First rides SWINGING A LEG OVER WHAT'S HOT THIS MONTH

A women’s e-bike that slashes weight to the bone and does everything other than ride itself

- Aoife Glass, Danny Milner, Paul Burwell

LIV INTRIGUE X ADVANCED E+ ELITE
£8,999 29/27.5in liv-cycling.com

The new Liv Intrigue X Advanced E+ is a new take on the lightweight e-mtb, weighing in at a claimed 18.8kg. But the twist is that it gets a full-fat motor and lightweight, compact battery, so there’s no compromise on power or torque. It’s also designed specifically for women, with all the capabilities needed to rip, roar and explore any trail that’s thrown at it. In fact, Liv claims this is the lightest full-power e-mtb on the market.

Liv is a rare entity in the modern bike world: a brand solely dedicated to women’s bikes. It was founded by Bonnie Tu, Chairwomen of Giant Group (yes, that Giant), and its USP is that its bikes are developed using women-only rider data, with geometry and spec chosen to suit women riders.

Does that mean that Liv bikes are suitable for all women, or that all women will suit Liv bikes? Not at all, and Liv is up front about the fact that not every woman will get on with its bikes. But also that it is unapologetic about putting women front and centre in terms of bike design, athlete support and grass-roots advocacy.

So, in line with the rest of the Liv range, the Intrigue X Advanced E+ has women-specific geometry, and that geometry is distinct to that of the Giant Trance X Advanced E+ Elite, which occupies a similar niche in the Giant product range. Technology may be shared across the sibling brands – so you’ll see a Giant dropper post on the Liv, for example – but that’s as far as it goes.