The Nimble, Playful Juliana Furtado Is Your New Singletrack BFF
Price: $7,999 (as tested, CC X01 Reserve; prices range from $2,699 to $9,499)
Weight: 26.82, claimed (27.41 27.5+, claimed)
Style: Women’s mountain
Drivetrain: SRAM Eagle XO
Material: Carbon
Wheel size: 27.5-inch, frame clearance for up to 2.8-inch tires
Travel: 130mm front and rear
The right bike for: The true, all-around mountain biker who wants a trail-worthy companion for wherever she rides
Mountain biking is full of extremes-from tame, play-all-day flow trails to shred-if-you-dare, lift-access-only enduro runs. In between, where the singletrack rips, the climbs burn, and the descents sometimes send your heart sailing into your throat in a gleeful, but not death-defying, way is where most mountain bikers roam. Bikes like the new Juliana Furtado, the most trail-capable incarnation of this popular women’s mountain bike, are built to take us there.
In keeping with the current trend of making trail bikes longer, lower, and slacker, Juliana tweaked the geometry of the already trail-oriented Furtado to slacken the head tube, lengthen the reach, and steepen the seat angle, with an eye on improving its descending composure while also honing its climbing chops. It also added a Flip Chip, which changes the bottom bracket height 4mm, so you can drop it to put on plus-size, tech-eating rubber without changing the general bottom bracket position. And it chopped the seat tube to accommodate a 125mm drop (it comes spec’d with a 100mm) on its XS models so smaller riders could enjoy the same ride quality as their taller peers. Standover clearance was increased, too, and all models have room for a water bottle inside the frame.
Juliana also brought back aluminum models of the Furtado (offering its first size XS in aluminum) to offer more bikes at more price points from entry level on up.
Furtado CC X01 Reserve Bike Family
The Furtado comes in eight material and component packages, including carbon (C), high-end carbon (CC), and aluminum (AL) complete models, as well as AL and CC frame-only options, for a total of 10 choices. The CC X01 Reserve (made from high-end carbon and spec’d with SRAM X01 Eagle 12-speed, and Santa Cruz’s high-end carbon wheels) is the second most expensive option. Above it, the CC XTR Reserve costs $9,499. The AL models cost $2,699 and $3,399, C bikes range from $3,999 to $6,099, and AL or CC frame-only options cost $1,999 or $2,999, respectively.
Furtado Flip Chip FTW
The 2019 Furtado is more capable-and more fun to ride-on gnarlier trails than its predecessors thanks to the integration of a Flip Chip (which changes the bottom bracket position 4mm) at the upper link that can be set in a low or high position to accommodate regular or plus-size 27.5 tires. By setting the chip in the low position, you can put up to 2.8-inch tires on without altering the bottom bracket position. The bike is also slightly slacker in the low setting. You also have the option of getting the bike outfitted with 2.6-inch tires, which hit a sweet spot of providing extra volume for lots of traction while also feeling more precise and less squirmy than oversize rubber. Or you can run it in the high setting with traditional 2.3-inch trail-worthy tires for a slightly lighter, more lively ride.
Furtado’s Geometry and Sizing
The Furtado follows the current, progressive-geometry trend of slackening the head tube angle (66.2mm in the low position/66.5 in high) while maintaining a steeper seat tube angle (74.9 in low/75.2 in high) and increasing the reach (15mm) with the goal of increasing stability on bumpy descents while delivering crisp, responsive seated-climbing ability-all while maintaining a comfortable, roomy cockpit. Like all Juliana bikes, the Furtado uses the same frames as models from Santa Cruz Bicycles counterparts (in this case the 5010). The things that make them “women’s specific” are touch points (grips and saddle), paint schemes, and smaller sizing options, as well as shocks that are tuned for smaller riders. The Furtados are available in sizes XS to M. There is no size L this model year.
