calling all ladies what ride, could i have some advice please?

Hello all,
I would like to buy my wife a bike for her birthday as she is becoming more and more interested in my rides out, (alone at present). I have no idea where to look and what to look for in a bike for ladies.
do i have to buy a ladies specific frame or am i just looking for something that will
fit her? obviously i will take her out to ride stuff but i would just like somewhere to start.
I am looking for a hardtail for light off road use, could be rigid to start with with the possibility of upgrading later. i have always built bikes from the frame up, so am a little lost in my LBS.
So ladies what do you ride?
Cheers,
mark.
(I had the idea of something like a on one inbred, but i would be way off)

Look for the same things that you look for in anyone else’s bike – fit and comfort.

How tall and what shape ( long legged???) is your Mrs?

Mrs TJ has a specialized myka and an one one, the oneone is built up as a commuterhte myka is a proper MTB

advantges of a ladies bike are such things as a ladies saddle, different tt length on the frame, thinner grips and on this bike short reach levers slightly better that merely winding reach adjusters in – a different bend to the levers.

The laides specific stuff is worth having especially the saddle but its not essential by any means.
The myka also has nice lady friendly graphics.

whats your budget?

get her something BETTER than you’ve got…

For the same reason I bought my wife a Specialised Myka ht. it had to have disc brakes and suspension due to her having some joint problems so comfort and fit was a priority. If you really do want her to keep on riding, improve and enjoy then buy the best you can afford.
You do not “have to” buy a wsd bike, it just needs to fit. Having said that it is possible that a wad bike will have a female friendly saddle and the forks will be sprung accordingly ie fairl light considering women tend to be not as heavy as men 💡
So many bikes out there to choose from and not many duds especially for “light” use.
Then there is the big “but” the 2nd best question 😉

These frames are currently on offer. They could be good for a lass as they’ve got a short top tube. Get in touch with Merlin since they do custom builds. Makes sure you get it resprayed pink though!

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+Shop/Frame++Forks/Frames+-+MTB/Merlin++Rock+Lobster+Frames/Rock+Lobster+Tig+Team+853+Frame_697.htm

just bought my wife a commencal meta 5.5 in small she loves it
just get ready for the colour coordinated ally bits

OP, you have it all wrong.

Buy yourself a new, better bike, she gets your old one.

Job done.

I bought the other half a Myka a few years back but then she moved up to my old 05 stumpjumper when I bought my zesty.

Women’s bikes have a shorter reach because women TEND to be shorter in the body and longer in the leg than a man of the same height. However this is only a tendency and many women are not that shape, so do not merit a women’s specific bike.

Saddles – women seem to suffer more than men, so it’s worth shopping around for saddles. I would go to a Specialized dealer, get your sit bones measured, and try as many of their saddles as possible. Don’t skimp either – we went through about five or six before finding something good. It’s worth it – a nice bike is no good if you can’t sit on it for more than half an hour.

More padding is not necessarily more comfortable either – too much gets squidged into uncomfortable shapes and places.

My girlfriend has a vintage town/dutch bike, as have her friends, it’s a fashion thing. She only rode it down the canalside it was a bit of a labour. I dropped the seat on my old cannondale and let her try it. She decided there and then she wanted an MTB. We looked at a few and she preferred smaller framed men’s bikes. I got her a Giant STP frame off eBay mint condition with seat post for £50, put my old bombers on it and got the rest off here. The build cost £150, it’s got an XT drive train and Deore V-brakes. I wasn’t sure how much use it would get so I didn’t go for discs. It’s a 13′ frame and I thought I could use it as a play/jump bike.

We have had many good rides on it since I gave it to her a few weeks ago. Now she’s asking me to go on rides. Going to put discs on it soon and a better set of wheels.

teaching her to hop now 🙂

My other half has a Myka, she also got measured for a BG saddle. To be honest you’d be best to take her to see and try a few bikes, my idea of what size bike she needed was way off.

