Takeaway: A top-shelf choice for the XC racer that has outgrown 100m-travel bikes, the Juliana Wilder can take on more challenging courses, bigger features, and wilder terrain.
- 120mm-travel Fox fork paired with Juliana’s all-new CC carbon 115mm-travel Superlight full-suspension frame
- Trail bike capable in a lightweight, XC-raceable package
- Five models in Wilder family (starting at $4,599)
- Tested model with SRAM X01 Eagle AXS wireless electronic shifting
- Fits two water bottles in the front triangle; great for shorter riders and racers
Price: $9,449
Weight: 23.7 lb. (S)
The sibling brand to trendsetting mountain bike company Santa Cruz Bicycles, Juliana was named after legendary Mountain Bike Hall of Fame racer, Juli Furtado (who still works with the brand). Juliana focuses on mountain and gravel bikes for women. Frames used by Juliana are shared with models from Santa Cruz, but feature unique colors and graphics, and have spec tweaks―such as shock tunes and saddles―optimized for women. The Juliana brand also has their own separate team roster of pro riders and ambassadors providing product feedback and repping the brand across the globe.
Juliana Wilder X01/AXS/TR Carbon CC Build Details
Style: Full suspension XC race & trail
Material: CC carbon frame
Wheel Size: 29-inch
Fork: Fox 34 Step Cast Factory, 120mm travel
Shock: Fox Float Factory DPS
Frame Travel: 120mm
Drivetrain: SRAM X01 Eagle AXS, 12-speed
Cranks: SRAM Eagle X1 Carbon, 148 DUB
Chainring: 32t
Cassette: SRAM XG1295 Eagle, 12-speed, 10-50t
Brakes: SRAM Level TLM, 180mm CLX Centerlock rotors
Wheels: Industry Nine 1/1, 15x100mm thru-axle (front); Industry Nine 1/1, 12x148mm thru-axle, XD (rear); Santa Cruz Reserve 28 rims
Tires: Maxxis Rekon Race, 29x2.4" WT 3C EXO
Saddle: Juliana Primiero
Seatpost: RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper post
Handlebar: Santa Cruz Carbon Flatbar, 760mm
Stem: Syntace LiteForce
The Wilder Family
The latest model from Juliana, the Wilder shares a frame platform with the Santa Cruz Blur. Coming in three sizes (S, M, L) and five build-kit levels, price for the base R TR spec starts at $4,599 and topping out with the X01 AXS TR model we tested at $9,449. There are also an S TR spec at $5,499, XT TR at $6,449, and X01 TR $7,649.
All complete bike models come in the color Juliana dubs "Purple Sweetness and Lavender" and feature the same frame geometry, SRAM 1x12 drivetrains, dropper seatposts, and Fox rear shocks. The two most expensive offerings feature a lighter weight "CC" carbon frame.
Compared to Juliana’s other options, the Wilder is built for climbing, with a slightly steeper head-tube angle (67.1-degree) and slightly shorter reach (412mm for a small) than the Joplin, the brand’s 120mm rear travel trail bike. Juliana sweats the details in the frame geometry. By incorporating chainstay lengths specific to each individual frame size, the brand ensures the Wilder’s intentions of a snappy, fun ride. You’ll find this bike easy to flick between roots and rocks of any size.
On the Trail
At just under 24 pounds—in a size small—and with 120mm of travel up front and 115mm in the rear, it's the XC bike that many trail bikes wish they could be.
The cross country bike on which I spend the most time is a 27.5-inch wheel, 100mm travel front and rear Cannondale Scalpel. I was prepared for the Wilder to feel comparatively clunky before settling in. I knew the moment I hopped on the Wilder for a cruise on some local trails that I was wrong, but it wasn’t until I sought out some of the steeper, chunkier trails that the bike really showed its hand.
The long wheelbase (1,126mm in a small) inspires confidence when the trail points down. Additionally, the 29-inch wheels, paired with Juliana’s fresh Superlight single-pivot suspension system, make for a smooth ride across any terrain. With the undeniable appeal of two bottle cages and a lifetime warranty, the Juliana Wilder is a contender amongst the ever growing offerings of trail-oriented XC bikes.
This bike begs you to let your hair down and rip the party lines. The Wilder still responds with urgency when you want to be the first woman on the singletrack after the spicy mass-start gravel climb. It's on the gravel climbs and the quick transitions, though, that you may begin to miss a remote lockout option. (There isn't one included on the Wilder. But one is included on the Santa Cruz’s Blur XC platform.)
