ok ladies... talk to me about mountain bikes, please!

[caligurl]

i jokingly told hubby we needed mountain bikes cuz the roads around here have been so bad sinde the rain... (rocks larger than baseballs strewn across the road... sand up to 6" deep in places... other places just a LOT of sand :mad: ) and no sign of the lazybutt city getting the sweeper out to take care of them!

well.. that's all it took for hubby to start looking at mountain bikes (he had been out on a borrowed one with his buddies and enjoyed it... so had been talking about wanting one)

i really don't see myself liking to go down dirt trails.. (i'm a bit prissy if you haven't figured it out).... but i wouldn't mind giving it a try.. and there are a LOT of trails in the national part that would be fun to do on a mountain bike!)

so far i've only looked at specialized but then came here to ask... i don't get the difference between rockhopper and hardrock (except the color)

this one is kinda pretty in the blue:

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?sid=05WomensBikesHardrock

i'm not all into the pink like the majority of you all are.. but i told hubby i wouldn't mind having a pink mountain bike! maybe some of the other sites will have one??????????

so anyways... after all my wordiness.... if you mountain biker ladies could just give me some input... OH.. and i don't want to spend a lot of money cuz i don't even know if i'll like it!! :D

[Veronica]

Difference between Hardrock and Rockhopper - better components. If it were me, I'd go Rockhopper.

Has Joshua Tree started letting bikes on it's trails?

V.

[caligurl]

hmmmmm well... i think so?????????? i swear i've seen the little signs at the beginning of some trails that say bikes (but no dogs ON trails)... i'm pretty sure that one trail out of jumbo rocks (where we always stop for a potty break) says it's a good bike trail.... i will definitely check!!!!

darn... i don't like the blue color of the rockhopper :( (i'm SUCH a pita about looks/color of the bike!)

[Veronica]

You could always try the non WSD model in a small size. It comes in red or silver.

I looked at the park website. They have lots of jeep roads and 29 miles of trail will be opening as soon as Congress gives its approval. Lucky you! :)

V.

[singletrackmind]

Pink??
I prefer Easter Egg Green!

Lots of friends had and raced Specialized Stumpjumpers and liked those but I don't know about the others. Basically I'd look for a decent parts group, decent fork travel/responsiveness and weight. You CAN ride a 35# bike up a hill but it's so much easier to ride a 27# one and even lighter than that (but that gets into bucks, typically). I talked to several LBS when I was first starting out until I found one that treated me like a mountain biker, not some woman tagging along with her boyfriend (who didn't even ride at the time). Most shops have scales for us semi-weight weanies (and yes, I know where I can lighten the set-up by 10# but my hips aren't giving up an inch).
Do get rid of the toe clips!!! Blech!

[caligurl]

i just looked at giant... didn't see any thing that floats my boat on the site (but i know they look different on the web than in person)... looking at trek.. a couple of PURDY ones (not pink though)

we LOVE riding through the park on our road bikes! not too much traffic... a nice climb into it.. and even nicer (nicer????) climb to key's view!!!!

we always see a ton of vehicles with bikes on them going into the park! AND.. it's a bit cooler cuz it's a higher elevation (so that's good in the summer.. but bad in the winter! lol!)

[caligurl]

ya.. pink... i surprise myself! i think a pink mountain bike would be cool... so gurly! lol! :rolleyes: but my most favorite bike color is actually matte black (and i found a couple at the trek site)

ok... light components... uhm.. i know NOTHING about mountain bike components! so i don't have a clue what i'm looking at! (i'm looking at if the bike is pretty or not right now!) again: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

OH... and i already have moutain bike shoes picked out! the pretty ones by specialized! and i would probably get speedplay frogs.. right? good choice???????

[caligurl]

OMG! full suspension? what's that all about???????????????????

[caligurl]

at trek i like these:

http://www2.trekbikes.com/Bikes/Mountain/Hardtail/Alpha_Aluminum/3500/index.php

http://www2.trekbikes.com/Bikes/Mountain/Hardtail/Alpha_Aluminum/3900/index.php (the matte black one)

and this one is OK from giant (but probably heavy since it's one of cheapest ones)

http://www.giant-bicycle.com/us/030.000.000/030.000.000.asp?model=11034

[Veronica]

OMG! full suspension? what's that all about???????????????????


It helps to absorb the bumps both front and rear. We haven't ridden anywhere yet where we felt full suspension was neccesary. The bikes we're renting for our next trip have it though.

I rode for years on a Rockhopper without any suspension. Not having suspension I think makes you build better skills, but that's just my opinion. It certainly gives your arms good definition though. :D

V.