Furtado CC X01 Reserve Component Highlights
The most notable component upgrade on the Furtado is new hardware on the VPP rear suspension in the form of a Fox DPX2 Float Performance Elite shock, which features a recirculating oil-damper design and is well-suited for medium-travel bikes like the Furtado. The piggyback-style shock provides greater heat capacity and more fine-tuning options than the previous DPS shock that came on the Furtado, but is lighter than a more DH-oriented shock. The firm initial stroke provides a solid pedaling platform with small-bump sensitivity off the top. The shock gets more progressive through the stroke to let you ride more aggressively without blowing through your travel. The DPX2 provides three-open, medium, firm-lever-actuated, on-the-fly compression settings, and you can fine-tune rebound in the open setting with a 10-click dial. As with all Juliana bikes, the Furtado has a lighter shock tune for smaller riders.
Overall the Furtado CC X01 27.5 Reserve is excellently dressed for pretty much any trail date: The drivetrain includes SRAM X01 Eagle 12-speed (10-50t), which enables you to sit and spin up pretty much everything but a brick wall, and SRAM Guide RSC brakes paired with pie plate–size Avid Centerline 180mm rotors front and rear for one-finger, on-demand stopping power. It’s also outfitted with a 31.6mm RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper post, for when the trail gets spicy.
Furtado CC X01 Reserve Ride Impressions
I could write this ride review in three words: playful, lively, fun. Done! But, of course, there’s more I can say. I rode the Furtado as part of a Juliana press event held in East Burke, Vermont, where we spent a full day on the Kingdom Trails, a purpose-built mountain bike trail system featuring a smorgasbord of singletrack that includes ripping-fast flow trails and lots of berms and switchbacks. On the intermediate trails, you’ll find some technical fun in the form of roots, rock chutes, and small drops, as well as a surprising amount of elevation that comes in the form of punchy climbs and longer, switchbacked climbs-a perfect testing ground for the Furtado.
Pretty much all rides there start uphill. I’ve always found the Furtado to be an active climber that responds quickly when you push the pedals, and this model was no exception. I felt like my weight was suitably forward for great traction in the seated position, and I still had plenty of room in the cockpit to tilt my torso toward the top tube when things got really steep. The carbon Reserve wheels, new to the Furtado this year, were a nice touch and made the bike feel even more quick-footed than I remembered from past rides on previous models.
Tearing down the first descent, I immediately noticed the upgrades. Whereas I found previous models to be a bit unforgiving when terrain went from chattery to chundery, the new rear suspension hardware and design coupled with the slackened front end delivered a more sure-footed ride feel, keeping the wheels-especially the rear, which used to get shaken off line at high speeds-planted and heading where you want them, while still transmitting a high level of trail feedback and maintaining the playful pop over roots and rock gardens that makes the Furtado fun. When you toss in the benefits of the RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper post, the Furtado definitely feels like a bigger bike that would welcome a trip to the bike park. I would also not hesitate to hop in a more technical XC race with this bike.
I tried the Furtado with both tire size setups and was most impressed with the low Flip Chip position coupled with the plus-size tires, as the extra grip made high-speed corners and berms nearly effortless even on the somewhat sketchy conditions we found during an unusually dry June in New England.
I struggled a bit to get used to the wideness of the SCB AM Carbon bar, which at 760mm is a few millimeters wider than what I’m accustomed to and which caused a few “Oh sh*t!” moments as I went sailing through some tight trees where it just fit. But that is easily remedied with a small trim. I left the fork and shock wide open all day, because it’s so nice and firm off the top that, though there’s some noticeable movement when you climb, it’s not enough to feel power sucking, and it helps keep the wheels grounded.
It’s worth noting that the Furtado no longer looks like what you may have come to expect it-or any Juliana, for that matter-to look like. The new Furtado is a glossy-finish, maroon hue with a pop-arty-style bold font on the down tube-a nod to the bike’s playful demeanor. If you’re in the market for a trail buddy, the Furtado could quickly become your new BFF.
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