Ive had my Toughroad SLR2 for about a year and a half now.. When I first bought it I was VERY out of shape.. I was 330lbs and barely was able to do a few miles without being whooped.. While now.. I can do 20 mile rides and be fine.. and I have dropped my weight down to 260 with a goal of 220.. My Bike has the Sycamores and notice the same drop in pressure with my tires as well.. It doesn't seem to be as severe as yours that quick.. but noticeable.. If I leave it for a a couple weeks it will be significant.. Ive considered getting new tires. Saying all that.. I had thought of upgrading my components to Shimano 105's from a 3x to a 2x crank.. and going from a 9 speed cassette to a 10 or 11 speed... I had also thought of Possibly also just buying a whole new Bike.. and The Revolt has my eye.. It looks amazing and seems to be hitting all of the checks I want in a Bike.. from gearing to quality .. I want a Bike that is pretty good at Most of what I ride.. I want something that is good on the road and quick.. But also can ride gravel trails well.. Because Next.. I want to invest in a quality Mountain Bike for more extreme trails.. Id probably start with a good hard tail or just say screw it and go with something like a Trance or Anthem.
Thanks for the detailed review. After demoing diverge with a one by force and the revolt advanced 0, didn’t even hesitate for the revolt. My first long ride I took it to a local Fat Fifty event during monsoons going hub deep 50% of the ride. Didn’t disappoint. Hard to beat qpr, and stealth looks.
Great review. I have the 105 version and can't believe how much better it rides than my tcx slr. I don't think it is as quick but overall a great value. Still sorting out fit, have an i.t. Issue that is aggravated easily without an exact fit. I have my tcx set up perfectly so I'm trying to duplicate it. Only mentioned this because you have had I.t. Issues as well. Keep up the great reviews and content
Re giant conduct wire controlled hydraulic brakes. As a mountain biker with hydraulic brakes for 20 years I was sceptical of this hybrid solution. After using them for 2 years on my defy on backroads and gravel they have performed flawlessly . I like the feel of the narrow ultegra shifter and do not miss the full hydraulic option. This bike was upgraded from a trp mechanical disc which had terrible stopping performance and high maintenance. If you cannot afford the full hydraulic brakes the giant conduct solution actually works.
My experience too. Son reckoned they where better then his hydro ultegra fitted defy. Lock the wheels up from the hoods easy. The space the head unit takes up is annoying.
My only other gravel bike from Giant is the Toughroad SLR GX 1 2019. It's a great and cheaper alternative to the Revolt (reminds me of Contend cheaper alternatives to the Defy models scenario). It comes with lots of eyelets for mounting options such as racks, fenders, etc. It also comes with a bottom tube guard. Some sites and forums said that the max tires it can take are up to 2" or 50mm though I haven't fully confirmed it myself. I bought mine for $1500. I love it.
Just bought a 2019 giant revolt advanced 1, throwing shimano grx 1x on cuz I hate sram stuff. Your reviews were very helpful in me deciding to purchase this bike. Got a killer deal on a gently used one and I’m going to freshen it up a little and rip my local ride. Thanks again. Good vids
I've got the 1x version and I like it .. I specifically wanted the simplicity of the 1x plus wanted alloy rims and I'm very happy with it. Clint's right though .. avoid the bottom model with the stupid brake setup. For me the local "gravel" is nothing like the gravel roads you see in Clint's vids and my gravel riding is more of a cruise. If you want to go fast the Advanced 0 is the one to get. I also have to second Clint's comment on the tyres ... I like the ride but I don't like their overnight leaking :(
100% you have to pump up the tyres everyday!! I’m still a noob and I’ve owned this bike for about 2 months and first time tubeless and thought all tubeless tyres were like this. Haha
I totally agree that a 2x is a better way to go on gravel for a few reasons. 1. My gravel rig is going to be used for long miles. Having options and the ability to maintain a faster pace on the flats then gear it down when I’m tired or for climbing can only be done with a 2x. 2. Gravel bikes are made to have more tire options. When you decide to get an aggressive fat tire you will want a lower gear at times. When you want to use a road tire and put in some longer road miles, a bigger gear is nice. I also agree about the better feel of alloy rims but I’m about to buy a carbon wheelset but as a 650b. I’m thinking the fatter tires will retain the smooth feel of alloy.
