[Closed] Female beginner grateful for any advice

Take care, but second hand from here definitely. £500 will buy a really decent hardtail.
Check out the owner and state of the bike - is the offerer a regular stw member, is the bike in "looked after" state.

Meet them, as fit is most important. Too long or short a bike is a pain.

Where are you, maybe locals can help.

Female specific can be useful if you're on the short side as components would be sized smaller/lighter. However not everything w-s is any different to men's!

All my bikes are men's but at 5'5" it's not a problem. Imo the important thing to check is the top tube as some can be a very long reach.

Classifieds is definitely worth a look and it's worth bearing in mind that folk on here can be very obliging with regard to sizing and letting you have a sit.

EDIT: just had a look at the Vulcan. For the spec you could do better second hand. What height are you?

How tall are you?

The whole female specific thing depends on whether your the classic long legs & short torso. That's not to say some of them aren't a bit rubbish too.
As per C_G the effective toptube length (more important than just the top tube length IMO) counts for a lot. I tried my partner on a men's medium bike, just to get her started, and she just felt it was too long, thpough it was fine height wise, and simply didn't ride it. Eventually bought her a female specific Specialized Myka and she's a lot happier - though won't ride in the wet, so hasn't ridden a lot lately!

[quote=cinnamon_girl ]EDIT: just had a look at the Vulcan. For the spec you could do better second hand.

You can almost always do better s/h (when I had less money than sense I always bought s/h, and probably looking at going that way again now) - the only issue with MTBs is that stuff can get trashed and it can be hard to know what to look for as a beginner. Classifieds on here is good advice - if you're worried you can always post on the main forum about a classified buy (regulars are unlikely to be upset, classifieds only users won't see your post).

Just seen your 'Wanted' ad. 18" is too big, at 5'5" a 16"/small [b]could[/b] fit, all depends on the top tube compared to your trunk/leg length.

Female specific models could just mean a female specific saddle, narrower bars and so on rather than anything massively different.

I'd definitely suggest a female specific saddle on whatever you buy anyway.

Try and find some local bikers too, there are some good girls clubs around so you don't have to bear men trying to out-testosterone each other and talking about tyres all day.

make sure you try stuff out , ask for a demo as, as others have said the fit of the bike to your bodyshape is the most crucial thing .If youre looking for competetively priced hardtails cube might be woth a look .where abouts are you ? it could be that folk could reccemend good local retailers worth talking to

Mrs Beagleboy's last mountain bike (before she gave them up completely for a Pashley Princess 🙄 ), was a Carrera Vulcan. She's 5ft 4in and I think she went for the 15in frame. Her thoughts were that it was the comfiest mountain bike she'd ridden, if not the lightest or best specced.

If you do fancy going for the Vulcan, keep an eye on the Halford sales. We got here bike for nearly half price if I recall. That'd give you lots of spare cash to get some nice shorts, jerseys, gloves and a helmet to make the whole experience a lot more enjoyable.

B.

Hi!

I'm female and 5'3" and I've never had a female-specific bike (road or MTB). Basically I don't like the style or colour of most of them as they can be a bit 'girly'.Things are improving massively in this regard, however.

Would definitely consider, as Matt has suggested above, buying second hand. £500 should get you a decent bike if you do this - and shop carefully. You can then upgrade components (esp forks / wheels) if necessary as you improve and want to ride more technical stuff.

I've had a specialized Rockhopper and a Moda Encore (both effectively men's hardtail bikes in a small size) and been perfectly happy / confident with the sizing and reach. Very generally, female specific bikes tend to have a shorter reach (but this is generalising a lot) compared with the overall geometry.

Really, it's whatever you feel comfortable with but it's very important that the top tube length/reach is right for you, as you'll find the bike very difficult to handle if it's too long and will not inspire confidence!! You can always alter the saddle height of a bike but it's much harder to alter the length - fiddling significantly with the stem will affect the handling.

