After many years riding a Litespeed Pisgah, Mrs Gasman Jim has announced (following a week riding at Glentress) that she would like a full suspension bike. It took me for ever to make the change myself a couple of years ago, and there seems to be even more great stuff out there now.

Looking at something with 4-5" travel. Can be complete bike or frame only (if it was a complete bike I'd flogg off everything apart from the frame and fork and transfer her XT / Hope / Easton / Thomson stuff across).

Thoughts so far:
New Anthem X (I've seen the catalogue for 2010 – no big changes) from mate's shop.
New Trek Fuel (Top or EX) from mate's shop (2010 models raise the bar again over 2009).
2009 Motolite frame heavily discounted.

Thoughts please.

Thanks.
Used Racer X Exogrid (still quite pricey and a bit of risk second hand).

Santa Cruz Superlight/Juliana?

your asking advice for your missus new fs bike? (just checking).

i would guess that the Anthem might be too long, mebbe same with the Trek, but i haven't a clue on that, unless your looking at WSD?

the Mototlite in the smaller sizes are quite short, but a mates got one and loves it.

Juliana? Trek (WSD)? Konas come up quite short.

sorry, more questions than answers there…

Specialized Epic Marathon!

There are the very nice carbons available but from next year there are alu's as well.

Had a Scott Spark 20 before, very nice.

Friends selling a 5 spot HL in small, don't know the size you wanted….put a search on singletrackmonkey

Mojo?? Loving mine at the moment!! 8)

Mrs PaulMc has an XS Motolite built up with RS Revelations and nice light Hope Hoop 3s and loves it. She has found she climbs much better than on her old Marin FS. She is 5'2" and it offer masses of standover clearance – if that is important to you. It also looks gorgeous.

I love my Lapierre Zesty. They do a female specific one of those.

Why a second hand Racer X Exogrid, and not just a new aluminum X!?

You're not going to go wrong from any of those, just try a few and see what she likes!

How about a Chumba XCL or VF2., depending on how burly she would like the frame to be?

I can do deals on both frames 🙂

XS XCL:

Or VF2 ( medium frame shown)

Exogrids are a work of art! I have a Motolite one, and although I suspect the real-world advantages of carbon / ti blend over a regular alu frame are probably small at best, it certainly gets top marks in the bike-porn stakes.

Budget?

Orange 4 or 5. Friend has the Diva five and loves it. Biketreks has a lovely little Orange coloured one on display(last week anyway)
Try Kudu cycles, they arrange delivery of test bikes from Orange and off you go into the swaledale hills for a couple of hrs, magic!!

Really has to sit on them all and see what fits, it`s the only way rather than being a "brand snob"

Just seen the 2010 AnthemX at the Worlds – Drool – I believe the have a womens version too. Thinking very hard about resisting the urge to test ride…(I already have a 2008 version!) The carbon top of the range is scary light with the Sram XX kit.