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Newbie!
NB: Originally posted elsewhere on the Global Riders Network and appears via syndication.
Hi all
After a lengthy hiatus from fitness and exercising, I have decided to get my unfit self back on the bike. I used to ride everyday but on a flat bar Merida road bike. I have decided to step into the world of MTB.
As a first purchase I'd like to get something that I can use to get to work (approx. 9km ride) but still be able to get out on the dirt on weekends. After some initial research, I'm guessing a 29er would be the way to roll?
Some background info. I'm 6'3, and 100kg plus.
Any advice is greatly appreciated. No matter how small or seemingly irrelevant 
Cheers
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From a weight and COG perspective, stick with Wheelset's with 32 spokes. If you are buying second hand you don't want Stan's Crest rims.
If you are commuting as well then a hardtail is probably going to be a better all round option, if you still have the flat bar roadie they are the best short distance commuters and open up your MTB options to longer travel dualies.
Welcome to the world of MTB'ing, and congratulations on your ability to raise a subject whereby every man and his dog is going to give you "their" opinion.
well here's mine.. hehe
Find your local store, or look out for demo days and go and ride a heap of bikes. both 29,27.5.. hard tail and full suspension. Don't scrimp too much on quality, as a poor bike gives poor enjoyment. find a bike that you enjoy riding on the trails, as any bike you choose will do a 9km commute with ease, it will just come down to the tyre choice etc as to how hard or easy it will be, and how fast your tyres may or may not wear down.
I would tend to agree that based on height and weight, a 29r maybe best suited.
lastly, depending on where you live, find you local bike retailer and see where and how they can help you. Some even have hire bikes for you to borrow and try.
bike shops in geographical area...
south
Avanti Plus Cannington
West
Carine cycles or Malaga Cycles
North
Als cycle surgery or Joondalup cycle city
East
Midland cycles, Kalamunda cycles
Hope this helps.. and again welcome to the fun of mountain biking
Pete
Pete
Thankyou mate. I figured I'd be opening up a can of worms but any information is better than none
Cheers!
Thankyou mate, unfortunately my roadie got swiped from our carport one night while the door was up for a couple of minutes. Shifty little shits!
What's your budget?
Under 2K ideally
prolly worth a look here, you can sort by price - high>low or low>high which would help narrow down to your budget and then filter for brand, wheel size, hard tail, dually, state i.e. WA, etc. They also have a few second hand bikes, mainly from dealers so you could get some after sales service into the deal if you don't want to do your own fix ups.
but as others have said it s really best to get out and try as many bikes as you can before you lay down the cash.
good luck!
I would go for a dual suspension because they make everything and easier and if it's easier when you are learning you're more likely to keep at it.
People may tell you that hardtails are good for building skills but I rekon it's BS, ride with fast people and try to keep up, watch their lines and brake before corners. It all sounds so simple, hahaha!
My choice would be a Merida Ninety Six because they are great value new and second hand plus the geo is loads better than than the other usual choice, the Giant Anthem. Merida bikes are pretty durable plus they are always nice serviceable with cool things like threaded bottom brackets.
Giant do make some nice bikes but the XC bikes are getting tired, slacker seat angle and hugely long chainstays are not a recipe for a fun bike.
I started the exact same journey as you 5 years ago with a 10km commute that passed by beckoning trails. Over that time I quickly found out that my height and weight (193cm/130kg) put me in the Super Clydesdale category which explained why I broke just about every bicycle component imaginable. Many times I would go back to a shop and they would say, "Wow! I have never seen one those break before." That's because the bike industry is geared towards lighter and faster. Neither of which concerns me too much, though I don't want to push a 25kg fat bike around either. I'm not out to break any strava times, or compete in any race, the main goal is a reliable ride that makes it fun, can handle any kind of terrain and gets my old body back in shape.
Tried the dually and hardtail bikes but discovered that riding a commute with any kind of suspension, even ones that lock out, is not something I like. It just adds unnecessary weight and zaps your power, kinda feels like you're riding with flat tyres to me. So my ultimate solution for an all round commuter that can handle trails is a plus size fully rigid steel 29er. It's a bit old school mixed with some new school. The big tyres soak up the bumps but still roll fast and the steel frame (which is not as heavy as you think) gives a wonderful suppleness you don't get with aluminium or carbon frames.
The best part about this combo is that it is always a fun ride. Seriously feel like I'm 12 years old and I'm excited about getting out and riding everyday. Ride off gutters, skip over a medium strip, go across grass, blaze your own trail, wherever you need to go it will go there and be happy you asked it
Something like a Surly Krampus is a good example of the style I'm talking about but there are others like Charge Cooker or Kona Unit. Another option is to build your own but depends on how involved you want to get.
I suppose how much you want to commit your cash as $2000 can get you pretty basic new bike or an older and would cost you the same in the long run 2nd hander.
Being your height and weight, I would definitely go 29" as Im the same height and gone from 26 - 27.5 and when I made the move the 29" I have found this to be the right size.
You can have fun on a hard tail but really more fun on a dually and would stick to brands like Giant even though they are not really doing 29" duallys but as previously mentioned try out your local shop and even online but would not go down the 2nd hand market if it's your first bike as it's a bit of a minefield.
Can recommend Summit Cycles if you are willing to up your budget but would be hard to find a brand new dually for $2k that has any worth that won't see you returning it back to where you bought it.
I suppose how much you want to commit your cash as $2000 can get you pretty basic new bike or an older and would cost you the same in the long run 2nd hander.
Being your height and weight, I would definitely go 29" as Im the same height and gone from 26 - 27.5 and when I made the move the 29" I have found this to be the right size.
You can have fun on a hard tail but really more fun on a dually and would stick to brands like Giant even though they are not really doing 29" duallys but as previously mentioned try out your local shop and even online but would not go down the 2nd hand market if it's your first bike as it's a bit of a minefield.
Can recommend Summit Cycles if you are willing to up your budget but would be hard to find a brand new dually for $2k that has any worth that won't see you returning it back to where you bought it.
maybe you should take a look at a custom Ti frame from Waltly!
a friend of mine had these guys custom build to his specs and this included him shipping some special frame lugs/brackets to them and they then adjusted the frame design to accommodate them.
http://waltly.en.alibaba.com/product/60586837720...
you'll need to do your homework if you want to go 'custom' design path or you could just go with one of their std designs.
The Hairy Marron in Margaret River had a sale on a Kona Ute? (or similar) on Facebook $800 down from $1500. It would make a bomb proof commuter and a gravel grinder. Not sure about getting one bike to do both. Get the commuter save on cost commuting and put that money towards a nice MTB. Win win!
If you only want one bike. 29er Plus bike (like Trek Stache) with an extra set of wheels (discs and cassette too) for commuting.