29ers for girls?!
Muddy girl
Posts: 4
Hello, new here. Any advice / recommendation for 29er bikes specifically for women please? I've been looking. I have a 26 inch wheel hardtail which I'm happy with for certain rides but keen on a 29 for more distance and lighter trail rides.
Thanks
Thanks
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Have you tried a mens 29er?
My wife was trying girls bikes and didn't actually like them, she went with a 16" framed Radon mens bike in the end and loves it, apart from the seat being uncomfy which we are waiting for a 'Ladies' one to be delivered. http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/k1860/a78454/zr-race-29er-5-0.html0 -
Islabikes Beinn 29. Designed and ridden by one of the best British MTB riders. Ridiculously good vfm, incredibly light (25lb!)Trail fun - Transition Bandit
Road - Wilier Izoard Centaur/Cube Agree C62 Disc
Allround - Cotic Solaris0 -
2 women in my group both ride Scandal 29ers.....Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.0
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Specialized do a range - the Fate, the Jett etc, depending on budget.0
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The Specialized Myka comes in 29er and 26er for 2013. My wife picked the 26er. I would worry about toe overlap on the smaller frame sizes.0
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97th choice wrote:I would worry about toe overlap on the smaller frame sizes.
I'm 5'2", and this is why I ruled out getting a 29er when I was looking for a new hardtail. I have enough to think about without worrying about whether my foot is going to get tangled up with the tyre. Although, if you're only using it for smooth, easy trails, I can see the attraction.0 -
Thanks for all the replies, I'm going to look up the suggestions and pop to the bike shop tomorrow to see if I can actually try one. The appeal is for my roadie type / light off road rides as my male friend rides. 29er and I have to work twice as hard to keep up!0
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A 29er isn't suddenly going to make you twice as fast lol. Given that budget ones are pretty heavy you might be actually slower on one, depending on what you have already.0
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There's a review of the womens equivalent Stumpjumper on BR, I think it's called the Myta or something, they say that a girl of 5ft 5in fitted the 17in bike so you should be ok with the 15in version. At 2300 It's pretty dear though, especially if you compare it to the Carbon Canyon 29er which is better specced for 1650!!
The only place the 1650 Canyon (appears to be) lagging behind the one for 2300 is the wheels and maybe the Avid brakes, but you could change them for some slx and superstar stuff for about 300 squids!
Seriously tempted....We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
Thanks ddraver, good advice!0
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What is your current bike, and what budget do you have?0
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I'll be interested to hear what you think of any 29er's that you try Muddy girl Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away....
Riding a gorgeous ano orange Turner Burner!
Sponsor the CC2CC at http://www.justgiving.com/cc2cc0 -
Don't do it!0
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JamesMc wrote:Don't do it!
May all your progeny be as witty and erudite as you are. :roll:
The only advice I can give re: 29ers, is to get out and ride one. They're a very marmite thing. Personally, I'm a bit of a fan, but they do require a change of riding style from a 26" bike. But then again, so does going full sus.
I can understand why 29ers aren't for everyone, but I don't get the outright hatred people have for them. Just 'cos it don't work for you, doesn't mean it's no good.How would I write my own epitaph? With a crayon - I'm not allowed anything I can sharpen to a sustainable point.
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed herein are worth exactly what you paid for them.0 -
What riding style change do they require? I've ridden 26" FS since the mid-90s and have demo'd a Giant Anthem & Trance recently and whilst they do feel a bit different I don't see why you need to adapt your riding style (at least conciously). In fact the main reason I haven't bought one was they feel so similar to my existing FS (my intention was to get a light short-travel FS 29er for doing the odd marathon type event on instead of my 140mm 26er that's the wrong side of 30lbs). Even the Giant Anthem didn't feel massively different, the Trance less so - the main difference in feel likely being down to suspension set-up and tyres IMO.
As for the OP - just look at men's bikes0 -
We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
I'll say again, speak to Isla at Islabikes. She's a girl, she's a phenomenal cyclist, she has her own bike range and she rides an Islabikes Beinn 29er. So not only a very light (lighter than anything linked above) bike, admittedly with a rigid fork - but one that you know has been designed and specified by someone who knows what they are doing, and without the massive bike co. overheads to cover! Excellent VFM.Trail fun - Transition Bandit
Road - Wilier Izoard Centaur/Cube Agree C62 Disc
Allround - Cotic Solaris0 -
nferrar wrote:What riding style change do they require? I've ridden 26" FS since the mid-90s and have demo'd a Giant Anthem & Trance recently and whilst they do feel a bit different I don't see why you need to adapt your riding style (at least conciously). In fact the main reason I haven't bought one was they feel so similar to my existing FS (my intention was to get a light short-travel FS 29er for doing the odd marathon type event on instead of my 140mm 26er that's the wrong side of 30lbs). Even the Giant Anthem didn't feel massively different, the Trance less so - the main difference in feel likely being down to suspension set-up and tyres IMO.
As for the OP - just look at men's bikes
Tyres, suspension set up, and geometry. What's your current full-suss, if you don't mind me asking?
I find my Anthem will try and 'push-on' coming out of a bend - giving the impression of the front washing out. It's not. I think it's a combination of reduced slide at the rear, the inherent stability of the longer wheelbase, and the increased speed I find on exiting the corner (I don't scrub as much speed 'off throttle' as I do on a 26er). I think that playing with tyres will fix it (in line with your comment, really), but that takes time and money. So, in the meantime, as Vincent said - 'improvise, adapt, overcome, evolve'.
Interestingly, I found the same thing true when I changed from a LR90 to a 110 for rallying. Driving styles needed changing - it worked, though. SOme folk however, find adapting a very natural and unconscious thing. I struggle like b******d!
At the end of the day, I really do like the Anthem - it wasn't what I was looking for when I started, though!How would I write my own epitaph? With a crayon - I'm not allowed anything I can sharpen to a sustainable point.
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed herein are worth exactly what you paid for them.0 -
My main bike is a Zesty, although I also have a rigid ss 29er (Genesis Fortitude). Don't get me wrong there were definitely different ride characteristics I just don't think anyone needs to really change their 'style' to accommodate one (no more so than you need to change your style when switching tyres from say a Racing Ralph to a Hans Dampf).0
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You neglected the increased gyroscopic effect of a larger wheel as well.......Clank wrote:I find my Anthem will try and 'push-on' coming out of a bend - giving the impression of the front washing out. It's not. I think it's a combination of reduced slide at the rear, the inherent stability of the longer wheelbase, and the increased speed I find on exiting the corner (I don't scrub as much speed 'off throttle' as I do on a 26er). I think that playing with tyres will fix it (in line with your comment, really),Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.0
