Mrs DBW’s birthday coming up and we’ve been talking about getting her a new bike for ages…

So, I’ve had a quick look at Evans and theres the Specialized Myka’s, Scott Contessa’s etc for the sub £500 mark butreally I’d like to know what else there is out there because to be honest, neither seem to have a particularly good spec for the money IMHO.

Or, going off on a tangent, is there any difference between a mens and a womens specific bike like the Myka other than the seat? Different angles or anything? Seems to be a much better range of blokes bikes with better specs for the money and Mrs DMW already has the seat off her old bike we could fit.

My Mrs had this dilema earlier this year. Tried the above and Orange Diva (which rode very nicely, but is very expensive for what it is). In the end she got a Cube WLS Access Pro for £600 which is better specced and I have been very impressed with the Suntour fork on it that is air with rebound and remote lockout & the shimano brakes.
I think converting a mens bike for women depends on the body shape of the rider. Try both is the answer. If the bike shops good, they should be ready to swap about saddles, stems and bars to get the right fit. KHS have a well specced womans model, but if you look closely it’s the mens model with the contact parts changed to womens, but it is a thought…

When deciding to get a new bike a few months back, I automatically assumed I’d go for a womens specific frame (seeing as they’d come on a long way since I last bought a new bike, had mens before). I tried the Myka and a few others, and they didn’t suit me at all, it felt all wrong, I just couldn’t get comfortable.

Back to the ‘mens’ frames, much better. I decided on my bike (Whyte 805) and just changed the saddle to a womens one, and it’s superb.

At the end of the day, it’s personal preference. She’s going to want to sit on it/take it out for a test run before you spend any money – very glad I did!

Mrs Onzadog (redwoods) has a similar story. Tried the WSD bikes and in the end, went for the mens model with a change of saddle and fork spring. Considered shortening the stem but actually it was fine. Don’t discount “mens” bikes. In fact, there are WSD bikes but no MSD. Think of non WSD bies and unisex rather than mens.

I went the ebay route for a new bike b’day present for my better half… There are lots of WSD bikes popping up on there, usually with the description starting ‘Bought as a birthday present for my wife, only been ridden 3 times…’

spent ages looking at Mykas, but seems they are the most commonly sought after, and so often go for more than the used men’s equivalent.

Ended up getting an 08/09 Giant Arete 2 for £280 (£850 new) in great condition, and far better spec than anything you could find new – XT/Deore, Rockshox, Avid Juicy Threes etc.

We tried a medium (men’s) hardtail, and lots of differing sized stems, ended up getting a Myka. She’s a lot happier with the riding position, which just goes to show, were all different….
Admittedly I did find that ‘old’ cannondales have the same effective TT as the DFW Myka… but had found a Myka, so bought it.