Bike Check: Nina Hoffmann's Juliana She-10 - Les Gets World Cup DH 2019

Jul 12, 2019
by Richard Cunningham  

photo
BIKE CHECK
Nina Hoffmann's
Juliana She-10
Photos: Ross Bell

Nina Hoffmann, 22, announced her arrival on the World Cup circuit with a top qualifying time and a second-place finish at Leogang. Andorra's ragged track then tried to get the best of the privateer from Germany, who fended off a few near misses and survived a crash near the bottom of the course, finishing without a left shoe in the top ten. Now she's in Les Gets, where PB photographer Ross Bell spoke with the highest ranked privateer on the World Cup about bike setup and what her future may hold.

Nina Hoffmann
Age: 22
Lives: Thuringia, Germany
Height/Weight: 170cm / 70kg ( 5' 7" / 154lbs)
Day Job: University, studying psychology
Status: Privateer
Likes: All sports, life in general

Nina gets help from Juliana, who set her up with the rebadged Santa Cruz V-10 chassis, which showcases the myriad of sponsors who support her efforts with both product and financial assistance. This weekend, Nina qualified further down in the field. Admittedly, she likes steep, technical courses, but don't count her out - her performance in Andorra indicates that she does not shy from a fight.
photo
Hoffmann's Juliana "She-10" is not available in stores. It's a rebadged, medium-sized Santa Cruz V-10 CC 29.


photo
Fox Suspension, front and rear.

"I'm running 72psi in the fork and five volume spacers, I think. Less high-speed compression here, because of all the bumps, and a little more low-speed compression, with rebound in the middle. Rear shock? I am running a 475-pound spring and it is set slower, because that's how I like it - with the rear shock slower than the fork.

"Jordi changed it quite a lot in Andorra. He made it [rebound] faster, (but it is still slow) and made the compression firmer. I hate it when it bumps up at the end, so we have found a good middle ground with soft at the beginning and still not too hard at the end."

When asked if she makes many changes in her suspension setup for each course, however, Nina says no, and admits that she still has a lot to learn on that subject, so she's inclined to stick with what works best. That is also true about her cockpit.

photo
Reverse Components' Reachset extends the medium-sized frame's reach by 6mm. Nina prefers a 50mm stem.


"In Andorra, I moved the stem shorter because of the steep parts, but I was not sure, so in the end I rode it long. I'm not the person who is changing a lot."


photo
LevelNine handlebar, 20mm rise, 770mm width.


photo
Trick Stuff "Direttissima" lever/master cylinders, paired with...
photo
...Their most powerful, Maxima calipers. Rotors are 203mm.

When asked about the difficulties of racing as a privateer, Nina says that she has enjoyed a wide range of support from both her official sponsors, as well as a number of teams and team support people in the pits who are happy to lend a hand in a pinch. Today, she destroyed a chainring in practice and her only spare was geared too tall. Team Polygon came to the rescue with the correct one.

"At the moment, I get a lot of support from many people who just come around and ask if I need some stuff or if I have any questions. I have a friend with me who is helping as my mechanic for these two races, and that is so helpful. I also get a bit of financial support from some of my sponsors to help pay for the travel, so I can't complain about being a privateer at the moment (laughs).

photo
SRAM X01 shifting, paired with an e*thirteen cassette. Wheels are also by e*thirteen.

photo
Crankbrothers pedals power an e*thirteen crankset and guide.
photo
SQlab saddle slammed forward, on a Burgtec seatpost.

Does she want a full team sponsorship? That was an easy question.

"Next year, I want to change to a team. At a race, I am focused on racing, I can focus on myself, but in between races, you have to organize a lot and do a lot of stuff that is sometimes quite annoying. Also, going to new venues, and not knowing anything.. It is hard to find your way around a lot of the time - simple things, like where to pick up your number. If I move to a team, that will be way easier because you have a manager who takes care of the organization."

The way things are going, we don't think Nina Hoffmann is going to have trouble landing on a team.

photo
Schwalbe Magic Mary tires, front and rear.



