eSanta Cruz Juliana
Up Date for those interested in parting with excess funds! It's seriously expensive but it is worth it and will last years.
240 miles done and I love it.
Great at Climbing, so light, just skips up. The handling is sure and goes where you want it to.
Downhill is fantastic too. I find myself just letting it go and am doing things a whole lot faster because it feels so safe and solid. Yeah I know I heard, some may say boring! But I get a real buzz out of ending up in one piece at the bottom twice as fast as before.
Best Points. Having opted for the X build kit I have no regrets. Worth the extra. For a light weight women this kit I'd say was perfect. We don't want to lugg round more weight than needed. The Carbon Bars are lovely, feel real comfy, no shock up into the hands at all. Wheels too are super light. Plenty strong enough for us light weights.
Fox Float RP3. Go for it. This bike does ride better on the road with the lock out, worth the extra £50. The Reba front Shock may be slightly heaver than the Fox but it feels great and I don't think spending the extra would be worth it.
The Bike. It's funky, fun and feels right from the first mile. The anodized finish looks fantastic although I dispute its durability over the powder coat. We'll see in time. The Sram gearing/chain set up is really presice and I'm now a convert. The shifters are so much better to use. Small hands really benefit as you only need a really light touch and no stretching round the back. Hope MM2 brakes. Fab feel and stop you dead! They do get a high pitched whine every now and then but it's nothing to a full blown V-Brake shuddering squeal when your toe ins gone. Again only the lightest touch is needed for powerful stopping.
Worst Points. Girls beware. The She saddle feels okay for the first 5 miles then ouch it starts to bite. Already swapped it out for a trusty Terry Trying the new Falcon. Hand grips. Far too fat for tiny hands, will swap them out soon. Handle bars could do with being a tad shorter, but having said that the handling is near perfect so I may leave these as they are.
Tyres. Mmm Kenda's don't seem to like the Chalky Downs as much as my old Ritchy Z-Max's now retired. The Kenda's have to run on a very low pressure to get them to grip, once there everything seems to stick well. You do get a little slide at higher pressures but then the tyre grips and you feel quite safe once your used to it. I will change this for a more suitable Chalky Downs tyre when I know which one to go for.
Verdict (mine) Expensive but worth it. You are paying a lot for a super strong, long life, extremely light weight brilliantly built frame.You get what you pay for here. If you can push the extra for the upgrade kit I believe it enhances the whole feel of the bike. seems a shame to load it with heavy kit. Absolutely no regrets at all. My husband is suffering those, the beer pots empty, Oh and he can't catch me down hill anymore!
Make sure you get the right size though. I was told by one shop to go for the small. it would have been too big. Moose Cycles in Wimbledon were spot on advising the XS for a 5' Stumpy legged old women.
Nice review. Where's the required pic of said SC then? 