I picked up a 2020 Giant Revolt Advanced 2 this spring, absolutely love it! I do have the same problem with having to pump my tires before every ride, as they lost 5-10 psi. Not a big deal, but unsure why that is.
I have the Advanced 2 model but swapped out the 105 for Rival 22. So far so good. I love having a bike that I can ride in road rides in the morning, swap the wheels and ride dirt the same afternoon.
I so love this bike. Thanks for the review, Clint. I watch every video you post. Any chance of reviewing the brake system on the 105? Also, any chance of organizing a "deal" on these Giant bikes? Had to ask. I have 2 Giants and 2 Specialized, both great but Giant has more value.
Great review thanks for the comparison between SRAM and the Shimano HYD brakes. I crashed heavily in a race a couple of years ago (stage 3 shoulder separation and a bunch of other damage) and even now a couple of years later find rough gravel roads hard on on the shoulder with my alum cross bike. Was comparing the Diverge, Checkpoint and the advanced 0. I think this bike is top of the list with some big Donnelly Xplor tires and a saddle swap.
Hi! We share the same experience - and stage of the shoulder. I decided to start building muscles, focusing on the shoulders and scapulas, and so far I haven´t had to much problems riding my bike. It looks awkward, though... I'm 62 years old. :-)
Well Mr Gibbs, Giant should send some free stuff your way. I’ve been riding and racing road & Mtb’s for almost 40 years & I today I purchased a Giant Revolt 0 (Bicycle Warahouse, SD, CA) largely based on your reviews. I agonized over the choice between the Specialized Diverge, Trek Checkpoint, Niner RLT RDO & the Giant. For the price, & how it’s soec’d the nod goes to the Revolt 0. Thanks Clint, Don
Darren Morley did you get your bike and how are the gravel kings going as I have a revolt on order and thinking of putting gravel kings straight on. Did you go tubeless?
Sharon Rae yes I got the revolt ad 0 late February and just ordered the Gravelking SK 38s. Not put them on yet. On my previous bike I had the 43s and superb. I’ve gone for 38s this time to get middle road between comfort and speed. The bike is excellent by the way. Regards Darren. Oh and yes I will be going tubeless. I ran tubeless with the 43s . It’s a must really. Anymore info let me know. All the best.
Great review! I've been in shopping for a Gravel/Adventure/All around bike for a couple months now. Do you have any thoughts as to how the Revolt 0 would compare the Salsa Warbird Carbon DI2 and would $2000 more be justified to have the DI2 on the Salsa? I've also looked at Niner, Norco, Jamis, Trek, Specialized and Canyons offerings. Having a hard time choosing.
I own this bike, a 2019 Revolt 0 and have a 2nd set of carbon wheels with 32mm tires. Yes, this bike can be a do it all bike (excluding mountain biking and road racing).
I've had the contend cable hydro brakes on a 2 year old revolt. Been no issues. Only bad thing is the unit mounted on the stem. Takes up space. But easier to service over a brifter. Plenty of bite.
Thanks for the review Clint. Any chance you will be at dirty Kanza this year. I'm going to tackle the DK100 on my new Topstone. First real bike event and first 100 miles.
Your reviews have been very helpful. I've narrowed it down to a Revolt Advanced 2 and Advanced 3. Is the GRX 600 worth the $500 price difference over GRX 400?
I have the revolt 1 and love the bike for my gravel rides. I took the crosscut tyres off and weighed them. They were about 490g not the 750 found online. I found the crosscut to big and spongy. They’re sluggish up hill. I changed them out for gravel king 35’s and they’re perfect about 60g lighter per wheel and roll sweet as including up hill. I’m running them at 45psi tubeless and that seems to be a good setup for mixed gravel and asphalt. Im also finding air loss and think it’s the rim tape which is a bit suss. The seat is awesome. When i ride the revolt after my road bike I can immediately feel the flex. The handle bars are less flex and only really feel give when in the drops.
