Advice for woman's hardtail please

Brood

Hi

I'm looking for a bike for my wife, she's very small and not really into biking but she is willing to come along for some of the less taxing rides.

I'd like disc breaks and as light as possible for around £500.

Suggestions please!

powelly999

Hi
I'm probably the least qualified here to reply to your request, but I've been doing some searching for a bike for my daughter.

We were looking at a Trek 3700 Disc, but for your budget have a look at the 4300 Disc.
http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/bikes/mo ... /4300_disc

They do it in a 13" frame and the effective top tube length is the same as the 3700. With every thing set on the minimum setting (saddle height min, and set as far forward as possible, headset as low as possible) it fitted her perfectly. She is a lanky legged, long armed (short body) 9 yr old and the 3700 fitted perfectly with the allowance for her to grow.
You may not have the headache of growth spurts my daughter will suffer but it seems a decent spec bike and in 13" form seems to be a good choice for the smaller person.
Regards
powelly999

The Rookie

Spesh Myka?
Starting at £379 http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... e-ec024968
to £470
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... e-ec024969

The Myka appeals as it looks designed for a women, bikes like the Scott Contessa look like a mans frame painted a pretty girly colour!

Lower starting point would be the Carrera Kraken ladies at £349

Depending on her build don't ignore getting a smaller 'mans' bike and tweaking some minor components to suite (shorter stem, thinner grips, different saddle, cost maybe £50),that is what the more serious women MTB riders usually do, you'll often be able to get a better deal on a mens bike or could get a 'nearly new' (your changing the contact patches anyway!)

My Eldest Daughter is a keen MTBer but has shorter legs/longer body more like a typical 5' 4" male than female so rides a small man's frame.

Simon

thelonegroover

Brood wrote:

Hi

I'm looking for a bike for my wife, she's very small and not really into biking but she is willing to come along for some of the less taxing rides.

I'd like disc breaks and as light as possible for around £500.

Suggestions please!

Well, you don't really need disk brakes for 'less taxing rides'. Where are you located?

thelonegroover

I notice you are in France, have you tried Decathlon, I don't think you'll find anywhere better value.

Brood

Some good looking bikes there, thanks!

I want disc brakes as there have been some steepish rocky descents on our rides and the v-brakes on her current bike didn't work so well, especially when wet. We'll be riding in the Pyrenees but on some of the flatter routes.

I have seen decathlon's offering and I wanted some recommendations to compare them with.

I may actually up the budget a bit as my 5 year old daughter is already keen to come with me on my rides, so she'll probably inherit the bike eventually!

Thanks again.

thelonegroover

My wife loves her Genesis Core, which is classed as a mens bike, if you get the correct size you don't need to limit yourself to women's bikes, where there is a much smaller choice...

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/8-1-2011- ... NFO-DETAIL

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... 65499#dtab

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165499

Brood

oof! That Boardman looks good.

thelonegroover

It is, they always do very well in any comparisons. A lot of people are actually put off by Halfords, but I've always found them as good as any other bike shop.

nozzac

Given that step-over height isn't important for an MTB - what is the difference between women's and men's bikes? I would have thought that as long as it fits then a bike is a bike no?

Brood

NozzaC wrote:

Given that step-over height isn't important for an MTB - what is the difference between women's and men's bikes? I would have thought that as long as it fits then a bike is a bike no?

Just the fact that my wife is small, I presumed some manufactures adjusted their geometry and sizing to suit women & smaller people in general.

The Rookie

NozzaC wrote:

Given that step-over height isn't important for an MTB - what is the difference between women's and men's bikes? I would have thought that as long as it fits then a bike is a bike no?

As tha avreage female physique has longer legs in comparison to body length compare to the average male physique, some of the 'proper' female bikes tend to run shorter top tube (or effective top tube) length compared to the seat tube 'nominal size', also grips tend to be smaller diameter and saddles female specific with suitable comfort cutaway.

Of course the frame difference you can do by going a size smaller and using a longer seatpost!

Simon

diy

Personally I would try to find a mans bike and make modifications to it to suit. Woman specific bikes are a rip off. The myka is a good example.

Brood

diy wrote:

Personally I would try to find a mans bike and make modifications to it to suit. Woman specific bikes are a rip off. The myka is a good example.

Yeh, looking like the best option.