Tested: Liv Intrigue X Advanced 0 Trail Bike

In April, Liv rolled out its new Intrigue X, a 140/150 mm trail bike that slots in between the Intrigue 29 and Intrigue LT and has variable rear wheel sizing, highly adjustable geometry, and integrated downtube storage.

All-around is a convenient phrase that gets used way too much in gear reviews, but I do believe that the Liv Intrigue X is an all-around mountain bike that would serve many riders very well.

• Travel: 140 mm (rear) 150 mm (front)
• Wheel Size: 29”
• Frame Material: Carbon
• Size Tested: Medium
• Reach: 440 mm (middle setting)
• Wheelbase: 1201 mm
• Chainstay Length: 439 mm (middle setting)
• Head Tube Angle: 64.8° (middle setting)
• Seat Tube Angle: 77.2° (middle setting)
• MSRP: 8950 Euro (this build is not available in North America)
• Bike Weight: 31.38 lbs (14.23 kg)
• Partial Build Weight (complete bike without wheels, tires, rotors, or cassette): 20.44 lbs (9.27 kg)

Sizing and Adjustability

Livs run small compared to unisex brands. The company says that it designs each size using “women’s body dimension data,” which I suppose just means that women are generally shorter than men.

At 5’5” I am the shortest recommended rider for a size medium but looking at the geometry chart, I think I could be happier on the size large with the reach set to short (456 mm, more in line with what I usually ride). I handed the medium Intrigue X around to a couple friends and was surprised to hear my 5’3” friend say it felt like the right size, while my 5’7” friend said she felt cramped on it.

The stack is also tall (619 mm in the middle setting) and the combination makes for a very upright seated riding position. Meanwhile, a relatively short wheelbase (1201 mm in the middle flip chip) makes the Intrigue X more nimble than stable.

The head tube and seat tube angles are in line with modern trail bikes, and almost everything is adjustable – it has a three-position headset cup system that changes the reach 5 mm in either direction, and a (very easy to use) flip chip on the upper rocker arm that adjusts the head tube angle, seat tube angle, and bottom bracket height.

Frame and Components

I had the privilege of testing the top-of-the-line carbon Intrigue X Advanced 0, but this model isn’t available in North America. In Europe it costs 8950 Euro, which is around 9,750 USD. It has the same color scheme as the Pique Advanced 29 0 I reviewed earlier this year, a glittering mulberry with gold accents. Once upon a time, I would have been offended that a women’s specific bike was so PINK, but in the era of the desert rose Specialized P.3 and orchid Smuggler, pink is now unisex, and the bike’s appearance draws approving comments from riders of all genders.

The frame has thick downtube and chainstay protection, but that nice pink paint immediately started chipping on an unprotected corner of the chainstay where the chain slaps the frame (which is where a rear derailleur cable would be if I was running mechanical shifting, also not an ideal interface for component longevity).

The medium frame triangle has room for a 20-ounce water bottle. The integrated frame storage compartment has a nice latching door but isn’t big enough to accommodate much – I can’t fit a pump or pair of sunglasses in it, but it works for a snack or a packable jacket. Both the carbon and alloy Intrigue X have storage, which is cool, but I wish it were larger.

Four models are available in the US, ranging from the $7,000 Intrigue X Advanced 1 (Advanced means a carbon frame; models without Advanced are aluminum) to the $3,200 Intrigue X 2.

For $7,000 you get carbon wheels, Fox Performance Elite suspension, GX AXS Transmission, a carbon Giant handlebar, and Shimano XT brakes on your Advanced 1. The Advanced 3 for $4,500 has a Fox 36 Float Rhythm fork and Performance shock, mechanical Shimano Deore drivetrain, and Deore brakes. The aluminum Intrigue X 1 is $3,700 with Performance suspension, an SLX drivetrain, and Shimano MT520 brakes, while the X 2 has a Rhythm fork and Performance shock, a Deore drivetrain, and MT420 brakes. All rotors are 203 mm up front and 180 in the rear.

The Advanced 0 I rode had a few upgrades from the Advanced 1, mainly SRAM XO Transmission and Fox Factory suspension, which is tuned specifically for women and feels predictable and balanced.

The Advanced 0 also has an integrated carbon bar-stem combo, but fortunately doesn’t have headset-routed cable. The bar-stem combo is inoffensive but did make it tricky to swap the headset cups. If you adjust the reach, take photos of your process to make sure you stack all the plastic spacers and cups in the correct order! The length and bar roll angle of this combo is adjustable thanks to some internal flip chips - a nice upgrade over most integrated combos.

