Bike choice - any suggestions?

lunaeventer

Have been looking around at bikes - planning to ride trails & doing red routes at the moment at Glentress. Did an adventure race last year too, so light weight bike is preferrable. The following suggestions have been made at local shops & I would like any advice you can offer on which would be a good deal. They are all the women specific versions that have been suggested.

Specialized Myka Pro '08 £650

Cannondale F5 £549

Gary Fisher Tassajara '07 £490

Gary Fisher Marlin £???

sparrowlegs78

Ohhh to be able to fit on a proper pink ladies bike...but at 6ft 2" i'll never fit one.....got my Merlin on order with a 19" frame lol :oops:

lunaeventer

No, no, no - definitely NOT pink!!!!! :shock:

I'm afraid I am not a pink, fluffy, girly type person - much prefer getting stuck into things & mucky!! Myka Pro is a very nice blue!

New to this game so would appreciate anyone's comments re spec of these bikes so I can try to get a fair deal (i.e. not completely ripped off!!!)

sparrowlegs78

I'm the sort of lass who loves to get mucky...i work with horses and have my own, plus i spanner in my Motorbike, but at my hight i quite often get mistaken for a fella :oops: so i do like to wear pink and have some pink stuff...but the fluffy lace and frills stuff is a no no lol

lunaeventer

Hey, I've got my own horse - & I am still daft enough to take up another expensive sport as if I didn't shell out enough money on the first one!!! Know any rich, single blokes!?!!!!!!

Matteeboy

Wife has just got a men's (she hates girl specific bikes) Specialized Rockhopper disk for a nadge under £600 and it's superb.
And looks cool in bright red.

And she rides a horse too - I rode my MTB with her (on the horse) yesterday. Then both headed out on our MTBs after the horseride.

Horses are pants at downhills but rather good uphill and even better when cantering/galloping on the flat!

Better go now - feel like some pervy imposter sneaking into the "womens" section...

SJ

Amazing how many MTB'ers are horse owners/riders too! I have a few, don't really ride them anymore though, old boy is now retired and 2 rescued ponies that are more companions than anything else!

Matteeboy

My wife used to be well into it - proper 3 day eventing, groomed for Erica Watson, played (and was rather good at ) Polo.
She now rides less but is impressive to watch - total control of even the most lairy horse. She's broken quite a few in.

Oh and she's MUCH more gutsy than me on downhill drops too - she's a proper loon!

I really like horses but am a pants horserider.

SJ

I find that when riding DH I grip with my legs, just like riding horses, though it actualy give quite a nice shape on the bike!