Hello! I only learned to ride recently as an adult, and am now looking to get my first proper bike. I would love any advice or recommendations! I spend a lot of time outdoors hiking/camping (I think Americans call this ‘backpacking’…which to us is a euphemism for ‘being intoxicated and itinerant in a hostel’) and am interested in adding a bike to the mix.
Based on my preference for extremely remote camping/suffering/‘Type 2 fun’, I anticipate enjoying big elevation, rougher 4WD tracks, and maybe some light singletrack — with my level of experience it’s hard to gauge whether I can ‘under bike’ terrain until I’m suddenly walking it, but I’m sure I’ll learn very quickly! — but I want to be realistic that there’s a non-zero possibility that I’ll decide I prefer hiking. I could end up base camping and doing day rides, or rail trails/manicured gravel between towns.
Either way, I’d also love to use this bike on urban bike paths/light commuting. I’m worried that by optimising my choice of bike for long-distance pack carries, I’ll end up with a bike that’s not as fun and versatile for what I’d actually use it for a majority of the time, e.g. I don’t go camping every weekend, and if I had to carry my 45L pack for day hikes and trips to the shop, I’d be over it pretty quickly!
I’m in Melbourne with good access to bike shops, but some of the bikes recommended are very overpriced/hard to find here. My budget is <$1500 AUD but I can flex up if it means fewer upgrades down the line. I am 163cm/50kg or 5’4/110lb. I am looking at anything between 48-50.5cm, but would prefer to try them in person.
What’s important:
– Rigid: Aside from the maintenance/weight, I’d prefer a rigid bike to decrease the temptation to take on trails outside of my capabilities — my reasoning is if I try to optimise for technical singletrack and pavement then I should probably just buy two bikes or upgrade my hospital insurance.
– Clearance for a wider 650b: I figure I’ll have less carrying capacity than someone with a larger frame, so it’d be good to have the option if I find I’m buzzing my tyres on a bike that comes with 700c stock.
What’s not important:
– Dropper post.
– Mechanical/hydraulic brakes.
– Weight, to an extent. I am a powerlifter but they’ll all be unwieldy and heavy to me if I have to carry a bike over rough terrain. I’ll cop the weight penalty for steel!
Not sure if important, and I’m scared to ask:
– Does anyone have strong feelings (jks I’ve only ever seen strong feelings expressed about this) about 1x versus 2x for my use cases? Shifting is one of those things that really confuses and stresses me out as a new rider, and makes me feel less confident about getting out there. Either way, I have no strong ideological affiliation with either setup.
These are the bikes I have shortlisted so far. At the moment I’m strongly leaning towards the Norco Search as it seems like a great price point but I’m trying not to rush into a purchase…but also I’m really excited to get my first proper bike!!
Used:
– 2019 Norco Search XR Steel 50.5cm ($900 AUD)
– Polygon Bend R5 48cm ($1350 AUD)
– 2016 Marin Pine Mountain Small ($750 AUD)
– Bombtrack Hook XS ($1650 AUD)
– Surly Bridge Club XS ($1750 AUD)
– Merida Silex 300 XS ($1500 AUD)
New:
– Merida Silex 200 (~$1553 AUD)
– Marin Nicasio (~$899-1199 AUD, comes in a 1×9 version and cheaper 2×8 ‘Urban’ version)
– Cannondale Topstone 4 (~$1650 AUD)
– Giant Revolt 2 (~$1600 AUD)
– Decathlon Triban CN 120 (~$1009 AUD)
– Marin Gestalt 1 (~$1149 AUD)
I would appreciate any input to help make my decision — thank you all so much in advance; I’ve already learned heaps from reading other threads here! Hope you all have a great weekend.
by materlied