I'm 5'4" and test rode the Liv Pique.

I thought it was a great bike. The Scott Spark was on my radar but didn't test ride one.

I wound up buying a Cannondale Scalpel because of the fit.

Other bikes i was interested in was the Pivot Mach 4 and the Trek Top Fuel.

Thanks, that's helpful. My bike shop also suggested a Specialized Stumpjumper, did you happen to try one of those?

How are you proportioned, if I may ask? I have, essentially, the same body length as my 5'8 husband, but short legs.

I think you will find that most xterra courses favor hardtail bikes. Most aren't overly technical and full suspension bikes are heavier and slower than a hard tail.

What R-B said above. Most Xterra courses favor hardtails. A F/S is more forgiving till you develop your skills. Also what best suits your area trails ?

I'm not a fan of Specialized bikes, a bike store ruined them for me.

I'm short legged, ~28" legs. I had been looking for a bike that had a low enough stack for me to ride.

Here is my database of small mountain bikes from a few years ago when I was searching for the right bike.

https://docs.google.com/...qm1UoooSk/edit#gid=0

I respectfully disagree with that statement for the courses near me.

Not Xterra French River, you definately want a full suspension for 9 of 11 miles of that course. It is very rooty and rocky. The Scott Spark is a good choice but if you want one you have to order and wait.

I know that mtb trails vary incredibly widely depending on where you live - I live in Maine, so a lot of my potential riding is well suited to full suspension. Additionally, I'm not pointy end, so I would prefer to take the weight penalty and have more squoosh. (I could stand to lose more weight than losing the rear suspension would offset!)

@endosch2, is there any reason I shouldn't look at a new old stock bike? I've found Sparks anywhere from 2-4 years old in local bike shops - benefit of being a non-standard size, I guess!

I would say it depends. The sparks were re-designed in 2017. You also want "boost" axel spacing because the older standard will be harder and harder to get parts for moving forward. I don't think there is any harm for looking at a size small Spark or Spark RC years 2017 or later. Those all should be boost.

That is totally dependent on the rider, but at the age group level, most of the top riders are riding FS bikes at least here in the mid-atlantic. I haven't ridden French River, but from other MTB friends, they all have described Massachusetts as "Rocky". It actually can take a lot of skill development before a rider is faster on a hardtail, plus with boost rear wheels, the chainstays have shortened up and FS bikes are not as sluggish as they used to be.

My sister has been buying male small sized bikes for her last two bikes. There shouldn't really be anything different about the shock and fork setup as long as you set your sag and rebound correctly.

I ride a Jet-9 RDO, it's not a full-on race bike as the major trail system I ride when not racing is definitely on the chunky side, with a few freeride type trails, so I bought a nice set of race wheels/xc tires for racing (wheel tire combo dropped 2 lbs off the bike). I've also got a hardtail/rigid air-9, and despite what most people claim, going downhill is where there isn't a huge difference, but any sort of technical climb is

I'd also recommend the scott spark, I've heard lots of good things about them for how well they can handle some rougher terrain and is well-represented on racing podiums

I wouldn’t worry too much about a “women’s specific” fit in a mtb. Not really sure what that would look like from a geometry standpoint. Full suspension is a good choice and, honestly, I think you’re better off having a bike that’s ~1lb heavier with ~120mm of travel vs saving that pound and only having 100mm of travel. My $0.02, the last gen Giant Anthem Sx is probably perfect for you. 27.5 wheels will be less likely to have toe overlap problems. 130mm of travel front, 115mm travel rear, pedals very well. Some might think that travel is excessive for Xterra but I think you’ll find you carry Speed much better through rocky and rooty sections and you’ll be less fatigued on the run.

I started off on a Cannindale F-Si which is an absolute whippet of a bike. Perfect for buff single track and very light but my body acted as most of the suspension over anything rough and I was very fatigued going out onto the run. On my Fuel Ex I’m actually faster over basically any course (except crazy smooth single track but even then it’s a minor deficit) and I’m much fresher going out onto the run.

Lots of people like packs, I still run a bottle and for that I recommend a Fidlock. For a flat kit, get a tubolito tube and Specialized makes an “XC flat kit” which is basically a little wedge that sits in your lower triangle that holds all of your flat stuff.

Get a bike with a dropper post. Just do it.

All of that said, don’t get the new Stumpjumper. Even in the ST guise it’s too downhill focused and doesn’t pedal well. I tested it out in Sedona this spring. It’s definitely more of a “brawler” now. Fast downhill over chunder but the steering is very awkward in switchbacks.

The new Trek Top Fuel is another option for you but, again, given your height I’d look for a 27.5 bike so, again, the last gen Giant Anthem SX.

For tires, you want something with an aggressive tread on the front and less aggressive on the rear. I thought this was nonsense until I tried it. Bontrager XR4 front and XR2 rear is a good combo. I’m trying out a Vitoria Barzo front and Mezcal rear now which might be faster but the Mezcal tends to slip when climbing roots while the XR2 did not. Not sure. Both of those are good combos though.

Tubeless for sure and 1x for sure. Don’t fret too much about weight.

Oh yeah, take a look at Fezarri’s 120/120 trail bike. I rode one of those in Sedona and was *very* close to buying one. Very nice bike, arguably the perfect Xterra bike, I’m just not positive on 29ers for your frame size given the potential problem of toe overlap.