[DirtDiva]

I'm no Specialized expert (have never even ridden one), but thinking back to my recent bike shopping browsing I'd say the geometry is similar and the rockhopper comes with a better spec than the hardrock. I'm sure you can check it out at the Spealized site.

As far as Shimano components go, XTR/XT is top notch, LX/Deore are next and Alivio/Altus/Acera are the more entry level stuff. They have a few other categories, but those are the ones you're most likely to see on whatever is in your LBS. Some bikes will have components made by SRAM. I guess they make quite good stuff, because they tend to be on more expensive/higher end bikes.

You will need a smaller mountain bike than road bike as you generally want a bit more standover height and it's really hard to get the front wheel off the ground if the top-tube is too long. Most companies go down to about a 15 inch frame: if I remember correctly, you're not that tall, but if you're a real shortie you might want to look at Gary Fisher, Giant, Kona and Marin as they are all decent enough brands that make extra small frames. You're shopping at a good time of year - the sales should be coming up!

Most importantly, remember that dirt is good! (Hmm... May have to have "dirt is good" as my sig file...)

Hope that all helped. Have fun!

:D

[SadieKate]

ok... light components... uhm.. i know NOTHING about mountain bike components! so i don't have a clue what i'm looking at! (i'm looking at if the bike is pretty or not right now!) again: :rolleyes: :rolleyesWhat drivetrain do you use on your road bike? Maybe we can help give you comparisons.

I haven't looked at the links you've posted but do they have Shimano or SRAM components? SRAM has the grip twisters but also makes trigger shifters? Some of the shift levers are better for smaller hands because of how long the throw is to shift from granny up into the larger chain rings. (Aren't you short? I can't remember). Brakes - some can be adjusted for a shorter reach.

[caligurl]

ok... phew.. this is overwhelming! i think we will DEFINITELY be looking at mountain bikes tomorrow! then we won't get another drop of rain.. but i can still learn to love trails! lol! (i'm soooooooooooooooooooooooooo bad!)

ok.... i currently have pretty much ultegra... they stuck in a specialized crank (ick)..

so can i maybe "compare" mtn bike stuff like this:

XTR/XT is top notch = dura-ace
LX/Deore are next = ultegra
Alivio/Altus/Acera = 105

i've noticed SRAM in some of the specs but have no clue what i'm looking at :confused:

i'm 5'3" and i think my inseam is 28" (i've grown!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :eek: :) )

hubby and i may be sorry we started to look at mtn bikes... we're both so impulsive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

but i'm NOT gonna spend a lot of money.. i'm NOT i'm NOT i'm NOT i'm NOT!!!!!!! (ya right................)

[DirtDiva]

If you buy the one you want more, you'll ride it more. :cool:

[CorsairMac]

Cali - I just bought a MTB about 2 mnths ago....no maybe a little longer. I got the Trek 820 steel for under $225. I have taken it on some technical trails but it sounds like we may be very similar in style: roadies that are trying out MTB. I'm finding I like the singletracks with some little fun stuff but nothing really technical awesome! The 820 is a hardtail that has worked perfect for me. It is heavier than Snowtulips but for what I"m doing - it'll last me forever!

and it's STeel!!!

[caligurl]

i saw that one corsair!

ya... i know i'm gonna look at the more expensive ones and think: "NICE!" but i so need to be reasonable! plus i made that "mistake" with my road bike... i bought a mid-range instead of the entry level.. and within a month i was already looking to upgrade!

PLUS..... i REALLY think.. ok.. i KNOW i'll ride my road bike way more! so i just need to remind myself that i don't need to spend a lot of money!

and tlkiwi... i totally agree.. i know that i, personally, need to like the LOOK of the bike or it will irk me! and i'll be wanting something different! (i buy my cars the same way... they HAVE to LOOK good! hubby just rolls his eyes when we are car shopping and always has to stop the sales people with "if it doesn't "look good" she won't buy it.. don't waste your time!"

lol!

[SadieKate]

This is the way I'd more likely stack them up.

XTR = dura-ace
XT = ultegra
LX/Deore are next = 105
Alivio/Altus/Acera = Tiagra/Sora/etc.

LX gives you excellent quality and durability for the money. It's not the lightest stuff out there but it is certainly very respectable equipment. The front shifting is not as crisp as XT and the shift lever used to take a longer throw but they may have fixed this. I couldn't make it work with my small hands (I'm 5'3 3/4" and wear women's size 6 with the small hands to match). The front dereailleur used to wear very fast also. If you are used to Ultegra shifting pay attention to the shifting when you go look at bikes. Do a LOT of shifting in the parking lot. As you know, the drivetrain stuff can really impact the cost of the bike but you sure don't want to be retrofitting the bike because you discover you're really, really picky.