Too big a reach from saddle to bars and going (steep) uphill it will snake about at the front and you may even find it impossible to keep the front wheel on the floor as your body length wont be sufficient to keep your backside in the saddle and therefore traction on the ground at the same time as enough weight on the front. Going downhill you won't be able to get your weight back far enough which usually results in an exit over the handlebars, which is to be avoided...

Too short is also a pain but probably less so.

I am 5'5" with a slightly longer torso than legs.
I had looked at the specialized myka too...there's just so much info out there and am finding that I keep changing my mind about what to do.
I'm in Suffolk.
Really appreciate your advice.

Also as bigjim has said - get a female specific saddle - this is one thing I've always done and it makes a massive difference.

Hope this helps! 🙂

Also am selling my pashley princess beagleboy to help fund...
If anyone's interested in a swap...

Bought my misses ( 5'5" long legs small torso) a small men's Giant Talon which after a couple of rides we put on a shorter stem, a wider saddle, narrower handlebars and wound in the brake levers a bit. Mountain bikes are not as size dependant as perhaps road bikes are, as you are standing and moving about rather than sitting in one position for hours at a time, so the sizing can be a bit more flexible, get a frame that you're mostly happy with ( weight's a massive influence) and make gradual small changes as you identify issues

To be honest, the frame should be the main criteria. In time you can join the upgradeitis club by replacing forks, wheels, brakes etc. Again, these can be found second hand in the Classifieds.

I've had a quick look in Classifieds but can't see anything in a small/16". It's fast-moving so worth checking frequently.

My Teen 2 rides a XS Giant Talon 1W. This is women-specific in the sense that it is a small 14" frame and has pink hilights. The bars needed trimming for reach, and that was about it. It's a lovely bike.

The only important factor is fit, I think stem length and seat posts can accommodate female-specific geometry, but frame sizes for "men's" bikes are larger. Look for a Small with a 53cm top tube length, and adjust stem to comfort.

My wife is 5'6", after comparing the frame sizes in depth she went for a men's small over ladies medium frame. Partly as she had test ridden the men's, and she didn't like the colour of the ladies version.

correct fit is massively important, and you'll get lighter secondhand deals, sure will be loads of good offers here in wanted section

correct fit is massively important, and you'll get better specced and slightly more lightweight secondhand deals than the Halfords route, sure will be loads of good offers here in wanted section

Don't buy a bike with a suspension fork get a rigid bike with the best components for your money and upgrade to a decent sus fork when you get better at riding .

Female beginner grateful for any advice

riding topless is good for your health.... i think.

Hmm, I'd be careful of buying secondhand unless you can take somebody knowledgeable along with you to view - you'll have no comeback if it's ill fitting, not fit for your purpose (i.e. jump bike when you want something more XC), or just plain old worn out. Some worn out bits are acceptable though, and cheap to fix.. but a bit of help goes a long way there. They could also spot you for proper fit, what could change to be comfier etc.

Not 100% convinced of the rigid is best argument either, if it puts you off riding.

FWIW Mrs B rode 'man' bikes for years, eventually bought her own Stumpjumper womens specific simply because it was the best fit in the shop. Doesn't look at all 'girly' unless curly graphics count.

Would have thought it's better value to get a bike with a suspension fork, buying it retail afterwards could cost as much as the bike!

Just noticed this pop up on pink bike might be worth a look.
http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1554987
All bits seem ok
Bats.

Have a look / enquire over on Retrobike too. There are usually some peachy slightly older bikes that have led a sheltered life and tend to be much lighter.

Would def sit on a few bikes and get a feel for the size, demo days are well worth a trip. You might not get the bike your after but will help with size and brand as often the more expensive bikes have the same geometry as the lower end bikes.

My OH first proper bike was a Giant XTC, 15.5" frame and at the time she thought it was great, until we did a long trip and she just complained the bike wasn't right. She is 5ft3 short legs, after searching round we couldn't find a bike that would fit. In the end we went for something a bit more expensive a import company did a "W" specific for shorter legs, her new bike fits perfectly, reach standover height etc...

What im trying to say is try as many bikes as you can, oh and speshi do some great BG saddles for those longer rides.

