Woman specific MTB

[Da Vinci]

Ok I'm gonna put on my big girl panties and not get them in a knot around some of the sexist remarks made cos I genuinely need advice...

I am a fairly serious rider both trail and xc. BUT I am pretty clueless when it comes to the tech side of things - I have a good circle of ppl to bounce queries off regarding the components and things but here's the rub: I am a woman. It is now time to upgrade my Giant hardtail (mens small) to a dualsusp and have no idea if it is worth looking at a womans specific. How many serious female riders out there have made the switch and think it was the best thing they ever did?

And who went back to the mens bike?

Obviously everyone says u must ride the bike 2 get a feel but how many dealers allow this esp on an offroad trail which is the only place one really gets a feel for the bike? And take for example the womans Anthem really seems to be a specced down version of the mens with a womans saddle...

[Ratty]

Ok I'm gonna put on my big girl panties and not get them in a knot around some of the sexist remarks made cos I genuinely need advice...

I am a fairly serious rider both trail and xc. BUT I am pretty clueless when it comes to the tech side of things - I have a good circle of ppl to bounce queries off regarding the components and things but here's the rub: I am a woman. It is now time to upgrade my Giant hardtail (mens small) to a dualsusp and have no idea if it is worth looking at a womans specific. How many serious female riders out there have made the switch and think it was the best thing they ever did?

And who went back to the mens bike?

Obviously everyone says u must ride the bike 2 get a feel but how many dealers allow this esp on an offroad trail which is the only place one really gets a feel for the bike? And take for example the womans Anthem really seems to be a specced down version of the mens with a womans saddle...

 

I rode 4 different mens bikes before I got my current bike (Specialized ERA). Everyone told me going women specific was wrong because they would be harder to sell, but seems these days there are so many women cycling its no longer a problem.

 

I will not go back to a mens frame. I am a lot more comfortable on my "girly" bike. The frame fits me well (medium). I previously rode a small Epic and a medium Stumpjumper and neither of them was the right size.

 

My frame is now over 2 years old, but I have no intention of changing it. Will rather upgrade the wheels etc.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

The main difference between men's and ladies bikes (of the same frame / manufacturer) is that the ladies bike will have a shorter top tube to account for the (generally) shorter reach that women have.

 

It's not strictly necessary to get a women's specific bike, as diff manufacturers have diff frame designs and measurements and so a women's specific spez, for example, may have the same measurements as a men's giant.

 

Also, because of the "women specific" tag, women's bikes are generally more expensive and lower specced (therefore heavier) than their equivalent mens.bikes. which is a load of bollocks, imo.

Edited May 23, 2012 by cptmayhem

[Da Vinci]

Ok cool - so far I'm getting mostly positive stuff but every one is focused on the Spez bikes - is that cos they are the best? What about the Meridas and GTs - other brands that have womans specifics? I won't say my budget is unlimited but I am prepared to pay if I'm getting value for money (it always boils down 2 the money doesn't it?)

I have not seen a Myka but have looked at the Safire and Era but some ppl say Spez are overpriced?

[Robodog]

I have helped many ladies through bike buying which I find involves a lot of questions - from both sides - which is a good thing. We usually start looking at woman specific geometry but often that is not what the lady ends up buying. As long as the mens frame has a shortish top tube length than suits the riders torso, it will work fine.

 

If there is ONE thing I can advise ladies on which makes ALL the difference on how the bike feels:

 

Compare the ride on different bikes which have different head angles. That is the steepness (rake) of the forks. On 26ers, anything more than 70 degrees is quite steep and the handling might be fast, twitchy and nervous on descents. Some guys like it that way but a slightly more relaxed ride tends to suit women more.

 

Secondly, don't get stuck on a race bike with 100mm of suspension travel just because that's what everyone has. They are more difficult to find but 120 to 130mm travel bikes are more comfortable rides - like the Giant Trance mentioned above.

 

Just yesterday I helped a lady friend buy a bike after many hours of research over the past couple of weekends. She had quite a high budget but we ended up buying her a Merida 120. You can see in her eyes it is a dream bike for her even though she could afford double its cost.

[Dustbin Dog]

I have helped many ladies through bike buying which I find involves a lot of questions - from both sides - which is a good thing. We usually start looking at woman specific geometry but often that is not what the lady ends up buying. As long as the mens frame has a shortish top tube length than suits the riders torso, it will work fine.

