Liv Intrigue X
Wheel Size:
- Sizes XS–S: 29’’ front / 27.5’’ rear
- Sizes M–L: 29” front and rear, w/ mixed-wheel compatibility (29” front / 27.5” rear)
Travel: 140 mm rear / 150 mm front
Geometry Highlights:
- Sizes Offered: XS, S, M, L
- Headtube Angle: 64.8° (Mid position)
- Reach: 440 mm (Size Medium, Mid position)
- Chainstay Length: 439 mm (Size Medium, Mid position)
Frame Materials: Aluminum and carbon fiber versions available
Price: Complete bikes starting at $3,200 USD / $3,899 CAD (see below for full details)
Blister’s Measured Weight (Liv Intrigue X Advanced 0, size L): 28.5 lb / 12.92 kg
Test Locations: Colorado, New Mexico
Reviewer: 5’9”, 170 lbs / 175 cm, 77 kg
Test Duration: 4 months
Intro
We reviewed the very adaptable Liv Intrigue LT Advanced Pro back in 2023 and came away quite impressed with its well-balanced climbing and descending abilities. For 2024, Liv has continued to expand the Intrigue platform with the new 140mm-travel Intrigue X, which gets some geometry updates, mixed-wheel compatibility, and a whole lot of adjustability.
The Frame
Where many women’s bike brands take a “pink it and shrink it approach,” often just changing the color and sizing designations of their other unisex frames, Liv has continued to make true women-specific bikes. That means specific sizing, components, and suspension tunes that Liv says are developed “for women, by women.” For more on their approach, listen to Ep. 236 of our Bikes & Big Ideas podcast, where we sat down with Liv’s Off-Road Category Manager, Ludi Scholz.
Liv classifies the new Intrigue X as a mid-travel Trail bike, and with 140 mm of rear travel and 150 mm up front, it should stand as a well-rounded partner for most trails in a lot of locales.
From a suspension standpoint, the Liv Intrigue X sticks with a tried-and-true Maestro design, which Liv’s sibling company Giant has been using for nearly two decades at this point. The Intrigue X follows a linear-progressive leverage curve with a fairly low overall leverage rate, dropping from just over 2.8 to about 2.25 at bottom-out. Anti-rise hovers around a low 55% through the middle portion of the travel while anti-squat is a fairly modest ~90% at sag, both of which should promote a more active suspension feel both under braking and pedaling forces. Liv also uses double-sealed pivot bearings for longevity, which is great news for those of us in wetter climates.
The Intrigue X is available in both carbon fiber and aluminum frame options, with the carbon options designated by the “Advanced” labeling in their names. Giant / Liv owns its own composite manufacturing facility, and they say that the Intrigue X Advanced benefits from total control of the manufacturing of the carbon material itself all the way through to the finished product, allowing Liv to build its frames to exacting specifications and with their own in-house materials. Both carbon and aluminum Intrigue X frames get a composite upper link for the Maestro suspension, which helps increase stiffness while dropping weight.
With the Intrigue X, Liv has opted for mixed wheels (29″ front / 27.5″ rear) on the XS and Small sizes, and full 29” wheels on the Medium and Large frames, with the option for mixed wheels as an aftermarket swap on those larger sizes. As with most bikes updated in the past couple of years, the Intrigue X gets SRAM’s Universal Derailleur Hanger (UDH) standard. The Intrigue X also gets downtube storage and a pair of accessory mounts under the top tube for plenty of on-bike carry capability.
Fit & Geometry
The geometry options are perhaps the most, well, intriguing (and complex) part of the updated Intrigue X. Dubbed “Maestro 3,” Liv has implemented a 3-position flip chip at the junction of the Intrigue X’s seat stay and upper rocker link; this allows the rider to quickly swap geometry positions, tweaking the headtube angle, bottom bracket drop, and seat tube angle. This means that, in the stock wheel size for each size, the headtube angle can be adjusted within a range of 64.4° to 65.1°. Seat tube angle and bottom bracket drop fluctuate a bit based on the size due to the mixed wheels used on the XS–S sizes and the full 29” setup on Medium and Large frames, but in the case of the Medium, the seat angle spans 76.8° to 77.5°, while the bottom bracket drop goes from a ground-hugging 40 mm drop in the Low setting to a still-pretty-low 30 mm drop in High.