Brimstone, this [url= http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b4s163p5305/GIANT-TALON-3-WOMENS-2013 ]Talon 3W from Paul Cycles[/url] is last year's model. It is £499 and will be all the bike you need. Based on your height, I would recommend the Small. As I said, my Teen (who is a boy btw) rides a Talon 1W, and whilst it has shinier kit, is fundamentally the same excellent bike. The frame is very light, and the bike is a dream to ride. The forks aren't bad either on this cheaper model. More money buys nicer forks and nicer shifters, but fundamentally, this is an excellent bike.

Forget the nonsense about rigid forks. At your price, this is a real mountain bike for real mountains and will be better than the first bike ridden by many on here 😉

I was sceptical about this:

The whole female specific thing depends on whether your the classic long legs & short torso.

...so I did some hunting and found a good research paper on human skeletal proportions. If you can be bothered to search through my post history it's linked there somewhere. The upshot of it was that there is no difference between average white men and women or average black men and women (NB: this used American data so it would be the predominant mix of North European white descendants and West African black descendants) in their body proportions.

So between the two genders torso:leg length distribution is the same. However, white humans had longer torsos and shorter limbs for a given height than black humans - which tallies with the evolutionary pros and cons of different mass to surface area for warm and cold climates.

I'm not sure anyone would dare sell a range of racially/ethnically fit tuned versions of bikes, even though there's good reason for it, unlike 'women specific' designs...

Hmm, the only female specific bike I've tried was decidedly disappointing. I'm lucky that at 5'8" I can pinch my OH's bikes which are very marvellous.

Look at anything in your size! If you can do a few demo days you'll have fun and get more of an idea of what you're after. Also, I've never needed a female specific saddle. The only time I've had a problem was when I was on a CX bike set up that was wrong for me and carrying a 10kg pack.

Have you seen [url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/bionicon-edison-small-600 ]this[/url]? Full suss, I know, but I expect it'll be in pretty good nick given Mark is selling it on here. Long way from Suffolk but the riding is fab round here. Shout if you make the voyage, we can show you round 🙂

I disagree with those suggesting to buy second hand, although it is the most economic way to buy you will miss out on good local bike shop support. Your LBS will always be on hand to tell you whether to worry about a squeak or rattle and if your lucky will help you loads on how to fix things at home.

Buy new and you'll get a perfectly set up bike and free service after a few months too for piece of mind.

I bought Mrs. Skindog the Cannondale Trail SL, achievable on your budget, women specific but certainly not girly. http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Cannondale-Trail-5-Womens-Mountain-Bike-2014-Hardtail-Race-MTB_66080.htm# she's a beginner and is doing amazingly on it. I'll upgrade the plastic pedals and cut a few inches off the seat tube so she can drop the saddle on technical stuff. She is 5' 5" and a small fits well. All the components are entirely adequate and the front fork gives confidence and has a lock out.

A big plus is hydraulic discs so there is not really any tweaking to worry about with rim brakes.

Good luck. The other great advice we got is: knees out, elbows bent or monkey arms & monkey legs!!

Blimey folks...thanks for all the relevant info.
I shall be off to the local bike shops to have a fitting, although I suspect from your advice that a small mans will probably do well for me.
Thanks also for the info on specific makes and models, unfortunately the specific ads in the classifieds you have suggested are too far for me to collect but it all gives me something to think about seriously and ponder on until the lovely Pash has sold.
Thanks again
Brimstone

It's true that you can potentially get a better deal second-hand but I think a lot of people on here overlook the fact that for a beginner buying second-hand can be very daunting and impractical.

Realistically it seems unlikely you are going to contact numerous second-hand sellers and actually go round their house just to sit on a bike and try it for size. I know I wouldn't bother doing this unless I was pretty sure I was going to purchase.

Not to mention that as a beginner you probably won't feel confident assessing whether the bike and components are in good condition or not. Most regulars on the classifieds here are likely trustworthy but it's hardly guaranteed and even if the bike is in great condition you won't ever actually have the peace of mind of knowing this 100% anyway.