Posted In:
Reviews and Tech Bike Checks DH Racing World Cup DH DH Bikes Juliana Santa Cruz V10 Nina Hoffmann Les Gets World Cup Dh 2019


Author Info:
RichardCunningham avatar

Member since Mar 23, 2011
974 articles
Report
Must Read This Week
Pole Bicycles Has Filed for Bankruptcy
62760 views
Kona Bicycles' Parent Company Appoints New CFO, Intends to Sell Brand
62031 views
First Ride: The Sub-$600 RockShox Domain and Psylo Forks
45711 views
Randoms Round 3: Dario's Treasures
40697 views
Pinkbike's DH Fantasy League: Get Your Team On The Line - Fort William is in TWO WEEKS!
37677 views
Randoms Round 1 - Sea Otter 2024
36611 views
[UPDATED] Final Elite XC Results & Overall Standings from the Araxá XC World Cup 2024
36535 views
Spotted: Frameworks Racing DH Bike with Electronic Fox Shock & Unreleased Enve Rims
35864 views
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup

88 Comments
  • 158 0
 First female SYNDICATE rider... Mark that down.
  • 19 0
 This would be great to see!
  • 11 0
 Agreed! This has to happen..!
  • 2 0
 Of course syndicate with 1st ever lady rider !!!
  • 2 0
 Yeah boii!!!!
  • 2 0
 Ooohh yeah, that would be great
  • 1 0
 I marked it down, good call
  • 80 1
 I think v-10 works just as well. Males version, p-10?
  • 6 2
 Magic Marco
  • 5 56
flag ctd07 (Jul 12, 2019 at 14:54) (Below Threshold)
 Jump of the feminism bandwagon already, she can call the frame whatever she wants, some people like to embrace their gender and the differences it brings
  • 34 0
 @ctd07: I don't think you got dude's Dad joke.
  • 3 0
 @ctd07: woosh
  • 1 0
 I stole your joke and posted it Instagram. It went whoosh for a guy who has the gaul to call himself a “dr.”
  • 54 1
 I don’t like the “why” (unequal pay, fewer sponsor opportunities, etc), but I do like that most female mtb riders have something else they they “are”. Ms Hoffman is a Psych student, Manon Carpenter has Geology, Miriam Nicole has Physio, Mikayla Gatto has graphic design/art and the myriad creative things she does. there are many others. My point is that it seems like, per person, the women of mtb seem like they are better prepped for the world outside of racing.

I bring this up because I grew up racing moto, and MANY of the people I raced with had no other skills besides two wheels and were unemployable once their careers in moto (for any one of many reasons) ran their course. As as far as role models go, I think the women stand much better than they men.
  • 22 4
 Women tend to be better prepared for the real world... it’s a simple fact, not much feminism involved. I am not trying to put them on some pedestal either. They are just smarter by average.
  • 7 1
 Good point; however the men's field is a lot more competitive though....instilling a sort of "one track mind"

props to Nina for her breakthrough!
  • 4 2
 Don't forget Tahnee Seagrave going into media, she's clearly a natural in front of the camera.
  • 1 0
 @alexhyland: Really? She seems very quiet and awkward on camera. I get the distinct impression she'd much rather be racing.
  • 1 0
 @toprace: surprised, I thought she seemed very relaxed.
  • 1 0
 @toprace: though yeah, I'm certain she'd rather be racing!
  • 1 0
 @Alex humans I think that was more of a one-off thing rather than her trained profession outside of racing
  • 1 0
 @sirsamwellingtonthefirst: oh yeah, for sure. Seemed like a handy dry run for future work though.

