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Heya guys, new here. Just wondered if anyone knows more about these bikes.
So my girlfriend needs her first beginner mtb to do some single tracking in the Welsh Mountains (not to heavy going).
I had a quick look and these popped up as low cost possibles.
They are both around the same price, (around £250 as Specialized is £100 off at the moment), and so wondered if going for the Specialized would be better bet due to it being a well known good make?
Many thanks for any thoughts on this.
Romie of Oxfordshire.
I'd go for the Specialized myself, both my daughters now have Mykas and had Specialized kids bikes before. The Specialized will hold its value much better if she decides she doesn't want to ride or loves it and wants to upgrade.
Would you be buying from a local shop? Do you have a Decathlon near you?
It would definitely be worth trying them out if you could do, for fit.
The Myka is a female specific design so comes with different saddle, thinner grips, perhaps a softer coil in the fork etc. as well as having a frame design generally more suited to female proportions...so it may be better suited.
The Decathlon bikes generally seem to be great value for money. I've just had a look on the website and I don't quite get what they are trying to achieve with the odd shaped seatstays on the Rockrider. Rational or not, that alone would put me off.
You always get good back-up with Specialized. I am not sure about Decathlon.
I'd look at some of the fully rigid offerings from Islabikes. One of the mags raved about their entry level MTB a few months back. I'm of the strong opinion that heavy and cheap suspension on a budget bike is worse than no suspension and a lighter bike.
I just looked at this as a possibility for my wife as I think this year's Myka bikes just look plain odd with too many bent tubes.
One thing to bear in mind with the Decathlon bike is it only has a front disk brake and I can't see disk tabs on the frame which is no good to me.
I'm looking on the French site though, it might be different in the UK...
Hey thanks guys,
Would you be buying from a local shop? Do you have a Decathlon near you?
Possibly, but yes, we've tried the 5.2 but have yet to get on a Myka. This def needs to be done!
I'd look at some of the fully rigid offerings from Islabikes
I would normally agree but from my own experience with my Specialized Hardrock rigid 1999-ish model (chromoly frame), I found that without front suspension my hands were totally numb after doing a few single tracks in the Afan Forest.. I retrofitted a set of suspension forks and problem solved!
(also makes landing a bit front heavy a lot more forgiving for the beginner :p )
Cheers for opinions, is a bit of a mine field out there for the beginner.
Cheers, Romie
Fair enough. If the front suspension is good then you're no doubt right. My experience of front suspension at this end of the market has been pretty dire. When I swapped out some cheap Manitou forks on my old hardtail to some carbon forks, the ride was transformed in so many (positive) ways. I guess there's good rigid and bad rigid 🙂
She MUST try them. The Myka is a heavy slow bike, very clumpy with an upright riding position that makes it even slower in windy conditions. Mrs Gti had one and hated it so we sold it.
You can get a lot more for you money second hand. The wife has a nice full sus Marin with bombers and lx kit. Cost around £250 in bits plus some stuff from the spares box.
She MUST try them. The Myka is a heavy slow bike, very clumpy with an upright riding position that makes it even slower in windy conditions. Mrs Gti had one and hated it so we sold it.
Yes, I'm on her case about trying out the Myka now! 🙂
Interesting point about it's 'clumpyness', I'll get her to check this out compared to the 5.2.
Ta
You can get a lot more for you money second hand. The wife has a nice full sus Marin with bombers and lx kit. Cost around £250 in bits plus some stuff from the spares box.
Indeed! I normally go this route with everything, only I don't really know makes and models to look out for and so I'm limited to my own very short list of what might be ok to find second hand :/
Maybe I should post another thread regarding good second hand single track mtbs and associated front fork makes and models. Should probably be a sticky on this forum methinks...
Bikes:
Specialized
Trek
Scott?
And now Marin 🙂
Suspension forks:
Marchozzi bomber
Cheers, Romie
Both bike have rubbish looking forks. Coil with what looks like no damping what so ever.
Chances are the coil will be too stiff on the Rockrider for her and the lack of damping will turn the front end into a po-go stick. At least the Spec has women specific version of the fork so might be better suited to her weight but still has no damping.
I'm with Stilltortoise on this, it'll be better with a rigid fork.
My daughter has a Myka disc and my wife a Myka sport. They both rate them highly.