I thought the Crosscuts were a bit sluggish on my Revolt too, especially on pavement sections. Mine weighted in at 459g and 466g, which was much lighter than they felt. Like you, I went with Gravelkings (the SK version) in a 700 x 35.
I am trying to capture gravel riding but using the typical gopro bike mount, the video would capture the handlebar as well (which i don't want), so yours was perfect! For your video camera setup, what camera and mount (bike or body harness) did you use?
I'm pretty happy with Revolt Advanced 0, which I've been riding since November. I'm in East Orlando, and haven't done any true "gravel" rides, at least as I would classify it. It handles great on road or rail trail pavement, and I'm able to keep up with the pure road bikes. It's faster in this regard than my older Specialized road bile that I was replacing, so it's certainly not holding me back. I've also had it on more of a off road trail, consisting of grass, mud, river crossings, packed sand, loose gravel, and deep sugar-fine sand. It handles most of that pretty well, except for the sugar-fine sand (not surprised), which I fell in twice and ended up walking out of that short section. I certainly don't put in as many miles as you, but I too find the seat uncomfortable and pressing on some pressure points. I've been trying to stick it out and see if it breaks in, but I may have to finally admit that I've got to find a seat that works better for me. I do not have the tire leaking issue that you have, so maybe something was off during setup? My tires never get as soft as you show in the video, and I can go a couple rides without pumping. What pressure do you run? You seem to ride West and North of me, but do you know of any rides out this way?
I'm running out 22 in the front and 24 in the back. I have not ridden in that area so I'm not aware of rides over there. I know that there are a lot of roads in the Ocala national Forest but that is a pretty decent drive for you.
I'm typically running at 50psi, and it never occurred to me to even push them that low. I'll have to try going progressively lower to see how it improves the ride on rough terrain, and see if I have the same problem with losing pressure.
I hear ya, Clint, with the problems you had with the Giant CrossCut Gravel 1 tire holding pressure between rides. In 2020 Giant has gone to the Maxxis Velocita AR to replace the Crosscut. I heard you suggest going to the Maxxis Rambler on the 2019 bike. I live in Nebraska on hard pack gravel roads. The county road department at times drops loose gravel over the hard pack, but with all the farm machinery and pick ups up and down them the loose gravel quickly gets thrown to the side of the road and I have clear paths over the hard pack. Which of these Maxxis tires would you ride in these conditions I face ?
I have the same problem on my tires, they deflate like crazy and every week I need to pump them. I use the same tires as in the video. I was told winter weather/ temperature make tubeless tires less efficient.
Looking forward to your long term review of this bike. I had a 2015 Defy advanced pro 2 but no longer have it. Thinking of getting another one next year. What are your thoughts on the Revolt vs Defy for commuting, city cycling and occasional weekend rides out of city?
I have a Revolt 1 ( Sram ). I love it ,but your right about the seat it's the only part i have replaced so far. As for the tires my front loses about 10psi over a 24 hour period and the rear holds air pressure much longer. What are you calling lower pressure ? I ride a gravel / pavement mix and 50psi has been working for me. I weigh 160. As for the gearing , its whatever you get used to.
Hi Clint. Good Job. Love Your Channel. I am in the Process of buying a new bike and the Revolt appears to be good value for money... Could You tell me which frame size You ride and how tall You are at which leg length. That would help a Bit
I just ordered the orange Revolt 2 and I’ll be swapping the giant braking system with mechanical Tektro Spyres. The 0 is backordered a few months and I think the 2 is a good value as long as I can deal with mech brakes. I’ll probably end up upgrading to hydraulic in the future (not cost effective vs the 0, I know, but I think I got a really good deal for now).
I have the Tektro Spyres on my bike and have been very satisfied with them. Frankly, I think Giant should have spec'd the Revolt 2 with the Spyre brakes instead of the Giant Conduct.
