COME OUT AND PLAY

Liv’s new Intrigue is designed to make any trail fun

Carbon frame? Check. Up-to-date trail geometry? Check. Custom-tuned suspension? Check. Say hello to the new Liv Intrigue. It’s a bike that’s been conspicuous by its (three-year) absence from the women’s-specific brand’s range – a capable 140mm-travel bike with 650b wheels that’s designed to see you through pretty much every type of riding you’re likely to encounter.

Liv launched the Intrigue with the strapline “Play the trail”, with the trails in question being the loamy, rooty, rocky heaven that is Squamish, British Columbia. It’s got a longer reach (432mm on the medium size), slacker head angle (66.5 degrees) and steeper seat angle (74.5 degrees) than its previous incarnation, plus a frame that’s been developed based solely on female body dimension data and biomechanics. Liv stick with their well-regarded ‘Maestro’ twin-link suspension system, which here uses a refined composite rocker link. Out back, there’s clearance for up to 2.6in tyres

There are three bikes in the range, all of which use the same ‘Advanced’ grade carbon fibre mainframe and alloy rear triangle. The top-line Intrigue Advanced 0 comes with a DVO fork and shock and a 12-speed SRAM X01 Eagle transmission, while the lower-priced Advanced 1 and 2 get Fox suspension and SRAM GX/NX Eagle shifting. All come with 780mm bars.

Enduro World Series racer Rae Morrison, who’s been testing the bike in secret since 2017, worked on refinements to the frame and suspension with Liv and DVO. “It’s a very capable bike!” she smiles. “It’s good for greens, blues and black trails, but that’s not to say I didn’t take it on downhill trails. I’m super-stoked with it!”