Unlike some other bikes, the Liv Intrigue X does not have a dedicated adjustment (outside of the 3-position Maestro 3 arrangement) to account for running mixed wheels. As a result, a mixed-wheel setup on the Medium and Large sizes makes things even lower and slacker, with the head angle dropping to 63.9° in the Mid position. It’s worth noting that the High and Mid positions are recommended for both full-29” and mixed-wheel configurations, whereas the Low setting is advised only with the stock wheel size, likely due to just how slack and low things get when a mixed-wheel combo is added to the Medium and Large sizes.
We see reach-adjust headsets as a great option to dial in bike fit, and clearly, Liv agrees — all frame sizes of the Intrigue X also include a reach-adjust headset, which includes neutral (+0 mm) cups as well as +/– 5 mm cups for extending or shortening the reach. Between the offset headset and the flip chips, the Intrigue X has a ton of adjustability for fine-tuning the fit and handling.
While some brands have elected to use size-specific chainstays, Liv keeps the same chainstay length across the board on the Intrigue X, at 439 mm in the Mid geometry position. That’s a fairly middle-of-the-road number, though they might feel a bit lengthy in proportion to the 401 mm and 415 mm reach of the XS and Small, respectively.
The Builds
Liv offers a wide range of builds for the Intrigue X, with the carbon-framed Advanced series getting four builds and the aluminum option getting two. Like most brands, Liv reserves the higher-end spec for the carbon-framed Intrigue X Advanced frames, with the aluminum bikes offering solid builds at more compelling price points.
While the chainstay lengths do not vary by frame size, Liv does tweak component sizing slightly to account for rider proportions. The XS gets a 40 mm stem and 165 mm cranks whereas the other sizes get a 50 mm stem and 170 mm cranks, and the stock bar width is 760 mm aside from 780 mm on the Large.
It’s worth giving Liv a round of applause for including an adjustable-travel dropper post, with travel up to 170 mm on the XS and Small and 200 mm on the Medium and Large. Every build of the Intrigue X also gets 203 mm front and 180 mm rear rotors — another welcome touch.
Model-by-model highlights from available builds are as follows. We’ve listed all of the builds, but for now, it looks like availability varies significantly by geography, with the top-tier Intrigue X Advanced 0 only available outside of North America at this time. The US pricing on the aluminum-framed Intrigue X and carbon-framed Intrigued X Advanced 3 appears to be particularly compelling.
- Drivetrain: Shimano Deore M6100
- Brakes: Shimano BR-MT420 (203 mm front rotor / 180 mm rear rotor)
- Fork: Fox 36 Rhythm (150 mm)
- Shock: Fox Float Performance
- Wheels: Giant TRA 2 WheelSystem Aluminum
- Dropper Post: Giant Contact Switch AT adjustable (XS–SM: 140-170 mm; MD–LG: 170–200 mm)
- Drivetrain: Shimano SLX M7100
- Brakes: Shimano BR-MT520 (203 mm front rotor / 180 mm rear rotor)
- Fork: Fox 36 Performance (150 mm)
- Shock: Fox Float Performance
- Wheels: Giant TRA WheelSystem Aluminum
- Dropper Post: Giant Contact Switch AT adjustable (XS–SM: 140-170 mm; MD–LG: 170–200 mm)
- Drivetrain: Shimano Deore M6100
- Brakes: Shimano BR-MT420 (203 mm front rotor / 180 mm rear rotor)
- Fork: Fox 36 Rhythm (150 mm)
- Shock: Fox Float Performance
- Wheels: Giant TRX WheelSystem Carbon
- Dropper Post: Giant Contact Switch AT adjustable (XS–SM: 140-170 mm; MD–LG: 170–200 mm)
- Drivetrain: Shimano SLX M7100
- Brakes: Shimano Deore M6120 (203 mm front rotor / 180 mm rear rotor)
- Fork: Fox 36 Rhythm(150 mm)
- Shock: Fox Float Performance
- Wheels: Giant TRX WheelSystem Carbon
- Dropper Post: Giant Contact Switch AT adjustable (XS–SM: 140-170 mm; MD–LG: 170–200 mm)
- Drivetrain: SRAM GX Transmission
- Brakes: Shimano XT M8120 (203 mm front rotor / 180 mm rear rotor)
- Fork: Fox 36 Performance Elite GRIP2 (150 mm)
- Shock: Fox Float X Performance Elite
- Wheels: Giant TRX WheelSystem Carbon
- Dropper Post: Giant Contact Switch AT adjustable (XS–SM: 140-170 mm; MD–LG: 170–200 mm)
- Drivetrain: SRAM X0 Transmission
- Brakes: Shimano XT M8100 (203 mm front rotor / 180 mm rear rotor)
- Fork: Fox 36 Factory GRIP2 (150 mm)
- Shock: Fox Float X Factory
- Wheels: Giant TRX WheelSystem Carbon
- Dropper Post: Giant Contact Switch AT adjustable (XS–SM: 140-170 mm; MD–LG: 170–200 mm)
FULL REVIEW
Kara Williard (5’9”, 170 lbs / 175 cm, 77 kg): I’ve spent the bulk of peak biking season here in the Gunnison Valley aboard the new Liv Intrigue X. This is following last summer, when I spent a good bit of time on the Intrigue X’s longer-travel sister, the Intrigue LT. You can check out our Full Review of the Liv Intrigue LT Advanced Pro 0 here.
