we're having crappy snow in Scotland so I'm back to looking at bikes, I've seen a second hand Cove Shocker which is about 100miles from where I live. It's in my price range (very low!) but isn't the newest, any opinions on the components?
https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/938673/
The shock isn't listed but it's a Revox. This would be my first DH bike so don't want to/can't afford to spend a lot at the moment but on the other hand I don't want to buy a bike that I'm just going to have to keep spending money on.
I've also seen this which is obviously 50% more expensive but is newer
https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/994385/
I don't really have any ideas on DH components and whether I want to buy a bike with 5 year old forks??
Here are my thoughts:
Both seem to be X9 drivetrain, so that's about equal. Don't know what he means with the comment about the drivetrain setup - if it's out of adjustment or something is broken or what. Looks like you need to buy a rear brake - you should be able to find something used for under $100. That part missing is probably a good part of the low price on the bike. Note you don't need to have the same brand/model front and rear.
The Diabolus crankset on the newer (blue) one is actually a better crankset, despite the Respond cranks on the older red bike, despite the Respond cranks being a 2011 model. The Respond is an AM (all mountain) crankset, and the Diablous is a DH crankset. This just means the Diabolus is built to take more abuse. Now as a female beginner rider, chances are you would be totally fine with an AM crankset, so it is unlikely to be an issue. But just so you know, the newer 2011 crankset on the red bike is lower end than the crankset on the blue bike.
Regarding the forks... Personally - if you can, I would go check both of these out in person. Marzocchi forks are kind of on the downtrend these days, but 5+ years ago or so, they were the best out there, and they were quite durable and plush too. So to be honest, having an older Marzocchi fork on there might not be a bad thing. BUT - the key is how it feels. Forks are rebuildable for the most part, but obviously that's more money out of your pocket. If you can go test ride both of these (do adjust them as much as you can to get a proper feel) - that's going to be your best indicator. You're looking for something that moves smoothly, doesn't have scratches or dings on the fork stanchions, isn't making any odd noises, etc. Adjust the rebound settings (usually a red knob and usually labeled rebound or "fast/slow") and make sure it changes - this means when you adjust it to slow, when you compress the fork, it returns to the original position slower, when you turn it the other way it pops back up faster. You don't need to get it dialed in during your test ride, but you want to make sure the rebound knob still works. If you can't tell a difference when you turn it all the way one direction or the other, it's broken. Obviously you're also looking to see if oil is leaking out anywhere. There will probably be just a teensy bit on the stanchion - you don't want the fork seals to be bone dry, but if you see drips, etc.... you're probably looking at new seals. That's not hard to do, but factor it in to your price.
The red one in particular looks nice and clean (but has more photos too so it's easier to tell). But look at both of the frames and make sure you don't have any paint cracks, particularly at the welds (this would indicate a frame crack under the paint). Or any major dents. Little dents/scratches/etc. - usually not a big deal.
The chainguide on the red one is a bit nicer too - it's more modern and lighter weight. However, both are e13's and will work just fine.
I'm really not familiar with the Revox rear shock - I haven't used a Manitou in quite a while, but it appears to have good reviews on MTBR. I've had plenty of DHX 5's and they are fine. Again, like the front fork, I would say the real test is to sit on it, make sure it moves smoothly without feeling "stuck", make sure the rebound adjustment functions, and make sure it's not leaking oil.
Edit: - whoa - so looks like that Revox rear shock is recommended to only use a Ti (titanium) spring. From the color, I'd guess that's what's on there (do verify though). That being the case, that's some money. I've never even had a Ti spring. My husband has had a few - normally, it's a couple hundred bucks just for the spring (a standard one is maybe $50, tops). Realizing that, make sure the spring is of a weight that you can actually use, or that you can find one somewhere to swap it with. But if it's useable, that is a HUGE bonus to have a Ti spring.
Note that for both front and rear shocks, you don't want them to feel like a pogo stick, you know? If the rebound is set to very fast, it will feel like that... if you try to adjust it and can't slow down the rebound and it feels really fast and like there is nothing slowing it down - something's wrong. Now, mind you, the real big adjustment for coil suspension is swapping out the coil for one that's a spring weight for your body size. So if the previous owner is way heavier or lighter than you, you may need to swap out the coils. That's easy to do, and depending on your relationship with a shop and what they have in stock, you MAY have some luck getting them to trade in what you've got. If not, you can find used ones online, just make sure you're matching all the specs to get the right size (and likewise you should be able to sell the one you have if you need to swap it out.)
I'm not really familiar with the Nukeproof components either - they're a UK brand, I believe, and we don't see them much.
I'm writing a novel here.... but I hope that helps! Bottom line is that I don't know which I'd go with until you look at them. Once you see them in person and see how they feel, you are likely to get a better feel for which will work better for you.
I rode a 2011 Orange Patriot which has 180mm travel front and rear. I really liked it, although playing about with it in the car park the front end felt heavy, it had Marzocchi 66 RCV forks which one of the other girls though were pretty heavy. It didn't feel heavy riding it but I don't know what it would be like doing drops. I'm not very good at drops anyway and I'm not sure I could keep the front end of the bike up? The bike I demoed is actually for sale at 40% of rrp (£1800) after it's been hired 30 times. I really loved it but not sure I want to spend that much on something I've done once? It's also the only bike like that I've ever tried so I may well like something else even more? The other option is to look for a second hand bike with similar spec. I'm not sure I would notice less travel (say 160mm) but I really liked the slack head angle (65.5) and bikes with 160mm travel tend to be a bit steeper than that. I could also get a proper downhill bike, I've seen a few Orange 224s for sale, however I'm worried it would be too heavy and not as maneuverable. My local DH trail is about an hour away and has uplift every fortnight so I have plenty of opportunity. Most of the trails are quite tight and rooty rather than fast and rocky and there isn't too many drops and none that haven't got chicken runs. 
slightly out my price range though! I also got to try a Cove Shocker and a Kona Entourage that 2 other girls had with them, didn't get on with the Entourage at all. I was glad to try the shocker as I was worried about buying a full DH biek with triple crown forks. the Shocker was a bit heavier feeling and not as nimble as the TR250 bot overall I preferred the slack head angle and geometry of the full DH bike to the entourage which had a bit steeper head angle. Surprisingly Shockers appear to turn up pretty cheap second hand so I may look out for one. A couple of girls at the uplift day said they wouldn't buy a 2nd hand DH frame due to problems with warranty if it cracked, anyone have any views on this?
