Ladies MTB Under £400 - Your suggestions please

bdigital

Hello,

I would like to get my partner a mountain bike, and we are looking for something under £400. Her current bike is a nasty £100 steel full suspension nightmare. Its too heavy, poor quality and she doesnt like riding it.

I want to get her something thats decent quality and light. It will be for general use, nothing too serious just tame cruising along country paths/fields etc.

- Medium (shes 5ft 5")
- Not heavy
- Decent quality
- Under £400
- Disc brakes
- Mountain Bike (she doesnt want a hybrid)
- Hardtail

Are there any stand out bikes within this price range?

Thank you very much, i would really appreciate some advice

supersonic

Carrera Vulcan, Rocrkider 8.0 and Mongoose Tyax Elite are all worth looking at for about this money.

The Rookie

At 5'5" I would suggest a small would be more suitable, especially as women are shorter (generally) in the upper body by proportion to the same height men so you want the shorter top tube that will come with the smaller frame.

Simon

Shaggy4934

I can highly recommend the Carrera Vengence. I bought this for the girlfriend the other month and she loves it. She is 5'5 too and the bike fits perfect. £300 and worth every penny as a first intro bike into the MTB world for her. Good performer and it fits the criteria you mentioned perfectly.

miss notax

The Beginner wrote:

At 5'5" I would suggest a small would be more suitable, especially as women are shorter (generally) in the upper body by proportion to the same height men so you want the shorter top tube that will come with the smaller frame.

Simon

Yup - i'm 5ft 4 (and a bit!) and anything other than a small frame would be a disaster for me. My bikes are all 14" or 15" and female specific if that's any help

bdigital

Thank you for the suggestions so far.

Since posting we have looked at a Specialized Myka (she wasnt keen, didnt like the shifters or colours) and a Giant (i forget which one!).

We went and had a look at a 2nd hand 2011 Scott Contessa 30 today (mint condition) and it was very nice. Medium size certainly seemed ok when she test rode it.

Are the Scott Contessa bikes decent overall? It has been her favourite so far.

I will look up the Mongoose, Rockrider and the Carrera this evening - thank you

supersonic

Base levels Specializeds are usually really poor, you want at least a damped fork.

The contessa is a nice looking bike, but not worth the RRP. 2nd hand I'd pay no more than £250.

supersonic

If you can stretch...

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.p ... n_-_Womens

Fantastic bike for the cash.

The Rookie

That is an absolute steal!

Simon

bdigital

Just to close this one off. Thank you all for your help.

We looked at all of the suggestions, but in the end we ended up with this!

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/sco ... e-ec025417

Managed to get it for £355 (8 months old).

I know it wasnt the best one of the ones you listed, but my partner loves it, it fits well, rides well and looks 'pretty'.....which as we all know is more important on a ladies bike than the spec!!

thanks again

The Rookie

If it's in 'as new' condition then I that sounds like a reasonable price........

In my experience most bikes being sold that new have either been given a really hard life and are falling apart (mostly from neglect) or ridden twice and put in the garage.......

diy

Colour is the most important thing. I swapped my Mrs Giant sedona (in light blue) (a £200ish bike) for a specialized rockhopper (£900ish), with juicy 5s, air front shock and decent components etc. The biggest complaint when she rides it - I don't like it because its black.