[dirtdan]

Any ladies getting on one of these? My fiance has one on order. Geo seems pretty dialed in for some shorter women to get on and ride a 29er full suspension... Supposedly weighs around 27 pounds without pedals which seems pretty respectable.

 

[gigabyte772]

way too heavy for my wife. she will wait till a sworks version comes out or a 650b version.

 

[dirtdan]

27 pounds isn't too bad. A carbon fiber frame option would have been nice though...

 

[CyclerDi]

Any ladies getting on one of these? My fiance has one on order. Geo seems pretty dialed in for some shorter women to get on and ride a 29er full suspension... Supposedly weighs around 27 pounds without pedals which seems pretty respectable.

Is she getting the comp or expert? Curious which model weights 27 lbs. Definitely on my short list but wish it was carbon as well.

The carbon Scott contessa sparks weights 25.1 lbs so that is on my list as well. Also waiting to see what the Santa Cruz Juliana 29er specs and geometry are going to be.

It is nice that there are more options for women in the works.

Have her send out a review once she has some riding time. Should be a good bike.

 

[dirtdan]

Is she getting the comp or expert? Curious which model weights 27 lbs. Definitely on my short list but wish it was carbon as well.

The carbon Scott contessa sparks weights 25.1 lbs so that is on my list as well. Also waiting to see what the Santa Cruz Juliana 29er specs and geometry are going to be.

It is nice that there are more options for women in the works.

Have her send out a review once she has some riding time. Should be a good bike.

From what I understand the expert is weighing in at 27 while the comp is at 27.6. The Juliana isn't on my radar as I'm not really into the single pivot FS design. I guess it's possible they could do the Juliana with VPP, but I think there are standover limitations that go along with the VPP suspension design. We'll definitely get a review up once she gets it.

 

[NERVOUS]

For what it's worth, my wife just took delivery of a 2013 Epic Marathon. She had a 2010 Myka FSR Comp previously. She absolutely prefers the more advanced technology on her Men's bike to the equivalent Women's specific offering. Plus, she didn't notice enough of a difference in the geometry to warrant sticking with a lesser equipped Women's specific bike.

 

[dirtdan]

For what it's worth, my wife just took delivery of a 2013 Epic Marathon. She had a 2010 Myka FSR Comp previously. She absolutely prefers the more advanced technology on her Men's bike to the equivalent Women's specific offering. Plus, she didn't notice enough of a difference in the geometry to warrant sticking with a lesser equipped Women's specific bike.

I wouldn't consider the Myka FSR Comp "equivalent" to the Epic Marathon. If my fiance could stand over one of the men's bikes, we definitely would have gone that route but the standover numbers rule out most of the 9er fullies.

 

[NERVOUS]

I wouldn't consider the Myka FSR Comp "equivalent" to the Epic Marathon. If my fiance could stand over one of the men's bikes, we definitely would have gone that route but the standover numbers rule out most of the 9er fullies.

Just to clarify... When I used the term 'equivalent' I was comparing the Men's Epic Marathon to the current equivalent Women's specific offering - Not the Myka FSR Comp.

Also, you should have your fiancé test the stand over height of some Men's bikes... She might be surprised.

 

[AdmChr]

Are there only the two versions Comp and Expert? Anyone know what the price will be on the Comp? I might look into getting one for my wife.
***Edit*** Nevermind, I see they've added the prices to their website today (Comp: $2,900)

 

[dirtdan]

Just to clarify... When I used the term 'equivalent' I was comparing the Men's Epic Marathon to the current equivalent Women's specific offering - Not the Myka FSR Comp.

Also, you should have your fiancé test the stand over height of some Men's bikes... She might be surprised.

I believe the Epic Marathon only comes in carbon fiber and at a price that is 40% more than the Rumor so I still wouldn't call them equivalent offerings. She's stood over the Epic, Stumpjumper, Camber, Tallboy, Superlight, Blur, Rumblefish, Trek HiFi, etc... So I don't really expect too many surprises at this point.

 

[AaronFPeet]

J]Also, you should have your fiancé test the stand over height of some Men's bikes... She might be surprised.

Women's bikes are not just about stand over hight. The suspension is valved for lighter weight riders, so that even petite women can get full travel out of their bike. Also, all of the tubing is designed around a lighter rider. So while the bike is still incredibly stiff, there's no excess material.

