Takeaway: This bike is a trail-slaying party—fun, fast, and eager to take rowdy downhill lines.
- This trail bike is capable of making your biggest challenges less daunting.
- The full-carbon frame and carbon Santa Cruz Reserve (RSV) rims offer light, intuitive handling.
- A 150mm shock and 140mm fork soak up chunky trail.
Price: $8,299 (with Reserve carbon rims), $7,099 (without)
Weight: 29.3 lb.
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Get ready to clock your best times on your favorite descents. Launched in July of 2019, the Maverick, a 150mm trail bike, fills the gap between Juliana’s XC bike and 160mm all-mountain bike. I rode it mostly on my home trails—chunky, rooty systems with foot-high log-overs, steep rock gardens, and jagged, fast descents. And the bike handled it all like this was her usual course too, surprising me with how versatile, light, and capable she was.
That trail confidence comes from an impressive set of features, including 140mm of rear travel matched to a RockShox Lyrik Ultimate 150mm fork that let you charge downhill while maintaining full control. The Santa Cruz Reserve wheels navigated over obstacles so swiftly and nimbly that riding uphill was as close to “fun” as I’d ever call an ascent. While the bike’s total weight is right around 30 pounds, the efficient suspension made the Maverick feel even lighter on climbs. And the pro-level fork, shock, and wheels let me keep up speed as I thundered over obstacles in my path. Plus the superb grip of the Maxxis Minion DHR2 tires delivers a bomber ride that kept me confident and planted, even through slick, wet roots.
5 Things We Love About the Maverick
Carbon Rims
Feather-light Santa Cruz Reserve rims are an optional upgrade.
1x Drivetrain
SRAM’s X01 Eagle 12-speed provides snappy shifting.
Super Squish
The 150mm of travel in the shock and 140mm in the fork soak up rowdy trails.
Trusty Brakes
And 180mm rotors help you keep it on the fun side of reckless.
Maxxis Minion Tires
Even in slick conditions, they’re super grippy.
Pros
- Slays rowdy trail
Cons
- Won’t beat your XC bike uphill
Stellar Components Do What You Want, When You Want
Juliana product managers complemented this light, squishy frame with a high-quality components package. The light and snappy 1x12-speed SRAM X01 Eagle drivetrain clicked crisply between gears when I pulled the trigger, and the hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors had prompt stopping power, even considering that this thing is made for mostly downhill. Santa Cruz Reserve carbon rims are an optional upgrade for the CC version (a $1,200 addition), and the test model we rode did have them. They were dazzlingly light without feeling rickety, holding up great on low-pressure snowy day rides on our East Coast rock gardens.
Frame Carbon
Fork RockShox Lyrik Ultimate 150mm 29”
Shock RockShox Super Deluxe Select Ultimate
Drivetrain SRAM X01 Eagle, 12-speed
Cassette 10-50T
Brakes SRAM Code RSC hydraulic disc brakes
Brake Rotors Avid Centerline 180mm
Bar Santa Cruz Bicycles AM Carbon Bar 35x800
Rims Race Face ARC Offset 30 29” (Optional upgrade: Santa Cruz Reserve 30 Carbon)
Tires Maxxis Minion DHR2 29”x2.4” 3C EXO TR (tubeless)
Seat Post RockShox Reverb Stealth 31.6
Saddle Juliana Primero
Confident, Obstacle-Attacking Geometry
The Maverick’s geometry is right in the sweet spot between stable and aggressive, partially due to the fact that you can adjust it via a Flip Chip to suit your needs. This mechanism connects the rear triangle to the top tube, and can be switched into one of two positions based on whether you’re climbing or descending. The “high” setting puts the geometry in a tighter configuration (only by a few millimeters, but it’s noticeable) that allows for easier handling at slow speeds, like when you’re climbing. But pop it into low, and the tires widen their stance, but the seat and handlebar come a bit closer together for better handling on descents, at high and low speeds. Truth be told, in either position, the bike is particularly adept at both—the chip just gives you a little extra edge.
We Tested the Top of the Line Model—Here are Two Other Builds
If the Maverick CC suits the style of riding you prefer but not so much your budget, don’t worry—there are options. Two to be specific: the Maverick R C and the Maverick S C. “C” in both names signifies that they’re made with Juliana’s second-tier carbon frame (rather than the top-of-the-line CC, like the model we tested). The R version comes with a more affordable suspension system—RockShox Yari RC fork and a FOX Float Performance DPS shock—as well as SRAM NX Eagle shifting, for $4,299 (unfortunately, that’s the most affordable build for this model so far). The S version is right between the R C and our CC at $5,199, and has a RockShox Lyrik Select+ fork, a RockShox Super Deluxe Select+ shock, a SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain. Check out the build options on Juliana’s website for all the details on the differences.
Ride Impressions
After a few rides spent getting my footing on the Maverick, I worked up the moxie to see how hard I could actually push it—the answer was really freaking far. At both slow speeds and fast, I rode rocky sections and obstacles more confidently than I ever had before. I felt the corners of my mouth pull back into a blissful, flow-state smile as I bombed down chunky, rocky sections more smoothly and cleanly than ever. The lightness and travel afforded me the glorious triumph of jumping over one of the biggest logs I’ve ever dared to bunny hop. I even got a little air on some whoops I ride often. This bike made my biggest, most intimidating obstacles accessible, and so much more fun.
A less-experienced rider who also test rode the Maverick noted that the handling is incredibly intuitive, and there was no adjustment period to account for any of the bike’s quirks. That, plus the stability it offered (even in super slick conditions), made this her go-to bike for tackling the gnarliest of terrain.
In all honestly, I ran out of steam and nerve before the Maverick did, but I know she’ll be game when I’m ready to take it back up a notch.
Riley Missel is an experienced road racer, mountain biker, national champion on the track, and a former Bicycling editor. She is a USA Cycling-certified Level 1 coach, a loud and very stoked Spin instructor, and she will definitely stop the ride to pet that dog.
