Female friendly fit hardtail mtb for bikepacking

[Bensonbluebird]

Hi All, I'm on the lookout for a second hardtail mtb, primarily to be used for bikepacking and cycling in to remote mountains. I've never owned a mtb before and would like some suggestions of models to look out for that would be a good fit for a 162cm tall woman with comparatively (but not super) long limbs. I'd like something light with plenty of attachment points. Budget about £1k.

[AndyB1]

What do you ride now - and do you like it?
If so, can you use it temporarily and see how you would want to improve it?
IMHO tyres are the biggest factor in making a bike work in mountains.
Remote mountains - UK or abroad? (Availability of spare parts can be different) - and sometimes older low tech can be better.

[531colin]

As above; what do you ride now, what do you like about it, what do you dislike?
Bearing in mind you don’t have an MTB now, do you (think) you want a similar riding position on your prospective MTB as on your existing bike? (What is your existing bike?)
A video of you riding filmed from the side might be helpful.
I’m not sure there is a “female” fit, and it seems to me that “modern mountain bike geometry” is more about gravity assisted runs in bike parks and making jumps in the woods than about making a journey. …I anticipate discussion on that.
It’s also possible that big tyres might give you all the suspension you need, and bikes with big tyres and fittings for luggage exist for “back country “ touring.

[VinceLedge]

OH and I use Trek Marlins as touring bikes for mix of on and off road touring. The Marlins have attachment points for a rear rack and mudguards. She is about 164cm tall and hers is a Medium. We have Marlin 6s but the 5 or 7 would work as well.

[pjclinch]

MTB models seem to come and go every five minutes so I'm not convinced there are particular ones to seek out. Rather, look at what's available, see if it's the right basic size and has the features you want (like braze ons).

If it's bikepacking and hill access there's nothing too whizzy needed. My wife and I have done that on second hand hardtails bought without much thought about bikepacking and they were fine.

The tendency in "female friendly" design the last few seasons has been to make smaller frames available (and with smaller wheels available for the smaller frames) and pay particular attention to the contact points (saddle and bars, levers). There had been an idea that an average adult female had different limb/trunk ratios to the average male but it's now thought there's more variation within in each sex than differences between the averages, so not much point assuming a typical women/man will have a different relative reach to their typical counterpart. As to whether a given frame will accommodate a given rider well, best way to see is try it!

Even if a bike comes with a"women's saddle" don't assume it's bound to be right for you, it'll depend on the particular anatomy, how upright you sit etc., though it ought to have a better chance of being tolerable than a "unisex" one.
I assume I'll be changing the saddle on any bike I get, and my wife usually does the same (though neither of us much likes the other's choice!).

Pete.

[Bensonbluebird]

Thanks for the responses. I currently ride a Surly crosscheck that I've adapted ed to make a comfortable tourer, though I also use it for commuting and some gravel. I've got a bit more range in the gearing and have switched to sti shifters. I've also changed to slightly narrower drop bars. I do use it for sections of off road but would like more braking power and to have a more cushy ride over rough ground.

To answer the qu on how remote, mainly Scotland.

[rareposter]

The range is undergoing a bit of a revamp at the moment but (once they come into stock) you can buy brand new for under £1000.

Canyon "Grand Canyon" trail hardtail. There are pics of it there loaded up with racks and bags and bikepacking gear:
https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/mountain-b ... nd-canyon/

There's an online sizing guide too and a wide range of sizes from XXXS - I guess at 5'3", you'll probably be S but pop the figures into their online guide.

Also worth considering is the Specialized Chisel. Stupid name, really versatile aluminium hardtail. There's a couple of size S on ebay at the moment for less than £1000. The factory spec on them is a bit basic but they're really ripe for upgrading, the frame is amazing and if you search on YouTube you'll see a fair few videos of people using them for bikepacking and talking through the set-up.
I've got one - does everything from blasts around trail centres to loaded day rides with no problems. Not done any overnighters on it yet, I usually use the gravel bike for that but I've got some more off-road routes planned for summer.

[Nearholmer]

You’re probably beyond tinkering with the Crosscheck, but I’ve got mine fitted with vee brakes and koolstop pads, and the braking is exceedingly good.

[531colin]

Hi All, I'm on the lookout for a second hardtail mtb, primarily to be used for bikepacking and cycling in to remote mountains. I've never owned a mtb before and would like some suggestions of models to look out for that would be a good fit for a 162cm tall woman with comparatively (but not super) long limbs. I'd like something light with plenty of attachment points. Budget about £1k.

Secondhand?

[slowster]

There is currently a thread on the Bearbones forum about the best bike for bikepacking - https://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpB ... hp?t=25501.

I suggest you register on the Bearbones forum and ask the same thing there. Not only are you probably more likely to get advice from people with a lot of experience both of the type of riding you describe, and of the pros and cons of different bikes for that type of riding, they may also be able to help you in your search for a suitable second hand bike.

At 162cm I suspect you might find that 27.5" wheels are a better option than 29", not only for the general fit of the bike and how you find it handles and feels, but also because with 29" you will have very limited space for a typical bikepacking style rear saddlepack (even more so if you ever wanted to use a dropper seat post). 27.5" wheel MTBs are much less common among manufacturers' ranges than they used to be, and the choice of tyres is less now than for 29", but nevertheless it might still be a better option for you.

I would also suggest you be prepared to consider a rigid MTB if the right bike is available at an acceptable price, i.e. one designed for very wide tyres, e.g. 2.8"- 3". Again, the choice of 3" tyres is less than it used to be when "Plus" tyres were a big trend, but Surly and others still make them (and I think the choice of 2.8"- 3" tyres might be greater in 27.5" size than 29"). One advantage of a rigid MTB is that it maximises the size of the inner frame triangle, and thus the size of a frame bag. A hardtail requires a smaller triangle to accommodate the suspension movement of the front tyre.

Alternatively, if you bought a 29" hardtail, you might need to consider using small rear panniers and a rear rack instead of a largeish saddlepack and/or frame bag.

[Bensonbluebird]

Thanks, I'll check that out.

[Bensonbluebird]

You’re probably beyond tinkering with the Crosscheck, but I’ve got mine fitted with vee brakes and koolstop pads, and the braking is exceedingly good.

Interesting... What v. brakes did you fit?

[Bensonbluebird]

Hi All, I'm on the lookout for a second hardtail mtb, primarily to be used for bikepacking and cycling in to remote mountains. I've never owned a mtb before and would like some suggestions of models to look out for that would be a good fit for a 162cm tall woman with comparatively (but not super) long limbs. I'd like something light with plenty of attachment points. Budget about £1k.

Secondhand?

Yep

[pjclinch]

Re. 27.5" being increasingly uncommon, that is true but it's also apparently the case that where they do show up is on S and XS frame sizes of models that are otherwise 29ers, so I don't think they're completely disappearing.

Pete.

[rareposter]

Thanks, I'll check that out.

A couple more options to the list as well.
Sonder Broken Road: https://alpkit.com/products/broken-road-st-deore a steel-frame "wilderness hardtail" with bikepacking mounts
Sonder Frontier: https://alpkit.com/products/sonder-frontier-deore a bit more a trail MTB, this is aluminium. Also available with a rigid fork.

Both of those are new at about £1300 - £1400 but you can change the spec on them at point of purchase and there are also payment options to spread the cost. Alpkit have a decent demo / test ride programme too and the staff are usually pretty good with sizing, fitting and general advice. They also do a range of their own bikepacking luggage.