Note to Readers: I’ve just updated this post for 2013 so browse away to see the current models!
Mountain Biking is, it’s fair to say, a pretty male-dominated sport. Hit Glentress on a Saturday afternoon and you’ll be lucky to see 1 girl for every 5 guys (don’t ask me for my statistical working there…). But, it’s definitely changing, and for the better. There are a lot more girls on the trails these days, and plenty of them that can skin me on the downhill any day of the week!
So, I though it was worth doing a little feature on ladies mountain bikes, looking at the best of breed right now. After a quick look at why you might want a specific bike for girls, we’ll check out the best women’s bikes on the market.
Do I Need a Ladies Mountain Bike?
Some people claim that ladies shouldn’t ride anything but a women’s mountain bike whereas others are convinced that riding the same kit as the men is the right way to go. So, what’s the story?
So, what’s the difference?
Women are typically shorter than men, with longer legs but a shorter torso and arms, but this is not always the case. Women’s mountain bikes are designed to fit this female form better than a men’s bike.
Not every woman will feel comfortable on a women’s bike as your body form may suit a men’s bike better. If you’re not sure whether you would be best suited to a men’s or ladies mountain bike, see if you can go for a test ride on both types. You’ll soon learn which feels most comfortable for your body shape.
Narrowing down a list of women’s mountain bikes into one super-slick top five list was actually quite difficult, but we’ve managed to do just that. Here is a list of the top five models that money can buy with a brief description about why we think they deserve this special Mountain Bikes Apart accolade.
#5: Lapierre Zesty 314L
The all-new 2012 Lapierre Zesty women’s mountain bike is one of the most comfortable and geometrically pleasing on the market. The frame is available in either carbon or alloy and with an excellent ration between versatility and weight; this Zesty is great fun to ride. The OST+ 140mm suspension tech is incredible, riding off road will never have been so smooth.
Have a look here for current prices: Lapierre Zesty 314L
#4: Scott Contessa Scale 930
For the budget-conscious female mountain bike, the Scott Contessa Scale 930 is a complete no-brainer. The riding position is excellent and incredibly comfortable but you might have to upgrade the seat to something a bit more padded. Super sharp brakes, smooth gear transitions and responsive suspension finish off a great starter bike.
The Contessa Scale range only starts with the 930 though and, if you have the budget, the 900 or even the 900 RC are amazingly capable bikes.
Have a look here to see the ladies’ Contessa range: Scott Contessa Scale
#3: Trek Lush
Trek are never far from the top of the list when it comes to great trail bikes, and the Lush is no departure from their usual performance. It has great geometry for beginners, being more upright that most, and will nicely ease you out of the red runs and onto the black. But, for expert lady riders the Lush excels, with the same geometry offering a huge amount of stability. The frame feels amazingly responsive and you can just flick it round corners with ease. The suspension adds a great amount of versatility with it’s range of settings, from solid climbing mode to full-on downhill bounce. And if you really are feeling lush, check out the full carbon top of the range model… mmmm….
Find the range here: Trek Lush
#2: Cannondale Trail SL 3
This bike is commonly considered one of the best entry level women’s mountain bikes on the market (second only to the number one below). Cannondale always deliver the goods and the Trail SL 3 comes with a great spec. It sports a SRAM x5 drivetrain, Cannondale’s SAVE technology (even though it’s a hardtail it claims to soak up the bumps in a smaller but similar way to a full-sus) and a RockShox XC 30 fork. All this makes for a super-light bike which will keep running smoothly for years. So, as a first bike for any woman, it’s a great choice.
Have a look at current prices here: Cannondale Trail SL
#1: Specialized Myka Sport Disc FSR
Female mountain bikers looking to buy an entry level steed with plenty of room to grow might want to look towards the Specialized Myka. The high quality aluminium frame is lightweight and when combined with the smooth SR Suntour fork and women’s spring rates, it’s a dream to ride. The Myka is great value, offering complete, ready to go mountain bikes for way under £1000. If you’re a more advanced rider with more to spend, you might want to look back down the list to the Lush, the Scale or the Zesty, but this makes number 1 because of the quality and value coming together to help more girls get into biking.
A bonus point for this Specialized model is that it steers clears from the stereotypical pink and girly women’s mountain bikes – a real bike for real riders.
Have a look here to see the Myka range: Specialized Myka
So, that’s just my list of women’s mountain bikes, hope it arms you with a bit of info next time you go bike shopping, either for yourself or for your other half.
I’d love to hear what you think though – are you riding a girl’s specific mountain bike? Or are you a female mountain biker riding a standard guy’s bike? Let me know what you’re riding and what you think of it in the comments below – would love to know!
Image Credit – Hadleigh Race 2011: britanglishman on Flickr
I ride a trek in. Botswana and when in spain a scott. Lady specific. They are both wonderful mens bikes dont do it for me as narrow shoulders and short torso get severe stiff neck and shoulders from ackward riding position
Interesting, thanks for that input Charlene, great to hear some feedback from some female riders.
I’ve been hearing both sides of the story recently, but it does seem a pretty common symptom of ladies on a men’s bike, the sore shoulders and similar.
Have you ever tried altering a men’s bike to make it fit better? Ie. shorter stem, or a way-forward saddle?
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My girlfriend rides a Men’s Kona, and when we went shopping for it found lots of shops trying to sell her a “women’s bike. We found generally they were less spec’ed and more expensive than a Men’s bike. She is 5″10, so it really depends on the women’s body build. Since my girlfriend is taller, she didn’t have any issues fitting on her 17” bike. the only change many women need is to swap out the seat, and get a narrower handlebar. This isn’t a major overhaul and easily done. We found often especially with brands like Trek, that the women’s bikes seemed to be more of a marketing ploy than anything else, with strange geometry that was questionable as to if it were really made for a serious rider. The top end stuff was clearly just a small framed men’s bike that has pink or teal thrown on it. KHS makes a women’s bike that is the same race geometry, but comes with a wider seat, narrower handlebars and smaller frame size options, but otherwise are identical to their men’s race bikes.