Quote Originally Posted by caligurl
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
What 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.