Juliana

Roubion Carbon XT Mountain Bike

Designed to shake up the trail bike category by its roots, the mixed-wheel Roubion lets us saddle up knowing we’ll be more than prepared for anything we come across on dicey trails. With the plow-over-anything confidence of the 29in wheel up front, and the surgically-precise 27.5in wheel in the back, this bike is far more capable than its 150mm of travel might suggest. Like all Julianas, the Roubion’s rear shock is hand-tuned for lighter-weight riders than its Santa Cruz counterpart, the Bronson.

The fourth-generation Roubion has a frame that’s purpose-built to work around a 27.5in and 29in wheel combo, offering a better ride than scrappy mullet conversions that can have undesirable effects on the bike’s geometry and handling. The revised wheels bring the mixed wheel size game into the park and enduro lineup, giving riders a bike that's nimble in the corners but rolls over the chunder all day long. The bike maintains the same 150mm of VPP rear travel as the previous generation, but the suspension has lower anti-squat values to help enhance the bike’s traction and overall smoothness.

This Roubion also sees longer and slacker geometry, but Juliana didn’t go too crazy with it and the bike still has that agility that riders loved about the previous model. Our favorite change is the chainstay length that varies per size, ensuring every size of rider gets the same balanced geometry and fit. The reach and wheelbase are longer and the head tube is slacker, providing more stability during high-speed sections and technical descents. Juliana knows that pedaling prowess matters, so they incorporated a steeper 77.1-degree seat tube angle on a size medium to balance the long and slack geo. Combined with the efficient VPP platform, the bike tackles tough climbs with ease. The geometry is also adjustable via a flip-chip in the linkage, allowing you to tune the handling to suit the trail at hand.

Lucky for all of us, one thing that hasn't changed is Juliana's carbon frames, which is a good thing if you're after the legendary strength and unwavering stiffness of their renowned carbon layups. This particular Roubion benefits from the Carbon C layup, which uses a bit more material than CC frames but still accelerates quickly and offers unflappable poise when pummeling through rough terrain. It's backed by Juliana's excellent lifetime warranty, so you'll have extra peace of mind while riding particularly fast on your favorite stretch of trail and shuttling downhill laps on the mountain pass. Note that the size extra-small Roubion is built with two 27.5in wheels to better suit smaller riders.

*Due to a high demand in the global supply chain and bike industry since the start of the pandemic, material weight and exact components are subject to change. We are working diligently to keep tech specs updated, and any adjustments will be of equal or better spec level. If you have any questions, reach out to a Gearhead by chatting online or calling 1-888-276-7130.