Liv Intrigue LT Advanced Pro 0 first test – The perfect trail bike for ladies?

An all-round mountain bike designed specifically for female riders? That's exactly what the Liv Intrigue LT Advanced Pro 0 wants to be, not just a shrunken GIANT with a splash of pink paint. It was designed to put a massive smile on your face, whether you’re cruising the flow lapping your favourite bike park or signing up for an enduro race at the weekend. But can it keep its promise?

Only a handful of brands offer female-specific mountain bikes, and Liv is one of them. It’s a sister brand of GIANT, the biggest bike manufacturer in the world, which allows their development team to utilise the vast experience of the Taiwanese bike colossus. So it comes as no surprise that their bikes share some similarities, as they rely on many of GIANT’s patented technologies, like the Maestro rear suspension system. However, the Liv Intrigue LT Advanced Pro 0 isn’t just a smaller GIANT with a splash of glitter, but was developed specifically for women using plenty of feedback from female riders. But what’s the point of building female-specific bikes, and what advantages do they have? In our “Ladies’ bikes without Barbie bullshit” article you’ll find a more exhaustive answer to this question, but in a nutshell, it’s simply because they’re generally lighter and smaller, and anatomically different from men. So it makes sense to design smaller frames – or “women’s sizes”. Available in sizes XS to L, the Intrigue LT is suitable for riders between 150 and 181 cm tall – at least, that’s what the manufacturer says. It combines 160/150 mm of travel (f/r), which should make it suitable for a wide range of riding scenarios, from moderate trails to rowdy bike park laps and enduro racing. We tested the Liv Intrigue LT long travel variant, and if you want to take it easier, you might want to take a closer look at its little sister, the Liv Intrigue. If you want to take home the flagship model we tested, you’ll have to dig deep into your pockets to fork out a whopping € 13,000. But don’t worry, there are cheaper models too!

The Liv Intrigue LT Advanced Pro 0 in detail

The unmistakable frame silhouette and striking MAESTRO rear suspension clearly give away Liv’s affiliation with GIANT, and the bike also shares countless details with their bikes, like the storage compartment in the down tube, which can be accessed quickly and easily via a twist grip on the cover. The opening is big enough to stow away a small pump, a multitool and even a couple of snacks. The compartment comes standard with a pouch, which prevents the contents from rattling against the frame. The compartment’s cover doubles as a mounting plate for a bottle cage and is easy to open even with a full water bottle in it. Despite the frame triangle’s compact dimensions, Liv managed to fit a bottle in all frame sizes.

To the delight of many home mechanics, Liv rely on a conventional cable routing system with cable ports on the headset. When using a mechanical drivetrain, the cable disappears briefly into the chainstay, while the rear brake hose is routed externally on the chainstay. The FOX Live Valve suspension adds plenty of cables to the cockpit, which results in a rather untidy look and a rattling noise on the trail. However, this can be easily prevented with a couple of zip ties.

A generously sized seat- and chainstay protector prevents paint chips but only dampens chain slap partially. If you like your bike to be totally quiet, you should apply some mastic tape to the stays. A TPU plate extends ¾ of the way up the down tube, shielding the frame against stray rocks.

The spec of our Liv Intrigue LT Advanced Pro 0 test bike

Our Liv Intrigue LT Advanced Pro 0 test bike comes with a very bling spec, which is exactly what you’d expect from a bike in this price class. But more importantly, the spec is very well thought out. For starters, LIV rely on an elegant Zipp 3ZERO MOTO wheelset, which are designed to be more compliant than a conventional carbon wheel, and thus to provide more comfort and traction without sacrificing stability – and Zipp also throw in a lifetime guarantee to back their convictions. Another nice detail are the TyreWiz valves, which allow you to check your air pressure on the go using an app.

The wheels are paired with a MAXXIS Minion DHF tire at the front and DISSECTOR at the rear, both of which come in the paper-thin EXO casing and hard MaxxTerra rubber compound. If you like to get rowdy on the trail, we recommend upgrading to a more robust tire with tougher casing, like MAXXIS’ EXO+ or Doubledown, which offer more puncture protection and allow you to run lower air pressures for more traction. While you’re at it, you should run the softer MaxxGrip rubber compound at the front for more grip.

Shimano’s top-tier XTR four-piston stoppers ensure reliable, powerful deceleration and are paired with a 203 mm rotor at the front and a 180 mm disc at the rear. The XTR lever features a tool free reach adjustment and finely-tunable bite point, which can be adjusted using a Philips screwdriver. This allows you to adapt the position of the lever and its response behaviour to your own needs and preferences.

