As if a trip to Las Vegas doesn’t provide enough sensory overload, strolling the aisles of Interbike brings the added experience of testosterone overload. Just picture this–a sea of guys with facial hair and tattoos and/or piercings blinded by the closest shiny object on two wheels, loud music blaring, and World Cup highlights looping endlessly. It’s no wonder I had a hard time finding women’s mountain bike products!
No longer are women’s products identifiable by their various shades of pink; fortunately, manufacturers are giving us a little more credit. Here are a couple of womens bikes and clothing pieces that stood out at the show.
The 2013 Specialized S-Works Fate Carbon 29–what a beauty. Specialized puts a lot of thought into proper bike fit; beyond sizing, the suspension is internally tuned for lighter weight riders. I think the lightweight, racy Fate could bring the mountain bike competitor back out in me.
And if the old, trusty 26er is your thing, Specialized has the Safire Expert–a great all-around trail bike for women complete with autosag for that customized fit.
Another 26er not to be overlooked–the Pivot Mach4. I demo’ed an older version of this bike this summer and was super stoked to learn it comes in XS and XXS sizes. The smaller size frame definitely allows for more control–it was a natural fit “off the rack” for me.
On the gear and clothing side, I’ve always liked Dakine’s youthful and modern styling. Dakine’s plaid and patterned packs come fully-featured in many different sizes–oh, and yes, I’ll take two of anything that comes in my favorite color, purple!
Dakine’s technical tops make a colorful and bold statement while the long-sleeve flannel keeps with the outdoorsy styling. Pearlized buttons make it feminine.
Zoic has a few flannel tops for this fall/winter too and I really like their plaid cycling skirts. Zoic always delivers functional and trendy pieces that you can live in–whether you are on the trail or off.
Finally, Gore Bike Wear offers the finest quality technical wear for mountain biking. Having just a few key pieces like the Countdown Windstopper or Alp-X 2.0 Gore-tex jacket and perhaps a women’s specific bib-short, you can make a complete outfit suitable for riding in almost any conditions for hours or days at a time.
Next year I hope to make it to the Interbike fashion show to see the full variety of women’s clothing out there. After all, a girl can never own too many tops, bags, (or bikes!), now can she?
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