I wouldn't be surprised, let's put it that way
  • 41 0
 That's what is so rad about this sport - People asking if they can help a competitor, if they can lend a hand and a rival team giving her a part so she can continue! Go Nina! Yeah MTB! Go ride your bike! Dont be a dick! Be nice! Oi,oi, oi
  • 4 1
 That's what's awesome about this sport. Teams lending a hand to people who need it.. in most professional Athletics people would be relieved that another team lost a vital athlete. here competitors are gutted that Rachel is hurt and they can't beat her square up on the track.
  • 7 0
 It's sort of a cycling mentality... Nobody wants bad bike karma. In the decades I've been MTBing I've asked hundreds, if not more, riders if they need anything trailside. Same with commuting, I've donated a dozen innertubes over the years and changed dozens of more flats for people, fixed chains, etc. I even readjusted a kids brakes once because his mom was taking him trail riding and he couldn't squeeze the brake effectively. It's one of the great things about cycling in general.
  • 35 0
 Untill someone asks you if you'd like a drink and all of sudden you've got an 8 month suspension ;P
  • 3 0
 @BikesBoatsNJeeps: "Trailside tube? No way brah, you're not taking my KOM"
  • 2 0
 @src248: Haha except that someone is your friend, riding buddy and training partner.
  • 2 0
 I remember last year in Monte Sainte-Anne when Vali Holl lent her bike to Monika Hrastnik after she destroyed her bike. Awesome!
  • 17 1
 "Hoffmann's Juliana "She-10" is not available in stores. It's a rebadged, medium-sized Santa Cruz V-10 CC 29." ?? Soooo.. it's available in stores? What is this mumbo jumbo. It is a Santa Cruz v-10 sized medium with custom paint.
  • 22 2
 Need to make the Juliana brand stand out more. Don’t really like the idea of the Juliana brand anyways. Further separates men from women and we just need to be “us” not a men’s or a women’s brand
  • 7 1
 @freeridejerk888: This.
Trek with WSD ok. That's fine. Give female riders options to have a bike that has some engineering specific to them, seats, grips etc... But don't create a whole other brand. I feel like that's sort of demeaning.
I put plenty of female riders on the unisex bikes at our shop just because I realize they don't fit the WSD mold. Plus a lot of female riders don't want pink and shrink bikes.
I don't actually know how Juiliana or Liv bikes price out in comparison to their mainline counterparts, but at least with Trek WSD the price is exactly the same.
  • 2 1
 Same exact price but harder to get. I’ve worked a Santa Cruz dealer for 4 years and sold plenty of bikes to women but no Juliana’s @BikesBoatsNJeeps:
  • 3 0
 @freeridejerk888: and we’re the exact same proportions and size so not like women need bikes designed around their build
  • 6 3
 @freeridejerk888 I agree. I love the commitment Santa Cruz gives the Juliana brand, I love their commitment to developing and supporting female athletes, always will love Juliana Furtado.. that said, I wish it was just “Santa Cruz”. It would be great to see Nina Hoffman on the Syndicate, on a Santa Cruz V-10. Not a rebranded V-10. We shouldn’t be sending the message “women are small and need narrow bars and products with special colors and names; men are big and need wide bars and normal stuff”. Let’s just ride the bikes. I admire what Specialized is trying to do in this arena... coming from a female rider who rides a Santa Cruz.
  • 2 0
 But... but... the Juliana's has gots the diffrent saddelz!
  • 2 0
 @endurogan: to be fair, there are some geometry tweaks on the hybrid and comfort bikes that make them fit a female rider better, but for a MTB or performance road bike, it's less critical. Last year Trek dropped their WSD designation on their Slash, Fuel, Fuel EX and other MTB bikes.
  • 1 1
 Giant/Lib bikes are very comparable yet have vastly different geo to suit the long legs and shorter torsos that are found on females.

Not saying that some girls fit blokes bikes better if that isn't the case for their personal measurements.

Why doesn't Juliana actually do that rather than rehashing SC bikes... This just seems like they want to capitalise on having a female brand without putting any money or effort into it.

*please note I've worked in shops fitting people to bikes for 7 years and am not completely unlearned on the issue.
  • 2 0
 @iamamodel: And, and... they even madez the barz narrower too. Incredible.
  • 2 4
 @freeridejerk888: I'm glad a man's opinion of what women want is so important.????
  • 5 0
 @clink83: @freeridejerk888 has been selling bikes to women for years, so his opinion is valid as it is based on experience. I'm sick of this 'men opinions should be ignored when it comes to women in MTB' attitude that's cropping up these days. It's completely groundless since it's been men that have been getting women into riding and racing working on their bikes, setting up their bikes, selling them bikes, and riding trails with them since the sport started.
  • 2 1
 None of my female friends have women branded bikes. Not one. In fact the only ones who do generally are 1st time buyers who got pressured into it by the salesmen not on their own. Like I said my guess is you haven’t sold bikes ever as you wouldn’t see this. Ps same goes for the liv/giant brand as well. Most want giant. @clink83:
  • 1 1
 @freeridejerk888: Not in my experience.

There's no evil patriacal conspiracy here to make girls ride female specific frames.

If you want to ride a male bike or if it fits you better then nobody will try and take that away from you.

There's literally no benefit to "pressuring" a female customer to buy a women's bike. They cost the same, have the same specs but actually fit the clients better.

I have sold a liv to a guy who not only preferd the paint job, but the bike fitted his dimensions better. So he was happy to ride a "girls" bike.

You must live in a very sheltered riding community of your only having "1st time buyers" ride female specific frames. I can speak from experience that in both the road/tri and mountain bike scene I have had repeat female customers come in year after year for the latest model Liv.

But hey I mean I'm a man (who's worked in the industry and only wants whats best for my customers and for them to leave the shop happy) so what would I know?
  • 2 0
 @iamamodel: 155's!
  • 1 1
 We’re talking about Santa Cruz not giant. We’re talking about the Ferrari’s not Honda’s. No one wants by a Ferrari called she-rarri that’s a girl. Again this is about putting women in a different category than men. Separating them even further is not what they want in a male dominated sport @Larkey1:
  • 1 1
 @freeridejerk888: most of the girls I speak to are thrilled someone is actually making it easier for them by making bikes that fit them.

