2012 Trek Lush SL Womens Mountain Bike
Designed from the ground up, the all new Lush SL takes all of Trek's R&D and suspension knowledge and combines it with a frame and complete spec package that will work better for the female rider. Using the very successful full floater/ ABP suspension from Trek the all new Lush mountain bike appears to have addressed every aspect of design that has traditionally caused issues for female riders. One major challenge associated with building women's specific mountain bikes is providing sufficient stand-over clearance, which Trek have addressed by giving the Lush the lowest stand-over in its class. More stand-over clearance provides more confidence when riding over logs and rocks, as the bike becomes much easier to dismount should you need to put a foot down. Considerable testing has also been done to make sure that the Lush's overall geometry and handling will feel comfortable for a wider spectrum of female riders. The intention was to deliver confidence and comfort, which in turns provides fun, because at the end of the day that's what mountain biking is all about.
 
Another aspect of mountain bikes that is often an issue is how much of the bikes suspension is actually usable, especially with lighter riders. We do tend to bang on about suspension a lot at My Mountain, but for a good reason... It's the most important aspect of a full suspension bike and can really make or break the quality of your ride. The Lush SL gets all Trek's suspension technology thrown at it giving female riders the opportunity to use all of the 120mm of travel in a well designed and thought out female specific mountain bike. All too often we see females riding around on a 5" trail bike using 3" of travel which obviously gives them issues in technical terrain. Fitted with DRCV suspension front and rear, the Lush SL avoids the ramp up normally associated with air shocks by opening a second air chamber 50% of the way through the stroke, providing smooth suspension all the way through the 120mm of travel. Expect to feel less fatigued, more in control, and more enjoyment out on the trail. It will be noticeable!

Although the big story with the Trek Lush SL is the Womens Specific frame design and custom tuned Fox DRCV Suspension, it is also decked out with some impressive components including the brand new Shimano SLX hydraulic disc brakes. Ideal for lighter female riders, the SLX brakes provide consistent control of the braking power without the "on/off" feel you can get with other disc brakes. The 3x10 Shimano drivetrain provides slick shifting and gives you plenty of low range gearing for getting up steep hills and technical switchbacks, and a quality Bontrager cockpit is designed to fit the female form with a slightly shorter stem, narrower bar and comfy Bontrager Evoke saddle. Aside from suspension we also put a lot of emphasis on the importance of good quality tyres, and the Bontrager XR4 tyres on the Lush SL are a great complement to the capability of the DRCV suspension. With a 2.2" width, the XR4 tyres provide lots of grip in all conditions, and although they're not the fastest around, they'll give you tons of confidence when things get loose.
Once you have the Lush SL setup and fitted correctly, you'll have a bike that is extremely comfortable and controllable. Performance, comfort, confidence; it's the whole package.