Pinnacle offers two female specific bikes in their Aura mountain bike range, each with women friendly components and geometry to suit too. We tested the Aura 2.0 which is aimed at women riders who want to step up from a first or novice bike yet still want a comfortable bike that fits well and won't break the bank. Priced at £499 it is competitively priced and picks up the slack between some of the well known bike brands female ranges which are heavy in choices in the sub £400 and the plus £600 price ranges.
Frame
The frame is Pinnacle's A6 aluminium tubing all neatly welded with a smooth finish and designed to the Project Aura P-Fit geometry principals. The top tube is low slung for plenty of stand-over room and the horizontal top tube length is 525mm to 555mm in the size range so even small riders aren't expected to stretch to the handlebars.
Although specced with V-brakes the frame is ready for upgrading to disc brakes with hosing runs already thought out and brake calliper mounts on the rear (and fork). Another nice tough are the rubber gear and brake cable covers, a small rubber attachment that slides along the cable outer to prevent rubbing; useful for those vulnerable places like around the head tube.
Pinnacle have useful fitting advice section on their website, with suggested heights that work with the frame sizes, XS 5ft-5ft3”, Small 5ft3”- 5ft6”, Med 5ft6”-5ft10”, or if you prefer modern measurement try XS 152-160cm, Small 160-168cm, Med 168-178cm.
Smooth welds
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Components + wheels
With a full Shimano groupset, and no corners cut either, you're assured of a reliable ride and good braking and shifting, the crankset is Shimano's Octalink system with 170mm crank length across all three Aura 2.0 frame sizes.
Braking is often hydraulic disc brakes even at this price point but PInnacle have opted for V-brakes, at first glance that may be seen as a downside but there is some weight saving on having V-brakes. In the case of the Aura 2.0, we see the reliable and well built Shimano Alivio brakes which provide good braking in most conditions.
Wheels are good quality for the price point with WTB Dual Duty XC double wall alloy rims built onto Shimano M425 hubs ready equipped for any future disc upgrades should you feel like it. The tyres are Continental Twister Pro's with 1.9” width and low profile tread, the shoulder knobs are more prominent for added grip when needed and the lower profile centre tread aids a smoother ride on harder surfaces and hardpack.
Fitted with RockShox Dart 2 forks we could lock out the suspension travel on roads and commutes and then at the quick turn of the switch on the fork top have use of the 80mm of travel. We liked the way the travel worked too, the fork felt smooth and thanks to being fitted with softer spring rates lighter riders get full use out of the travel for a smoother ride. The Dart2 is an entry level XC fork but thanks to the tuning the suspension works well for lighter riders which is usually the case with smaller women riders.
Shimano Deore rear mech
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Contact points
Starting with the saddle, Pinnacle have their own branded saddle for the Aura made by Velo, it has a dual density base and soft density foam, a comfortable choice for novice to intermediate riders who may like some extra padding. Handlebars are flat alloys by Kalloy with Triple-density, women's specific ergonomic shaped grips. We're not sure why the grips are billed specifically for women but we did find them really comfortable especially on flat sections where the weight was transferred away from the wrists. Basically they provide a larger surface area at the heel of the palm and help reduce jarring and vibration through the hands and wrists. The brake levers were easy to reach thanks to the adjustment allowing the levers to be moved close to the handlebar and perfect for smaller hands.
Ride
For £500 we were surprised how solid the bike felt, plus it was nimble and responded well to being ridden hard. The frame felt lively and being suitably short we could control the bike through tight turns are rough singletrack well. The stem felt a little long at first, 100mm on the Small and Medium frame sizes (and 90mm for XS), a little longer than we expected but an easy thing to change if needs be. However after a couple of miles we were fully in tune with the steering and enjoyed the riding position, being relaxed by still in the realm of being able to ride harder rather than purely based on comfort. The fork steerer came with plenty of excess which allowed for lots of movement on the stem height, a great idea so all riders get to have the bars at a height that suits them best.
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Verdict
A great priced bike in our view and well specced with good and reliable groupset and wheels. Good range of frame sizes to suit variety of female body sizes. We liked the colour of the frame but maybe not all women like pink, however the silvery finish topped it off a treat!
Women specific saddle
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Price: £499
Website: www.pinnacle-bikes.co.uk
Frame: Pinnacle a6 aluminium
Fork:RockShox Dart 2
Handlebar:Kalloy butted alloy flat bar
Stem: Kalloy 2D forged Alloy
Seatpost:Kalloy SP-369 Alloy
Saddle:Pinnacle Aura MTB,
Crankset: Shimano FC-M442, Octalink, 170mm
BB:Shimano BB-ES25
Rear derailleur: Shimano Deore
Front derailleur: Shimano Deore
Brake: Shimano Alivio V-brake
Brake lever: Tektro Tenera, short reach for women
Shifters: Shimano Deore (SL-M511) Rapidfire
Chain: Shimano CN-HG53
Wheelset:WTB Dual Duty XC double-wall alloy, 32 hole, Disc ready
TyresContinental Twister Pro, 1.9"
Colour:silvery/pink
Size: XSmall, Small, Medium
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| Discuss this article, 1 of 22 messages, read more: |  wheeles | |
| Posted: 06/05/07 15:57:00 00 | My girlfriend is talking about getting a mountain bike and is threatening to just go and buy something. I've managed to put her off for the moment until I can do a bit of homework on what's available. As a guy, I've no clue where to start with women's bikes (I ride a Kona MuniMula).
Anyone got any recommendations for a good hardtail bike for my girlfriend for mostly crosscountry riding (bridleways etc) with the occasional gnarly bit? The budget is in the £300-500 range.
There is no preference on brand.
Many thanks,
Stuart |
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