If you but from a shop you'll be able to get some basic advice and sizing direction along with the purchase, begin a (hopefully) good relationship with your local bike shop and you'll probably get a couple of free services with your purchase. You'll also likely be able to negotiate a discount off a helmet and some other gear.

I often think that the best approach to buying a bike is to make a short-list of about 5-10 that you think look great and then have a look at the specifications, try for size and pick the one that is actually appropriate for your needs. You'll ride a bike more if you really like the look of it and there's such a plethora of models out there there's no harm in excluding a load of them arbitrarily.

By the time you know your frame size preferences, favourite style of riding, preferred components etc you'll probably be a few years into mtbing and by then you'll be able to be confident in buying second-hand or whatever. In my opinion.

[quote=chiefgrooveguru ]I was sceptical about this:

The whole female specific thing depends on whether your the classic long legs & short torso.

But that's to ignore the other anatomical differences which result in women generally preferring less hip angle (the angle between your upper and lower body). This means that even though the proportions are similar, women still tend to fit better on bikes with shorter reach compared to saddle height.

But that's to ignore the other anatomical differences which result in women generally preferring less hip angle (the angle between your upper and lower body). This means that even though the proportions are similar, women still tend to fit better on bikes with shorter reach compared to saddle height.

If that is indeed the case (citations?) then why don't the cretinous manufacturers say so instead of spinning utter bullshit about proportions?

I notice that I prefer a more upright pedalling position than most but I'm neither a girl nor remotely shaped like one - I do have bloody long arms though and run short stems and straight seatposts which gets around that neatly.

Brimstone - what part of the country are you? there may be someone close by who cold help out with a bit of advice? Do you have a local club?

OP from this:

[img] [/img]

To this: 😀

[img] [/img]

doing. Otherwise buy new... you'll get 'less' but at less risk.

Your priorities should be (1) A decent fit - which you can adjust relatively cheaply if it is [i]slightly too long[/i] with a shorter stem, some new bars (wider/narrower and more/less rise) as well as an in-line vs layback seatpost (2) A decent fork with adjustable rebound - air if you can, otherwise budget for a new soft spring if you are lighter. (3) As light as you can get... cheap bikes are often heavy - I shop with cheapo luggage scales. (4) Hydraulic disc brakes, though cable are OK (5) Last on your list is decent kit... even cheap kit is pretty good. Avoid integrated brake+gear levers if you can as it makes upgrading shifters a pain.

£500 should get you most of this - though probably not an air fork.

I'd try a Boardman or a Voodoo at Halfords or a Rockrider at Decathlon if buying new... and if you can, bring a mountain biking mate along to help. But I would definitely budget on a new saddle, and maybe a new stem and bars (a stem can be had for £15, and bars for not much more - and lots of people sell standard bars 2nd hand as 'wider bars' is a trend... I have 3 680s lying about).

I've been through an extreme version of this process sorting my 12 year old son. He's now got a 13.5" 2nd hand Rockhopper with a short stem and narrow flat bars (to keep the front end low), and I've just swapped the Dart 3 forks for some 2nd hand Rebas as he just was not heavy enough for even the lightest coil fork.

[IMG] [/IMG]

Ages ago, I booked a testride- when I turned up, it turned out I'd accidentally booked the female-specific model. So I asked what the differences were, they told me it had a different saddle, and pictures of flowers on it.

What if I want flowers on my manbike?

I am 5'5" with long ish legs and ride a 15.5" cove stiffee hardtail with a layback/off set seat post and 60 stem. Perfect fit for me. Had a 15.5" cove hustler full Susser which was also a perfect fit. Had a 16" orange 5 that was too long in the top tube (even with 50mm stem), but a 14" orange 5 felt tiny.

I have 2 boys, that are a little shorter and they both ride 15.5" frames. Short top tubes seems to be the most important thing for me (and growing kids). Avoid on one frames, long top tubes (my son had one), spesh rock hoppers are good.

We also own a 15.5" rockhopper and a 15.5" cove handjob you could come and try for size. We are in norwich and ride Thetford if you wasn't to give our 26" wheeled hard tails a go.

