The Faith from Giant or Liv - the Giant brand specifically for female bikers - is built like a mountain bike for adults, but specially designed for children. The lightweight and robust aluminium frames have a child-specific geometry and the company's own suspension elements are designed for lower body weights.
The Faith Fully is available in two sizes, both equipped with Giant's TRA wheel system, which incorporates features and technologies from the race-proven TRA wheel system for adults. The larger Faith comes as a mini-mullet with 27.5-inch front wheels and 26-inch rear wheels. The smaller Faith 24 has 24-inch wheels at the front and rear.
Giant / Liv Faith 24''
is suitable for:
- 5-8 years
- 130-150 cm
- 26-46 kg
Giant / Liv Faith "Mini-Mullet" (27.5/26")
is suitable for:
- 8-12 years
- 145-165 cm
- 35-62 kg
Giant / Liv Faith: Cushioning tailored to lightweight riders
The new Faith and the Faith 24 have a so-called FlexPoint rear triangle, which was specially developed for lighter riders. The FlexPoint system with only one pivot point avoids unnecessary complexity and increases the durability of the bike. It is also designed to increase the traction of the rear wheel and efficiency when riding uphill.
The Mullet-Faith has 135 mm travel at the rear and a 140 mm Crest SL FloTune Lite fork at the front, designed for riders under 62 kg. The Faith 24 offers 130 mm rear suspension travel and a 140 mm Crest TR Elite Lite fork, which is suitable for a body weight of up to 46 kg.
The Crest FloTrac Lite damper on the new MTB series was specially developed to round off the kinematics of the Giant suspension platform for light kids. The improved tuning ensures faster damping and suspension that requires less effort.
The ALUXX SL aluminium frames of the new Giant / Liv Faith are equipped with high-quality, lightweight components to reduce the overall weight. This is intended to encourage the next generation to tackle steep climbs and technical descents, hence the name of the series: Faith, the children's MTB should perhaps strengthen their belief in themselves.
All Faith models have child-specific cranks and brake levers as well as the new Contact Switch AT Lite dropper posts. These help young riders to find their optimum position when riding uphill and downhill and can be easily operated via a lever on the handlebars. Thanks to the lower pressure in the cartridge, the telescopic seatposts react even with low body weight.
Children's MTB with wide rims
The TRA wheel systems utilise WideGuard technology, which offers lighter and more stable rims. This means you can ride with lower tyre pressure and have better traction without having to worry about punctures or rim damage. These systems are combined with large-volume tubeless tyres, which further reduces the risk of punctures. Young riders can use a lower tyre pressure to have more grip on bumpy roads. The Faith's mixed wheel configuration improves off-road control: at the front it ensures better rollover and safe handling, at the rear agile acceleration and efficiency. The Faith 24's smaller wheels make it easier for young riders to negotiate obstacles, boosting their confidence and helping them to develop their skills.
It should also be mentioned that although the Giant and Liv Faith models seem to be aimed at youngsters, MTBs that are so similar in construction and design to the bikes of the "grown-ups" are just as suitable for particularly small and/or light adults.
The Faith Mullet in particular can be ridden up to 165 cm and 62 kg, which should be of interest to some women and even a few men. You can find out more in our article on XXS MTBs.
The Giant / Liv Faith models will be available from July 2024 at the latest and cost 2399 euros.
Marc Strucken
Editor
