Need help choosing a bike!

[Nanci]

If you _did_ have fork problems, that's one of the easiest upgrades to make, that will make a huge difference in comfort, anyway. You can buy a really nice last year's fork from any of the good manufacturers as a fraction of the original cost.

Disc brakes are the best. Especially if you will be riding or taking your bike to anywhere with long descents- Tsali or Pisgah in NC come to mind! I have Avid mechanical discs, which have never caused any trouble and are worth their weight in gold.

Nanci

[singletrackmind]

I've been happy with my Rockshock Sid for several years now. I had a Rockshock Judy before that and it was ok, too. It lasted about 5 years but went through some of the muddiest race conditions ever and was barely maintained.

[Irulan]

you don't say what your budget range is, once you get to about $500 the quality of the compenents increases dramatically. Any fork on a bike that costs less than that is most likely going to be an elastomer fork, ( giant rubber bands) and not air or coil.

Giant also provides some of the best bang for your buck bike on the lower end of the spectrum.

Correct fit is, IMSHO, the most critical factor in mountain bike fit.

And now to put out my women specific soap box:

Women specific is designed for a specific body type, which if you fall into that range ( long legs, short torso) is great. But do not buy one just becuase you are female. Unless you are spending a lot of $$ on one, as a rule they have a more crappy component set than the same bike, non, wsd version.

irulan

[SalsaMTB]

I've had the 6700 for over 2 years and have been VERY happy with it. I haven't had any problems, it handles well and has decent components to start with. The only part I felt was really poor on it were the pedals (not sure if Trek changed since I purchased). They were terrible to get out of for me and I found the Time's to be much better. It was my first MTB also and made me fall in love with the sport! In saying that though, it really comes down to fit. You should try to test ride them both to see how you feel on them (if possible) before making the decision.

[SalsaMTB]

Unless you are spending a lot of $$ on one, as a rule they have a more crappy component set than the same bike, non, wsd version.

Looking at the specs for the 6700 and 6700WSD they look identical and the Rockhopper looks like it has a slightly different fork on the small WSD with less travel (80mm) but the same for the larger size WSD (100mm). Everything else is identical and the same price...

I definitely agree though to not purchase a WSD just because you are a female. Test ride the non-wsd bikes also to find the perfect fit.

[gr8lakesgurl]

Thanks for all the advice. I rode a rockhopper comp with disk brakes yesterday and it fit fine. I still haven't decided between that and the trek but I feel so much better now making the choice with all the help!

[bcipam]

And now to put out my women specific soap box:

Women specific is designed for a specific body type, which if you fall into that range ( long legs, short torso) is great. But do not buy one just becuase you are female. Unless you are spending a lot of $$ on one, as a rule they have a more crappy component set than the same bike, non, wsd version.

irulan[/QUOTE]


Irulan:

I'm with you on that. I actually do fit the description for a WSD bike (long legs, short arms and torso) but have brought "man" bikes and modified the stem to get the fit I want because the components were better on the "man" bike. Generally bike manufacturers think all women who ride weigh less than 120 lbs. That might be but I'm tall and well, large, and need a substantial front fork. I checked with Specialized on their WSD bikes and unfortunately the forks are not interchangeable (I wanted the Fox on the "man" bike not the Manitou on the WSD). Something one needs to consider when buying a bike.

And to all newbies, this has been mentioned time and time again, fit is essential no matter what. If the bike doesn't fit you, it's no good to ride no matter the deal and components. It's not enough you can stand over hte bike and have clearance. The most important measurement is the top tube. If you have difficulty reaching the hoods, the bike is too big or needs adjustments!

[Irulan]

heh heh

MAN BIKE.

I like that.

"I ride a man bike "


/easily amused

[Nanci]

Hey, my MTB is a manbike! (Titus Locomoto size small) None of the WSD MTB's felt right. That would suck to not be able to change out the fork if you wanted to. I wouldn't buy a bike where that was the case...

Nanci

[DirtDiva]

...except I don't know that I really want to call my dear MTB a manbike because she's, well, a girl. What does that make her? A tomboybike?