Bike advice please!

Hi all,

My wife has been out of MTB riding for a few years. Having moved to Van I am keen to get her back on the bike and hopefully enjoying MTB again. She has a Kona hardtail tucked away but it needs a bit of work and I suspect she will enjoy riding a dual suspension bike more than the old one. I am hoping for some advice on a suitable machine.

She was an intermediate rider when we were riding regularly and not really into technical riding. My current thinking is get something light with 4-5" travel. I was keen on something like a second hand Blur but lately I've been looking at the deals on new Rocky Mtn Element 30 and Specialized Stumpjumper Comps. Will something like a Blur be too aggressive to inspire confidence on the trails? Is weight a major influence? Are women specific designs worth seeking out?
My budget is up to $2k. Thoughts?

Thanks, Ben

Where will you ride. Be specific. I'd guess a blur would inspire more confidence then either of the other bikes you mention. More travel and slacker geo means more capable bikes. Around Vancouver this is paramount. XC bikes do little to tame the local terrain. Someone who's not comfortable on the tech will always feel over their head on an light XC bike.

Hi Superl8,
We live in West Van, so I am thinking the Mt Seymour lower trails will be the main playground, at least initially. I haven't ridden it yet but the Richard Juryn network sounds promising. If all goes well, laps of Roadside Attraction and Bobsled could work but I have been guilty of underestimating the technical parts of trails before and walking the bike does not contribute to a fun time.

Cheers, Ben

All mountain trail bikes weigh what an XC bike did a few years ago and are far more capable. XC bikes are too steep in the headtube and will feel (because you will) like you're about to go over the bars - she'll end up walking down everything. The trend with the trail and AM bikes is slack stable geo but light-weight (bi-wining) Also look for 2.3 tires at a minimum, smaller have little advantage in weight and give up huge amounts of traction = no fun. Lots of bikes on pinkbike in your price range.

to quantify, look for a bike with a 68* or slacker head angle, 5 inches of travel, and put a 50mm stem and 2.3 tires on it.

I'm leaning towards something like a Slayer or Remedy. If I don't have an impulse buy before then I'll take her out on my Scratch Air and see how she likes it.

Cheers, Ben

hey i thought i'd weigh in here….totally agree with superl8….an AM bike is definitely going to give her confidence a boost
If you can afford a Remedy they are great…i've beaten the crap out of mine for a couple of years…i prefer on the technical, steeper side and my bike has never let me down…Also i know about 7 women who i ride with who also own one;) They range in skill level from complete beginner to DH rippers…the bike suits everyone.
as for wmn specific rigs…they are all right. If she is petite then they are a good option for pedaly riding, but i always found them to feel a bit flimsy and flexy. I think the scratch might be a bit of overkill for your wife if she was never into the technical side of things….it's a good bike for people who can only have one and want something they can take up to the lifts as well as thrash around local trails on…just a bigger, stiffer version of the remedy
I always liked the blur…but it's definitely a steeper front end than my remedy…and not something i'd ever want to take up lift riding whereas i know the remedy is good enough to take up to whistler and lower trails on mt washington, silverstar, etc…stumpy is a fine bike too, but was never versatile enough for my liking…ok i'm finally done talking

I got her to look a a Slayer today and in what I suspect is her size (16.5" - she is 5'5") she didn't have enough standover clearance. I am going to confirm with my Scratch (17.5") which should be similar.
The new Trek Lush looks like an interesting alternative and I am glad to hear there are women loving Remedys. I am tempted to get a second hand with better spec.

Cheers, Ben

i'm 5'4" and i ride the 15.5 with a 50mm stem….i've got stumpy little legs and i've just got stand over clearance on my frame so she'd prob be fine… generally i find with the women i've fit to bikes over the years that until you get to about 5'7" you're on a small….of course there are exceptions, but with our generally shorter torsos one usually requires a smaller frame than a man of equal height

Thanks a lot for the tips. I'll see if we can get to a shop or two this weekend.
Cheers, Ben

I would also suggest a remedy. Based on my experience, it's a far more capable bike as the numbers suggest, and the pricing seems very reasonable, at least here, in europe. Don't know the prices in canada, but I suppose it's similar. The people I ride with that came from XC fullys and hardtails to a remedy progressed a lot in a very short time, and some I know traded their DH bikes for one, they don't seem much slower. If you feel a remedy a bit OTT, then also consider a Fuel EX WSD. Same story, although a bit steeper.

I rode both and found them nice, maybe not as overbuilt as i would like, but that's just me. I might be very wrong in this judgement.

My wife and her girl friend both ride the Rocky Mountain Altitude and are very happy with them. If she is less aggressive and based on her lack of riding and hard tail back ground she will probably like the upright riding position the Rockys have. Slayer also has the upright position seat post but it's probably way more bike than she needs.

+1 on the Slayer's upright seat tube being a little off and the bike being a bit too much. I'm doing the same shopping for a lady friend and so far the Remedy (if it fits) is a tough one to beat for the money. Yeti's SB 66, ARC-5, and 575 all look good too; just a bit pricey compared to a big box bike company.

Hey Ben,
What did you end up finding for her?