A Look At Orange Mountain Bikes’ Diva
Orange mountain bikes, like many other bike manufacturers, offer versions of their bikes which have been altered and tweaked to accommodate the female form. The hardcore mountain bikers still don’t seem to have reached a consensus on whether there is even a need for these bikes, known as women specific designs. Until about ten years ago, girl bikers generally made do with standard bikes. But you can’t argue with Orange mountain bikes when they point out there are some clear differences between girls and boys and that if a bike reflects the differences, it’ll be more comfortable.
In designing their bikes for women, Orange mountain bikes identified that women are generally that little bit smaller than men and tend to have less variation in the size of their bodies. That’s why the Diva by Orange mountain bikes has slightly different sizing and geometry to the standard male version so that it is more friendly to women’s body shapes and more comfortable to ride.
Most women need bikes that are a little shorter and lower, as well as benefitting from lightweight models. Lucky then that the Orange Five Diva can deliver all of this. Most mountain bikers will be very familiar with Orange mountain bikes’ design classic the Orange Five. You can barely hit a trail without seeing a few about. Perhaps you’ll even see a few Diva Fives about. But are they worth it?
Orange mountain bikes’ Diva Five comes in two sizes, either short or long. They’re both based on the standard Five model. The build kit is probably the most obvious difference between teh Diva and the standard: it uses 165mm cranks instead of the standard’s 175mm ones. There is also the obligatory women’s saddle.
Because of the air suspension on the front and back of the bike, it is quite lightweight. The ride is also comfortable thanks to the narrower handlebars, shorter cranks and women’s saddle. Don’t let the comfort factor fool you: Hope breaks and Shimano gears ensure this is still a fearless ride.
In all, you can’t argue that Orange mountain bikes have done quite a good job on the Diva Five. Tweaking and altering a classic design to make it more accessible and accommodating for the girls was always going to be a good idea. If you’re on the lookout for a great women’s trail bike then look no further.