Both bikes have proven worthy companions, and both offer an impressive range of customization and fine-tuning, but they differ in their ride qualities and the sorts of folks that they cater to.
Liv’s ethos is to support women riders and women in the bike industry, from their bike design to suspension tuning, R&D process, and more — all of which you can hear more about in this recent episode of our Bikes & Big Ideas podcast with their off-road product manager, Ludi Scholz.
Now, after many miles on the Intrigue X these, I am ready to weigh in on how it performs and how versatile it has proven to be.
Fit & Sizing
When I tested the Intrigue LT Advanced Pro last summer, its huge array of adjustability was both exciting and slightly intimidating; the new-for-2024 Intrigue X Advanced 0 continues that theme. With that in mind, there is a good bit to say here.
I will preface this by saying that the best thing you can do if you find yourself intimidated by some of these adjustments and fine-tunability of the Intrigue X is to work with a bike fitter. They can help find the settings that work best for you, dial those in, and then keep them there.
I think the majority of the adjustability options are best applied as long-term fit solutions for working with the unique anatomy of each rider, rather than short-term tweaks that you adjust based on the nature of the ride. The biggest exception to this in my experience is the Maestro Suspension platform and accompanying flip chips.
As with the Intrigue LT, the Intrigue X adopts Liv’s “Maestro 3,” a 3-position flip chip that provides different options for geometry positions. The swapping / flipping of the chips is relatively quick and can help adjust the bike’s geometry based on which style of ride you have on the docket. Overall, I’ve found the flip chips to be the adjustment option on the Intrigue frames that most affect the handling and ride characteristics of the bike, rather than the fit and sizing. That said, there might be some fit preferences that are better catered to in one flip-chip setting versus another.
As far as the basics go, the size Large Intrigue X was a natural choice and the absolute right size frame for me, which is no surprise, given how well I got along with the size Large Intrigue LT Advanced Pro. The fit of the Intrigue X was immediately reminiscent of the Intrigue LT, and in many ways, these two felt very similar, with a few distinctions.
The reach numbers of both the Intrigue X and Intrigue LT are within 2-3 mm of each other across all their flip-chip settings, with the LT being just a tad longer. Interestingly, the Intrigue LT’s head- and seat-tube angles are a tad steeper than the Intrigue X. The size Large Intrigue X’s reach ranges from 456-464 mm depending on its flip-chip setting, which sits right in the range of reach numbers that tend to work best for me, and is pretty average for a lot of “larger” Medium frames, or “smaller” Large frames on the market. (E.g., my size Medium Transition Smuggler has a reach of 460 mm, so I’d consider the Intrigue frame sizing a bit on the “smaller” end of the nominal sizing spectrum).
The touch points of the Intrigue X and LT all felt identical. Despite a slightly different, more upright body position on the Intrigue X due to my bar position (more on that in a moment), the easy, comfortable fit that I found in the Intrigue LT carried over to the Intrigue X.
