FAIRER SPECS?
We see if the different parts and details on women’s-specific bikes really do help put female riders on a more equal footing with men out on the trails
We investigate women’s-specific bikes to see how they differ from unisex models and whether they really do help put female riders on a more equal footing with the guys
Many years have passed since bikes were simply sprayed pink, adorned with glitter, bestowed with an oversize saddle and labelled as women’s models. Most of society, including the bike industry, has moved on from such stark stereotypes. However, brands still take very different approaches when it comes to appealing to and equipping female riders, some of which are more sophisticated than others. There are critics who feel this isn’t necessary and deride the growing market of women’s-specific products, and others who claim this kit makes a real difference. With lockdown regulations preventing her from taking part in this issue’s Bike of the Year test and soaring demand for bikes meaning we couldn’t get hold of enough similarly-priced women’s models for a full Biketest, as we’ve run in previous years, we tasked MBUK tester Sarah Gamsjäger with investigating the reasoning behind different brands’ approaches and then hitting the trails on two very different women’s-specific bikes to see how they compare to the men’s models she’s more accustomed to riding.
NO MAGIC RECIPE
Many companies – including big-hitters such as Specialized – don’t make women’s mountain bikes at all, arguing that there’s just as much difference in shape between riders of the same sex as there is between men and women. Others take a ‘unisex’ frame – occasionally designed around average proportions of both sexes, but more often just men – and add female-specific parts, such as a wider saddle, thinner grips and sometimes a lighter shock tune. Only a tiny minority customise the chassis itself for women riders.
Liv and Juliana, two brands that have been pioneering female-specific bikes and pushing women’s cycling for more than a decade, are good examples of these differences in approach. Whereas Liv swear by bike geometry that’s specific to female anthropometrics, Juliana stick with the same frame dimensions used by their brother company Santa Cruz but make changes to the finishing kit. Scott follow a similar tack to Juliana with their Contessa range, while Canyon take a mixed approach, depending on the bike model. Brands such as Cube, Cannondale and Trek also have a small selection of women’s mountain bikes, mostly hardtails, all of which use unisex frame geometry.
TWEAKING THE NUMBERS
There are over a dozen measurements that engineers consider when designing a bike frame, all of which influence the ride characteristics and riding position. Liv claim that the average woman is too bent-over and stretched-out on the closest-sized men’s chassis. Uniquely, the Taiwanese brand use data from women only to design their frames, rather than taking one designed for a man and tweaking the geometry. This means it isn’t easy to compare their bikes like-for-like with unisex models, because they have a shorter reach and top tube length, and taller stack height, for the same frame size (see overleaf for an explanation of these measurements).
For example, the small Liv Intrigue 29 Sarah rode for this feature has a 415mm reach, 558mm top tube and 620mm stack (all in the ‘low’ flip-chip position), whereas the same figures on the small Juliana Joplin are 423mm, 568mm and 603mm (also in ‘low’). The Liv puts you in a more upright position, with hands closer to the saddle when seated. This could be advantageous if you have a relatively short upper body or arms, or simply prefer this kind of riding position.
Juliana don’t believe that the differences in body shape between male and female riders are big enough to require women’s-specific geometry. They argue that the Santa Cruz frames used for their bikes come in small enough sizes (down to
MANY COMPANIES – INCLUDING BIG-HITTERS SUCH AS SPECIALIZED – DON’T MAKE WOMEN’S MOUNTAIN BIKES AT ALL
extra-small) and have low enough standover heights that they work well for female riders as well as shorter men.
Online giants Canyon, on the other hand, take a case-by-case approach. For every bike they design, they consider whether a women’s-specific frame or additional sizes are needed, or if every type of rider is covered by the standard model. Looking at their current range, the German brand seem to be drifting away from femalespecific geometry, for their mountain bikes at least. With their frames generally not being particularly long and slack, most of their bikes work well for smaller riders anyway. There’s no women’s version of the longer-travel Strive or Torque, for example. The Spectral WMN trail bike – which comes in stereotypical pink and what looks like baby blue (albeit with a ‘stealth’ black alternative) – does have a shorter reach, TT and stack than the men’s version, and also comes in an extra-small size. However, the new 29in-wheeled Spectral doesn’t seem to come in a women’s version, and the Spectral:ON WMN e-bike – again, pink – uses a unisex frame.