Simone

Email in profile .

[quote=chiefgrooveguru ]If that is indeed the case (citations?)

Compare and contrast (the lass in orange is the current TT world champ, so you'd think would have a pretty good position - you could pick any other pro woman to compare):

[img] [/img] [img] [/img]

then why don't the cretinous manufacturers say so instead of spinning utter bullshit about proportions?

Clearly because they're cretinous and don't actually understand the science.

So I have been to a local bike shop but all they had was a womens specific Cannondale 16" with 29" wheels, it did feel nice but I couldn't ride it anywhere, so am not sure how I'm going to make my mind up on that basis. I also tried a different halfords branch but they had no men's 16" frame bikes and the womens 16" bikes felt too small and unable to test ride. I have been in touch with my local club so hopefully will get some local help.
Simone I may well take you up on your offer, thanks so much.
Thanks again for all the good advice.

I would suggest being prepared to travel some distance to sit on a bike in your size. Also make phone calls to shops to ask. Yes, it's a pita but it's the only way.

As regards 29'ers, I can't offer any advice as I'm firmly on 26" wheels.

Good luck, you will get there. 🙂

Where abouts in the country are you, someone will be able to point you to a trusted shop.

Don't buy without a test ride, and a proper one at that.

If you want to buy new, id take a look at the saracen kili 29er, you can get them under £500 and they do a 15" model. You can always make a few choice upgrades like saddle, bars etc if you feel its not comfortable. Best thing is to go try a few.

I'm in Suffolk...I know, no actual mountains but some great coastal and woodland cross country potential...
Have booked into a largish bike shop tomorrow to have a sit so shall see what that brings.
Am preparing to travel cinnamon girl, I do not want to be stuck with a bike that could possibly be unsatisfactory.
Am willing to travel about an hour I guess. There's a specialized concept shop about an hour away in Chelmsford and must admit am quite taken with the rockhopper...probably all wrong but it does look fun...

Thomas Cycles- good stock, happy to let you test, Ipswich. Good service IME.
Elmys- good stock, happy to let you test, female manager, Ipswich. Great service IME.
Pedal Power- perhaps not quite the stock of the others, don't know about tests but would have thought it's ok, Ipswich. good rep.
Lifecycles- lots of top end stuff, good rep. Bildeston.
Halfords- bargain boardmans, no test, inconsistent service.
Paul's Dereham- online bargains if you know what you want.

If your just getting into the sport/hobby I would add extra value to service over getting an upgraded widget on the bike.

Am willing to travel about an hour I guess.

I personally would double that! You need to put the work in cos you can have such fun with a correctly fitting bike!

Thanks Ian, funny you should say, am off to Thomas' ips after work this aft and Thomas' Colchester early tomorrow so I can see more of a range. I had ruled out elmys as when I looked online it looked a bit out of my price range but if you think it's worth a look I'll definitely give it a try.

Some advice on the part of my wife: don't be tempted into buying a bike with a very upright position. Earlier in this thread somebody mentioned a Specialized Myka... we bought one for Mrs Gti who is a tad over 5' and it was a disaster; it certainly felt comfortable thanks to the sitting position but it was too heavy thanks to the fairly useless fork and burly build, it had slow fat tyres and worst of all, the upright position caused huge wind resistance. Consequently it was slow and hard work and she never enjoyed it. When we found a nice Spesh Dolce road bike at a bike jumble she was just blown away at how fast it was and how easy to ride.

My advice would be to go to the Specialized Concept store at a quiet time (not Saturday morning!) and go through the options with the staff. Rockhopper is a respected bike (my first proper mountain bike in 1989 was a full-rigid Rockhopper) and the Concept Store will measure you and fit you correctly then make small mods to the position at no cost.

Another female rider here, though only 5'3". Just wanted to say that I agree with everything Cinnamon Girl has said, particularly regarding trying stuff out now, so that you can have more fun later.