Can you rent some bikes first and see what you like?

Sadie "the drivetrain princess" Kate

[mtbdarby]

I just got the Specialized Rockhopper last month. Of course, I prefer mountain biking :p Mine's in a "purty" blue as you call it - not the one attached to your link. I highly recommend getting measured for your bike. I ended up with a 15 " frame and customized handle bars (they cut off 2" on each end) because I'm so narrow in the the shoulders. Compared to my 18" road bike, I feel like I'm flying on the trails.

I second the shifting thing. The specialized shifts just the opposite as my diamondback and I still get it mixed up so make sure you're comfortable with what you get.

Have fun shopping - let us know what you end up getting!

[Irulan]

go for fit and component package over just a brand name. Specialized/Giant/Trek is irrevelant if they aren't a good fit. As for women's specific, follow my sig link > ride tips > comments on WSD.

Veronica is not imagining it, starting out on a Hard tail or rigid does give you better bike handling skills than going straight to a full suspension. Get at least Front suspension tho. You need to spend at least 2K to get a FS that is not heavy and poorly componented.

Pink, titus makes a pink bike as does surly.

[Irulan]

You will need a smaller mountain bike than road bike as you generally want a bit more standover height and it's really hard to get the front wheel off the ground if the top-tube is too long. Most companies go down to about a 15 inch frame: if I remember correctly, you're not that tall, but if you're a real shortie you might want to look at Gary Fisher, Giant, Kona and Marin as they are all decent enough brands that make extra small frames. You're shopping at a good time of year - the sales should be coming up!

top tube lenght is critical, she is right about that. You do not want to feel like you are in a road position in terms of being laid out. There are 13" mtb's out there too.

[emily_in_nc]

Caligurl ~

I bought a Novara Bonita back in February for riding the trails around our property. I doubt I'll ever be into mountain biking in a big way (I'm too much of a roadie), but I wanted to be able to stay in shape during the winter when it's so cold on the roads with the wind, or to do a quick after-work ride when there wasn't enough time or light for a road ride. The Bonita is not a light bike, but it's fun to ride, easy shifting, and I lucked into a 2004 model for $150 off. I find it very comfy. My inseam is 28", and I ended up with the very smallest WSD size (12") to get any standover at all and a short enough effective top tube. It fits me very well.

Novara is the REI house brand, by the way. Here's a picture of my 2004 model (the 2005 is all silver):
http://home.earthlink.net/~emilys7/cycling/emilys_mtn_bike.JPG

Just another data point - good luck in your search!

Emily

[amg]

so can i maybe "compare" mtn bike stuff like this:

XTR/XT is top notch = dura-ace
LX/Deore are next = ultegra
Alivio/Altus/Acera = 105

i've noticed SRAM in some of the specs but have no clue what i'm looking at :confused:

i'm 5'3" and i think my inseam is 28" (i've grown!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :eek: :) )

hubby and i may be sorry we started to look at mtn bikes... we're both so impulsive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

but i'm NOT gonna spend a lot of money.. i'm NOT i'm NOT i'm NOT i'm NOT!!!!!!! (ya right................)

SRAM is a different brand of components - LX, XT, XTR are all Shimano. So the SRAM equivalents (rough guess) woud be LX= X7, XT=X9, XTR=XO.

I just put SRAM shifters on my new hardtail and I like them much better - the trigger shifters just use your thumb rather than thumb and finger for shifting like the Shimano. It's hard to explain, but if you test ride a few bikes with both kinds you'll see what I mean. However Shimano has been around for a long time, so you can't really go wrong with them.

My current hardtail mountain bike is a Santa Cruz Chameleon and I absolutely love it - they fit small, but I'm not sure if it would be small enough for you. You could try one with a super short stem on and see what you think. The Giant STP that you put a link to would probably be fairly heavy, but because of what it's designed for, not because it's cheap. It's a park bike designed for dirt jumping and skate parks, so it's burlier than a cross country hardtail.

If you're just starting and want something light but don't want to spend a lot of money because you're not sure if you'll stick with it, look for an xc (light) hardtail rather than a full suspension xc. That way you'll get better components for the money.

[Irulan]

If you're just starting and want something light but don't want to spend a lot of money because you're not sure if you'll stick with it, look for an xc (light) hardtail rather than a full suspension xc. That way you'll get better components for the money.


That is excellent advice.

~I.

