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Newbie to the site, just want to say hello and grab some advice :)

By Matt2905 - Posted on 14 October 2012

Hi i'm Matt 24 originally from the UK now residing in this beautiful country.

I want to start mountain biking again (used to ride everywhere on bikes when i was younger) to keep fit and have some fun meeting great people, plus i never did any off road trials before but it looks alot of fun.

What i am looking for is advice on the best place to start, obviously i need to get a bike first and then is it best to do a few trials on my own first or come to a meeting and ride with some of you guys?

Currently looking at first time bikes and have a budget of around $700 could maybe push it alittle but i don't want to spend to much until i'm more experienced. Whats best for a first bike hard tail or full suspension? I noticed from most images people use hard tails. I'm quite tall 6ft5 so i think frame size maybe 22" is good for me but what size wheels do you guys use 26"? Anyone use/recommend 29" wheels?

Reason i ask is i know someone thats selling a 2011 Giant XTC 2 with 29" wheels and a XLframe. The bikes second hand but pretty good condition do you think this would be a good starter? If not please feel free to recommend anything more suitable.
Here is a link to the bike: http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/bikes/model/...

Thanks for reading and i look forward to your reply's

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MTB Gear

Welcome

Submitted by Slowpup on Sun, 14/10/2012 - 18:01.

Matt, that XTC2 looks like a solid ride that should be a good place to start. Hardtails generally give you more spec for your dollar at your indicated spend. A lot of experienced riders will say SLX and above is the target for drivetrain level, but in my experience Shimano gear works all the way through the range, it's just not as bling.

I won't enter into a 29er vs 26er discussion save to say I ride everything from Terry Hills fire trails to the drop zone at Red Hill on a rigid 29er... others' experience may differ.

Priorities

Submitted by hawkeye on Sun, 14/10/2012 - 19:28.

The key thing is getting the right frame size. If that's wrong, you will end up being uncomfortable ... and possibly even injuring yourself if you ignore the warning signs and persevere with it.

By way of indication, I'm 185cm and am in the middle between a medium and a large Giant. An XL would be way too big for me, and lead to lower back, shoulder, neck and wrist issues. A medium would be more "flickable" and fun in technical terrain, but becomes a little cramped when climbing. A large climbs better and I could get away with a slightly shorter stem. I know this because I have a few years experience under my belt, and have ridden some of my mates' bikes, and on occasion get to test ride bikes and write about it.

You'd need to be pretty tall, 6'3" and over, to suit a XL.

You need an experienced friend to help you with the purchase, and it would help to ride a few different bikes and in different sizes before you settle on a purchase.

Hi thanks for the replies i

Submitted by Matt2905 on Sun, 14/10/2012 - 21:18.

Hi thanks for the replies i ended up getting the bike in the link, got it for such a good price and its in really good condition, the grips will need replacing other than that its like new.

@hawkeye, I appreciate what you are saying regarding frame size, im 6"5 (scary tall ) and it suits me perfect. The seat i might need to change though, theres little to no cushion on it and i found it very uncomfortable, maybe i just need to get used to it?