Specialized Updates its Saphire Womens Bike in 2011

Specialized has had an extensive women's range for several years, and there are several developments for 2011. First, there's an all-new Safire full-suspension bike. To improve performance, the Safire has moved to the shock position found on the Epic and Stumpjumper FSR, with the shock oriented in line with the seatstays.

That presented a conflict with a desire for lower standover height, but one that was neatly solved by mounting the shock in a forged pocket midway along the top tube. By tucking the shock up inside the top tube, standover height is claimed to be the lowest of any 120mm bike. The revised rear suspension is optimized for the lower shock pressures used by typically lighter women riders, with different rate curves compared to Specialized's men's bikes.

The Safire's cunning top tube construction is also found on the 100mm-travel Myka FSR. Specialized's ever-expanding 29er range extends to women's bikes too, with a 29er Myka hardtail that, impressively, comes in a range of sizes to fit riders from just 5ft tall.