First Full Suspension Bike

The dark side calls and resistance is futile. I've finally decided after donkey years of stubborn, to get a full suspension bike. Only now, I'm not sure what to go for. So if someone can help me out a little by recommending brands to look at, I'd appreciate it very much. My criteria would be, has to come in a small size, I'm 5'2" and top tube incidents hurt. I'd like something with 4 inch travel in the rear and a 100 - 120mm fork. My budget runs to $2000 for the full bike (not sure if that's realistic, if its not, someone please correct me). If the bike is not terrifically heavy, it'd be an awesome bonus but not utterly necessary. Thanks a lot!! :D

Do you need a short top tube? Specialized makes a nice bike with a short top tube. For me it wasn't comfortable but others like them. The Myka is a cost friendly full suspension that has 4 or 5" of travel (I think). I love my full suspension and it has made mountain biking more fun. A trail bike is going to be a bit heavy (mine is about 27 lbs) but is probably going to be what is in your budget. I don't notice the weight, just the fun!

Alexis, I just got my first MTB, a Specialized Myka. While I'm not in the market for a FS, I have looked at their geometry just to get a feel for what might fit me. I'm 5'4 with really short legs. I've ruled any number of bikes out because of it. A couple that might fit me are the Specialized
Myka, Pivot Mach 4, 5 and 5.7 and Titus. Unfortunately, these latter two are not cheap.
I'd not that there was someone on TE last week trying to sell her 2011 XS Pivot Mach 5 for quite a bit off retail.

In any event, there's a fairly recent thread in TE's MTB subforum on bikes for short people. I'd link to it, but I'm on my Blackberry and can't do that. Just go to the subforum and scroll down; you should see it. There's also a couple of discussions on MTBR's women's subforum on that topic.

Happy hunting!

I'm about the same size as you & had a hard time finding something to fit..

It was a toss up between Yeti & Titus but ended up w a Titus..:o. I didn't know about the company's issues until a while later :o :eek:

Anywho, if you can pick up a Yeti, do!

Ibis/Scott/Turner's are nice but they don't make them XS :(.

Try the MTBR forum as all the reviews are there!!! Great site :cool:

Yep, after much looking around, the Specialized Myka looks like a good choice. However, after asking around for the local pricing, putting in a bit more cash (which I don't have) would get me the Safire. -_-

Yes! I've looked at, and LOVED the Pivot Mach 4 and Titus. In fact, I've tested out a Titus and absolutely loved the way it climbed. But I agree, the prices are nuts. Awesomeness, thanks for the direction pointers. =)