Bike for Wife - Dirt tracks, woodland paths, singletrack pathways mainly, with front suspension? Pls Help!

[Hockeynut]

Wife has a (second hand to us) old Trek 4300 WSD, circa 2008. It seems heavy as a tank. She's indifferent on riding, but our 7yo is enjoying it more, so want us all to all get out together. Plus it's ideal to throw on the back of the motorhome. It's hard work on her heavy bike, so I want to make life easier for her, and hope she'd enjoy it more if it's easier. She enjoys getting out with us, but certainly doesn't live for cycling! It's only occasional. Which might be why I'm finding it hard to get the spec bits we want for a price that feels ok for occasional riding.

For Dirt tracks, woodland paths, singletrack pathways mainly.
I have some idea what might work, but open to pointers. She broke her arm while back, so sometimes finds it hard on that.

• 700er hybrid - she sometimes finds MTB stance a bit aggressive, plus she's not exactly in Red Routes territory! So a more upright would be good.
• Front suspension with Lockout - Seems sensible to absorb more, I can't imagine it without lockout though.

I showed her some at ~£750 though and she baulked at them for occasional riding. I think she is expecting to still be able to pick one up for £200-300.
She's not digging the idea of spending a lot for something that is occasionally used.

So I've been trying to find something <£500.

Closest I've found is :

• 2021 Boardman MTX 8.6 Women's (2021 model comes in at £575) includes lockout.
• Some 2021 Trek Dual Sport's look ok (they do some women's versions too)

Merida looked a little cheaper, but not by much. And Decathlon didn't look like they offered any better value. I'm at a bit of a loss, but perhaps I'm after something that isn't at that price point?

Please help!!

 

[ClichéGuevara]

I've no experience of the specific model you mention, but I and others I know have had no real issues with Boardman bikes, and found them good value for money.

The key is usually for the person to sit on one, and perhaps have a pedal around just to see how it feels to them, as we're all built differently.

 

[Cycleops]

Try looking for a hybrid without front suspension. It'll be lighter and as there no suspension so the money saved can go into better components on the bike. Suspension on cheaper bikes is little more than a tube with a spring in it, you'll get a better ride by lowering the pressure in the tyres, so be sure to get one with 40c + tyres.

 

[Reynard]

Why not look for something used, maybe? And ditch the front suspension. That way you'll get far more bang-for-buck.

For the occasional trail, a rigid fork coupled with fat commuter-type tyres will be fine. At that price point, a suspension fork tends to be of no great quality, and will be more of a hindrance than a help. And it makes a bike unnecessarily heavier - and you do state that weight is a "thing"

 

[All uphill]

Does she want a new bike?

It doesn't sound too much like it from your story. Maybe she's happy with what she has?

If she doesn't why would you push her?

 

[ClichéGuevara]

Does she want a new bike?

It doesn't sound too much like it from your story. Maybe she's happy with what she has?

If she doesn't why would you push her?

To be fair, if he's having to push her, a wheelchair could be an option?

 

[vickster]

Take her to a couple of local shops and let her have a sit/test ride on a few she likes the look of
The Liv range offers some super WSD models Try your local Giant dealer

 

[DCBassman]

Or get a suspension-corrected fork fitted to the 4300. That should make it considerably lighter. Fit semi-slick tyres at 50mm or so, pressured for comfort. Much cheaper than a new bike.
These are not that heavy, really, and changing the fork might well get the weight into the upper-mid 20s.

 

[tudor_77]

For the occasional trail, a rigid fork coupled with fat commuter-type tyres will be fine. At that price point, a suspension fork tends to be of no great quality, and will be more of a hindrance than a help. And it makes a bike unnecessarily heavier - and you do state that weight is a "thing"

It seems the will be used mostly on trails from OP's post. I would go for the Trek Dual Sport personally if one can be sourced in stock at the right size. The majority of rigid fork hybrids have always felt like flat bar road bikes to me and seemed to struggle over rougher terrain. I have owned a couple of Giant Roams over the years (2014) model and found it to be a much better ride both off and on road with nimble handling, good acceleration and even better on trails and light gravel! I also never had a single issue with the suspension in the six years I owned it. It was perfect for its intended purpose. People sometimes get too focused on theoretical aspects of bikes like weight but forget that a bike needs to be actually fun to ride, which the Roam was; far more so than any rigid forked hybrid I have owned and I often picked it over my carbon road bikes too (again, the fun and freedom factor I guess).

