Juliana

Furtado 27.5+ D Mountain Bike - Women's

When taking on trails that feature massive berms, tight switchbacks, long climbs, and solid descents, you need the nimble handling and playful suspension of the Juliana Furtado 27.5+ D Complete Mountain Bike. Don’t worry, its twitchy control and efficient climbing feel don’t sacrifice the strength and power you need to plow down technical trails at speed. From the 130-millimeters of VPP travel to the extended geometry that maximizes rider confidence and control, the Furtado is the quiver-killer that expands the classification of a trail bike. Updates include a slacker head tube, a lower bottom bracket—making this trail bike reach toward enduro style—and a WTB wheelset that uses SRAM hubs and Boost axles for a more efficient ride that matches the current industry standard.

The Furtado emphasizes surgical precision, especially on tighter trails where trees and rocks pose clearance issues. That being said, this bike doesn't sacrifice much in the way of descending composure versus the Roubion—its enduro-bred, big sister—thanks to a reinvigorated geometry that's longer, slacker, and low-slung. The sub-67-degree head tube angle keeps you confident and composed when you're dropping into steep descents littered with rocks and sudden drops. Plus, it retains one of the lowest bottom brackets in Juliana's line at a mere 13.1 inches, keeping you glued to the trail when you're charging at high speeds and railing around corners. Another notable geometry number, the 16.7-inch chainstays are shorter than your average trail bike, making it quick to change direction around corners.

The inclusion of flip-chip technology allows for a subtle change from the 66.5-degree head tube angle in the high setting and a 66.2-degree head tube angle in its low setting. It not only allows you to ride with a couple of geo options, but also provides the clearance needed to run wider tires up to 2.8 inches in width. Juliana outfits this particular Furtado with their 2.6-inch tires, which deliver all the traction and bump-smoothing benefits of a traditional 2.8-inch tire, but without feeling bouncy, slow, or excessively heavy. This 2.6-inch tire really gives you the best of both worlds, traction and plushness over the rockiest stretches of trail, but without the rolling resistance or tire squirm under braking and hard-cornering like a larger 2.8-inch tire.

As you'd expect with the Furtado, it retains the high degree of pedaling efficiency and bottom-out resistance of the previous version. This VPP platform neatly tucks the lower link above the bottom bracket to protect it from rock strikes and damage from flinging trail debris. The upper portion remains attached to the top tube with a new stiffer box-section upper link. While other DH-oriented frames in the Juliana line have moved to a lower-link mounted shock, the Furtado retains its upper link-mounted shock, as to not lose the pedaling efficiency and bottom out resistance needed for the reduction in travel. That being said, it's spec'd with a FOX Float Performance DPS shock for a supple feel with improved traction while pedaling over bumpy trail sections, as well as greater resistance to heating up for more consistency on those long descents. Juliana tuned the shock specifically for lighter, female riders, so this bike complements your riding style in a manner that maximizes sensitivity and response without sacrificing power.

The D build consists of SRAM's NX drivetrain, which offers a great gear range and puts the final nail in the front derailleur's coffin. The simplicity, weight savings, and reliability of a 1x is hard to argue. Other notable features of this build are the Rock Shox Recon fork with its reliably stiff chassis and consistent damping, the SRAM hydraulic disc brakes that provide confidence-inducing stopping power, and the integrated headset that provides a lightweight, simplified mechanism with decreased maintenance needs.

Please note, because the alloy version of the Furtado uses an integrated headset, the headtube measurement is 10 millimeters longer than what's indicated on the geometry chart, as to match the same headtube measurement as the carbon frame with its external lower cup and internal upper cup installed. Other than this headtube measurement, everything indicated on the geometry chart is accurate.