 

[Knight511]

When comparing the Rumor to the Trek Lush 29, the Rumor seems a fair bit overpriced IMHO. I have no idea how they compare in weight though. I was really excited to see Spec drop a 29er for women for my wife, but there had better be a good reason to choose it over the Lush (my LBS carries Trek and Spec).

 

[dirtdan]

The Spec will be considerably lighter, especially if you swap out the dropper post. The expert ships at 27 pounds with the dropper post. The Roval wheels are much lighter than the Bontrager's and carbon fiber cranks are a pretty nice touch. Little things like a lower stack on the Spec., shorter wheelbase, lower standover, steeper HT angle simply make the frame a better choice for what my fiance is looking to do with the bike.

 

[md247]

For what it's worth, my wife just took delivery of a 2013 Epic Marathon. She had a 2010 Myka FSR Comp previously. She absolutely prefers the more advanced technology on her Men's bike to the equivalent Women's specific offering. Plus, she didn't notice enough of a difference in the geometry to warrant sticking with a lesser equipped Women's specific bike.

My wife at 5'6" also rides a small epic comp 29'r.the f&r shocks are all air and completely tunable for her weight. (125) It only weighs 25.5lbs.

Their upper body strength is generally pretty weak (compared to men), lighter & more agile bikes will ensure she enjoys riding. If I were to buy her another bike the fate would be 1st on my list.

 

[NERVOUS]

I believe the Epic Marathon only comes in carbon fiber and at a price that is 40% more than the Rumor so I still wouldn't call them equivalent offerings. She's stood over the Epic, Stumpjumper, Camber, Tallboy, Superlight, Blur, Rumblefish, Trek HiFi, etc... So I don't really expect too many surprises at this point.

Apparently, I'm not articulating well here... So, instead of giving up all together I'm going to try explaning myself in a different way - Dollar for dollar, you get more bike when you buy a Men's bike than you do when you buy a Women's bike.

Does that make sense?

 

[NERVOUS]

Women's bikes are not just about stand over hight. The suspension is valved for lighter weight riders, so that even petite women can get full travel out of their bike. Also, all of the tubing is designed around a lighter rider. So while the bike is still incredibly stiff, there's no excess material.

With all due respect, I strongly disagree... If the Women's specific bikes were truly better (for Women) then the worldclass female riders would be using them to compete, right?

 

[bulerias]

With all due respect, I strongly disagree... If the Women's specific bikes were truly better (for Women) then the worldclass female riders would be using them to compete, right?

Wrong. The Rumor is a completely different frame from any other bike. It doesn't have to be a factory race bike to be women's specific. The Giant WS bike is a completely different frame from their other offerings. Same for the Trek Lush.

So you're just babbling. You might as well say that a Camber is irrelevant because Kulhavy doesn't race one. Nobody is forcing women to not buy a men's bike; they're not being duped.

Have you actually looked into these bikes or are you just babbling? My wife has a WS Giant 29 and the non WS models just don't fit. She could ride a small Epic if she had to but it's way more expense than necessary and a small Camber is barely rideable. The WS fits perfectly with no component swaps and room for adjustments; case closed.

So let the women decide. What worldclass female racers use to compete is pretty irrelevant to the market for the Rumor.

 

[TwoTone]

With all due respect, I strongly disagree... If the Women's specific bikes were truly better (for Women) then the worldclass female riders would be using them to compete, right?

Sorry but you are incorrect. Pros have every thing custom tuned, that doesn't equate to off the shelf bikes. The idea behind a WSD is to eliminate needing to swap a lot of things.

My wife's first bike was before WSD. I had to swap the seat, shorter cranks, thinner grips, shorter stem, swap out the spring in the shock etc...

While I don't think the tubing is any different, the idea behind them is sound. Just because it doesn't work for every women doesn't mean they have no value.

Just compare the Rumor to the Camber since they are same brand and travel.

Small Rumor ETT 545mm Crank 165mm Stem 60mm bars 680mm Small Camber ETT 555mm Crank 170mm stem 70mm bars 720mm
Med Rumor ETT 570mm Crank 170mm Stem 75mm bars 680mm Med Camber ETT 587mm Crank 175mm stem 90mm bars 720mm

Does any of this mean a women can't fit on a mens bike- of course not, but for those women who fall into the average build for a women, it can save them the hassle of trying to get a mens bike to fit.

