Marin, GT or Revolution!?
AlbertoW
Posts: 3
My Girlfriend and i are looking to buy new hardtail mountain bikes we have roughly £500 pounds each with a little flexibility -
After reading the advice posted here on alot of the posts im still a little confused as to what to go for - for my needs the Revolution Triad 2.0 looks really well specced with the only unknown being the frame. For me the other bikes im considering are the Focus Fatboy and the Specialized Rockhopper plus anything else anyone can consider.
My Girlfriend however has her heart set on the Marin Bear Vally 08, which to me looks pretty badly specced for the money compared to the GT Avalanche 1.0 which is only a bit extra, but the Marin is pink and thats quite a strong selling point in my girlfriends eyes - :roll: What are the alternatives for female specific bikes or even on the necessity of female specific geometry?
Please tempt her away from it....... or reasure me that its a decent effort...
Many thanks for any help,
Alex.
After reading the advice posted here on alot of the posts im still a little confused as to what to go for - for my needs the Revolution Triad 2.0 looks really well specced with the only unknown being the frame. For me the other bikes im considering are the Focus Fatboy and the Specialized Rockhopper plus anything else anyone can consider.
My Girlfriend however has her heart set on the Marin Bear Vally 08, which to me looks pretty badly specced for the money compared to the GT Avalanche 1.0 which is only a bit extra, but the Marin is pink and thats quite a strong selling point in my girlfriends eyes - :roll: What are the alternatives for female specific bikes or even on the necessity of female specific geometry?
Please tempt her away from it....... or reasure me that its a decent effort...
Many thanks for any help,
Alex.
0
Comments
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You are correct on the bear valley - it has the most awful spec I have ever seen on a 500 quid bike, its a joke. The frame is good, but not really any 'better' than others you can get. The fork is terrible, totally undamped, very heavy and limited travel. While others at this price pack in hydro discs, and 9 speed groupsets, this one gets parts off a 250 quid bike.
Now I don't mind downgrades in certain areas ie the drivetrain if the money is ploughed back into where it makes more difference, say the fork. But this just hasnt!
For other options, look at the What Bike thread.
Scott and Trek do a better range of ladies bikes.0 -
Cool, as i thought - any thoughts on the revolution? Also considering the cube acid now aswell....0
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A Recon on a £540 bike is crazy value! The rest of the package looks good too. The Rockhopper is a solid bike, with a great frame. Others to consider are a Carrera Fury or men's GT Avalanche 1.0.
As well as Scott and Trek, Specialized do a female specific range. Here is one around the price of the other bike mentioned. Reasonable spec if you excuse the mech discs.
http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/productDetails.asp?productID=12407
Some more options
[ur]lhttp://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/id39020.html[/url]
http://www.rutlandcycling.com/ProductDetails/mcs/referrer/froogle1/productID/8322/groupID/34/categoryID/465
The advantages of a female specific bike is that it will be designed with a different body shape in mind - shorter top tubes, narrower tubing, lighter sprung forks, female finishing kit (i.e. grips and saddle). Not all women prefer women's bikes though, so get her to sit on a few!
And whatever route you go down, don't buy the Marin!"Melancholy is incompatible with bicycling." ~James E. Starrs0
