jay_1

I'm moving to Uganda for a year, and want to bring a bicycle with me. I'll be living in a rural area, and will mostly be riding on dirt roads or on trails. My budget is fairly limited ($400-800). Originally, I was thinking of getting a used mountain bike to bring - probably a hardtail with a lock-off front shock (so that I can lock it off for dirt roads when it's not really needed). However, I'm a bit apprehensive about bringing a bike with disc brakes, since I'm not very experienced in fixing them, and worry that it will be hard to repair them if I have a problem while I'm there (e.g., I don't really know how to true a rotor, deal with hydraulics, etc.). I don't anticipate I'll have easy access to new parts, beyond anything that I bring with me.

I considered the option of a cyclocross bike, but I think I'll be happier with a flat bar and a front shock. I also considered the option of an older-model mountain bike with rim brakes, but am also a bit apprehensive about bringing an older bike (due to concerns about having hard-to-replace parts fail - e.g., bottom bracket, headset, etc.) I also thought about starting with an older MTB frame and building it up with new parts, but worry that approach will get expensive and perhaps be beyond my level of expertise.

I would welcome any general advice about this (e.g., should I just go with discs and try to learn how to fix them before I go?), or suggestions for specific models! Thanks so much!