I actually tried to buy another one during lockdown because I love that style of bike so much but could not find stock anywhere. I ended up getting the Giant Toughroad, which is essentially a flat bar gravel bike with 700x50 tyres... Lovely bike to ride and I'm happy I bought it but definitely no faster that the roam.

 

[tudor_77]

Take her to a couple of local shops and let her have a sit/test ride on a few she likes the look of
The Liv range offers some super WSD models Try your local Giant dealer

100% this. It is so easy to get bogged on the details of weight and spec level when shopping for a new bike but nothing beats actually going and trying them out; until you actually ride the bike yourself you will never know which is actually a better fit and more fun to you personally ( a purely subjective thing in my experience). I think most local bike shops let you test ride bikes before you actually buy them.

 

[Reynard]

It seems the will be used mostly on trails from OP's post. I would go for the Trek Dual Sport personally if one can be sourced in stock at the right size. The majority of rigid fork hybrids have always felt like flat bar road bikes to me and seemed to struggle over rougher terrain. I have owned a couple of Giant Roams over the years (2014) model and found it to be a much better ride both off and on road with nimble handling, good acceleration and even better on trails and light gravel! I also never had a single issue with the suspension in the six years I owned it. It was perfect for its intended purpose. People sometimes get too focused on theoretical aspects of bikes like weight but forget that a bike needs to be actually fun to ride, which the Roam was; far more so than any rigid forked hybrid I have owned and I often picked it over my carbon road bikes too (again, the fun and freedom factor I guess).

I actually tried to buy another one during lockdown because I love that style of bike so much but could not find stock anywhere. I ended up getting the Giant Toughroad, which is essentially a flat bar gravel bike with 700x50 tyres... Lovely bike to ride and I'm happy I bought it but definitely no faster that the roam.

I ride an old-style rigid MTB on gravel / sand roads and on farm tracks. Copes perfectly well with that kind of usage and also turns a few heads - but that may well be the colour. Could probably handle some decidedly more gnarly stuff with this as well. There's enough "boing" in the tyres for grip and damping on rough surfaces. Admittedly it's a bit staid on tarmac due to compromising with the tyre pressures, but great fun elsewhere. IMHO for occasional riding, a simpler bike is probably better.

 

[Threevok]

I ride an old-style rigid MTB on gravel / sand roads and on farm tracks. Copes perfectly well with that kind of usage and also turns a few heads - but that may well be the colour. Could probably handle some decidedly more gnarly stuff with this as well. There's enough "boing" in the tyres for grip and damping on rough surfaces. Admittedly it's a bit staid on tarmac due to compromising with the tyre pressures, but great fun elsewhere. IMHO for occasional riding, a simpler bike is probably better.

View attachment 644075

Wow, that's a big looking large ring on that.

 

[Reynard]

Wow, that's a big looking large ring on that.

That's Spa Cycles' own brand budget touring triple, so 48 on the big ring, then 38 & 28 on the others. I use it mostly on the middle ring, but it's nice to have the big one when riding on tarmac. Am on 24 inch wheels btw, as muggins a bit, erm, undertall...

Am out in the fens, so not much in the way of the up and down stuff, which is why I went for road rather than MTB gearing.

 

[rockyroller]

fwiw - I got my better half a used Trek FX Stagger with a low slanted top bar, making it easier to get on & off. the dirt trails we ride together have no roots or rocks to warrant any suspension fork. I play with her air pressure for ride comfort. she doesn't weight much (compared to me) so her tires are usually near the minimum rating on the sidewall

 

[DCBassman]

Wow, that's a big looking large ring on that.

No, teeny bike!
Edit: beaten to it!