FINISHING TOUCHES
Whatever approach brands take when it comes to frame geometry, most women’s bikes do come with specific contact points. Juliana and Liv both fit slimmer grips to cater for smaller-on-average female hands, with the Liv ones being noticeably skinnier than any others Sarah has used. However, looking at the hand size data published on the Taiwanese brand’s website, there’s a big overlap between men and women, so many female riders will feel perfectly comfortable using standard grips.
Similarly, the handlebars on women’s bikes tend to be narrower (often 760mm, compared to 780mm or 800mm on an equivalent men’s bike), on the basis that the average female rider has less broad shoulders. Too wide a bar can put you in a weak position for descending (think of it like doing press-ups – once you put your hands out too far, it gets harder to push yourself back up), so this makes sense. However, some brands spec their bikes with 780mm bars, including Juliana on their longer-travel models – not because they necessarily think this is the best fit for an average woman, but because it’s easy to cut a bar down to your preferred length, while you can’t make one longer.
Most of these bikes also feature women’s-specific saddles. Juliana tell us that they rely heavily on the feedback of their ambassadors and athletes when designing their own-brand seats, and make sure to have women of different shapes and sizes test them. Other brands, such as Canyon, spec saddles from third parties – in the case of the Spectral WMN, an Ergon SM10 Sport Woman. Ergon design their women’s MTB saddles based on data derived from comparing male and female pelvis anatomy. They say that the wider arch of the pubic bone and more flexible hips of women create more pressure on the pubic bone. Of course, as with lots of anatomical measures, there aren’t just differences between men and women, but also within the female population. Some will find they prefer a unisex saddle.
Finally, the detail that makes the biggest difference – on the women’s bikes that feature it – is a lighter suspension tune. This helps light riders, especially those below 60kg, achieve a supple feel, for decent traction and grip, without sacrificing compression and/ or rebound speed. However, it isn’t so advantageous for heavier women, and faster riders may require more support (which can sometimes be added using external adjusters or internal volume spacers).
Taking all this into account, the main advantage of buying a female-specific bike is that, if you’re a smaller, lighter rider, it’s already specced with the kit and fork/ shock tune you need. Of course, not everyone falls into this category, and even if you do, your choice isn’t restricted to this limited number of bikes, as these components can be upgraded relatively easily. The exception is the suspension tune, which can only be changed by a professional.
HITTING THE TRAILS
To test the merits of these different approaches to frame design and parts spec, we set Sarah loose on the trails on two women’s-specific bikes so she could compare them head to head. The Liv Intrigue 29 2 (£3,299) and Juliana Joplin C S (£4,999) both have similar amounts of suspension travel (120-140mm) and roll on 29in wheels, with the difference in price being largely down to the
OF COURSE, THERE AREN’T JUST DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN, BUT ALSO WITHIN THE FEMALE POPULATION
Juliana’s carbon fibre frame and ‘boutique brand’ appeal. However, tested in the same size (small), they felt quite different to ride.
Sarah found the pedalling position on the Juliana more aggressive, with the longer top tube and lower stack of its unisex geometry placing her hands a bit further away from her body. With the Liv’s shorter front triangle and higher front end, she was in a more upright position, which was comfortable, but made it harder to put the power down, despite the steeper seat angle. When descending, both bikes felt nimble, with the 29er hoops not being a hindrance for 165cm (5ft 5in) Sarah. On the Liv, however, she felt more perched on top of the wheels rather than sat between them. We’d normally attribute this to a difference in bottom bracket height, but the BB drop is actually very similar on both bikes – 41mm on the Joplin compared to 40mm on the Intrigue, although the Liv does also have slightly bigger tyres (2.4/2.5in vs 2.3in). It seems likely that, instead, it’s an effect of the taller stack and more upright position, which raises the rider’s centre of gravity. Sarah also wished for more space to move around on the Liv on rougher descents, where the shorter reach was even more evident, a feeling only exacerbated by the stack height.
