Having bought into 29ers for quite some time, I can truly appreciate the benefits of the big hoops. Both uphill and downhill, the larger wheels truly help maintain momentum and the best 29ers feel great at all speeds and under all conditions.
The trouble with big hoops is proper fit and geometry for smaller bodies — particularly the ladies. Over the past few seasons, many 29er options for the fairer sex have emerged — including the Specialized Era.
With a $4200 price tag, the Era Comp Carbon aims for the fences and should be the go-to package for just about any aggressive female rider.
Every detail of the Era is fine-tuned for ladies. Things like low standover and size-specific suspension as well as women-specific touch points Something else that’s nice is the Mini Brain shock with AUTOSAG, which makes proper suspension setup a breeze.
Specialized Era Comp Carbon Features:
- FACT Carbon 9m front triangle
- Fox Mini Brain rear shock with AUTOSAG
- RockShox Reba front fork
- Size-specific front and rear travel (90mm S, 100mm M/L)
- Roval wheelset with 142+ rear spacing
- Mixture of SRAM and Shimano drivetrain parts
- Price: $4200
The Bottom Line
The Era Comp Carbon has a ton to offer fast ladies at a reasonable price point. With the combination of a women’s-specific frame and hand-picked components just for women, the Era Comp Carbon might be the best value in women’s 29er race bikes for 2015.