First time full suspension female buyer

Jodie Duncan
Jodie Duncan Posts: 3
edited May 2017 in MTB buying advice
I am a female first time buyer of a FS mountain bike. I'll need it for trail riding. I am inexperienced so don't want to spend loads if money. I also need an xs as I'm only 5'1". I have looked around a fair few shops and most of them don't have female FS bikes on the shop floor so I have only been able to see Liv bikes in the flesh. It has been a very frustrating process as I don't want to spend loads of money on a bike online and find that the bike isn't great. Can someone give me some advice on which told be a good bike to buy please.

Comments

  • poah
    poah Posts: 3,369
    female specific bikes are just a marketing ploy. find a bike that fits size wise (can be any) then look at the geo of other bikes and find something that matches/close too. There are very few XS bikes around giant and liv are the obvious ones.
    CCDB IL coil CS first impressions

    MTB Scotland youtube channel
  • larkim
    larkim Posts: 2,474
    You may need to declare you hand in terms of £££ first of all Jodie. If £1000 is "loads of money" then the advice may well be don't bother with FS. But if £5000 would be cheap (!), you'd have plenty more options!!
    2015 Canyon Nerve AL 6.0 (son #1's)
    2011 Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc (son #4s)
    2013 Decathlon Triban 3 (red) (mine)
    2019 Hoy Bonaly 26" Disc (son #2s)
    2018 Voodoo Bizango (mine)
    2018 Voodoo Maji (wife's)
  • Jodie Duncan
    Jodie Duncan Posts: 3
    Thanks. I have looked a few Liv and atm that's where I'm going. I don't really want to spend more than £2000 if I can help it. I've heard the 2018 bikes will be out in August so was wondering if it's worth waiting until then to see if current ones go on sale. Finding any xs bikes is hard - male or female!
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    If you are currently riding a hardtail then measure the effective top tube length (correct for a layback seatpost as applicable) and find one that is the same.....


    If you get a small with a layback post and fit an inline it will shorten the Effective cockpit length to that of an XS.
    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.
  • poah
    poah Posts: 3,369
    ETT isn't that relevant anymore - look at reach and stack
    CCDB IL coil CS first impressions

    MTB Scotland youtube channel
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Its as relevant as it ever was.....

    Not all manufacturers give reach and stack and it can be very hard to measure on an existing bike to use for comparison as I was suggesting.
    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.

Categories