Liv Flourish 3
Price £359, liv-cycling.com
Frame aluminium
Gears 7-speed Shimano
In case you hadn’t noticed – men and women have very different bodies. In general women are shorter, have narrower shoulders, carry less muscle mass and have proportionally longer legs and shorter backs than men. Despite these striking physiological differences, most bike builders were content to manufacture bicycles for the two sexes that were pretty much identical – except, of course, for the absence of a top bar, but that was only to make allowances for full skirts and social decency.
So, thank goodness then for Liv. The brainchild of the fearsome Bonnie Tu, often hailed as the ‘Godmother of Cycling’, the brand is the world’s first dedicated cycling brand for women. The bikes are designed by women, built by women, sold by women and, of course, ridden by women.
Tu is also the CFO of Giant, so she knows a thing or two about making female-friendly frames. Most of Liv’s bikes are sophisticated, high-end performance rides. But there are also some far simpler machines on offer, too. The Flourish, for instance, offers an elegant and easy way to get around town. No fuss, but lots of fun – and perfect for women.
Listen up
These bone conducting headphones let you have music on the move and hear the traffic. They’re safe… in every respect. The AfterShokz range offers you a more comfortable and healthy listening experience with three models of ear-free headphones: Sport, Mobile and Game. Unlike conventional headphones and earbuds that use the eardrums to transmit sound, AfterShokz transmits sound through the listener’s cheekbones to the inner ear, bypassing the eardrum completely. As you know, it’s vital for cyclists to hear approaching vehicles, traffic sound, other road or trail users, and most headphones don’t let this ambient sound in. AfterShokz allows you to hear what is going on around you without compromising sound quality. The next generation of bone conduction technology is what’s inside the lightest and most organically designed open-ear headphones to date. AfterShokz has cut the bulk and used titanium everywhere possible to ensure they not only fit more securely but sound better too. Trekz Air, £149.99, aftershokz.co.uk
Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @MartinLove166