The TranzX dropper post might not be the most sophisticated out there but is incredibly well thought out – and here’s why! While the maximum 150 mm travel might be too much for smaller riders, this can be reduced by up to 30 mm to a minimum of 120 mm. In frame size M and L, the dropper has 170 mm travel, which can be reduced by up to 30 mm too. However, the remote of our dropper post has already developed some play after a few laps and isn’t the most intuitive to operate either – which shouldn’t be the case with a thirteen-grand bike!

Shifting is taken care of by an electronic, wireless SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS drivetrain, which ensures butter smooth gear shifts but is paired with super-long 170 mm cranks – too much for short riders! A nice detail is the bash guard with integrated chain guide, which protects the chainring against impacts while preventing the chain from falling off.

For the cockpit, Liv rely on GIANT’s in-house components, including the Contact SL35 stem and 760 mm Contact SLR TR35 carbon handlebars, which are paired with thin grips for smaller hands.

The FOX Live Valve suspension of our Liv Intrigue LT Advanced Pro 0

For the suspension, Liv rely on a FOX 36 Factory FIT4 fork and FOX Factory Live Valve shock. As the shock’s name suggests, the special thing about it is the FOX Live Valve. This is an electronic system that automatically adapts the suspension to the conditions on the trail with the help of sensors on the fork and rear end. The system is managed by a so-called controller, which is the small black box attached to the downtube. This is the brain of the system and also includes one of the three sensors of the system. The second sensor is positioned on the fork bridge, while the third one tucked away is attached to the non-drive side chainstay. The whole system draws its power from one battery, which is housed in the controller. According to FOX, the battery should last for 16-20 hours depending on terrain morphology, with cables supplying power to all the components. While this means that there’s only one battery to charge, the many cables make for a rather messy overall look. Finally, the system relies on two electronic Live Valves in the fork and shock, which open and close at the controller’s command. But how does the system work? In a nutshell, the controller uses three sensors and an algorithm to detect whether you’re riding up or downhill, and also detects free-fall phases, thus reliably opening the suspension within 3 milliseconds when needed. Before hitting the trails for the first time, you’ll have to adjust the compression and rebound settings the same way you would do with conventional suspension components. All you have to do is switch on the electronics and select one of the five levels. You’re ready to go. The higher the level, the bigger the hit has to be before the suspension opens up. We mainly rode at level one or two to get the maximum traction out of the suspension.

Overall, the system takes some getting used to and time to setup. While testing the bike, we occasionally had problems with individual sensors losing connection, which was due to sensor connection plug. We also broke the plastic retainer that secures the controller and battery to the frame. This can be really annoying for end users, because they would have to send in the whole bike to replace just one part. That’s why we just opted for a few zip ties to fix it and finish the test.

All spec variants of the Liv Intrigue LT

The Liv Intrigue LT is available both with an alloy and carbon frame and in a total of five spec variants. However, there’s not a single alloy build with high-end components. The entry level Liv Intrigue LT 2 alloy variant retails at € 3,399 and comes equipped with a cheap SRAM SX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain and entry-level suspension consisting of a RockShox 35 Gold RL fork FOX FLOAT DPS Performance shock.

The second most affordable alloy version, the Intrigue LT 1, costs € 3,999. However, for € 600 more, you’ll get a Shimano SLX 12-speed drivetrain and a FOX 36 Performance GRIP fork, which is the most relevant upgrade from the LT 1 model. The fork is easy to adjust and delivers and excellent performance on the trail, though not as awesome as its top-tier counterpart. The fork is paired with the same FOX FLOAT DPS Performance shock.

The other two spec variants rely on a carbon frame, which bears the “Advanced” suffix. The more affordable Liv Intrigue LT Advanced 2 costs € 5,199 and features a Shimano Deore 12-speed drivetrain and mixed suspension consisting of a Marzocchi Bomber Z1 fork and FOX FLOAT Performance shock.

The other carbon spec variant is the Liv Intrigue LT Advanced Pro 1, which retails at € 6,799. For your money you’ll get a cable operated SRAM GX 12-speed drivetrain and FOX suspension consisting of a 36 Performance Elite GRIP2 fork and FOX FLOAT Performance Elite shock, which both deliver a tremendous performance on the trail and only miss the Fancy Kashima coating of their top-tier counterparts – clearly our price-performance tip!

The geometry of the Liv Intrigue LT

The Liv Intrigue LT is available in four sizes, XS to L, offering a suitable option for riders between 150 and 181 cm tall. However, the sizes (and size recommendations) are slightly smaller compared to their unisex counterparts. At 417 mm, the reach is short for a frame size S, but fits well with the size recommendation for riders between 150 and 163 cm. Reach increments are pleasantly small, preventing you from finding yourself on the fence between two sizes. At 627 mm, the stack height is quite high for a bike with such a short reach. Chainstay length is 442 mm and doesn’t grow with the frame size, which is on the long side of the spectrum. At 65.1°, the head tube angle is average for a modern trail bike.