If you're going Xterra, I would look at the Epic over the Stumpjumper as the Epic is a much more XC oriented bike. If you want something that's XC, but a little more trail capable, then the Epic EVO is a great choice as well.

Thanks, all, for the advice. I have some learning to do about mountain bikes!

I would prefer to run 2X, because I like the smaller gaps between gears that affords, even though there's a lot of overlap. (I am still bemoaning the loss of my road triple, if that's any indication!).

Hydration - I see one bottle user, who else uses what? I often have trouble with bottles because of the size of my frame, so a pack seems smart. I usually drink around 20oz per 10 miles on the road, and about 16oz per mile on the run - I'm really slow! What can I expect my trail consumption rates to be, and how do I best equip myself for that?

I thought I was in the same boat with regards to gearing but 1x is really the way to go. If you go 2x the smallest cassette you can get is 11-42 and the spacing on that is not much better than 1x11-50.

Huh. I guess I'm going to have to try a bunch and suck it up... I mean, adjust my expectations. ;o)

The smaller gaps between gears on a 2x mountain bike are really wasted, especially with the terrain we have in the northeast. It’s constantky changing surfaces grades, and tons of rock and roots. 1X is definitely the way to go. Even when I was on a 3x setup, I really only used the granny and the middle ring, the big was pointless. The granny was only when I ran out of gears on a 11-34 9spd setup. A 10-50 12s would be essentially the same thing, without the hassle of having to dump to the granny then remembering to get back into the middle a few seconds or minutes later.

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

For an intermediate MTB rider, I’d always recommend FS...on some courses an advanced rider will be faster on a hard tail, but the rear suspension does a lot for comfort and control

A good guide to cross country / race oriented bikes is travel of 120mm or less. Stumpjumpers are up to 130/140mm so not ideal - but if you can get a great deal, it could work! At your height I think a 27.5 is best vs 29 wheel size - I’ve come to prefer 1x on the trail, but 2x can maybe be closer to your gear feel from a road/Tri bike. Again - if you can get a great deal and it has 2x... it will work fine ( people won races on this stuff just a few years ago)

Enjoy the dirt!

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" I take my gear out of my car and put my bike together. Tourists and locals are watching from sidewalk cafes. Non-racers. The emptiness of of their lives shocks me. "
(opening lines from Tim Krabbe's The Rider , 1978

Main thing for hydration pack is bottle tops will get dirty and gritty and can be hard to grab on the terrain.
. If ride on areas of livestock adds some yuck potential. I have camelbak and that gets through most Xterra tris in the heat and humidity of SE Texas. For longer training rides I can carry a bottle and just pour in Camelbak as needed.

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I miss you "Sports Night"

Ah, you know I kind of didn't consider room in the triangle for you given that I ride a rather large bike and have ample room and don't really need much hydration. You're probably best served by a pack.

I always use a camelbak for hydration and my flat kit.

I don't bother with a bottle on the bike because:
1. The area for the bottle+cage is so tiny I cannot fit a 24oz bottle in there.
2. The bottle picks up a lot of debris from riding and I don't like to eat dirt (or whatever is on the bottle)
3. It's difficult to grab a bottle, take a drink and replace it while riding technical terrain.

I'm torn between 1X and 2X.
I have a 1X right now and it's perfectly fine for every-day riding. It's simple, works well, easy to maintain and covers all the ratios needed for local rides/races.
What I miss about my 2X:
1. The ability to drop to the small ring really fast when a steep hill comes up and I don't want to cross 7 cogs.
2. The low gear ratio I needed in Maui.

If you go 2X you really need something on the level of Shimano XT or better. The shifting and chain suck on my old Deore was terrible compared to when I upgraded my old bike to XT.

Hardtail pros:
Less expensive for the same component level
Easier/cheaper to maintain
Lighter at the same price point

FS pros:
Faster in most conditions, for most riders
More comfortable for longer rides

Nicer FS bikes offer dual lockout, so they can still climb and sprint well.

I had an Epic FS and have a top fuel now. It’s a tough call; but I think I like the top fuel slightly more. I also have a hardtail stumpjumper singlespeed. For short rides, my lap times on the hard tail are about the same as the FS, but over long distance, fatigue comes into play and I’m faster on the FS

I would say definitely 1x and tubeless.

Hey,
I live in boston. Coach.
Do tris and specifically xterra.
I literally just signed up for french river bc my better half has to go to NYC for some babyshower I was able to get out of.
Speaking of better halfs... she has a lightly ridden full suspension trek mnt bike . she is 5'3" and its a great bike. Absolutely willing to sell since we just had become preg and then had twins.. so literallty.. ridden 3 times...? you can reply to this or message me through here. I live in wayland. Happy to show you the bike and even take you for a ride if interested.

Good Luck!
daved

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http://www.theundergroundcoach.com

This is my 3rd year of doing Xterras (coming from a MTB background). Race what you own.

I recently (within the past month) of a couple of MTB companies whose women specific MTBs are different than their men ones. They do have different geometry and shock setup. MTBR.com is a good place to ask about those. Almost as many opinions as on ST -- but folks are generally helpful there as well. Those that are specifically designed for women, I would look at. Those that are not, just ride what fits.

Go to some demo days in your area. Shops and/or events will know about them. Ride on trails different bikes, write down notes, and then compare later.

While note nearly as common, get a bike fit (esp since you don't have a heavy MTB background).

Some courses really do better with FS. Some do not. (mine this weekend is a hard tail course -- the ones in Aug are better on a FS).

HTH