Women are not simply shorter versions of men. Legs, torsos, shoulders and hips are, on average, different in proportion not just in size. With that in mind, Santa Cruz and Juliana got to work with a solid foundation of bike-building expertise to build on, but flipped the script and used women’s specific geometry and measurements to engineer bikes that would not only fit the typical woman, but also allow her to perform at her athletic best.

Yes, the Juliana frames are smaller on average than the men’s frames. But that’s only a beginning. Proportionally accurate geometry extends to areas of the bikes such as cranks, chain stays, handlebars and others to ensure a great fit and a fast, comfortable ride. Even at the same height, men and women are built differently. They have different weights and different physiological proportions. Simply reducing the size of traditionally men’s bikes by uniform percentages will not cut it.

While the Juliana Furtado 27.5 inch mountain bike is the namesake model for the brand, others followed to create an exquisite line of bikes for virtually every type of riding. The Joplin is a speedy 120mm travel 29er cross country rig ready to race. With the Maverick, you get a 140mm trail bike that tames rock gardens and is ready to catch some air on technical descent. The Roubion is an enduro ride with 27.5 wheels and 150mm travel designed and intended to put your bike handling skills at ease as you attack some of the most demanding trails and mountains around.

Of course, the gravel world could not be forgotten and Juliana released the Quincy a few years ago to bring all-road adventures another level of comfort, performance and accessibility.

In building Juliana into the world’s leading women’s specific mountain bike line, Santa Cruz leaned heavily to female riders for demos, testing and feedback. The result is component builds with properly tuned suspension systems - a 5-foot-5 inch woman typically weighs much less than a 5-foot-5 inch man and the suspension system should reflect that difference for a better ride. Working with Fox and RockShox, Juliana engineers develop unique tunes and kits to create bikes that just perform better.

The Joplin, for example, features all the same great engineering and geometry traits as the Santa Cruz Tallboy, however it offers the typically lighter Juliana rider a plush and smooth feel throughout the travel, thanks to its custom ‘light’ tune.

From shock tune to chainring size and saddles to grips, the Juliana crew of dedicated female product testers has obsessed over the little details today’s female mountain bikers want. July Furtado wouldn’t have it any other way.

We consider ourselves the local experts. Whether you walk through our doors or give us a call, our staff knows the answer to your questions and you’ll get the same professional service whether you are in the shop or on the phone. Many of us, like you, are more versed in one area than the other. If the first person you talk to at Contender Bicycles isn’t the expert you need, we’ve got the expert just a few steps away. We’ve got more than 250 years combined experience in the shop at any time and there’s always someone on duty with the experience and expertise you trust.

To make sure you find the right bike, we make sure our staff is up to date on the latest innovations and technologies. The bike world evolves every year and so do we through training and education. With our size, sales volume and reputation, we have excellent relationships with bike brands, component companies and apparel makers. If we don’t have it at the moment, we can get it.

Contender Bicycles is one of the largest physical bike shops in the country and we have an unmatched selection of quality bicycles from numerous brands. Many bike shops these days have narrowed down their inventory to one or two brands. That’s absolutely not the case at Contender.

We also offer a high end selection of gear and apparel. Our jerseys, shorts and other accessories are things we’d feel comfortable wearing while riding. There’s not much risk of buying a set of bibshorts from us with a chamois you regret.

An area Contender Bicycles takes special pride in is our Pro Build service. Many of our customers don’t simply want a great bike from the floor. They know their parts and components and have something special in mind. With our Pro Build service, you can select a frame - road, mountain, gravel, whatever - and consult with one of our Pro Build specialists to create a complete bike that matches your needs and tastes to a T. We can even help you customize your bike with a paint job that is truly one of a kind.

Of course, every bike will need to be serviced now and then. Contender Bicycles has the largest service staff in the state. With more than a dozen wrenches on staff, we have experts ready to make your bike as good as new as quickly as possible. Our mechanics have experience and training unmatched in the market. We’ll talk over each fix, discuss options and get you back in the saddle as soon as possible.

While Contender Bicycles has a reputation for selling only the best bikes, bike accessories and bike gear, we listen to you first to determine what your needs are. We don’t pay sales commissions, so we care more about making sure you ride the best bike for you rather than selling the best bike for us.

Whether you’re buying a bike from Contender Bicycles in person or working remotely with our Pro Build experts, we’re dedicated to making your experience in the shop as good as your ride on the trails or road.

Of course, none of these questions can’t be answered without first asking “What is travel?”

Travel, simply put, is the maximum distance a suspension system can move to absorb impact forces. Shocks - both in the front fork and rear suspension - are designed to take more or less of a beating on the trail depending on how aggressive the terrain, speed and degree or descent can be. Bottoming out is the term used to describe a shock reaching its limit. More travel is better for bigger hits, less travel is better for climbing or rides with fewer scary moments.

Though not always the case, the more travel a suspension system has, the heavier it will be. Also, the more travel a suspension system has the less friendly it will be when climbing. More travel can take away some traction when going uphill while adding traction and better handling on descents. There is give and take with each level of suspension and with each bike.

Let’s take a look at each style of riding and the recommended amount of travel associated with each style. You’ll undoubtedly notice there’s some overlap because virtually no trail is consistently the same. Likewise, there are different kinds of bikes in each subset which creates an endless variety of bike-to-trail options.

Contender Recommendations: SCOTT Scale, Santa Cruz Tallboy, SCOTT Spark, BMC Twostroke, Orbea Oiz.

Contender Recommendations: Santa Cruz 5010, SCOTT Genius, Santa Cruz Hightower, Orbea Occam, Cannondale Scalpel, BMC Fourstroke

Contender Recommendations: SCOTT Gambler, Santa Cruz V10, Intense M29.