Over the last few years companies have been focusing on making mountain biking more welcoming for women, and no company has made more of an effort in this area than Giant. Its Liv brand caters exclusively to women who want to get on bikes. Forget the days when frames were too tall or had awkward geometries that made mountain biking an uninviting endeavor for women. The Lust 2 is designed for women who want solid performance but have financial practicality as a priority.
WHO IS IT MADE FOR?
The Liv Lust 2 is made for the ladies, plain and simple. With 100 millimeters of travel both front and rear, the Lust is a do-it- all cross-country trailbike that will handle the rough stuff but not necessarily the biggest downhill lines around. The Lust is available in aluminum (like our test bike) and higher-end carbon versions that come with nicer components. The Lust 2 starts out at $2500, and the higher-end versions go all the way up to $9000 for the Lust Advanced 0.
WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?
Liv offers the Lust in an aluminum or carbon version, but both use the same aluminum rear triangle. The Lust 2 that we tested uses ALUXX SL aluminum tubes throughout. Giant uses its patented Maestro suspension, giving the bike a versatile ride. The frame design sports a 15×100 thru-axle on the fork and a 135-millimeter quick release axle in the rear.
The geometry of the Lust is made with a lower top tube, and it is generally smaller to better accommodate female riders. With an OverDrive tapered head tube, the Lust doesn’t cut any corners and uses all the technologies that you would see on your modern trailbike. The 27.5-inch wheels are an added bonus for smaller riders who might feel too high up or just generally uncomfortable on 29ers.
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Cue the Maestro: Maestro suspension has been the go-to for Giant and now Liv bikes. Depending on the suspension setting, the rear triangle is plush on rough sections and stiffens up well for long climbs.
Cue the Maestro: Maestro suspension has been the go-to for Giant and now Liv bikes. Depending on the suspension setting, the rear triangle is plush on rough sections and stiffens up well for long climbs.WHICH COMPONENTS STAND OUT?
The Fox suspension stands out right away, proving that the Lust is a high-performance bike. A Fox 32 Float CTD fork and Fox Float CTD shock give riders all the adjustments they need on the trail. The full Shimano Deore 2×10 drivetrain offers a strong range of gear ratios and ensures that this bike can be ridden hard and not require a ton of adjustment.
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Bang for the buck: Fox has been a staple when it comes to suspension for years. The 32 Float complemented the ride and geometry of the Lust well on the trail.
Bang for the buck: Fox has been a staple when it comes to suspension for years. The 32 Float complemented the ride and geometry of the Lust well on the trail.HOW DOES IT PERFORM?
Since the Lust is a 100-millimeter-travel bike with cross-country geometry, the suspension setup can go one of two ways. If the rider is looking for every ounce of efficiency she can get, she can run the bike a little stiffer. Or, if she wants a nice, plush, all-round ride, she can run it softer. We ran our bike a little stiffer to get a feel for how efficient of a machine the Lust 2 can be. We set the sag and headed out to our local cross-country trails.
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Versatile capability: Even though the Lust is a 100-millimeter cross-country bike, the 27.5 wheels give it a playful trail feel. Whether in baggies or Lycra, the Lust 2 will suit trail riders and racers alike.
Versatile capability: Even though the Lust is a 100-millimeter cross-country bike, the 27.5 wheels give it a playful trail feel. Whether in baggies or Lycra, the Lust 2 will suit trail riders and racers alike.Moving out: We were a bit surprised at how wide the bars were considering how compact the rest of the bike is, but you can trim the bars down in the event they feel too wide. The reach is close and gives the rider plenty of comfort and the ability to sit more upright for more control.
Cornering: It was fun to ride this bike and throw it around through corners a little more aggressively than we normally would, since the bike is so compact. The Racing Ralphs connected well in turns and held good lines, while the Fox fork worked its usual magic. We did get some flex out of the rear triangle when we pushed hard through corners, but we never lost the rear wheel.
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Get on it: With a frame geometry that’s suited best for a lady’s anatomy, it’s easier to get over the front of the bike on steep climbs. The 27.5-inch wheels take a little more to keep going, but that doesn’t stop the Lust from conquering long climbs.
Get on it: With a frame geometry that’s suited best for a lady’s anatomy, it’s easier to get over the front of the bike on steep climbs. The 27.5-inch wheels take a little more to keep going, but that doesn’t stop the Lust from conquering long climbs.Climbing: With the suspension locked out, the Lust rolled up every hill we attempted. Our shorter test riders liked the feel of the 27.5-inch wheels and didn’t have to put much energy in to get them going. Out of the saddle we didn’t get much feedback from the suspension, although the rear triangle flexed a bit when we really pushed hard out of the saddle.
The head angle on this bike is right on the border of being steep at 70 degrees. In this case, we thought it worked well on climbs and felt efficient. We didn’t have any trouble putting our weight forward and mashing rollers.
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A modern look: The internal cable routing and oversized head tube give the Lust a modern look. The OverDrive head tube added plenty of stiffness to the front end of the bike.
A modern look: The internal cable routing and oversized head tube give the Lust a modern look. The OverDrive head tube added plenty of stiffness to the front end of the bike.TRICKS, TIPS OR UPGRADES?
This is an entry-level bike with relatively entry-level components, but our list of recommended upgrades is short. The Deore drivetrain and brakes work really well, and unless you plan on keeping this bike for 10 years, we expect you’ll be perfectly happy with their performance.
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LIV it up: Women’s-specific bikes are up-and-coming, and Liv is at the forefront of this push. With a refined geometry, the Lust 2 is an easy choice for aspiring cross-country riders.
LIV it up: Women’s-specific bikes are up-and-coming, and Liv is at the forefront of this push. With a refined geometry, the Lust 2 is an easy choice for aspiring cross-country riders.If there’s any area that could really benefit from improvements, it’s the wheels. A tubeless-ready wheelset would lighten this bike up quite a bit and improve the ride quality. Going tubeless is a solid idea. The suspension worked well but a remote lockout for the shock would have been a huge bonus. After a couple rides the link-age loosened up on the Maestro. After retightening the lower link, we didn’t have any more issues during testing.
BUYING ADVICE
The Lust 2 is a good bike for women who want to get their feet wet, and also for more experienced riders who want a solid bike that will withstand the test of time. Liv created this bike with durability in mind, and it delivers on functionality, fit, and fun.
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