[mysticnomad]

here is a link to them both for specs.
a bit of background. This will be her first "real" mountain bike, she has been sporting a huffy hardtail 24" for a year and we travel full time in an RV. We regularly ride trails (4-5 times a week) and mostly do greens but have started blues these past few weeks. We are on a limited budget (she is offering her christmas gifts and birthday gifts for this) and we are hoping to buy used. We have found these two to choose from--

Marin Rock Spring Base 29 Hardtail Bike 2019 | Chain Reaction (chainreactioncycles.com) ---this one listed has had some use and you can tell mostly but serviced this past may and probably was taken good care of. Listed for $350.


2021 Rockhopper | Specialized.com-- this one looks like was never used, has one minor scratch but thats all. listed for $480

Which one would you get her? She is 4'11".
THANKS FOR ANY HELP!!

 

[eb1888]

I'd go with the R'Hopper.
It'll be good for greens and blues that don't have rocks/roots all over. The forks on both are the true limiting factor.
They're just a spring inside and plastic bushibgs. The spring is sized for 180lb. rider. No adjustable rebound damping,
The bike will be easier to resell next season if you need more capability. An air fork is the true beginning spec for trail riding.
Sizing is important. Of course she can grow into a bike with a close fit. What sizes are they?

 

[mysticnomad]

I'd go with the R'Hopper.
It'll be good for greens and blues that don't have rocks/roots all over. The forks on both are the true limiting factor.
They're just a spring inside and plastic bushibgs. The spring is sized for 180lb. rider. No adjustable rebound damping,
The bike will be easier to resell next season if you need more capability. An air fork is the true beginning spec for trail riding.
Sizing is important. Of course she can grow into a bike with a close fit. What sizes are they?

thanks so much, we got her the rockhopper, its an xs, she has some growing room on it and she loves it, should be a good start for her and see how far she goes with that for now we got it for 465 which we felt like was a decent deal since it looks like it has never been used. thanks again for the help!