Hi Ladies....suggestions please

LoUiS1985

Hi ladies......i'm hoping you may be able to help me out

I will be getting my girl a bike soon, hopefully through cycle to work!!
It will be a hardtail and around £500-600
she is only 5 feet 1 so something like a 14/15" frame should be somewhere close!

so what are your girls thoughts/opinions and do you ride anything that falls into the £500-600 hardtail category??

i have been looking at the following

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=30549

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/custom-mo ... eluxe.html

http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/trek-450 ... 44323.html

what do you think??

thanks in advance girls

Mrs Toast

I started on a Trek 4500 WSD, and it's a great little bike. As you'd expect for a bike in that price range, it's a bit heavy, but that can be remedied through gradual upgrades! It's got a very short top tube, which is fine if she conforms to the 'typical' women's body shape of short torso to long leg ratio, but she might feel I bit cramped otherwise.

I've never ridden the Combi, but I did try the small Meta, and I had less than zero standover - I'm 5ft 2. Again, she might be fine in terms of standover if she has long legs to short torso, but in that case she might struggle with the reach. Just speculation though - the small Combi might be sized differently than the small Meta.

The main thing is to get her to try out any potential bikes - like nuking the site from orbit, it's the only way to be sure!

LoUiS1985

ok thanks for your advice, but what does ''like nuking the site from orbit,'' mean?? :oops: :oops: :oops:

TimesLikeThese

its a quote from Aliens (2)

Mrs Toast

LoUiS1985 wrote:

ok thanks for your advice, but what does ''like nuking the site from orbit,'' mean?? :oops: :oops: :oops:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCbfMkh940Q

Maybe I need to reign in my nerdy pop culture references....

LoUiS1985

sorry can't watch youtube, i'm at work ATM and sites like that are blocked :evil:

but you can be as nerdy as you like, its just that films arn't one of my main sources of enjoyment, i get bored too easily watching them :oops:

coasti

I recently got a Scandal frame from On-One and I'm loving it.

They do the cycle to work scheme, and they are very helpful on email.

http://www.on-one-shop.co.uk/acatalog/O ... _page.html

lots of bargain bits to be had on their clearance section

But between your 3, I'd have the meriin Commencal, best fork

LoUiS1985

yeh i like the scandal but would struggle to build a decent one up for my budget!!
what size frame did you get??
did you get a test ride on one?
i wanted a test ride on a Ti frame a while back but they weren't all that helpful!!

RockyHopperShow

Louise, a test ride is very important (or at the very least a sit on the bike to size it up) This can prove difficult at Halfords where the staff at some branches won't let bikes out of their sight or are even reluctant to get them off the rack in some cases. My missus is keen on a Specialized Myka, Halfords said she would need a size 17 frame (she is 5' 3" and has a 29" inseam) but our local Spesh dealer advised her to go one size lower which was much, much better. She has contacted Halfords Customer Support and should be in possession of a 2010 Myka HT Comp @ £450 very soon. A lovely bike.

LoUiS1985

thanks for the reply, its Louis, not Louise, i'm getting a bike for my missus!! :oops: :oops:
The cycle to work sceme will not involve Halfords but i have yet to gain clarification as to wether i can get a bike from the likes of merlin, CRC, wiggle etc...

RockyHopperShow

Sorry mate, I'm used to chinwagging with all these women :oops:

LoUiS1985

that's quite alright mate, if my old dear had spelt my name the proper way then there would be no confusion!! :oops: :twisted:

jenpen29

Scott Contessa is a good bike around 650 and I am 5"3 and its perfect for me!!

LoUiS1985

will take a look thank jenpen

Byronwww

i recently got my gf the trek 4500 and she ended up breaking her shoulder blade bone on the 4th ride (in richmond park, on a bridle path). teach yours how to use brakes properly before letting her down any type of hill.

Ditch Witch

Mrs Toast wrote:

LoUiS1985 wrote:

ok thanks for your advice, but what does ''like nuking the site from orbit,'' mean?? :oops: :oops: :oops:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCbfMkh940Q

Maybe I need to reign in my nerdy pop culture references....

Oh hell no. That's one of the things I love about you



I have a Hard Rock Pro. Was £500 a few years back.

dangermoo

Another girl bigging up the Trek 4500 which i started on many years ago, not a WSD as i'm 5 11' and they go nowhere near me!

As Mrs Toast wrote it is heavy to start with but can be easily upgraded to discs and XTR when she discovers she loves biking!!

Another consideration would be a ladies Lapierre tecnic 400 or up the budget and go 700. Nice bikes, well specced and not very many about so you get a good feeling factor! That's coming from a Spicy 516 and Zesty 714 owner though....