We've tested a couple of Rush bikes before, but the Feminine is worth a special mention. It's available in small and medium sizes and the only geometry variation is top tube reach. Our test bike weighed 27.8lb, which isn't as light as we'd like, and makes the bike more of an all-round trail shredder than a pure 'marathon' medal winner.
Frame
The Fox Float R ProPedal feels pretty plush from the off
The frame is a well put together single pivot offering with loads of mud room which is great for UK riders. The Fox Float R ProPedal feels pretty plush from the off, but as with all women's bikes the suspension tends to be set up on the hard side, so if you're not confident doing tweaks yourself it's worth seeing a specialist to get things softened up to suit you. Despite its looks the Lefty Speed fork, with a full lockout lever, takes all of - oooh - 2 seconds to get used to its single leg, and it's happy popping off rocks and drops.
Ride
We suspect that some riders will find the handlebar too high on the Small bike. This is often a problem on small framed bikes with long forks. And another niggle is the IRC Serac XC tyres which are great in the mud but slow rolling on the fast stuff, so we'd whip those off and pop on a set of summer rippers instead!
Equipment
Other feminine tweaks include the 'Butterfly' saddle, colour options and SRAM's Gripshift based drivetrain. The Rush Feminine is an interesting bike, but we suspect some women riders will prefer the parts options on the standard Rush for the money.