As globalti's wife's experience shows - just sitting on a bike, really won't give you much of an idea of what fits and what doesn't. Wherever possible have a (proper) ride. I've had more frames than I'm willing to admit in the last 6 years and of the two best, one was a men's 14" and one a women's. But many men's/women's bikes in the same 'size' have been awful fits for me, so you really need to try wherever you possibly can.

My local Specialized Concept Store ordered a bike in for me and let me take it out for a proper spin before putting the cash down and the follow up service was worth more than an online discount can account for imo. I'd give yours a call and ask them to order a Rockhopper in in your size for you to try out. If it fits well, then I'm sure it'll do you nicely for now. Really can't stress how important sizing is!

No problem, just let me know. Email in profile.

Simone

Brimstone-
can you please post a picture of the bike when you get around to purchasing, itll gives those recovering from the " I've been robbed by Jenson Button" thread something to anticipate.

No rush I suggest you drag it out a few weeks at least! 🙂

BTW Concept Stores should give you 12.5% discount if you ask nicely.

Shucks guys...just been to local bike store...am more confused...guess it's the long haul for me...
Although the have said I could test ride a bike, they were v reluctant to even let me sit on a 'mans' bike, so a giant tempt with 27.5 wheels was the 'fit'. Also advised that they have only sold one 'mans' to a 5'10" female...so back to thoughts!
I shall indeed phone specialized tomorrow.
Would it be possible to do a poll on men's bikes for females and female specific for females?

I think you will be impressed by the Concept Store, they really are pretty good shops.

brimstone - are you the second female rider they've ever served? If you lived in the South I would recommend my lbs who treat me the same as their male customers, in other words couldn't be more helpful!

I've got 6 bikes, all are men's. I've only ever had one female specific frame and, actually, it wasn't a good fit.

Edit: next shop has to be a recommendation from here!

Gutted to hear the lbs responded like that. Like CG says, are they completely unacquainted to dealing with women? My two fav lbs in Bristol were always amazing to me and my hubby alike, so please don't let that put you off. I'm hopeful the concept store will be a very different - and far more positive - experience.

I've currently got a women's specific frame (Kinesis), but it's not got a crazy short top tube, like some of them out there have. (And since I built it myself, it hasn't got silly narrow bars or a heavy, spongy gel saddle either!) My Orange Five and my Ti Hardtail were men's frames and fit really well (the women's version of the Five had a horribly short top tube), but then I've also had several men's frames that were too long in the TT for me. So yep, in terms of the best fit for me, one has been men's and one has been women's.

It really is a case of each individual bike, so although a poll might be fun, it won't really help you, unless the women have the same proportions (and possibly riding style?) as you and have the same frames you're looking at. Stick with it though, it'll be worth it, I promise!

Ladies, I trust you completely...next stop concept for me!
Who knows, all their previous female customers may feel their bikes are a little unsatisfactory but are not sure why...resulting in much less fun...?...maybe.
I suspect that I came in from work looking so dishevelled that he may have just thought I needed something sparkly to to pick myself up for for the weekend not realising that i'm just not that kind of girly girl...

Ok...I do have a pashley...but...

🙂

Try here:-

http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1521634/

Second-hand is best.

Test ride first! Borrow friends/ join a group?

Try Birds on Bikes and Dirt Diva's for advice from more women.

Mrs RedThunder

PS What about this...just a thought
http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/calibre-two-two-alloy-hardtail-mountain-bike-p275612

Thanks redthunders, have posted dilemma on the birdsonbikes Facebook page.
I think best bet concept shop tomorrow...

Looks like you experienced the classic Thomas's sales experience. My last point of call in ipswich.

An update if anyone is interested...
The best advice is to try and try again, but am limited in my area for actual bikes in actual shops so cinnamon girl I think i'll have to take your advice and venture further afield.
Today I went to the concept store and it was a totally different experience...I tried the Specialized Jett (ladies medium) first and it was just right in almost every way, right fit, brilliant to ride, felt completely in control at all times and didn't actually want to get off, the price was £800 though...v clever salesman...
The Myka sport disc was too upright...and...couldn't compare obviously.
...and the 17.5" rockhopper was too big although I have high hopes for the 15.5" rockhopper that they are ordering in for me to try next week.
But in conclusion of my days escapades the £800 bike was sooo much more bike than the £400 Myka...maybe second hand after all...and so now back to the confusion...