Another great review. Would this bike be acceptable to use in cyclocross racing? Especially for a beginner? Sure would be nice to have one bike for gravel and cyclocross.
Yes, you could definitely race cross on this bike. Just put on some cyclocross specific tires and you’re good to go. You may be slightly slower through a really tight sections but you’re also going to be a tad fresher at the end of a race Due to the extra compliance in the frame
@@ClintGibbs Thank you so much for this info. You are and have been my go to guy for cycling and accessories. Am going to order this bike and tell my lbs that you helped the deal!
I want to ride 35% cross, but 65% gravel, would you recommend the TCX pro still? I have seen a couple videos where you seem to have evolved from the Giant tcx pro "BB drop" and "SRAM" being good for gravel use, --to wishing the BB drop was less and that SRAM brakes are a royal pain...
If you want to be competitive on a cycle cross course, then yes the TCX would be the way to go. Still a great gravel bike. If you just want to race cross but don't put too much into your overall results, then the Revolt be the way to go. Whatever bike you get you're going to be buying another set of tires.
WTB Silverado is my favorite saddle. Have them on all my bikes. You should check out the Industry Nine Ultralite CX 235 TRA alloy wheels. Incredible ride.
Thanks for the review you mentioned a power meter in an earlier review. Do you know what the options would be? Is there clearance between crank and frame for a staged or 4iiii? Thanks
I wish Giant would switch to BB386EVO. The BB86 which they use doesn't support 30 mm spindle cranks, at least not without cramming ridiculously tiny bearing in.
Hey thanks for your review! I saw all your videos about Giant Revolt Adv 0 as I truly consider getting it for some lightweight bicycle touring. Do you think it is compliant enough for it to handle plenty of miles on day by day basis? I am a pure roadie climber so I am used to stiff yet light bikes but I am looking for some fast and versatile gravel bike which will be able to handle 80% paved roads and 20% gravel (obviously will have to swap the tyres but the overall geometry of the bike seems perfect for that). Do you share this belief? Thanks again!
I have a Giant Toughroad Slr Gx 2019 on CrossCut Gravel 2, 60TPI, 700x40C, Tubeless tires, and I have the same problem with escaping air in it, every third day I have to pump them
Steel feels really good but carbon is going to be faster. It just accelerates better and is faster on the climbs. Also you don't have to worry about any rust inside your tubes, which I have had happen before.
@@jonandrus1648 another reason I bought a Topstone is the 46/30 crankset and 11-32 rear cassette. I average around 16-18 mph on my road bike and this gear ratio suits me better for riding in the flint hills. I used the 30-32 gears to get up a hill and was still pushing 300 watts.
I completely agree, a 2x is the only way to go for a real gravel rig for long distance that can be both 20mph and steep grinds. I also totally agree about alloy rims, it definitely makes a better feel, especially long distance
I run 2x on my gravel bike with 46t 'big' chain ring and 11-32 cassette. I never use the smaller cogs (11, 12 & 13t) in the back as I never exceed 25 mph. I believe that a 1x with a 38t chain ring and a 11-34 cassette would give a adequate gear range and reasonable gear steps.
I own a Giant TCR adv Pro, most amazing road bike I have owned. I have also owned giant TCX and it is the most horrible crossbike I have ridden. How does this Revolt compare?
I honestly like I'm both about the same. So it comes down to price and availability. Also, I would not go back to SRAM Road, as I said in a video. Giant will usually beat Niner on price, but Niner has the advantage of being more of a boutique brand and direct access for customer service.
@@ClintGibbs Thanks! As someone who has been a fairly serious cyclist for almost 30yrs I really appreciate your non biased, real world, well thought out reviews. I ordered the giant 3 weeks ago tomorrow, "on back order" based a lot on what you just said, and the fact it can handle a little bigger tire. I also agree on the double chain ring and shimano vs sram. thanks again.
