The Overview
liv/Giant, the women’s specific product line of the Giant brand, designed a whole new women’s all-mountain bike this year. Conceptually similar to the Giant Cypher and women’s Trance of year’s past, the Intrigue 1 and 2 were redesigned this year to accommodate the new 27.5-inch wheel. In summary, the new 27.5-inch wheel size that nearly every manufacturer is getting on board with allows the bike to roll over trail obstacles easier than its 26-inch little brother and go faster thanks to a bigger wheel size. The Intrigue 1 and 2 differentiate in component performance and construction, and of course, price, but riding style is nearly identical.
The Giant Intrigue is also a step-up for women who like to challenge themselves over rocks and drops on the downhill, as the bike features 5 inches of Maestro Suspension (The Intrigue 1 features the Fox Float CTD Evolution and the Intrigue 2 features the RockShox Monarch R) and 140 mm in its fork (the Intrigue 1 features the Fox 32 Talas CTD Performance and the Intrigue 2 features the RockShox Revelation RL). The Giant Intrigue enjoys a compact geometry meant to address women’s lower center of gravity, allowing her to most effectively balance on the bike and easily transition weight depending on the terrain. The uber-comfortable women’s-specific saddle is not just a treat to sit on, but it also comes with a convenient dropper post making it as easy as the push of a button to find the right seat height on any terrain. Note: After demo-ing the Intrigue 1 and 2, I ended up purchasing the Intrigue 2. That’s how much I liked it. The Intrigue 2 is a great for an intermediate to advanced rider who’s looking to experience a high-performance 27.5 bike without breaking the bank. The Test Note: This was my first time testing a 27.5-inch wheel.
Part 1: 2014 Giant Intrigue 2
MSRP: $2,775 The first of two demos of the 2014 Giant Intrigue happened in Fruita, Colorado. I picked up the demo bike, which was a Giant Intrigue 2, from Basalt Bike & Ski on a Friday afternoon and drove the two hours from Aspen to Fruita. We camped and biked at our favorite, dog-friendly site, 18 Road. I, two girlfriends and three dogs started from our camp site and rode up the main access road. At the top of the road we decided to dip off onto Kessler trail, which is a fun, easy and flowy trail.
The Giant Intrigue 2’s 27.5-inch wheels rode just as I had imagined. I felt as if I could bulldoze any rocks in my path. It felt great barreling down the trail like a monster truck, but I also noticed I had less connection to the intricacies of the trail. It was easier to make quick turns and pop up on playful burms with my 26-inch bike. The Intrigue 2 was also tested out on Aspen’s new Air Line Trail, located just above the Aspen Airport, and Buttermilk’s Government/Bandit trail. The Air Line trail is now one of the most fun downhill rides in Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley. It features approximately 10 sharp burms with tons of zippy turns in between. The Intrigue 2 performed beautifully; the tires hugged the turns and I had complete control in the burms. Where my eyes went, the bike followed. Government/Bandit is a bit more rugged. It’s 2,000 vertical descent features ropey roots, tight single track, technical downhill turns and even smooth intermediate sections through aspen glades. Again, the Intrigue performed as you would expect—awesome!
Part 2: 2014 Giant Intrigue 1
MSRP: $4,250 Round 2 of this test took place at Carbondale’s Prince Creek, which features smooth trail for trees and more rugged downhill along a creek. Like the Intrigue 2, the Intrigue 1 easily rolled up and over rocks as well as downhill over rocks. One of the two biggest things I noticed this time around, and Prince Creek’s more challenging downhill reveled this, was just how nicely the larger wheels and the extra travel performed on the downhill. Hootin’ and hollerin’ all the way down, I enjoyed one cushy ride. The second thing I noticed was the speed. The larger wheel size increases speed possibilities noticeably. Part of the Prince Creek descent includes tight, zippy turns through trees. This is where I noticed 1.) that the factory Giant handle bars were a bit too narrow and 2.) the 27.5-inch wheels could not corner as tightly as its 26-inch predecessor.
Rating
4 (out of 5)
Design: liv/Giant has done it again. The women’s specific geometry is just awesome. And the frame redesign, to optimize the new wheel size, really makes you feel like you’re perfectly balanced and in control. However, two areas where I saw some room for improvement included:
- the stem height (which determines the height of handle bars)
- handle bar width
The stem should come a bit lower to allow for better climbing and the handle bars could be a bit wider to provide optimal steering control. +.5
Style: Both the 1 and 2 are sleek-looking numbers that are feminine, but not girlie. +1
Performance: The Intrigue is a great all-mountain bike, but its geometry (which includes a more slacked-out fork) makes the downhill extrafun. I would recommend lowering the stem height to improve uphill performance +.5
Durability: Made of ALUXX SL-grade aluminum, both iterations of the Intrigue have been made to stand the test of time. +1
Comfort: The women’s-specific saddle, especially when combined with the seat dropper post, provide a comfortable experience whether you’re going up or down. +1
Important Observations: The Giant Intrigue is ideal for a lady who likes to get sendy on the trail. It’s for the woman who enjoys the challenge of rocks and other natural obstacles both up and downhill. It’s also for speed demon who enjoys the rush of racing down the trail.
