Although I won't be building it immediately, during a bout of coffee induced insomnia last night I was thinking about building a bike for the future Mrs PixelMix. She didn't learn to ride a bike as a kid and is scared of this mountain biking lark, but she is happy pootling along old railway lines and the like.
The problem is that her current Cannondale F6 weighs a tonne and that puts her off. It is more difficult for her to handle, feels cumbersome and is difficult to carry up and down stairs if I am not around. This is exacerbated by the fact that she is a petite pint sized 5' 0.5" (not quite 5 foot 1!). It also lacks disc brakes and I was amazed at the lack of stopping power when riding around the car park.
I'm thinking therefore of building up a nice lightish bike later this year with a mix of new and stw-classified bits. She won't let me spend much as she rides only a limited amount, so I'm thinking an On One frame or similar with some carbon forks. Suspension seems unnecessary as she'll not be riding anything rocky, so would just need something to take the buzz off the trails paths.
Anyone comments from anyone around this size? I know there aren't any 14" scandals or inbreds around, but hopefully these will reappear when new models come out later in the year. Other suggestions of suitably sized and priced frames appreciated!
She's had two little ones since though.