What height is your wife as she may not need women-specific? I personally would advise going for a light build and, to my mind, the most important things are frame, forks and wheels. Wheels need to be reasonably lightweight.

Definitely worth keeping an eye on the Classifieds and I would suggest that, arguably, an Inbred will be heavy and you can get lighter.

Do post up if we can be of further help. 🙂

Get her to try some out – fit is sooo important. And be prepared to try a couple of saddles before you get it right.
Factor in some good shorts, proper cool bunnet and comfy gloves in matching colour as well…

take her to a trail centre and hire something first! she said she would like to try. could be a very expensive mistake otherwise. once she has got the taste, let her choose with gentle guidance.

Most important is fit. Take her to lots of LBSs and get her to sit on loads. And make sure you teach her that a big squishy saddle won’t be the most comfortable one! Persuade her to get some padded tights/shorts too.

I don’t think I have a particularly short body for my height – 5’8″ – so luckily I just ride men’s bikes.

Mark, I know you said hardtail, but I’m just going to ignore that and shamelessly suggest that you buy her my small santacruz superlight which I have long loved but am now sadly selling. Great frame, forks & wheel set – CG has her priorities right 😉 It’s a 2002 frame (the last of the US made ones), is totally immaculate and you’d have a complete bike for the price of a half decent set of forks these days. I see from your profile that you are just down the road too … 🙂 – mail me at ruthdotandyatbtinternetdotcom for the full spec & pics if you think you might be interested.

I’ve got a Giant Talon 2 (2010). I’ve upgraded the forks and brakes since, but if you are looking for something that won’t break the bank and is a real confidence booster (as well as a fairly good spec) then it’s a good shout!

I was lent a full suss confidence booster which got me hooked. I think weight is more of an issue for women – we tend not to have as much sheer power and are usually lighter as well so the bike-to-girl ratio is higher.

If your girlfriend is not very tall consider a ws bike as it’s more likely to be a good fit but if tall just go for something that works. Initially I was much more worried about falling off and looking an idiot than about colour schemes. Only after a year or so have I noticed the opportunities for matching kit. And pink clashes with almost everything.

I remember I accidentally booked a test ride on a “ladies” Zesty 514L. Turned up, was worried about the difference it’d make. “Well,” says Lapierre chap, “The only differences are the saddle, and the frame has pictures of flowers on it”

Buy a bike that fits and is as light as you can get for your budget. Try different bikes for size. Demo days are a good place to have a look – a lot of big shops do them. Or hire bikes from a trail centre or have a weekend break somewhere nice to ride, like The Dales Bike Centre in the Yorkshire Dales.

My full sus bike (Yeti ASR5) isn’t womens specific, my hardtail (Kinesis Maxlight KM220L) is womens specific. Road bike, womens specific, cyclocross bike, not womens specific. I think you just need to try out as many as you can to get the right size, a decent bike shop will help you out.

Your thoughts about starting with rigid – I wouldn’t – I suspect it may well put her off. Also, please buy her a good pair of cycling shorts 🙂

Not a lot to add that hasn’t already been covered but I definitely second the ‘lightweight’ comments (personally I like a bit of heft but I know I’m an oddity 😆 ). Light gearing is something to think about too – maybe 2×9 and ditch the outer ring . . . I remember taking a friend out on her pretty weighty GT when I was riding my little singlespeed C16 – when we swapped bikes she remamarked on how ‘heavy’ mine felt to pedal (yet it must have been a good 5-6lb lighter than the GT at least). Thin grips too – I have very long fingers but still prefer the feel and control of smaller grips, and don’t make the mistake of running small narrow handlebars – nothing makes a climb difficult like lack of leverage. Don’t go too wide though – I run 660s on my trail bike and BMX (which I know sounds narrow by todays standards) but I wouldn’t go much wider for my height – 5’2″ (I’ll be putting 700s on my new DH build but I reckon that’s wide enough for us tinies).