I can’t fault the Maxxis DHF MaxxTerra EXO on the front but the Dissector with the same rubber on the rear leaves something to be desired, since it’s not as fast-rolling as the last-generation High Roller but doesn’t inspire the same confidence as a DHR. The Liv Sylvia saddle specced on all models is uniquely terrible – it’s a girthy, big-nosed saddle that puts a lot of extra material right where you don’t want it, between the thighs.

Performance

Cy Whitling recently reviewed the Giant Trance X , which isn’t identical to the Liv Intrigue X but shares some of the same qualities: travel, adjustability, Maestro dual-link suspension, in-frame storage. Comparing the two bikes’ geometry charts, it seems like sizing is the biggest difference. Personality-wise, they seem very similar. Cy describes the Trance X as poppy, fun to pump and jump, and efficient, and the Intrigue X definitely falls in line.

Especially on flatter, “tech flow” trails, the Intrigue X is an eager bike that’s easy and rewarding to get in the air, thanks to the short reach and wheelbase combined with the spritely rear suspension. Those characteristics also make the Intrigue X great in tight turns and berms.

While take-offs are joyful, landings aren’t plush and quiet – this bike is no couch and it tends to give me a lot of feedback on rough trail. It’s not the most fun to point straight through chunky gnar. It rewards lofting over roots and rocks instead of engaging with them.

On the uphills, the Intrigue X doesn’t feel as hungry as a more cross-country focused bike, probably because of how upright the seated position is, but it’s still a very sensible climber. Having the top-of-the-line trim never hurts but the supportive suspension platform, short wheelbase, and steep seat tube also help it feel business-like on the up. It’s tenacious on punchy technical spots and efficient on smoother efforts. The lockout switch on the shock is effective for road pedaling but not necessary on the trail.

After riding the bike in its most middle-of-the-road settings, I swapped the headset cups to make the reach 5 mm longer and flipped the chip into the lowest setting. It felt a bit more composed at speed and put me in a slightly more comfortable seated position, but it wasn’t enough adjustment to entirely change the ride experience. I didn’t try the Intrigue X in a mullet configuration, but I imagine that would make it feel even more like a full-fledged play bike and take away more of the stability that I was longing for.

Unlike a bike like the Santa Cruz Hightower or even the Transition Smuggler, both of which feel more point-and-plow-friendly, I wouldn’t be excited about doing any kind of racing on the Intrigue X, but it is incredibly fun to play around on and isn’t a slouch on the climbs.

Who is the Liv Intrigue X for?

I have a short answer and a long answer for this question. Short answer: this bike is for a rider who straddles sizes on unisex bikes and is looking for a fun, comfortable do-everything trail bike.

Long answer: buckle up.

I think we all carry a few nuggets of misinformation or at least obsolete information lodged in our brains. It’s a result of over three decades of extremely rapid technological advances in mountain biking, combined with a culture of people that love to make full-throated pronouncements of debatable merit. (I’m not casting aspersions – I’m guilty of both making pronouncements and clinging to others’ pronouncements.)

One firmly-held belief I’ve encountered in a particular subset of riders (often women) can be traced back to sometime around 2017, which is when many of those riders started mountain biking. The idea, often planted by a boyfriend who was heavily involved in his girlfriend’s introduction to riding, is that 29ers aren’t playful.

My petite friends who believe they can never stray from full 27.5” set-ups also feel that small and XS bikes are an afterthought for most brands, and they’re not wrong – it’s a 5’11” man’s world out there.

You still hear these ideas brought up, and it often seems to come from people who are perhaps still riding their first or second mountain bike and haven’t had the opportunity to try any modern 29ers.

I don’t want to sound like a snob because they’re not entirely wrong (I can think of a few distinctly non-playful 29ers that Bike has reviewed recently…) and because getting to try out a lot of modern bikes is absolutely a luxury. Demo-ing bikes requires either an expensive day-rental, attending a bike festival, having a friend with a well-maintained stable, or lucking into a free demo day at a shop. No wonder a person’s opinions can become calcified.

But I try to push back on their idea that 29” isn’t fun, and I was excited to lay hands on the Intrigue X and pass it around to them for a couple laps to prove it. I felt vindicated when my most ardently pro-27.5” friend happily admitted that the Intrigue was lively and easy to jump.

Because of its personality, and because it climbs well and descends well, and because the sizing appears suited for shorter people, and because it comes in a wide range of prices, I think the Liv Intrigue X is the right choice for a lot of riders looking to upgrade from their first mountain bikes.