Inexpensive mountain bikes

[goldfinch]

I am casually looking for an inexpensive mountain bike that would be more suitable than my Cannondale Quick for ratty dirt roads, fire roads, and some non-technical mountain bike trails. I had put knobby tires on my Quick and have used it. Now I find that the tires have been rubbing on my fork and have removed paint down to the carbon. A full suspension seems over the top for my needs, pricey, and difficult to find for someone 4'11" tall with a short reach. So, I am looking at hardtail bikes.

My standover is about 27.5" but I have very short arms. My Quick has a 50.5 effective top tube, which is pretty good.

So far I have found:

Specialized Myka Sport (maybe disc) that comes in a 13" size, 52.5cm top tube, and about 25.6" on standover, at $630. Or I could go as low as their non-disc, nonsport version at $470.


http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/...cname=Mountain

Specialized Jett Comp, also in a 13" size, 53cm top tube (getting to be a bit much), with bout 25.6" on standover, but kind of pricey at $1250:

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/...cname=Mountain

Jamis Trail X2, with a 12" size, 52.1cm top tube, 25.27" standover, and inexpensive at $475, but kind of unattractive:

http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebik..._trailx2f.html

A bit more out of the box, a kids mountain bike with a 12" frame, 49cm Top tube and 24 inch wheels, a Kona Kula at $949:

http://www.konaworld.com/kids.cfm?content=kula_2-4

Bikes direct has a number of possibilities in their Motobecane brand, with 52cm top tubes, and acceptable stand over at 26", but most seem to be sold out and the ones I originally looked at are now gone.

Thoughts?

EDIT: None of the bike shops within 100 miles of my current location have any of these bikes in the small size I am looking at. This has long been a problem of mine, nothing to try out.

[laura*]

My Quick has a 50.5 effective top tube, which is pretty good.

So far I have found:

Specialized Myka Sport ... 52.5cm top tube

Specialized Jett Comp ... 53cm top tube

Jamis Trail X2 ... 52.1cm top tube

49cm Top tube ... a Kona Kula

Motobecane ... 52cm top tubes

What are the seat tube angles on these frames? You need to normalize the ETT by the differences in STA.

[goldfinch]

What are the seat tube angles on these frames? You need to normalize the ETT by the differences in STA.

Thanks. Here is the data:

Specialized Myka Sport ... 52.5cm top tube, STA 74 degrees

Specialized Jett Comp ... 53cm top tube, STA 73 degrees

Jamis Trail X2 ... 52.1cm top tube, STA 74 degrees

49cm Top tube ... a Kona Kula, STA 73 degrees

Motobecane ... 52cm top tubes, STA 73 degrees

So, only one degree difference. Does it matter?

[goldfinch]

I see that my well fitting Cannondale Quick has a seat tube angle of 76 degrees to go with the 50.5cm top tube. How does that compare with these other bikes?

[laura*]

I see that my well fitting Cannondale Quick has a seat tube angle of 76 degrees to go with the 50.5cm top tube. How does that compare with these other bikes?

Nominally, one degree of change in the STA results in 1cm change in the effective top tube. The exact number depends upon the seat tube length, so for smaller bikes, the ETT change will be slightly less.

Your 76 degree 50.5cm Quick is equivalent to:

75 degrees 51.5cm
74 degrees 52.5cm
73 degrees 53.5cm

Thus, the Myka is the same length as your Quick, and the others actually a bit shorter except for the Kula which is a lot shorter.

[goldfinch]

Nominally, one degree of change in the STA results in 1cm change in the effective top tube. The exact number depends upon the seat tube length, so for smaller bikes, the ETT change will be slightly less.

Your 76 degree 50.5cm Quick is equivalent to:

75 degrees 51.5cm
74 degrees 52.5cm
73 degrees 53.5cm

Thus, the Myka is the same length as your Quick, and the others actually a bit shorter except for the Kula which is a lot shorter.

Thanks, that is extremely helpful to me!

[Trek420]

A bit more out of the box, a kids mountain bike with a 12" frame, 49cm Top tube and 24 inch wheels, a Kona Kula at $949:

http://www.konaworld.com/kids.cfm?content=kula_2-4

What about the Kona Tika, their lowest priced WSD?
RockShox XC 28 fork
Shimano Acera drivetrain
Shimano hydraulic disc brakes
Kona women’s saddle
$755 USD

http://www.konaworld.com/womens.cfm?content=tika

[goldfinch]

Yeah, the Tika and the Durango are too high on the standover. Nice bikes.

I did decide that the kids bike wasn't a good idea. I am leaning towards the Myka or Jett. I am going to be in Minneapolis in a few weeks and have tracked down a Myka to try out.

[goldfinch]

Well, this is frustrating. Back last spring I tried the 13" Jett Comp, with 26 inch wheels, and the 13" Myka, also with 26 inch wheels. I liked the light Jett the best but the higher price put me off. I decided to wait until later in the year and see if I could pick up a cheaper one. Or, just give in and pay the extra.

Can't find any 13" closeouts. And, the Jett is no longer made with the 26 inch wheels and 13" frame.

I am bummed.

They also changed the geometry on the Myka line.

[TrekDianna]

Have you looked at a Trek Skye? I have a 14 inch and it took a lot of test riding to find a comfortable bike.

[indysteel]

FWIW, the top tube on my mountain bikes, even when taking into consideration the differences in HTA are longer in the TT than my road/touring bikes.

I have the Myka in the non-disc version. It would be fine for your purposes unless you ride in wet conditions a lot. My only complaint with the componentry (I'd have to check to see if this year's model is the same is mine) is that it was VERY hard to shift between chainrings. Going from bigger to smaller was fine, but smaller to bigger was very hard.

[Bethany1]

Darn. My daughter has the pink/black Myka that came out last year or year before but when I checked it's a 19. She never uses it, probably because the lady didn't know what she was doing and being new, neither did I when it came to size. I would happily sell it to you if it fit. Hers is the basic model though, Suntour fork and basic components.

[goldfinch]

Have you looked at a Trek Skye? I have a 14 inch and it took a lot of test riding to find a comfortable bike.

The 13 inch Skye's with the better components have too high a standover. The ones with a more step through frame are kind of bottom end on components. I have tired of bottom end components.

[Irulan]

Keep looking. I ride with two gals under 5'. Neither of them ride 24" wheels; in fact I never hears of that until now. The one gal is a MD and has a stable that included a 29er. Giant makes some offerings....so keep looking.

[goldfinch]

I looked at the specs on the Santa Cruz Juliana and the standover seems a bit iffy. No way to try to know it it would work.

Giant has nothing small enough. In fact, one of their lines for women has an extra small with a 30.9 standover. Criminal to call that extra small!

Trek's bikes include a Cali which may work, it has a reasonable reach at 36.5 and a reasonable standover at 65.8. I am a bit concerned because it is a 29'er. I would rather have 26 inch wheels for maneuverability.

The Myka probably is my best bet but I hate, hate the color on this year's model on the top of the line 26 inch Myka. I do not want dingy gray. So, I would have to accept lesser components for a better color. The Trek seems like a better bike.

Wish I could find someplace to try one. I still wish I could find last year's models on anything. No one seems to have any in Minnesota that I can find.