Geometry is everything. Compare the Rockhopper with the Giant I suggested earlier. At least you now know what fits you. There is nothing wrong with your budget, but yes, more money buys you nicer things 😉 . But a cheap well-fitting bike will me a lot more fun than an expensive poor-fitting bike.

brimstone - it will keep you something to compare with. What could be a useful thing to do (sorry, bit geeky) but check on manufacturer's website to get measurements of the model you felt comfy on.

Fingers crossed that one arrives next week in the shop. In the meantime still worth checking out Classifieds. E-mail in profile and happy to answer any q's.

Don't be daunted by all this, I understand what you're going through. 🙂

Something else to consider - see if you can get yourself a decentpair of cycling shorts too, it will make a huge difference to your enjoyment (probably best to start a whole new thread on that topic!)

Hi Brimstone, really glad to hear you had such a positive experience at the concept store!

The 15.5 Rockhopper sounds very promising! From a quick look at the geometry (yes, I'm that geeky), the effective top tube length (reach) of this and the jett are only 1mm difference, so there's a great chance that it'll be a good fit. 😀

As for the spec, there'll be a bit of weight difference, but the quality of kit looks very similar, and if you get into riding (which I hope you do!) you'll probably want to upgrade things like the forks and wheels in time anyway, so I wouldn't worry too much. Like TiRed says 'Geometry is everything'.

In the meantime, like CG says, keep an eye on the classifieds especially as Rockhoppers are relatively common.

Oh and also, if you do go for the new one, ask them for 10% discount (which is standard) and use the money to buy some lighter - kevlar not wire bead - tires, it'll be the best value upgrade you can make, and will make the bike feel loads lighter and more responsive since rotating weight is waaaay more noticeable than static weight.

My email address is also in my profile if you have any questions you'd rather not ask on here, but CG knows her stuff and has been riding longer than me, so she might be your best bet (though I'm definitely more geeky, so for geek stuff, I'm your woman! 😉 )

Good luck and let us know how you get on!

Aha mountainMonkey that's top finding out bonuses for you...I think the old saying is geekyness is next to godliness...right...
TiRed one of the problems is that there's just not enough bikes around in stock for comparison, I went back to different branch of Thomas's and they had not one 15.5" framed bike in stock.my search shall continue...
CG I have seen a medium spesh epic wsd on eBay and a small trek lush which I'm following, early days but so far bidding still in price range. Not a single jett 2nd hand in any classifieds, am looking here and pinkbike, eBay and gumtree...working hard on this project, oh and missed out on rockhopper practically new on eBay last night it went for £236 I bid £234 pipped to the post, would've been a bargain...

.I think the old saying is geekyness is next to godliness...right...

.working hard on this project, oh and missed out on rockhopper practically new on eBay last night it went for £236 I bid £234 pipped to the post, would've been a bargain...

Just seen an interesting article about Women Specific Bikes pop-up over on enduro-mtb.com which made me think of this thread.

It's primarily focused on the racing aspect of the sport, so isn't aimed at the beginner (sorry OP), but there's still some good points in there regarding different companies approaches to women specific designs.

http://enduro-mtb.com/en/opinion-women-specific-bikes-softened-or-race-ready/

Here it is if anyone is slightly interested...the new bike.
Spent way more than the original budget, but am v v happy with it.
It's a WSD orange diva 17'' frame with 29'' wheels.
Ex demo from orange.
Have tested it and it IS awesome...
Thanks everyone for all your really helpful comments and great informative links, especially Mountain Monkey and Cinnamon Girl.
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Gorgeous anda geat choice. Hope you have many happy trails and adventures with it.

Nice bike,hope you have a lot of good rides on it.

Nice bike. 🙂

Usual comments about valves etc seem to be covered. 😕

See you on the trails sometime.

Another Ipswich resident that would advise you to stay well away from Thomas. They have a bad rep with my female friends for advising work not needed.