Momsem Lady651 Ladies Mountain Bike Review
Pros
Cons
The Momsen Lady651 is an extremely good quality ladies mountain bike, and will win over many ladies that are new to mountain biking, or even experienced riders. At this specific price point, you will not get much better value and high specced components.
When looking for a mountain bike for ladies, there is often not a lot of quality mountain bikes to choose from. Certain mountain bike manufacturers have long since stopped simply adding a lick or a dash of pink or aqua paint to a generic MTB frame, and Momsen have really excelled with the aptly named Momsen Lady651 mountain bike, which includes some solid gender-specific design features as well as the obligatory visual appeal suited to female mountain bikers. Could this be one of the best women’s mountain bikes under 1000 ?
Leaving the visual design aside, the bike’s naming convention will leave you in no doubt as to the bike’s target market. The Momsen Lady651, with its women-specific design, provides a more comfortable and less aggressive riding position and many lady mountain bikers will appreciate how the riding position is accustomed to their shape. Ladies tend to have proportionally longer legs and shorter torsos than men, and Momsen has thus created a ladies mountain bike that has a slightly shorter top-tube and longer head tubes then similar man-specific MTBs. The design variation really accommodates a ladies anatomical variation and contributes to a better ride for ladies.
Our first impressions of the bike was that it didn’t feel like we were so stretched out, as the Momsen Lady651 has a medium size frame, and the design contributes to a more upright riding position. Most Sunday or recreational riders prefer this more upright riding style as most of the upper body weight is squarely positioned over the saddle rather than the handlebars. Obviously the upright position isn’t as great for aggressive hill climbing, but it does provide riders with enhanced confidence when going downhill, as the riding position gives the perception that the rider will not fall over the front of the bike as easily.
The Momsen Lady651 comes with 27.5” tires, which are particularly well suited for a lady’s mountain bike. However, if you are a taller woman, then we would suggest looking at 29ers as those would suit you better.
Trail Riding – first impressions
So when we review mountain bikes, particularly ladies mountain bikes, we like to test them out in a number of trail conditions. Our reviewers attempt to test the bike on both dry runs, as well as when the ground is nice and muddy. We feel this provides a better overall review as the bike is tested under a cross-spectrum of conditions that most riders will most likely experience. So let’s get straight into finding out whether the Momsen Lady651 could handle a bit of the rough and dirty.
First off, let’s talk about the bike’s weight. At just under 14kg, this hardtail will not exactly float uphill, but it did provide for a fun ride for the downhills. Momsen really designed the frame and the angles well, with the bike handling with confidence on all the runs we put it through. The bike build is good for an entry level mountain bike and although certainly should not be used for competitive biking, it definitely is a capable ladies mountain bike.
Momsen Lady651 Frame
Momsen Lady651 Crankset
Momsen Lady651 Comfort Grips
Bike specs
The women-specific comfort grips are slightly smaller than normal, and have a flattened section to spread nerve pressure, but our tests found that they changed position whilst riding, so locking grips may be a preferable option for some riders.
Final Verdict
A very good quality ladies mountain bike that would be well suited to introduce most ladies to the joys of mountain biking. For the price, you will not get much better value and high specced components including Shimano cranksets and Tektro hydraulic brakes.
