For 2016, Giant’s women’s line adds the LIV Intrigue SX, a more aggressive version of the standard 140mm full suspension trail bike.
It’s spec’d with a 160mm Rockshox Pike on the front and a SRAM X1 1×11 group using a 30tooth chainring. It has a new 50mm Contact Slam stem to give it a more aggressive feel to match the longer fork and subsequent slacker head angle. The frame is unchanged, keeping 140mm travel in back, but this hints at a possible Enduro bike for women in the future.
Meanwhile, the The Lust finally gets a carbon version for the German market, giving them the same upper end frame the rest of the world has enjoyed for some time…
Other spec includes Giant’s AM-2 27.5″ wheels and Schwalbe Rock Razor and Hans Dampf tires, SRAM Guide Guide brakes and Giant cockpit with Contact Switch dropper post.
The carbon Lust Advanced 1, now available in Deutschland. It’s a 100mm travel 27.5″ bike.
The ladies get these squishy, grippy foam grips.
They also get new Contact SL saddles with Particle Flow. The men’s Contact saddles get three variations depending on rider physiology, flexibility and riding position…the women’s only get Forward and Upright.
The padding is upgraded to what they call Particle Flow, which essentially puts miniature particles into suspension, allowing them to better flow and form around your sit bones to spread the pressure across a wider area rather than create hot spots.
Then, depending on which version you get (Forward, Neutral or Upright), the top layer of padding changes shape and the saddles get slightly wider. Giant will provide dealers with a saddle fitting tool that, unlike most systems where you sit on a box and they measure sit bone width, actually looks like a saddle and goes on your bike while you ride a trainer. After two minutes, you hop off and the bike shop employee checks four different zones for depressions to determine which version would fit you best.
The saddles will be available in SLR trim with carbon rails, carbon composite shell and lightweight foam (claimed weight 180g, $225). The SL model gets lightweight metal rails and standard composite base (210g, $110).
Mountain bike (above) and road (below) versions are both available.
They’ll come stock on the all-new 2016 TCR Advanced SL road bike here.
The Giant Contact SL Switch dropper post gets a new design with 0mm offset to give it a better saddle position. It also gets two taller heights, 125mm and 150mm drop, in addition to the original 100mm drop.
The internals are the same, using their flippable cartridge that lets you run the cable internally or externally.