TUNED TO PERFECTION
With its burly Fox 36 fork (not the less solid-feeling Fox 34, as stated on the spec sheet and found on the Joplin), capable Fox Float DPS shock (same as on the Juliana) and a great-feeling suspension tune for Sarah’s weight (58kg with kit), the Intrigue had the potential to shine on the downhills. However, despite its skinniers tanchioned, shorter-travel fork, she still felt more confident on the Joplin on the descents, where it just felt roomier and more planted, and where it too benefited from a good suspension tune. On that note, being at the lower end of most shock manufacturers’ weight ranges, Sarah says she’s only had positive experiences with lighter tunes. Getting a progressive enough feel out of the box can be an issue – as on the Canyon Spectral WMN she tested for us last year – because she has an aggressive, race-focused riding style. However, that’s generally easily solved by adding a volume spacer or two (a plastic token or rubber ring used to reduce the volume of the air spring in a fork or shock, thus changing the spring curve), which is simple and cheap to do yourself.
Sarah was happy with the women’s-specific spec choices on these two bikes, with one exception – while she normally gets on with most saddles, she struggled to get the Liv’s Sylvia perch into a comfortable position. Whatever way it was tilted, it created too much pressure on sensitive areas, rather than just supporting the sit bones. While the Liv grips are particularly narrow they worked fine for her average-sized hands, as did the fatter ones on the Juliana. Sarah normally runs a 750mm bar
THE JULIANA POSITION IS MORE AGGRESSIVE, WITH THE LONGER TT AND LOWER STACK OF ITS UNISEX GEOMETRY
but got on fine with the 760mm one on the Joplin and the 780mm on the Intrigue, and they can always be cut down.
BIKE SIZE MATTERS
Looking at the geometry charts, opting for the medium Intrigue would have addressed some of the complaints above, with its significantly longer reach (430mm) and TT (574mm) providing more stability for only a 6mm decrease in standover height (the distance from the top tube to the ground, which indicates how much crotch clearance a bike has). That’s the size our testers rode in last year’s women’s Biketest, and they were happier tackling steep and techy trails on it. In fact, the Liv – in pricier Advanced 1 guise – won that test, due to its better spec and versatility. However, Sarah preferred the frame of the Juliana Maverick last year, and the same goes for the Joplin, its shorter stack suiting her riding style better.
Because Liv base their sizing on women’s data, their bikes turn out smaller than most other brands. That may suit you or may mean that you fall between sizes. The brand’s sizing chart puts Sarah in the overlap between the small and medium, but the latter would definitely have worked better for her. It’s a similar situation with Canyon’s WMN models – in last year’s test, Sarah felt comfortable on the medium Spectral, even though the brand would recommend the small or extra-small for her height. Juliana are more generous with their sizing, suggesting a small or medium. While she felt comfortable on the former and it was roomier than the same-sized Intrigue, Sarah would still opt for the medium if buying.
Picking the right size bike for your riding style, skill and preferences is really important, to get maximum enjoyment. If you just go with the manufacturer’s recommendation, you may feel comfortable to begin with, but, as you progress and gain experience, you could find yourself wishing you’d opted for a bigger size. A smaller, shorter bike will generally be more agile and easier to turn, whereas a longer bike will provide more stability on rough, fast descents but will require good technique to make it corner as easily. As sizing varies from brand to brand, especially when it comes to women’s bikes, it’s good to have an idea of what you’re looking for, geometry-wise. We’d also recommend some test rides.
TECH ISN’T THE CRITICAL FACTOR
While there are varying geometry, suspension and spec differences on these bikes that make them more suitable than a unisex model for at least some riders (including some smaller, lighter men, too), there’s a more important reason for having female-specific brands and products – they make the sport more welcoming for women and girls. Mountain biking, like a lot of other activities, has traditionally been male-dominated. Some women aren’t deterred by this and may feel specific bikes to be unnecessary. However, others are less confident, and presenting them with products made for them can help make the sport feel more inclusive. Female-focused brands such as Liv and Juliana also provide a platform for women, making them more visible in the MTB scene, along with opportunities in the cycling industry, whether that’s a job with a bike brand or a spot on a race team. All this helps to break down gender barriers and support the pursuit of equity and equality. As Juliana-SRAM pro rider Alex Pavlon puts it: “If women’s bike brands aren’t for you that’s fine, but they are for someone.”
MORE IMPORTANTLY, FEMALE-SPECIFIC BRANDS MAKE THE SPORT MORE WELCOMING