 

If there is ONE thing I can advise ladies on which makes ALL the difference on how the bike feels:

 

Compare the ride on different bikes which have different head angles. That is the steepness (rake) of the forks. On 26ers, anything more than 70 degrees is quite steep and the handling might be fast, twitchy and nervous on descents. Some guys like it that way but a slightly more relaxed ride tends to suit women more.

 

Secondly, don't get stuck on a race bike with 100mm of suspension travel just because that's what everyone has. They are more difficult to find but 120 to 130mm travel bikes are more comfortable rides - like the Giant Trance mentioned above.

 

Just yesterday I helped a lady friend buy a bike after many hours of research over the past couple of weekends. She had quite a high budget but we ended up buying her a Merida 120. You can see in her eyes it is a dream bike for her even though she could afford double its cost.

 

My wife settled for the Merida 120 Juliet and is over the moon. It has improved her endurance and race average compared to her hardtail, lot less fatigue I guess.

Edited May 24, 2012 by Dustbin Dog

[Robodog]

 

 

My wife settled for the Merida 120 Juliet and is over the moon. It has improved her endurance and race average compared to her hardtail, lot less fatigue I guess.

 

That is great to hear and it's a good buy. Hope she has many happy miles.

 

Yes, she will definitely have less fatigue but not only because it is dualsus. Her body position is probably a little further back which will force her to be more balanced over the pedals resulting in less stress in the upper body. Extra travel and a higher front will give her more confidence when descending.

[flymango]

Am I correct in saying there aren't too many ladies-specific DS 29ers out there yet with higher end specs?

 

Just been through this exercise with my wife and in the end she fell in love with the Giant X29 0 men's small. She absolutely loves it and her riding has taken a step change for the better. Placebo effect maybe ... ?

[Thorn199]

For a "lower end" 29 HT, you can always look at the Momsen LA329

 

http://www.momsenbikes.com/images/bikes/LA329_single_bike_zoom_web.jpg

 

R9995.00

 

http://www.momsenbikes.com/images/adverts/la329_review_ride_may_2012_2.jpg

[BodyBikeFit]

I want to buy the wife a MTB. She will probably not do lots of races but will join me at NF or in the Spruit. I want to buy a dual suspension. Any recommendations? The woman specific bikes looks more comfy, are they? Thanks

The idea behind a good woman specific bicycle is that if you take an average girl and an average guy that is the same height you will find that the girl has longer legs (the difference is in her longer femur) and a shorter torso. So on an average bicycle she would most probably overstretch and be uncomfortable. So with woman specific design bicycles are designed with shorter top tubes and a longer head tube.

 

I'm too tall for a women's specific, so I ride a Trek Fuel Ex 5 (dual suspension), with a woman specific Fizik seat, and it works perfectly for me!!

 

Here is the exception to the rule (as there will always be) because you can't generalize people.

 

let her ride on a few and then she decide?

So at the end of the day this will be the best option, explain to her the benefits of going for a women specific design bike and then let her choose. Because even if she does not decide to go for the women specific design bike I can still set her up on any bike (just make sure it is the right size) and she will be comfortable. Remember you can always change the stem and saddle and that also will make a huge difference!

[MTBcrazy]

Ok cool - so far I'm getting mostly positive stuff but every one is focused on the Spez bikes - is that cos they are the best? What about the Meridas and GTs - other brands that have womans specifics? I won't say my budget is unlimited but I am prepared to pay if I'm getting value for money (it always boils down 2 the money doesn't it?)

I have not seen a Myka but have looked at the Safire and Era but some ppl say Spez are overpriced?

 

If you are looking for a good deal, my sis is selling her Yeti carbon full suspension. She is now getting her bikes sponsored, although the Yeti has served her very will till now. Funnily enough she is riding a specialized. PM me if you want some more details. the bike is a large.

[Da Vinci]

Thanx again for all the input - have been made a great offer to test ride a couple of bikes - sadly not from a shop that is selling them tho!

MtbCrazy sadly i reckon i am too short for a large but lucky sister you have!

Will see where things go from here...

Newboy i know this was satrted on a very old post but if you do get this did your wife like the Saffire?