sure about the spelling? Not "Spalding" perhaps!?

[Super Mario]

Welcome to the hub. Like everyone else has said here give Game n SW a miss. Go to a proper bike shop and get yourself measured. Alternatively go to http://m.competitive...fit-calculator/ and follow instructions. If you cant afford a new bike have a look here for a good second hand bike. Fit is important. Keep funds aside for kit as well and a helmet. If you need advice there is loads here. Good luck. Welcome to the addiction.

[Christopher Brunsdon]

Perhaps some East London Hubbers can recommend some bike stores for you to go to.

I nearly made the mistake of buying a Game bike and then by chance I walked into a bike store and spoke to the mechanic (someone I know), he convinced me not to make the mistake and no regrets. Love cycling ever since.

[Just Keep Pedaling]

While Game and Sportsman's bikes are cheap they are almost impossible to repair. This is not a problem if you ride them on short rides and seldom. If you want to ride every Saturday and do 20km+ rides they will break soon enough. You can get a bottom of the range GT Avalanche (not the same brand sold by Sportsmans!!!) for about R3.5k - a second hand one would be a lot less. This is what you want.

[Clg1]

Gumtree has a giant boulder aluxx 6000 for R2100. I can't seem to find any info on the net. Not sure if the price is ok. It's only been used twice and not off road? Any input?

[Mojoman]

Clg1, on 28 January 2012 - 03:17 , said:

Gumtree has a giant boulder aluxx 6000 for R2100. I can't seem to find any info on the net. Not sure if the price is ok. It's only been used twice and not off road? Any input?

Post the link.

[Clg1]

http://m.gumtree.co....48216849&page=2

[Daideron]

Seems ok, pretty sure you could knock him down in prica a bit more. Is there nothing here on the Hub that you could look at?

[HEman]

Be aware of bike sizes. A 23" MTB is quite a large bike. All depends on your length.