Bike for female friend - £400 limit

[BGarside]

Hi Folks.

Looking for suggestions for a bike for a female friend, for mixture of commuting (up a big hill) and moderate weekend riding.

She's Chinese, petite and maybe 5'2 tall.

Doesn't want to spend more than about £400, though less would be good as I told her she needs to budget for accessories too - pump, lock, tools, water bottle/cage and some cycling shorts and mitts.

Need mudguard clearance and room for decent tyres - at least 700x35C / 26x1.3" - due to the shocking state of the road surfaces up here (Aberdeen) and plenty of rain.

I guess a hybrid based on 700c or 26" wheels would be a good compromise, though preferably not too heavy or cumbersome as she's quite petite and does not need an overbuilt bike.

Cheers for any suggestions.

[Usget]

Lightly-used Spesh Vita on eBay? There seem to be plenty about, and that would tick all the boxes.

[tongy89]

Bought my girlfriend a Pendleton Dalby for similar requirements and she loves it. Not sure about the Mud guard clearance but I'm sure they're easily removed/replaced.

£300. Only downside... it's exclusive to Halfords

[Justin S]

Have a look on Pauls Cycles, should be something there for her. Always had good service and prices from them.

[anonymous-user]

Pinnacle Neon from Evans, mrspablo loves her Neon, it's light, fast and comfy. £400 gets you a nice model. I was very impressed with the quality and finish of it.

Women are far less likely to buy things blind, especially if they arw concerned about size and fit, and as there are loads of Evans branches around you should find one nearby, they can also check for size, reach etc in store.

[upsidedownmark]

If she's 5'2, you might want to look for something on 650c, rather than 700c - if you can find something in budget - likely to fit better if you can..

[Justin S]

My wife is 5ft 1 and we got a Cannondale Caad 10 from Pauls Cycles and fits her well and is 700c. Not in the OP's price range, mind you, but there are bikes out there for little ladies.

[General Madness]

How about a triban 3 from decathlon.

They're down to the smallest sizes only and it's £249, 650 wheels and a carbon fork!

I just picked up two of the newer version the 3a, for myself and girlfriend. They're cracking bikes IMO.

[BGarside]

Thanks for the suggestions. I was not even aware half of those manufacturers exist!

It's nice to have a choice, but there's a dizzying array of bikes and manufacturers out there these days.

I'll check out the options and also the mainstream manufacturers. It may come down to what is available in the local shops up here as there's not a great range of brands available here...