A major departure from where a women's bike used to be, Specialized's FSR Marathon woman's specific mountain bike is a force to be reckoned with, on the trail and on the showroom floor. While some lesser manufacturers are putting out lower-quality women's bikes, Specialized bikes is releasing its full-suspension line of women's specific mountain bikes with some flair, creating a full-suspension women's bike with all the style a rider expects, with excellent components and a women's specific geometry that sets the full-suspension mountain bike market on its ear.
Women's bicycle design, and specifically women's mountain bike design, has come a long way since the first bike rolled down the street. Initially, only the top tube was offset to make room for the long dresses women used to wear. Other than that, women's bikes weren't much different from men's bikes. It wasn't until recently that women's bikes were built specifically for a woman's physiology. Specialized bikes entered the fray again this year with a host of woman- specific bikes, and the full-suspension Specialized Era FSR Marathon is the one that sets the pace for the rest. Priced at about $4400, the Specialized Era FSR Marathon is a stylish full-suspension mountain bike with all the features you would expect of a high-end Specialized mountain bike.
The frame is Specialized's fully-manipulated, ultra-strong FSR M5 alloy, with Designs for Women geometry, carbon link, sealed cartridge bearings, 100mm of suspension travel, and a replaceable derailleur hanger. Specialized uses a thinner tube for its women's specific bikes to reduce weight. Specialized uses their own shock system for the rear, utilizing a flow control valve on the rear. The rear shock is fully adjustable on this mountain bike, from a setting of HT firm to Trail Tune, and features an air spring and adjustable rebound. The front suspension is a Fox F100 RLC fork with 100mm of travel, adjustable rebound/compression, lockout with threshold adjust, and an alloy steerer.
Braking is handled by Magura Marta hydraulic disc brakes with 160mm rotors both front and back. Specialized utilizes Shimano M770 front derailleurs while the rear derailleur is an S-ram nine-speed. Count on this bike being an attention-grabber, because really, the paint on this bike just shines. Bicycling Magazines says: "Buy it if you spend every weekend on the trail, Forget it if you ride in high-crime areas or are accustomed to leaving it unattended on your bike rack."
The full-suspension Specialized FSR Marathon isn't the only bike that Specialized released this year with more than a passing thought for a women's specific mountain bike, but it is a standout. Reviews by major magazines practically glow in reference to Specialized's use of an upright seating position and the trail-tune suspension setting which allows the bicycle to intuitively reset itself to the correct setting for the terrain it senses. The rear suspension can also be quickly adjusted for excellent efficiency on flat terrain. With a smart design and intuitive full suspension, the Specialized Era FSR full-suspension women's specific mountain bike is a sure bet to be a favorite this riding season, and well worth the coin you're going to fork over for it. Check the following websites for more information:
www.Specialized.com
www.bicycling.com