Why It’s Cool: A fully featured full-suspension 29er for women

Next year, Trek will offer its popular women’s trail bike, the Lush, with 29-inch wheels, making it one of the first full-suspension niners designed just for the ladies. The new model is constructed from Trek’s lightweight Alpha Platinum alloy, and uses the company’s proven ABP suspension that delivers 110mm of rear-wheel travel. The mid-priced bike comes in two models, but we prefer the slightly pricier $3,050 Lush SL because it comes with excellent Fox-made DRCV front and rear shocks. Both models come packed with features that are often found only on higher priced models. The cables are internally routed, they use press-fit bottom brackets and there’s even cable routing for a dropper post. The Lush 29 will come in four sizes—from 14 inches to 18.5 inches. 

Why It’s cool: A race-ready bike at an affordable price

This model from Specialized fills an important void: it’s a high-powered XC race bike that won’t break the bank. The $1,800 29er hardtail uses a lightweight aluminum frame and comes with the capable 100mm RockShox Reba fork, 2x10 drivetrain with a Shimano XT rear derailleur and Avid Elixir 3 brakes. For first-time racers, Specialized offers the $1,800 Carve Comp package: the bike uses slightly lower-grade components, but comes with a Specialized helmet, shoes and gloves.