[Careym13]

Hi everyone-

I'm in the market for my first real mountain bike and I have been considering the Kona Cindercone. Kona does have a line of women's bikes but they are out of my price range while the Cindercone is right at the top of my price range at $900. So my question is, does having an actual women's bike make a big difference?

Thanks!

 

[TreeSaw]

Hello and welcome!!! A women's specific bike isn't necessary for all women. Bike fit is really personal so I would recommend riding the Kona and making sure that it fits (isn't too tall or too long, etc. Generally speaking, women's specific bikes have shorter top tubes, longer seat tube, lower standover heights, narrower bars, shorter cranks, shorter stems and if it's a full suspension, it may also have lighter springs as women tend to be lighter than men and don't need as beefy a spring in their shock and a women's specific saddle. Be careful though...some bike companies put lower end components on their WSD bikes than their regular bikes.

That being said, if you aren't a traditional woman's build (long legs and shorter torso) you might be perfectly fine on a regular mountain bike. I personally am 5'4" tall and have short legs (my inseam is only 29") so I tend to fit well on regular bikes...I ride a small or a 15" frame with a shorter stem and it's comfortable to me. I did switch to 170mm cranks on all but my singlespeed and they feel great to me.

My advice, ride as many different bikes as you can and go with what feels right to you.
Good luck with your purchase!

 

[Careym13]

Ok thanks, that is good to know. I'm going tomorrow to try a few out so we'll see how it goes!

 

[Careym13]

Well I ended up with an 08 Lisa HT for $720...pretty good deal so I'm happy. Now its time to start learning to ride off road!

 

[TreeSaw]

Well I ended up with an 08 Lisa HT for $720...pretty good deal so I'm happy. Now its time to start learning to ride off road!

Sweet!!! Post up some pics for us to see your new steed.