Upon arrival, the bike was set up with its “Mid” chip and was built with my go-to 50 mm stem length. The stem and bar setup, as with about every other aspect of the Intrigue X, is highly adjustable. With the addition of Liv / Giant’s newly-released Contact SLR one-piece bar and stem, the Intrigue X is even more adjustable than the Intrigue LT. This new design allows for three different effective stem lengths (40, 45, or 50 mm), as well as using offset angle versions of the chips to adjust the back sweep (effective back sweep options of 7°, 8°, and 9° via 0° and +/- 3° angle adjustable spacers).
I settled on the longest, 50 mm stem length after some educated guesswork based on my preferences for other bikes. Thankfully, I chose well and I was immediately quite comfortable on the Intrique X.
For the purpose of this review, I spent a lot of time trying all the different available settings. Still, the throughline was that, despite the vast range of adjustments, starting with the correct frame size and making a few tweaks here and there made it pretty easy to dial in the fit of the Intrigue X. As a result, this was a bike that I had no trouble spending plenty of time on, whether climbing or descending.
Climbing
The Intrigue X quickly proved to be a very good climber for its class, which was welcome since many of my favorite rides around Crested Butte include long, sustained ascents.
The Intrigue X is a touch slacker than the Intrigue LT, but the overall pedaling efficiency and neutral body position I found myself in on the Intrigue X made it very comfortable and efficient, even during extended time spent in the saddle.
Starting with the “Mid” chip setting, I found the Intrigue X to offer plenty of traction under power. It felt nimble enough to easily lift my front tire and get my weight over uphill obstacles yet planted enough to avoid losing a ton of traction. In the “Mid” setting, I found it comfortable and efficient for even my longest climbs, and consequently, I was hesitant to mess around with the other chip settings. But they do offer a slightly different experience for certain trails and rider preferences.
Adjusting the flip chip to the “High” setting, the Intrigue X provided an even more comfortable sustained climbing position. With an effective seat tube angle of 77.5°, it’s only 0.2° slacker than my Transition Smuggler, which I tend to use for the majority of my bigger climbs.
In its “Low” setting, the Intrigue X felt a little more sluggish and provided less traction on steeper or loose climbs, but it was by no means a difficult bike to climb with — just not quite as optimal as I had come to experience in the “Mid” or “High” settings.
When comparing it to the Intrigue LT, the Intrigue X felt just a touch more nimble and efficient across all settings on the ascent, and I had an easier time finding a more upright and comfortable climbing position, given the flexibility of the bar setup. It’s also worth noting that the Live Valve suspension system I tested with the Intrigue LT Advanced Pro 0 helps quite a bit with pedaling efficiency (and only comes on the top-tier Advanced Pro 0, but not the more affordable builds). The differences in pedaling efficiency should be more pronounced if you’re comparing the Intrigue X to one of the less expensive, non-Live-Valve builds of the LT.
Descending
The Intrigue X balances its uphill capabilities with some pretty impressive downhill performance. Overall, the Intrigue X has felt plenty stable at speed, but also quick and nimble enough to take a more finesse-oriented approach in tight and technical zones. As someone who isn’t always highly confident on rougher, faster descents, the Intrigue X’s intuitive and predictable ride was a plus.
Across all the flip chip settings, the Intrigue X struck me as a well-rounded, do-everything Trail bike. The “Low” and “Mid” settings, with their slightly slacker head angles, made the bike a bit calmer and provided a bit more confidence on steeper or more committing trails.
On the natural but not wildly steep trails I frequent, there weren’t many instances on the Intrigue X where I found myself needing more travel. The Intrigue X does a good job of blending maneuverability with a smooth and plush ride for its class, especially after fine-tuning the settings on its Fox Float X Factory and Fox 36 Factory fork. After getting those dialed, I never harshly bottomed out the suspension, nor did the bike feel like it was preventing me from riding at my best.
I am not a particularly playful rider when descending (my bike very rarely leaves the ground), and I tend to take the path of least resistance over some of the bigger or rougher lines, so the Intrigue X seemed to be the more apt choice for me than its longer-travel sibling, the Intrigue LT. That said, if I did spend more time riding lifts and / or less time pedaling uphill, I can see where the longer travel of the Intrigue LT could make more sense; it does a slightly better job of absorbing and managing bigger hits at higher speeds.
