Bikes for Women...

[Yobedoc]

Hello:

I'm really sorry if this topic has been beaten to death but it's really important for me to get a bike for my wife that she'll enjoy and be able to grow on. I've searched this forumn and read lots of posts about which bike to buy and here are the questions I've been left with.

Does anybody have any experience with the GasGas
Pampera line of bikes? From what I've read women seem
to love them, as they are small and light and aren't
built for big children. However, from looking at the
pictures of the bikes it looks like they may not be
very good woods bikes (single track, big hills) because of a lack of suspension
travel. The bikes are also two strokes and I was
wondering if they are detuned to provide more even
power or whether they have the usual characteristics
of a two stroke (reall zip when in the powerband).

One more thing: Does anybody have experience making a
regular sized bike (say a KDX220) fit a smaller peson
(say a 5' 4.5" woman, who ways 120lbs)? Is it
difficult, is it a severe compromise? Is it a bad way
of fixing the size problem?

Does anybody know of any GasGas dealers in the Southern Ontario, Canada area? I'd really like to take my wife to see one of the Pampera's so she can make the decision on fit herself.

Any information that you could provide would be great!

Thanks,
Ken

 

[geremacheks]

See, the trials riding column, under Forums, on Woods Rider.com for Pamera and Gas Gas info.

 

[LoriKTM]

Ken,

Don't have any personal experience with the Pampera, but from what I hear they make great woods bikes (Bundubasher--where are you!?).
The XR200 is an option, especially if your wife hasn't ridden before. The XR, although it has a low seat height, tends to be as heavy as a full-size bike (KDX or KTM).
Modifying the suspension on a KDX is a viable option. My second bike was a KDX200, and I had it lowered 1.5". (I'm only 5'3, +1" in boots). Probably the biggest drawback to having the suspension lowered is it brings the footpegs and frame closer to the ground--more chance of getting high-centered or catching on a log or rock.
If your wife doesn't need to have both feet flat on the ground, this is a good option. If she feels more secure having both feet on the ground, then you may want to consider an even smaller bike-- TTR125L--until she gains confidence. Every person is different, so get her to sit on (and ride, if possible) as many of these bikes as you can find.

Good luck, and let us know what you decide.

 

[BunduBasher]

Here I am :)

The Pampera is a great woods bike, the suspension is adequate, is great on the hills, and technical stuff, has hydraulic clutch and very good brakes, is light and powerful, has a trials motor so there is no big hit like an MX bike, the power is very tractable, goes down easy, rides like a 125, but has gobs of usable power. This is not an MX bike, not for big air or high speed whoops, it is a trail bike. Probably an ideal bike for shorter spodely riders, who enjoy their trail rides, very high fun factor :cool: