What Bike Should I Buy For My Partner In Crime?

bennyj861

Cannon Fodder
Hi girls i understand this is the girls only section but my partner is not signed up yet and i am trying to get her a bike as a suprise for christmas.

I my self have a downhill bike and looking at xc's now for myself,i am definately not going to get her a DH straight away but i am more after a xc so we can enjoy riding together and if/when she gains enough confidence can come for the occasional downhill without trashing her bike..

Basically i am after a bike * Short trav/dual susp
*suited for female 172cm tall @ 54kgs
Good for most riding .20% Road
70% trail
10% DH What is a good bike i should be looking for? i have looked at the Trek Fuel ex5.5 2010 is that along the right path? THANKS GIRLS......Ben
 

chica

Likes Dirt
my suggestion is a Giant Trance. A number of the girls I ride with have one (my spare bike is a Trance) and they really can do anything from XC racing to general trail riding and if you are light enough you could do DH. A young kid we know rides a XS Trance and he rides Thredbo, Oxford Falls etc on it.
Giants are good value for money as is well noted.
Although there are women specific bikes out there don't limit your viewing to these, check out the unisex (male) bikes as wheel as there will be a greater variety and usually higher spec for same price
Not sure what state you are in but try and get yourself along to a demo day (Giant, Trek, Specialised are all doing it now) or maybe a bike shop in your local town does demo days which will allow your GF (even though it is a XMas pressie) to try a few bikes
I know you have plans to give it to her as a surprise but i'd recommend that she is fitted to her new bike, you don't want to make a $3000 purchase only to find that the bike does not fit her. Maybe a picture of the bike in a card is the way to go along with a helmet so she at least gets something physical.
 
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Katdog

Likes Bikes
It sounds like you’re on the right track. I haven’t ridden either, but a Fuel or Trance should be a good all-round bike. Geometry looks spot on for trail riding. If she gets right into it and wants to race enduro/XC on it, she can. If she’s interested in DH then being on a dually with a slack-ish head angle is a good starting point to hit some easy DH trails too.

There must be loads of other bikes with similar geometry and travel. I don’t think you need to get a women’s specific frame either, but maybe keep an eye out for bikes with a shorter top tube length because women tend to have longer legs/shorter torso than men the same height.

Other things you might want to think about are saddle and pedals/shoes. I’d hold off on changing the saddle straight away, just keep in mind that the one it comes with might not suit. I would recommend getting some decent flat pedals (something grippy that you’d be happy to ride) and a pair of Five Tens.

Bike for Christmas would be an awesome surprise but having no input from her can be a bit of a gamble. Has she ridden mountainbikes before? Is she likely to have an idea what she wants in a bike? If you’re confident the bike will fit then your research could be enough to go on. It’s a tough call. I’ll admit to buying bikes without riding or seeing them first, just going on comparing geometry/weight, reading reviews and getting advice.
 
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