My crosscut 2s weighed right around 575 grams each. I'm a assuming the ones are 120 tpi, the two's are 60 tpi. So just a guess, but the crosscut one should be around 550 grams
The best tire I've found for a gravel bike that is used a lot on pavement is the Specialized Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss Ready. I am running a pair on my bike in 700x38. Fantastic tire. Very efficient. The weakness is a relatively tame tread pattern if you're riding in the more aggressive stuff, but it sounds like you want a city biased gravel bike tire. I was really surprised how fast these tires are when I first mounted them. My recommendation for a nice rolling tire to be used in more rough stuff would be the WTB Resolute.
Not sure what it is but I had the same problem with two of my giant bikes losing air over time as well my giant fastroad and giant stance 1 everytime with out fail I had to air up my tires before I rode amd they were both tubeless
@@woozertoo None so far. I've got the Advanced 1 .. I wanted to go 1x as I've also gone 1x for trail. Plus I wanted this bike to be something simple. My road bike is a TCR so if I find I'm hunting for the right gear I may give this one to my son and go for the Advanced 0 or something else more exotic. Before I do that though my intension is to go with an oval chainring on this bike - I haven't tried one since the days of those awful "bio-pace" rings. Thinking Absolute Black.
I have the Giant branded Crosscut 2 tyres on my 2019 SLR 0 and they also lose air quite quickly. Solid tyres though and pretty durable in sharp rocky terrain but I did get a 2mm slice whilst riding on the Highway??
I bought a Revolt Advanced 2 this past December and have not regretted it, although I wish Giant would have swapped the #2 with the #1 and offered a better bike with a two-by, but they decided to go with the one-by as the middle ground. My biggest complaint is with the "hydraulic brakes." They perform well enough, and by comparison to regular disk brakes better than them, but the sheer bulk can be felt as I grasp the bars, not to mention that they look like something from a Star Trek episode. That said, the 105 work very well and considering that the frame is the same across all three bikes I feel like I landed a really good bike. (As an aside, I lose tire pressure very quickly too. Perhaps not as quickly as you described, but still too quick).
@@ClintGibbs Thanks Clint. Keep the great content coming! Very tempted with this bike! I might adjust the gearing for bike packing but the frame looks good.
Definitely would not recommend picking up this bike for riding trails, but you can ride smoother trails on it. When they start to get a little bit rougher you're going to need to slow down and take it easy. The challenge is really fun but you have to be careful on about not smashing those tires against rocks and roots. You can damage the rims and/or tires
Carbon is too fragile for gravel. Visually you can’t tell when carbon is weakened unless it’s a big hit. I’m not interested in paying $350 just to check my carbon frame / rims etc. it’s looks like a nice ride. if i wanted a good bike but not test the bike in any way then sure yes. otherwise nup bad idea
Clint, you helped me decide on this bike. I agree with you. It really feels so perfect in almost every way. As far as the Garmin mount. checkout the front mounts that would come with that conduct braking system. It mounts from the stem/bar bolts. I use that on all of my giant bikes. I also found that my valve stem lock nuts needed to be tightend to hold the air. No more probloms abter that. Love your videos. here is the link for the computer mount and it will also hold a gopro or front light. www.giant-bicycles.com/us/conduct-accessory-adaptor-pack
@@ClintGibbs if you watch my video you can get a glimpse at that mount with my garmin and recon headlight mounted. Check this out. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-neHM5lmu0LQ.html
Hey Client Gibbs, what do you think about this video in comparison with the Giant Revolt Advanced 0 ? (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cKxwrO-xU_Q.html)
Rob DC Higher end components will be lighter and they will require less maintenance over the long run, typically. Remember that the revolt zero has carbon wheels. Some of the other models have aluminum. I actually prefer aluminum wheels on a gravel bike for comfort. So it’s going to depend if you want to bike that’s very light and Climbs and accelerate faster.
Basically it’s Giant’s way of using mechanical levers with hydraulic brakes, making a hybrid system. It converts a cable pull to a hydraulic pump at the stem. More info here www.giant-bicycles.com/global/showcase/conduct