The Liv comes with different wheel size configurations depending on the frame size. The smallest XS and S frames roll on a mixed wheel setup with a 27.5″ wheel at the rear and 29″ front wheel, while size M and L come standard with two big 29″ wheels. However, the bigger frame sizes can also be converted to a mullet bike using the flip chip in the upper shock mount and, of course, a smaller rear wheel. When swapping the rear wheel, you just have to switch the flip chip into the high setting to compensate for the geometry alterations. However, you can also use the flip chip to change the geometry without changing the rear wheel. The three different positions change most geometry settings, with the biggest alterations affecting the head angle and bottom bracket height. We mainly rode the bike in the middle setting.

Size	XS	S	M	L
Top tube	552 mm	566 mm	580 mm	602 mm
Seat tube	370 mm	490 mm	420 mm	450 mm
Head tube	95 mm	95 mm	100 mm	110 mm
Head angle	65.1°	65.1°	65.1°	65.1°
Seat angle	76.6°	76.6°	76.6°	76.5°
Chainstay	442 mm	442 mm	442 mm	442 mm
BB Drop	20 mm	20 mm	30 mm	30 mm
Wheelbase	1,166 mm	1,180mm	1,207 mm	1,231 mm
Reach	402 mm	417 mm	442 mm	462 mm
Stack	627 mm	627 mm	625 mm	634 mm

The Liv INTRIGUE LT Advanced Pro 0 on the trail

When you get the Liv Intrigue LT Advanced Pro 0 out of the garage and hit the trails, you will be greeted with a pleasantly upright riding position that will make even long days in the saddle a comfortable experience.

When riding on level ground, there’s very little pressure on your hands and yet the front wheel tracks reliably even when the gradient steepens up. Thanks to the FOX Live Valve system, the suspension locks automatically but opens at the speed of light whenever you hit an obstacle, like a root or a rock. This ensures an efficient climbing performance and at the same time plenty of traction. If you switch off the electric suspension, the rear suspension remains active and bobs slightly, providing lots of traction and comfort, albeit at the expense of efficiency. Nevertheless, the Liv is a good climber even without the electric suspension, and we would only lock out the shock manually on long pedalling sections.

When you drop into a trail to shred your way back down into the valley, the Liv places you in a central, comfortable riding position, making you feel at ease from the get go. It’s easy and intuitive to ride, proving a suitable choice for both beginners and advanced riders. This is partly due to the high front end, which prevents dreaded OTB moments when things get steeper. Despite the high front, you don’t have to actively weight the front wheel to keep it tracking.

When riding downhill, too, you can tell whether the FOX Live Valve is working or not. Especially on flow trails, when you’re pumping thorugh rollers and berms, the suspension sucks up the rider’s input slightly when the electronics are switched off. You’ll still be able to build up speed, but slightly slower than with the activated Live Valve activated, which stiffens up the suspension. When popping off ledges and berms, the bike behaves almost the same with or without electronics. The suspension pops well even without Live Valve but allows you to fly a little bit further with it.

If swap the groomed sand of man-made trails for natural singletrack, the Live Valve is only clearly noticeable when sprinting. The Liv inspires huge amounts of confidence on natural gnar, which is mainly due to the plush suspension and long wheelbase. As a result, the Liv is great fun even for beginners and less experienced riders. On fast, rough trails, the Intrigue LT continues to impress with excellent composure, even though it can’t quite match the downhill performance and composure of a fully-fledged enduro bike. However, the composed character is particularly noticeable in tight corners, where you’ll have to ride slightly more actively to throw the Liv around the bend. The suspension generates tons of traction and skilfully absorbs nastier impacts, and despite its plush feel, offers enough reserves with botched landings and messy lines.

Who should take a closer look at the Liv Intrigue LT Advanced Pro 0?

The Liv Intrigue LT Advanced Pro 0 is a good choice for anyone who can spend € 13,000 and wants a downhill-orientated all-rounder. Riding downhill, the Intrigue LT is a fun companion on moderate trails, bike park tracks and even the odd enduro race. Liv also appeal to all female riders who want a female-specific mountain bike. It’s also an option for those who find it hard to get a bike in the right size. Moreover, there’s also a top-spec variant, which is cool considering that female-specific bikes are often poorly specced and only offer a few adjustment options – which is exactly what women need to perfectly fine-tune their bike.

Our conclusions about the Liv Intrigue LT Advanced Pro 0

With the Intrigue LT, Liv managed to build an expensive mountain bike that suits female riders extremely well. Apart from a few details, the frame and spec are heavily tailored to the needs of female riders, which are often smaller and lighter. Liv’s elegant, downhill-orientated all-rounder impresses with intuitive handling and cuts a good figure on moderate, natural trails as well as at the bike park.

For more info, visit Liv’s website.

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Words: Sebastian Dirscherl Photos: Mike Hunger