 

[NERVOUS]

Wrong. The Rumor is a completely different frame from any other bike. It doesn't have to be a factory race bike to be women's specific. The Giant WS bike is a completely different frame from their other offerings. Same for the Trek Lush.

So you're just babbling. You might as well say that a Camber is irrelevant because Kulhavy doesn't race one. Nobody is forcing women to not buy a men's bike; they're not being duped.

Have you actually looked into these bikes or are you just babbling? My wife has a WS Giant 29 and the non WS models just don't fit. She could ride a small Epic if she had to but it's way more expense than necessary and a small Camber is barely rideable. The WS fits perfectly with no component swaps and room for adjustments; case closed.

So let the women decide. What worldclass female racers use to compete is pretty irrelevant to the market for the Rumor.

No, actually I'm not wrong. Check the facts... They speak for themselves.

As for your comment about me just babbling... You're wrong. I have relevant real world experience that I'm trying to share wiht the original poster. If anyone is 'babbling' here it's you. I never said any bike was irrelevant because it wasn't used by Kulhavy. I simply said that if Women's specific bikes were truly better for women then worldclass female riders would be using them. Again, check the facts.

As for me actually looking into the bikes I'm talking about... Yes, my wife and I looked (exhaustively) through the varoius Women's specific offerings. She was so unsatisfied with her Myka FSR Comp (compared to my comparably equipped Stumpjumper FSR Comp) that she refused to compromise simply so she could have a Women's specific bike. Again, I'm trying to share my real world relevant experience with the original poster.

Lastly, I never said anything to the effect of not letting anyone (male or female) decide for themself what bike they ride. I'm simply providing my feedback based on my relevant real world experiences. If you want to buy your wife a Women's specific bike because it's cheaper than an Epic or because it has a lower stand over height then go for it... I still stand by my advice to the original poster - Dollar for dollar, you get more bike when you buy a Men's bike than you do when you buy a Women's bike.

 

[NERVOUS]

Sorry but you are incorrect. Pros have every thing custom tuned, that doesn't equate to off the shelf bikes. The idea behind a WSD is to eliminate needing to swap a lot of things.

My wive's first bike was before WSD. I had to swap the seat, shorter cranks, thinner grips, shorter stem, swap out the spring in the shock etc...

While I don't think the tubing is any different, the idea behind them is sound. Just because it doesn't work for every women doesn't mean they have no value.

Just compare the Rumor to the Camber since they are same brand and travel.

Small Rumor ETT 545mm Crank 165mm Stem 60mm bars 680mm Small Camber ETT 555mm Crank 170mm stem 70mm bars 720mm
Med Rumor ETT 570mm Crank 170mm Stem 75mm bars 680mm Med Camber ETT 587mm Crank 175mm stem 90mm bars 720mm

Does any of this mean a women can't fit on a mens bike- of course not, but for those women who fall into the average build for a women, it can save them the hassle of trying to get a mens bike to fit.

What exactly am I incorrect about? While it's certainly true that professional riders have a lot of customization done to their bikes, they certainly don't alter the frames; which is the primary difference between a Men's specific bike and a Women's specific bike. Last time I checked there's no such thing as Women's specific forks, shocks, cranks, component sets, brakes, wheels, tires, etc. That being said, what does it say about Women's specific frames when an overwhelming percentage of professional female riders choose to start their customization process with a Men's frame?

Also, since you compared the Rumor to the Camber, here are some other interesting data points to consider:
Rumor Expert: MSRP $4,200, frame M5 alloy (front triangle) / M5 alloy (rear triangle).
Camber Comp: MSRP $3,800, frame FACT 9m (front triangle) / M5 alloy (rear triangle).

NOTE: Isn't it odd that the cheaper Camber Comp is carbon and the more expensive Rumor Expert is aluminum?

Again, I still stand by my advice to the original poster - Dollar for dollar, you get more bike when you buy a Men's bike than you do when you buy a Women's bike. In addition, I'll add this... If your wife happens to 'fit' a Women's specific bike better or she feels more comfortable with lower stand over height or she just likes the colors better, then by all means ger her the bike she wants.

Just my $0.02.