Best Women Beginner Mountain Bikes
A cross-country mountain bike is made for playing in the woods. And girls like to get dirty too! Most mountain bikes are unisex. But women are built differently than men, and can benefit from some minor considerations in the design of their bike.
The typical woman has a smaller torso to leg ratio than the boys, so she needs a shorter cockpit length. Bike frame geometry should reflect these biomechanical characteristics. The more comfortable we are when riding, the more confidence we gain. And we women like to be in control… Especially for newbies, confidence is key. So a mountain bike completely designed with women in mind is the name of the game.
I believe throwing down for a full suspension bike is the way to go, even for beginners. They may be more pricey, but the comfort and control that they lend will really get a new rider excited to ride, and keep them going back for more. So here are the best premiere full-suspension rigs that are perfect for opening the eyes of new trail riding chicks to the world of woods.
Best Womens Beginner Mountain Bikes by Marla Streb
The Best You Can Get
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Marla says:
Take the wildly popular Santa Cruz Superlight, and offer more fit options, smaller stand-over size, and a lighter tube set for this women’s winner. This frame epitomizes high performance without all the bells and whistles. 100 mm of rear travel courtesy of a clean single pivot is placed to deliver compliant and effective suspension, with a minimum of fuss.
- An elegant frame that is light yet stiff, simple yet efficient
- Relies heavily on the input of legendary racer, Juli Furtado
- Relaxed geometry, lower bottom bracket, shorter top tube
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Marla says:
The Genesisters bikes for women have been a huge success. One must applaud the tracking of the bike going up or down, and at slow speeds in tight single track. This is a credit to the Genesis 2.0 Geometry that creates neutral handling. The result is a nimble, light bike that seems to read your mind.
- Extremely lightweight trail bike with 5? of travel
- Smartly designed single pivot suspension climbs efficiently while soaking up obstacles
- Manitou Minute Comp Air fork with a custom offset
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Marla says:
This ride has proprietary “smart” FSR technology, which means confident traction independent of brake forces and chain torque. The remote trail tune inertia valve and Fox Brain Fade (which avoids that harsh locked out feeling) will back up any girl on the trails, tech savvy or not. This bike literally floats over any obstacle, and decked out with Shimano XTR, will be the leader of any club ride or weekend race.
- ?Designs for Women? products line is built for women from the ground up
- Exclusive full-suspension technology makes for superlative efficiency, control, and comfort
- Carbon frame, FACT 10m carbon chain stays
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Marla says:
Giant's Women's Anthem is designed for racing, but no one will know even if you use it to blow by your friends on "casual" rides. Plus, the Anthem 3 comes with top-notch Mavic rims and highly coveted Shimano components.
- Features Giant's renowned Maestro (Fox) suspension technology
- New women?s lightweight ALUXX SL frameset and plush 5? travel
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Marla says:
This “Women’s Specific Design” bike is engineered from bottom to top for women. Body weight is distributed more evenly between hips and hands, putting the rider in a more neutral position. This is the best in the substantial line of Trek’s WSD bikes.
- OCLV Carbon with pivotless swingarm
- Fox suspension front with Manitou rear and Bontrager FIT components
- Shorter top tube and steeper seat tube angle
You will be happy with any of these
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Marla says:
The specs on this Canadian designed bike are very well thought-out. Custom valved Fox Float shocks maximize suspension performance. The lightweight hollow section CS yoke is a nice touch to add extra stiffness.
- Features 3D link which creates lateral stiffness and maximizes shock performance
- Rocky Mountain FORMTM custom shaped and butted tubing
- Single Pivot design assures a consistent ride quality throughout its range of travel in every gear
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Marla says:
Kona’s top of the line cross-country frame designed for women shows its pedigree well. Alison Sydor, multiple World Cup winner, has been working for Kona for a while now and it shows in the quality of the Lisa line.
- Frames made with scandium lightweight and sizes ranging from 14? to 18?
- Outfitted with WTB?s Speed SHE Comp saddle designed for female anatomy
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Marla says:
Jewel is the no-compromise version of Vicious’ Metal Guru with geometry specific to female proportions. And with the same custom drawn triple butted Reynolds 853 steel tube set, this bike flies.
- Female specific geometry and premium steel tube set
- Proprietary cable routing keeps housing from kinking
- All tubes sealed to keep out water, seat tube drain hole
- 304 stainless steel bottle opener welded on frame
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Marla says:
This bike makes riding rough trails an enjoyable experience with its efficient, yet plush rear end. It stays active under heavy pedaling thanks to the ID suspension. GT has been improving on this technology for over a decade.
- GT I-Drive 4 6061 heat treated full-suspension frame set with 4? of rear wheel travel
- Integrated headset and main pivot bearings
- Internal geometry tuned for women
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Marla says:
This is a very light and reliable bike. And if you’re looking for some attention at the coffee shop, that Lefty fork will do the job.
- Lightweight monocoque front triangle
- Single Pivot keeps it simple for less mechanicals
- Chain stay bridge boosts rear end stiffness