Have fun and keep us informed of progress 😛

When buying the better half a bike last year, I went straight for the full suss route and got her a Specialized Saffire FSR. I figured she’d value the comfort over a hardtail and would be more inclined to stick at it. And of course, all our riding is flattered by a full suss ‘skill compensator’ 😉

As far as the riding is concerned, trail centres are a good place to start. We’ve done the blue and some of the reds at Llandegla and Gisburn. Its enjoyable because its nice and social. Plenty of people of all abilities around, so its not intimidating. And cake and a brew in the cafe afterwards always helps

Good call for a Rock Lobster (bargain price) but watch out for that short top tube. Other than that, a great bike and covered many happy miles on mine!

Personally feel a hardtail is best to start with, in any case a full suss would be heavier. Sorry binners but I don’t think trail centres are a good place to start! To get used to handling, quiet tracks are the way to go as well as a session with that man jedi at UK Bike Skills.

I’ve been thinking about the skills course thing CG. Seems like a really good idea

Not much to add to the above.

It does partly depend on your wife’s height, proportions and weight. The closer she is to a ‘man’s’ size / build, the more likely a ‘unisex’ bike will fit, but the more ‘female’ proportioned she is, then WS might be best.

As a smaller than average girl, I always look out for the following:
– short top tube
– short cranks (preferably 165)
– thin grips and short reach levers
– light weight
– able to get full movement out of any front / rear suspension

As it’s for her birthday, how about buying her a ‘biking day’ somewhere suitable for biginners with a hired bike (or 2) to try, and a ‘bike of choice’ promise. That way she gets something on her birthday, whilst also meaning she has some input into what type of bike suits her.

mrs xiphon (5′ 2″) rides a 16″ Patriot (2002 frame), with short stem, 680mm bars and girly saddle.

The air shock means we can fine tune the suspension for her (little) weight. Also removed one spring from the forks.

Older photo (with coil shock)

As long as she is warm and has a tea on board.
The bike is not gonna make to much difference ( unless she has some skills)
If your dragging a cold lass round a trail centre she could be on a 6K ride and she would still hate it(and you)
😉

get her something BETTER than you’ve got…

This ^. Because she’s worth it. 🙂

C_G
been busy buying/swapping/upgrading for years … and without a man too. 🙄

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/women-specific-full-suspension

some good stuff here too

Please don’t drag her round you’re favourite trail centre until she’s really happy about it.

I dragged Ms Spanner round Penmachno within a couple of months of her first off road ride:
It was too much, way too soon and knocked her confidence back a bit, even though she was already an experienced roadie.
Yes, I was an idiot.
I’d find a good bike shop with staff you both trust and let her pick her own.

Ms S got a alloy Rock Lobster with a WTB Diva saddle,
fitted and tweaked by the staff. Good value, light bike.

She’s been on a couple of courses, including a female only one with her daughter at the Dales Bike Centre great courses, lovely people.

cinnamon_girl – Member

To get used to handling, quiet tracks are the way to go as well as a session with that man jedi at UK Bike Skills.

thanks for the kind words 🙂

You’re welcome Tony. 🙂 Was thinking it would be a good idea to have another session with you once I’ve had my shoulder op and metal work put in. I strongly suspect my confidence levels will be at an all time low. What d’ya reckon?

you know where i am 🙂

you know where i am

Email sent. 🙂

Not much I can add to the above.

You need to take your budget and her height into account. Don’t discount an ‘on one inbred’ as they are a great alround ‘starter’bike, that climbs really well.

The only trouble I find with testing bikes out, is the lack of demo bikes for the ladies, so you’ll have to ring around a few lbs.

Binners – ygm.

Thanks to you all for your help, I have so much information to go through now I feel like I might have some idea of what to look at.
A trip to several LBS looks like the way forward, and to also not to limit to only looking at hardtails.
It is funny that several people have mentioned the Rock Lobster…I have one in the spare room that I was going to build as a SS commuter, perhaps I should get it powder coated pink (Mrs Cyclebiker likes pink). I think this weekend I should build it up and pop out for a jaunt round the local trails.
Thanks for your help.

I’ve got a charge duster skinny frame in 16 ich would be perfect