Hi

Currently a touring roadie, a female friend of mine wants to try mountain biking and would like some advice on what bike to go for:

Budget: around £500
Vitals: 5′ 2″ ish, fairly light build.
Type of terrain: at first just Fun/XC, trails (nothing too extreme)
Sus: I would think no more than 120 would be needed, 80-100 proabably ok.

I have looked into a few options (boardman seems good VFM as do Kona (2010)) but it seems that the female specific bikes on other brands like Giant, Marin for instance have a rather stingy spec for the money. So presumably it would be best to stick to the non female specific? Does this really make any difference?

I would very much appreciate any advice you can offer from your own experience or indeed that of any WAG’s.

Thanks!

Flebby.

Looked at the specialised myka? Mrs TJ has one and its reather nice

some of the womens specific stuff is worth having – saddle, levers with less reach, maybe shorter cranks, maybe softer springing.

Edinburgh bike co op has a range of womens bikes
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLqrymode.a4p?f_ProductID=0&f_WebLinkID=18345&f_SortOrderID=1&f_bct=c003155c018345

Get a small size mens – and make some changes – shorter stem (if necessary), womens specific saddle, wind-in the lever reach.

Perhaps an inline post, if the stock one is off-centre.

Mrs xiphon’s “men’s bike” modified into a “women’s bike” -> http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/5287747/

My other half has a Spesh Myka Sport and really likes it. She was really only interested in looking at ‘womens’ bikes though, so not sure how suitable a blokes bike would have been; probably OK.

One thing I would look for is air forks – I know that women’s specific designs have softer springs, but an air fork will allow her to get it set-up just for her weight. A friend of mine who’s 5’2-3″ and weighs naff all has Reba Air forks and has to run them them at something ridiculous like 60psi to get the required sag.

Teh problem with getting a mans bike and altering it is cost – saddle, seatpost, stem, fork spring can add up

+1 stumpy01 about air suspension.

mrs xiphon now has an RP2 at the rear (I wanted the Van RC…) , and I’ve taken one spring out of the forks up front.

Nicely sags around 25% with her complete riding kit + bag.

4’11 3/4″ mrsbunk has a 15″ Myka – still not sure if it is the right size 😕

She likes the following:

80mm air fork
Grip shifter (still struggles to shift with her stumpy fingers, have some better cables and derailleurs to see if this helps)
Reach adjust brakes
light wheels and tyres (light everything really)
Womens saddle
Womens grips (though think she has ergons on it now)

Weirdly though she preferred longer cranks – went from 165 to 175.

My g/f stole a medium frame bike off me (I’d bought it for spares) but didn’t get on with the TT length, no matter what we did with the seat/stem, so eventually bought her a 2nd hand Myka & she loves it.

What I did find though, just as I was finializing the Myka, was that small Cannondale frame also would have fitted her due to their short TT length.

Teh problem with getting a mans bike and altering it is cost – saddle, seatpost, stem, fork spring can add up

Shops will often do this for you gratis.

My sister has done just this with a Kona Kula in 14″ – only the saddle actually needed changing (and that was just because she wasn’t keen on the feel) – they also threw in some DMR flatties and let her keep the SPDs for later. I gave her a spare shock pump I had, these don’t seem to ship with OEM forks on full bikes which is a bit poor.

She tried a Myka, didn’t like it as much, though I think it’s a few hundred cheaper.

I’d say merlin malt 1 but it would be better with an air fork

lots of cheaper options boardman and carrera just don’t come in the right sizes…..

I’d also think seriously about an isla bike

a bit pricey but gorgeous in every way for £700

Having been through this for a friend the Specialized bike was a firm favourite. They seem to be the most comfortable, especially the saddle (expensive on its own), plus other stuff like grips and riding position is all sorted.

Wow, thanks for the replies so far!

The spesh for chicks seems a winner so far. I guess they’ve been doing it a while now….anyone tried the Giant Talon or Kona Lisa?

My wife had a specialized stumpjumper wsd full suss for her first mtb and loved it. 120mm travel was great for the uk and a few trips abroad. Incidentally the bike is now for sale, its a medium womens specific 2006 for £425.
My e mail is in profile if you are interested.

Another vote for womens specific Specialized. I’ve just got the better half a Specialized Saffire FSR. Early days yet but its very impressive , and considering she’s just started riding she’s doing unbelievably well on it. Had a reet good blast around Gisburn yesterday

Its important to get the right bike for someone starting out as the wrong one could so easily colour their judgement. If it were my money I’d take steviep up on his offer before somebody else does. A medium Specialized is bang on size-wise for someone 5’2″

Lightweight wheels and decent forks. Girlies don’t want to be riding around on 30lbs lumps cos it means they don’t want to ride again!