Once settled into singletrack, the Wilder’s self-assuredness, well-earned by the 29-inch wheel size and Juliana’s new Superlight suspension system, floats through rock gardens and bunnyhops log piles with shocking ease. Accustomed to the frequent bounce-back contortions of bottoming out my suspension on my Scalpel, the Wilder’s 115mm travel devoured bumps in freshly cut singletrack without sacrificing speed and delivered me to the other side of bigger trail obstacles with forward, rather than vertical, momentum. In the riding I’ve put the Wilder through there was not a time where I wished I was on a bike with more travel.
While the bike is built to go fast, I find what a bike can do at slower speeds to be just as important. The Wilder has the patience to allow you to smoothly pick your line with intention up technical singletrack. I did experience a noticeable sacrifice in agility at slower speeds in twisty singletrack, which I largely attribute to wheel size.
The Build Kit
The X01 Eagle AXS Shifting and 12-speed, 10-50 tooth cassette lends you the smoothness and grace you might be lacking once your heart rate gets pinned in pitch or battle. Once you crest a climb, it's time to drop the butter-smooth, thumb-paddle operated RockShox Reverb Stealth Dropper post. Descending is easy and joyful, and lets the Wilder wile out!
This was my first experience with the XO1 Eagle AXS, or any electronic shifting off road—I was impressed. Even when the going got a little sloppy, shifting under load, or I went to shift but then was unable to immediately pedal due to an obstacle, our robot friend obliged without complaint. I occasionally shifted with my thumb simply resting there, and other times with a swift thumb extension to get the job done. Embarrassingly, my favorite part of this new tech is the sound it makes when you’ve successfully engaged the derailleur—a small soft little robot mouse just peeping its confirmation to comply with your request for another gear.
Beyond the Wilder’s ride quality, the bike is loaded with nice details. A tiny chainguide gives you that little bit of extra security. Cable routing is fully internal, giving the bike a sleek, almost spacecraft-like majesty. The pairing of Industry Nine Hubs and Reserve 28H Carbon Rims is a great choice for climbing efficiency, lifespan, and reliable engagement. Parts of the frame most vulnerable to chain slap and trail spew are protected with a molded rubber coating.
The only rubber that I wasn’t crazy about on this build was the tire choice. A trail-minded build like this deserves a bit more teeth than the Maxxis Rekon Race that come stock. If this was my bike, I’d be quick to level-up to a pair of 2.4” Maxxis Ardents. I’d also pull out a hacksaw to trim down the 760mm flat bar that come stock with the Wilder, as that width is a bit wide for someone of my build.
Finally, and I know this is not a selling point for most $5,000-plus priced bicycles, but if you are a smol (or very smol) XC or endurance MTB racer, I know you will feel me on this. TWO BOTTLE CAGES, BABY!!! That is right. You can fit not one, but two 22 oz water bottles (preferably with side loading cages) on the Wilder without pulling out some wacky seat mounted (goodbye dropper post), bar mounted (no one does this), down tube mounted (might as well just walk) tricks.
Where my shorties at?You and I both know, this feature alone could win you the race. The amount of hours we have agonized over this issue: Hydration pack? Vest? Lumbar jawn? Bottle in the pocket? Suck it up and stop at the aid station? Ask your competitor's mom for a bottle hand up?
Juliana responded to this need with a suspension system that allows a clean and conflict-free two-bottle main triangle. Bless. Up.
Is the Wilder For You?
Purpose-built for the XC rider who has outgrown 100m travel bikes, the Juliana Wilder can take on more of everything—more challenging trails, bigger features, wilder terrain. The Wilder would also be a perfect package for an avid trail rider who wants the balance of a light and nimble climber while also having a dialed and competent descender.
I’m a cross country racer who feels quite comfortable on a 100m travel bike on my home trails and at many XC events. It's the moment I step just a bit outside of my comfort zone, when I ride in places like Pisgah, Central Pennsylvania, or any of the incredible trail systems out west—Moab, Sedona, Flagstaff, etc—that I see a home for the Wilder in my fleet of bikes. If I were to find myself in a position to enjoy these more adventurous trails more often, the decision to upgrade and leave 100mms of travel in the past would be an easy one.
Juliana Wilder Gallery
