Our 5 Best Mountain Bikes Under R30 000

by | Nov 16, 2022 | Buyer's Guide, Bike, Sports

We take a look at some of the top Mountain Bike offerings on the South African market in the sub R30 000 price category.

Mountain bikes are not cheap toys. Trying to find a capable bike that won’t let you down (and may even be up for some racing) at a price under R30 000 isn’t that easy to do these days. Full suspension models will be in short supply and so most of your options for a mountain bike under R30k will be hardtails, but that isn’t to say that they won’t be capable!

Aluminium is the material of choice at the price point but that isn’t a bad thing. This robust material isn’t all that heavy in the grand scheme of things and it goes a long way to keeping the cost of the bike down.

If you’re looking for lighter weight and fancier components, you’ll often stumble along some great gems in the second hand market. You can find our second hand mountain bike buyer’s guide here.

Titan Racing Cypher RS Sport 29er

Price: R27 999

Hardtail or Full Sus: Full Sus

Description: South African based mountain bike brand is well regarded for their value oriented bicycles and their latest models are on the pulse of modern mountain bike design. “The Titan Cypher RS Sport 29er Mountain Bike is a fully-fledged racing bike with enough flair to tear up the descents and power through the climbs.” This model has an alloy frame with 100mm travel, 1 x 10 speed Microshift drivetrain and Promax hydraulic disc brakes. The Cypher RS is designed as a marathon or XCO racing platform, you can also find its more trail focussed brother with 120mm of travel and a dropper post, the Cypher Sport, for under R30 000.

Mountain Bikes Under 30K Titan Racing Cypher Rs Sport
Titan Cypher RS Sport 29

Scott Scale 965

Price: R24 900

Hardtail or Full Sus: Hardtail

Description: If racing is your game and you’re on a budget, the Scott Scale 965 could be your ticket! This performance minded hardtail features a Shimano SLX 12 speed drivetrain and a set of Syncros wheels. Tipping the scales at just over 12kg, it will obviously be heavier than the Carbon fibre Scale models and their high end components, but you can count on Scott to make sure each bike that rolls out of the factory is as light as possible.

Mountain Bikes Under 30K Scott Scale 965
Scott Scale 965

Signal Pro 29er

Price: R26 999

Hardtail or Full Sus: Hardtail

Description: “Speed you can afford”. That is the Signal bikes motto. These hardtails have been famously tested by Oli Munnik at The Cape Epic and other hardcore mountain bike races around the country. They are tough, fast, and they can get the job done. The Signal Pro 29 has a better suspension platform than the Scott Scale and/but goes for a SRAM drivetrain instead of Shimano. Its 2.35” tires are going to be up for a tougher challenge than the Scott’s 2.25” and offer better traction and rolling speed on rough terrain. They are also, of course, a local brand!

Mountain Bikes Under 30K Signal Pro 29
Signal Pro 29

Giant Fathom 29 2

Price: R27 990

Hardtail or Full Sus: Hardtail

Description: Hardtail bikes designed with a trail riding intention are becoming increasingly popular as they offer lower up-front costs (and maintenance costs) than all suspension models. With the right design of the geometry, these bikes can be pretty capable descenders! Giant’s Fathom 29 2 is one of the best in this category that you can find locally when it comes to bang for your buck. The 66 degree head angle, 130mm fork, and 2.5″ enduro tires make it a mean trail machine. You can find one by chatting to your local Giant store.

Our 5 Best Mountain Bikes Under R30 000
Giant Fathom 29 2

Avalanche Reflex Pro 29er

Price: R11 475

Hardtail or Full Sus: Hardtail

Description: A bike for the price conscious buyer from the locally based Avalanche Bicycle Company. “A wide 1×12 gear ratio gives you all the capabilities on the climbs while the 100mm air suspension and the hydraulic brakes give you stability on the descents, allowing you to enjoy tearing up the trails.” The Reflex Pro is a trusty mountain bike companion for those just looking for a robust set of wheels to explore your local trails and take along for a weekend adventure. Keep an eye out for the woman’s specific Prima Pro model too!

Mountain Bikes Under 30K Avalanche Reflex Pro
Avalanche Reflex Pro

GT Zaskar LT Elite 29

Price: R17 843 (ex. Vat / duties)

Hardtail or Full Sus: Hardtail

Description: The GT Masker 29er is a hardtail bike with attitude. LT stands for “Long Travel” as this is the trail riding version of their race focussed Zaskar 29. Sporting a 130mm fork, this mountain bike is about as capable a hardtail as you’ll find for tackling technical descents. A bike for those who are keen to learn the ropes of trail riding but without the cost of a full suspension platform, or riders who just like the raw feeling of shredding on a hardtail. You’ll have to order it online and may wait a fair bit to take delivery but the GT Zaskar LT Elite 29er is worth the wait!

Our 5 Best Mountain Bikes Under R30 000
GT Zaskar LT Elite 29

Once you’ve got your new mountain bike, you can check out where to spend on component upgrades and where to save your cash!

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