[xeney]

I just bought a Specialized Rockhopper, the base model, this spring, under just these conditions: wanted to get out on trails, wasn't sure I would like it, didn't want to spend a lot of money. I test rode a lot of bikes and I liked the Rockhopper best for the price range. Actually I really liked the higher-end Rockhopper better than the base model, just because of the components (the ones I was riding had the exact same frame), but eventually I figured out that it was the fork on the low-end model that was bugging me -- and after two days of test-riding the only one the shop had in my size, my husband and I finally convinced the shop that it had a bad fork. (We had to hunt down a mechanic because the sales people just blinked at us.) They swapped it out and I bought the bike.

I like it okay although I will never be a mountain biker. I had pictured tooling along dirt trails looking at nature, but my husband would like me to do crazy things involving steep hills, and I don't know that I will ever have that kind of confidence. I fell a lot on our last ride out, on steepish hills with lots of deep gullies, and somehow kept finding the biggest rocks on which to bang my knee. It's been two months and I've still got some lumps.

If I had it to do over again and really thought I would like this, I would have paid for the Rockhopper Comp. It was the one I liked the best, and I am not really happy with the brakes and shifters on my bike. It took us forever to get the shifting dialed in and it's still pretty sticky sometimes. And that is a big pain, because while I rarely shift my road bike, I shift constantly on the mountain bike.

If I stick with this I am definitely upgrading the brakes. I don't know that I needed disk brakes, but the Tektro linear pull brakes inspire no confidence whatsoever.

In some ways I wish I'd bought a used bike instead. My bike weighs more than my husband's old steel Bianchi hardtail, which originally had no suspension but he added a suspension fork a few years ago. I really love his bike and borrow it when I can, although it is too big for me. I like the Rockhopper but I think I might have been happier on an old steel hand-me-down.

[Irulan]

I like it okay although I will never be a mountain biker. I had pictured tooling along dirt trails looking at nature, but my husband would like me to do crazy things involving steep hills, and I don't know that I will ever have that kind of confidence. I fell a lot on our last ride out, on steepish hills with lots of deep gullies, and somehow kept finding the biggest rocks on which to bang my knee. It's been two months and I've still got some lumps.

if you think you *might* like it, find a beginner's or women's group to go with, and learn some skills. There are lots of ways to facilitate the learning curve, but thrashing with the hubby is not usually one of them. BTDT.

~Irulan

[SadieKate]

Xeney, we should meet out at Granite Bay sometime or go ride Fleming Meadows. Good places to learn without the steep hills and gullies.

[SadieKate]

if you think you *might* like it, find a beginner's or women's group to go with, and learn some skills. There are lots of ways to facilitate the learning curve, but thrashing with the hubby is not usually one of them. BTDT.

~IrulanHey, Irulun, you got strong ESP!

[caligurl]

I had pictured tooling along dirt trails looking at nature, but my husband would like me to do crazy things involving steep hills, and I don't know that I will ever have that kind of confidence. I fell a lot on our last ride out, on steepish hills with lots of deep gullies, and somehow kept finding the biggest rocks on which to bang my knee. It's been two months and I've still got some lumps.

:eek: oh.... that doesn't sound like fun at ALL! i think you need to start out easy (on the dirt trails!!!)

[xeney]

I think Irulan and SadieKate are right -- he swore this was an easy trail but his definition of easy is not the same as mine. He also said the trail was a lot more rutted than he'd remembered. (To be fair to him, he hadn't done any real mountain biking since before he broke his leg in 2003, and he didn't have any fun on that trip either -- he learned the hard way that his new patched-together titanium knee is too inflexible to deal with the cheap old clipless pedals he had on that bike, or at least too inflexible to reliably unclip from a muddy pedal. I got to see him fall almost as often as I fell myself -- he's going to have to get some of those Speedplay pedals you all love so much, I think!)

SadieKate, that is an excellent idea, thank you! We do have an easy to moderate trail near our house where I can practice, but it is not much fun right now because there is starthistle all over the place and it is too hot to wear long pants. I actually looked for some women's clinics when I first got the bike but I could not find anything in Sacramento.

The parts I like are the mud, the easy hills, and the little bounce you get as you land. That's fun. I fear speed, though. Speed is scary.

[SadieKate]

Xeney, where did you go for a ride?

New mantra for you = "Speed is my friend." Treat speed kindly and judiciously just like you would your friends. Sometimes fast is better than slow. Also, go do some thread searches and look for Irulan's comments about braking. By learning to brake properly (which the typical roadies doesn't REALLY learn) you'll ride faster.

Sue Fry, VP of FATRAC, sometimes leads women's only rides at Granite Bay. Check out the schedule (www.fatrac.org) and I'll email her also. I'll be more than happy to take you out on the trails also. I'm a big proponent of not learning from hubby (he messed up my flycasting technique for years :p ).