It's not about separating. Get a grip.
  • 3 1
 @Larkey1: It's really not that difficult. A size small fits riders down to 5'4" at least. An XS should cover riders who are 5' tall. An XL should cover riders up to 6'5." Add narrower bars and wider saddles (both of which can be easily swapped) to the two smallest sizes and you've got at least 95% of the population covered.
  • 1 3
 @toprace: Not at all.

Rider height has very little to do with sizing. It's all about torso vs leg length.

Bar width and saddles has nothing to do with frame sizing.
  • 2 1
 @Larkey1: Women typically have narrower shoulders so they will often require or prefer narrower bars. Likewise, women have wider hips than men on average so they will often require or prefer a wider saddle. XS and S frame sizes should probably cater to women so those two changes alone could save many women the inconvenience of swapping out.

There are certainly men who will prefer or require a size S frame, but they can swap out a bar and/or saddle easily, with the understanding that most riders who require a size S or smaller frame won't need to.

There are clear and obvious anatomical differences between men and women. Pretending otherwise is just ignorant.

Personally, I've ridden a 155 saddle and while it wasn't ideal it was certainly useable. I've switched out to 144 saddles on all my bikes and have spares but if I were stuck with a 155 while I shopped around, it wouldn't be the end of the world.
  • 2 1
 @freeridejerk888: There aren't that many women's specific brands in the first place to choose from.
  • 1 2
 Wich is a good thing. There not men or women brands. They are people brand. @toprace:
  • 1 1
 You must suck at your job. Frame size is legit 98% height based LOL. Also you do know bars come UNCUT so you can cut them to your required length? @Larkey1:
  • 1 1
 JULIAN ARE THE SAME BIKES how can they be thrilled there making bikes that fit them LOL. @Larkey1:
  • 1 1
 @freeridejerk888: exactly they should change the geo.
  • 1 1
 perfect you can start your own women only brand! @Larkey1:
  • 1 0
 @freeridejerk888: no need. The brands that currently do it are doing a great job.

Liv is awesome.
  • 15 0
 Are you She-10 me??!!! The Hoff for the win!
  • 13 0
 Geez Syndicate sign her finally !
  • 13 0
 that paint job tho
  • 10 0
 As always Juliana has the better paint jobs than SC
  • 1 0
 @colincolin: you aren’t wrong. But ... its a v-10 custom painted with juliana logos...
  • 9 0
 @lognar: EVERY Juliana is a SC with different paint and logos
  • 1 1
 That paint job is by got-jena.de, as the sticker on her frame tells.
  • 1 0
 @src248: aren’t nt there slight variations to make it women’s ”specific” or am I just hoping for too much
  • 5 2
 They say she is a privateer and in the next paragraph it states that she has "myriad of sponsors who support her efforts with both product and financial assistance". I thought not having sponsors is what makes you a privateer? How do you call a guy/girl with zero sponsors then? Somebody who pays for everything from flights to brake pads themselves?
  • 4 0
 A privateer is someone who is not on a team, she is not on a team but does have sponsors who support her. She still needs to handle/deal with (most of) her travel expenses, accommodations, food etc.
  • 3 0
 the kind of person you’re describing, with no assistance for anything bike related doesnt race world cups.
  • 3 0
 Why do woman's bikes and clothing look cool . Why do men's bikes and clothing look like colours you would choose for your fat aunt's wedding. Or childerns toys. This paint scheme is sweet!
  • 1 1
 She sets her bike up like I do! I run this way because I like it, but I tried this change here, and that change, and I like that too. This particular thing feels great, but changed it to that, and I really like it. This works great for me, but am thinking of a change that will be really good!
  • 1 0
 C'mon Hoff..... bring home the bacon on that thing my fantasy team needs you now more than ever.
Try leave your shoe on for this one too. Wink
  • 4 0
 DIG the oil slick look.
  • 1 0
 I'm still hung up on that s-tube saddle. I've cracked those on a trail bike...
  • 3 0
 Looks like a V10
  • 1 2
 Dear Nina. Can you please ask your mechanic to line the front tyre logo(s) up correctly with the rim graphics? Thank you. P.S, nice ride and best of luck this weekend Wink
  • 1 0
 Give Nina a roster spot somebody.
  • 2 0
 Rotissima? Seriously?
  • 1 0
 SC needs to blank check her ASAP!
  • 1 0
 Those Trickstuff brakes are pure s*x... Smile
  • 1 0
 Ooooh baby, that bike. I'm soaking.
  • 1 0
 i bet Juliana sells like 5 of these
Below threshold threads are hidden







Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv65 0.054829
Mobile Version of Website