hi there,
i bought my girlfriend a garry fisher a while ago and she is keen to give it a go, she is lacking confidence which also has to doe with the bike not being quite the right size but she is having a ball when the terrain isn't that technical, she does ride on the road a fair bitt.

so im thinking i would like to buy her a new bike, one that fits, she seems to like it so i figure i can spend a litle bitt on it.
my theory says that a full suspension would be a good idea it would be more comfortable for her but also more forgiving, my more confidence ? so i think im set on a fully..

than i read a comment from mountain bike action ( i know dread full magazine..) that a 29 er might be a good idea because its more stable, offers more grip ?

i ride a 29 hard tail and love it but im also a lot taller than her and i have been ridding for years, i wont go overboard on this bike money wise so my concern would be with a 29 er fully is weight, i dont think buying her a 15 kilo bike is gonna do much good ?
i could buy her a santacruze jullia or say a tallboy wich in itself ius already a grand more but would need more mulla to keep the weight down ?? what are your experiences here ??
thanks mick

A full suspension 29er will definitely be a bit more comfortable and forgiving. Now, regarding which one, I think it really does depend on terrain. I think that the Tallboy may be a good option. As much as I hate to admit it I also really liked how the Giant Anthem rode, so that may be a good option for her as well.
Maybe try taking her to a few LBSs and riding some different rigs? If that is feasible for you guys, I think thats going to be the best option.

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http://www.wheelbuilder.org

its a bitt of a suprise so going past shops is going to be hard i think, however,
do you think the extra weight and will be worth it ?
thanks

The extra weight will be negligible. Suspension design, and overall fit will be much more important than a bit of added weight.

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http://www.zencyclery.com

http://www.wheelbuilder.org

Your budget's growing exponentially by the sounds of it!

What sort of riding is she likely to do? That determines whether a 26 or 29 would be best, does she really need full sus?

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Impoverished weight weenie wanna-be!
Budget 26" HT build viewtopic.php?f=10&t=110956

I bought my girlfriend a Specialized Fate, size 15,5". She loves it and and did a xc-race after 3 weeks. The only women specific Mtb race bike I can think of really. 29er is the way to go, maybe even FS to make her love the trails even more

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Ride lots!

Not a good move. If there's one thing I've learned about bikes it's they're very personal. What one rider might like, another might hate. Then of course you factor in the fairer sex and......

For what it's worth my own opinion for a newbie rider would be a light hardtail 26 inch bike, one that can be maintained very easily. For what you'll pay for a good full suspension bike, you can get a better specced hardtail and as the riding won't be that demanding, I don't imagine, therefore the comfort will all be in the saddle and clothing.

As for choosing one, I'd take her 'window shopping' in bike stores, suggest that you're looking for what's new but while you're in the shop see what she likes. 9/10 times it won't be what you expect.

My opinion for entry level bikes is always buy a hardtail 26" that fits the intended rider.

A hardtail because more money can be focused on getting higher spec'd components and a lighter bike. Riding a 30 lbs full suspension bike with Alivio/Sora and crap forks/shocks is horrible. Riding a 22 lbs hardtail with XT/LX is much better.

I would recommend keeping an eye out for used. It is end of season. Pick up a sponsored rider's race bike for 1/2 the price of retail with full XTR or XX is the way to go instead of buying slightly discounted new LX, X7 drivetrain bikes.

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thanks all for the reply's.
she now has a second hand racers bike, a gary fisher super caliber, pretty much full xtr 240 hubs and a sid worldcup, but the "superman" position isnt quite here thing.
i picked up, suprised her (dejavu?) and she is quite happy with it but as in sadi streched and low front end isnt enspiring for a new ridder.

she can test ride a trek rumble fish tomorrow, maintance is not a problem, she is still "scared" of steps and so on wich make s me thing a fully is good idea also i find myself bigger wheel roll over rocks and roots easier than smaller wheels..

she is very keen, i keep saying to here all in good time but she wants to sharpen up her skills so she booked three clinics, wich also oncluded a fair bit over traqveling to get there, i mean she is really keen,were niow ridding fire trail nothing to technical but in a year orso from now we want to go holliday in the states and would love to visit some fat tire festivals and ride trails in colorado..

Inline seatpost and shorter stem? That and move teh saddle forward to the limit and you'll often shorten a cockpit by 3" easily.

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Impoverished weight weenie wanna-be!
Budget 26" HT build viewtopic.php?f=10&t=110956

Another 3 if i swing that 180 degrees around (;