Women’s-specific bikes? You mean there’s bikes specifically for women? Well there certainly are these days and they’re not simply gent’s models painted pink either. So we’ve enlisted the help of three female riders and asked them to assess a trio of mid-priced 2004 full sussers from Cannondale, Scott and Trek. Makes a change from our ugly mugs, we’re sure you’ll agree...

SO YOU’RE THINKING OF GETTING INTO MOUNTAIN BIKING and you already know a bit about bikes. With a few tweaks, will your commuting hybrid go off-road, or do you buy a specific machine for the trail? We put £600 versions of each type to the test