Bike for the missus

trebor127

Hi again...Now after taking my fiance out onto the trails she now wants a bike so she can come with me...Looking around and I have found the Focus northern lite... http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Focus_Northern_Lite_2010/5360045266/ Just wondering if this is a good buy?

Rob

supersonic

Looks good for the money, one to try out. Not the best fork, but some of the other parts are excellent.

trebor127

supersonic wrote:

Looks good for the money, one to try out. Not the best fork, but some of the other parts are excellent.

She did like the look of the pro but they dont have her size...This would be ok on most trails...maybe some reds eventually?

LjStronge

I'm thinking about the same bike for my missus.

Just to get her going, if she get's the bug then who knows?

Just a fork upgrade & Brakes would make the bike pretty decent. Can always change all the other stuff later

simola

mulling this one over which seems a good buy for a starter bike;
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165499

trebor127

That carrera does look quite good..I have also found a cube in size 14".. http://www.stif.co.uk/gear/select_options.asp?productid=8449&store=mtb

cavegiant

You are a better rider than your misus, right?

So if you want her to ride at a similar level, then she needs a really good bike.

Why would you buy her something that is uncomfortable, will point her face at floor and with a fork that will make her day harder?

Something like the teocali elite womens, has an upright seating position (so she can admire the view), has plush travel (so she is comfortable) and is quite slack (so it makes it hard to crash).

If you are buying a womens bike, think what they want in a bike, not what you would get if you weighed less. Heavier bikes are also more stable which is confidence inspiring.

My wife has gone from not being able to roll over a curb, to racing guys down technical black runs (and winning).

Don't just get her a light HT with a crap fork, you are the better rider, so get her a bike better than yours to close the skill gap.

p.s. Can't stress this one enough, seriously, make the bike pretty!!!!

Thewaylander

A better bike does not close the skill gap...

it just gives confidence, your skill level is your skill level, and if your shoot on a cheap bike your shoot on an expensive bike ;s

LjStronge

Cave Giant - As I only have about 300 quid at the mo, please can you direct me to a site that sells a bike as you describe rather than the one in the OP?

cavegiant

try riding a technical bit of trail on a rigid bike, then do the same trail on a DH bike then come back and revise your comment =-)

100% agree on the confidence part though, for me and wifey, the limiting factor is confidence not skill.

supersonic

Jumping the gun a bit I feel, is the OP riding hard technical trails on a much better bike?! As good as the Teocali is, its a heavy beast and maybe overkill for what they need. They haven't even hit any red trails from what I can see!

Thewaylander

cavegiant wrote:

try riding a technical bit of trail on a rigid bike, then do the same trail on a DH bike then come back and revise your comment =-)

100% agree on the confidence part though, for me and wifey, the limiting factor is confidence not skill.

Yarp, Used to ride steret totalyl rigid cheers

and so on and so on, So what your saying is skip learning how to actually ride and depend on as much sus as possible to get you down? Sounds like a really bad way to learn to ride to me hehe

cavegiant

My point was to make the riding as enjoyable for both parties.

You are concentrating too much on what your motivations are.
You are thinking stereotypically male, I am suggesting a solution that would work for a stereotypical woman.

Thewaylander

Not really i ride with about 3-4 aggessive women riders who all say learn on a HT first to any girls starting, so again i disagree,

I think most people including women, would like to learn how to do something well.

cavegiant

Guess we will disagree on this one then ;-)

For the record, wifey rides very well.

trebor127

cavegiant wrote:

You are a better rider than your misus, right?

So if you want her to ride at a similar level, then she needs a really good bike.

Why would you buy her something that is uncomfortable, will point her face at floor and with a fork that will make her day harder?

Something like the teocali elite womens, has an upright seating position (so she can admire the view), has plush travel (so she is comfortable) and is quite slack (so it makes it hard to crash).

If you are buying a womens bike, think what they want in a bike, not what you would get if you weighed less. Heavier bikes are also more stable which is confidence inspiring.

My wife has gone from not being able to roll over a curb, to racing guys down technical black runs (and winning).

Don't just get her a light HT with a crap fork, you are the better rider, so get her a bike better than yours to close the skill gap.

p.s. Can't stress this one enough, seriously, make the bike pretty!!!!

I wish I had the cash to buy her one better than mine (scott scale 35). I am buying it for her so she can come with me now and again to some trails...gisburn, north face (main reson she wants a bike as we did the north face a couple of weeks ago) etc...I am not neccesarily a better rider, I have only been riding for about 6/7 weeks. I have heard its the rider that matters and not the so much the bike...She likes the look of the cube and the fork is something that could be changed at a later date if she was to progress..Any other suggestions? The teocali is out of my price range and she doesn't wan't a FS...