Secondhand would be your best route.

I’m in a similar situation as yours. My girlfriend has asked me what bike would be best and after contemplating recommending her the 29er I want, I am thinking to give her some good advice. She’s 5″8 though so a bit taller than you. I’m contemplating the Charge Duster as they come up quite regularly for a half decent price second hand and appear to have a shorter top tube (+ she can test ride it at an evans). Not certain if it is light enough for a female XC rider though and small enough for your friend?

At 5 foot 8 I’d be braving halfords for a fury or boardman….

Flebby, you and your friend should have a read of this How to buy a womens mountain bike – very helpful and written by someone who knows what she is talking about.

I happened to be in Halfords today those boardman bikes really do look great value

The Kona brand are very women friendly. My first(proper)mtb bike was a ‘cindercone’ and a great ride.

However trying a few out is the best route.

Flebby, you and your friend should have a read of this

looks interesting, i have passed it on! thanks

those boardman bikes really do look great value

Yes! I believe the ‘small’ is 16″, so would this be too big for a 5’2″ person i wonder… I think its time for test riding…

I’m contemplating the Charge Duster

love charge bikes to look at, really cool. must get round to trying one out. funny enough the lady in question could probably be swayed by the more ‘chic’ bikes out of the lot 😉

domino – that article was very informative, thanks.

Flebby – seriously, read the article. Most 16″ bikes are too big for me, not because of standover but reach – unless I run a short (too short) stem that would alter the bike handling. My advice to anyone, not just women is buy a bike that fits.

Bunnyhop – it is good isnt it. I will keep posting it on the usual ‘what bike for the mrs’ threads.

Bunnyhop – Do you think with a Kona Lisa or Kona Kula Lisa that this would provide a good base for possible future upgrades etc.. if wanted / needed?

Lisa HT

Not familiar with the newer models. However. I’ve always bought the best frame I could afford and upgraded as and when.

Edit – go and try them out, can’t stress how important this is.

I had a ‘stumpy’ for years and didn’t realise it was far too big for me until I got my ‘Santa Cruz Juliana’.

lol, yes i will make sure i drag her into at least cyclesurgery and evans as we work quite close to each other, and they do test rides and even loans i believe..

she was very good with her road bikes, shopped around tried out etc… and ended up buying from a LBS which was a good move I think.

Hey flebby.

I have a kona Lisa 120 (full suss). My view Is that the frame is very good but after a year of owning the only original components are the wheels pretty much. That’s not to say that everything else broke but I saw the limitations and chose to upgrade. The first thing I got rid of was the forks (rock shox dart 3) and got some foxs. My better half has had a few konas and also rates them!

would agree that the women’s specific are low on spec versus men at whatever pricepoint you choose went thru this with getting a new roadbike for mrs antigee and even models with same name have signicantly lower specs

– mrs antigee always complained about backache until got her a trek wsd which she loves – 5ft 2″ and short reach – have friends whose other things quite happy on mens bikes

so worth trying a womens specific if struggling with reach on a “mans” but they don’t suit all women but reaaly suit some
as to EBC womens specific range – went to Sheffield shop to buy a new road bike and could only produce one model in one size despite what says in brochure plus sales guy kept wandering around and pulling out random mens bikes for her to try – pretty unhappy i guess EBC can keep spec decent on a womens bike by not actually having the cost of carrying them in stock

I think the key here is lots of people have given you ideas to get started where to look, but it will all be down to fit and feel. I’m 5ft 4 and have been riding for 17 years when I started you didn’t get WS bikes so have a Kona Fire Mountain 16″ which was awesome and I still have now for a winter bike. Then rode a 16″ GT i-drive, from there went to an XS Giant Reign, the XS Giants are perfect girlie sizes all my buddies in Cardiff who are 5ft up to 5ft 4″ ride XS, then got a Cube WS which is also awesome but I can’t say I notice anything with the Giant’s! Just bought a Giant Cypher Small (which is also WS). Bought this as it was super cheap (look at Paul’s Cycles) but when we compared the geometry with the XS there was really no difference (have swapped 90mm stem for a 70mm stem) that it is .

Just shows it’s all about comfort and riding.Let her decide what she feels comfortable but with some guiding as if she doesn’t like it/it isn’t comfortable it won’t get ridden.

I would look at Kona and Giants. Not sure what cube are like at the cheaper end of the market! Good luck and let us kno what she decides on.

I’ve got a mens small Chameleon, but probably not what you’re looking for. GF got a Kona Hahana from ebay, 15″ off the top of my head, and it was only £350. changed the saddle, and the stem, and that’s it!

Thank you all so much for these replies, really helping out and getting the brains going.

I will come back with updates!