In terms of its handling, the Intrigue X reminds me of my Transition Smuggler, but with the customization of the Intrigue X, I was able to find a more comfortable balance point on the bike. Compared to the Smuggler, the Intrigue X is a slightly more planted and composed descender — I’d slot it right between the Smuggler and Intrigue LT in terms of broad-level downhill performance.
Overall, the Intrigue X manages to feel pretty nimble at moderate speeds and lower-angle trails but has the suspension and geometry to not quickly feel out of place on fairly rough, steep, and/or fast trails. Paired with its solid all-round performance while climbing, that makes the Intrigue X a very adaptable bike for those who want to ride a very wide range of terrain on a single setup.
The Build
My recent time on the Intrigue X Advanced 0 has spoiled me in several ways, and some of that definitely comes down to its high-end build.
(The top-end Advanced 0 build actually isn’t available in the US or Canada, but Liv lists its MSRP as €8,950.)
The Intrigue X Advanced Pro 0 that we’ve been testing is equipped with SRAM’s X0 Transmission, which is excellent. Some of our reviewers have tested tons of Transmission-equippped bikes, but this was my first time with it. I have been super impressed with the precision and durability of this drivetrain, and let’s just say, I have been very good at testing the latter. I am notorious for smacking my derailleur on rocks and this one has taken a few substantial hits, all of which have amounted to aesthetic wear but no loss of function. After roughly ~400 miles, I have yet to have it miss a shift, and its snappy shifting under load is especially impressive. It has stayed super precise and I’ve had zero issues to date. For more on Transmission, as well as how the X0 version compares to the less-expensive GX, you can check out our Flash Review.
The Intrigue X Advanced 0 is also stocked with Shimano XT M8100 brakes, which I’ve found both plenty powerful and precise. It also comes with a Giant TRX Carbon wheelset, which has felt reasonably stiff and proven to be durable (no issues to report). The TRX wheelset is noticeably stiffer and more precise-feeling than the Zipp 3ZERO MOTO wheelset on the Intrigue LT Advanced Pro 0.
As for the Contact SLR one-piece bar and stem, I’ve found it pretty easy and simple to mess around with. I’ve adjusted the stack height, as well as the back sweep, and both were done with little fuss. In contrast to many integrated bar-stem combos, this one doesn’t give up much on the adjustability front.
I have also enjoyed Liv’s integrated downtube storage on the Intrigue X, which is both easy to access and to securely close and lock. The women-specific touch points featured on all of Liv’s bikes have been welcome, too. Both the Intrigue X and Intrigue LT come with Liv’s Sylvia SL saddle, with a seat width of 150 mm, which happens to work realy well for me. Of course, that’s not to say they will work well for every woman out there, but the Sylvia SL worked better for me than most stock saddles.
While we haven’t tested it, the Intrigue X Advanced 1 (MSRP: $7,000) looks like a very appealing option at a slightly lower price point (and it’s available in the U.S. and Canada). The Advanced 1 gets you the same carbon wheels and Shimano XT brakes of our Advanced 0 test bike, but swaps for the less expensive GX Transmission and non-Kashima-coated Fox Performance Elite suspension.
Who’s It For?
The Intrigue X could work for a pretty huge range of potential riders, given its well-rounded uphill and downhill performance, and its extensive potential for finetuning and adjustment.
This was also true for the Intirugue LT, but the Intrigue X is just a bit more efficient on the ascent and I think, for most people, it makes for a more well-rounded, do-everything Trail bike.
If your riding includes burlier descents, bike-park laps, or you just place a higher priority on composure in rough terrain than pedaling efficiency, the longer-travel Intrigue LT could make a bit more sense. But for those who don’t feel drawn to either extreme of the uphill vs. downhill spectrum, the Intrigue X does a great job of covering the middle of the bell curve.
Bottom Line
Liv is committed to building women-specific bikes, and with the Intrigue X, they have developed a highly versatile, well-rounded, and balanced Trail bike in terms of its uphill and downhill performance and its adjustability to different rider preferences. There are plenty of “Trail bikes” that are better suited to folks with a clear bias toward pedaling efficiency or downhill stability, but the Intrigue X strikes me as a well-executed take on the “do-it-all” category.