Liv Avail & Liv Devote on test: What are the advantages of specialised women's bikes?
Nowadays, it goes without saying that women are given at least the same attention as men. This is a good thing, even if there is still a long way to go in practice in some areas. For road bike suppliers, the issue of equality was on the agenda early on. However, there were and still are very different opinions on how women should be appropriately considered in the road bike portfolio. After many years of painstaking attempts to meet the demands of female customers with specially designed and appropriately configured racing bikes, the majority of manufacturers have now abandoned the "special models".
For most suppliers, the effort obviously didn't pay off. "One Bike Fits All" is the new motto: discerning women do not need or expect a different road bike to men; the promise is that both genders should be taken into account as far as possible during development. One supplier that is almost the only one to adhere to gender segregation is industry giant Giant with its Liv brand. And with rare consistency: almost every model in the huge Giant portfolio is also available as a Liv derivative. It's not just the paintwork and sensitive components that distinguish the bikes from their "male" counterparts, the frames also have different shapes and geometries.
Liv Devote and Liv Avail
We took a closer look at two new bikes in the range and discussed with our online editor Sandra whether the concept of the special women's road bike works. The Liv Avail is the long-distance road bike in the programme, the concept a variation on the marathon classic Giant Defy. With its upright riding position, very good-natured handling and mountain-compatible gear ratios, it is well suited for extended tours in the mountains or for less trained cyclists. With tyres that are effectively 34 millimetres wide, you can also take on moderate dirt tracks, but the bike is intended for the road.
The mid-range version appears inexpensive compared to the equipment with electronic Shimano 105, but there are also two significantly more expensive and therefore lighter versions. The Devote is the "female" counterpart to the Giant Revolt gravel bike. The robust off-road racer is characterised by stoic straight-line stability and is ideal for touring and travelling on unpaved roads. The only slightly profiled 40-millimetre tyres offer a good compromise with tolerable rolling resistance on asphalt; with space for tyres up to 53 millimetres wide, the bike can also be equipped for much more difficult terrain. We were given the top model with electronic SRAM Force drivetrain and carbon rims to test.
The women's bikes have many things in common
There are many similarities to the Giant models: The gearing, wheels and tyres of our Liv test bikes correspond to the similarly priced bikes of the parent brand. The components are perfectly suited to the intended use and function perfectly. Avail and Devote are particularly comfortable, even on the handlebars, which is rare for small bikes. The complete weights are good average compared to the price range. At first glance, a woman can't go far wrong with a purchase, as the strengths of the global brand are also reflected in the women's models, at least in terms of value for money.
The weaknesses in the stiffness values are not critical in view of the intended use and the expected weights that the riders bring with them, especially as the bikes are not available in large sizes. The only difference in the equipment is in the contact points, as the Liv versions have a slightly wider saddle; the Avail marathon racer also has a visibly shorter stem. While most women are likely to welcome the special saddle, this is not necessarily the case with the stem: it puts the rider in an unusually upright riding position by road bike standards.
The Liv brand is particularly worth a look for small women. Well-functioning bikes in such small sizes are rarely found elsewhere. - Sandra Schuberth, TOUR online editor
Liv vs. Giant - similarities and differences
This is all the more true because the frame already provides a more upright position than the related marathon racer from Giant in the same frame size. Tester Sandra notes that she would have preferred a slightly narrower handlebar on the Avail in test size S rather than the comfortable riding position, but this corresponds to the width of the "men's bike" in the overlapping sizes - in this case 40 centimetres. The situation is different on the Devote gravel bike. Here, the handlebars are slightly narrower (40 instead of 42 centimetres), but when comparing the geometry tables, it is noticeable that the size S of the Liv gravel bike can no longer be compared with the size S of the Giant, as the women's bike is smaller.
The seating position is also somewhat sportier than on the counterpart Giant Revolt. The geometry adjustments are therefore not consistent, and they are determined by many subtleties. Interested women should therefore take a very close look at the tables and ideally test ride a Liv to see whether it fits their own body measurements, as the categories for Giant and Liv are obviously interpreted differently in some cases. The perfect riding position is ultimately a question of personal preference and independent of gender - there are demonstrably no significant differences in body proportions between women and men.
Nevertheless, the geometry concept of the women's brand deserves praise. Liv bikes are available in at least one size smaller than Giant models, and some models such as the Avail are even available in two smaller sizes. This makes sense because many women are significantly smaller than men, on average around ten centimetres. Small women in particular, who often come up against the limits of classically graded sizes, are therefore more likely to find a suitable bike in the brand's portfolio - and can rely on proven quality. Short men can also find a suitable bike at Liv. Conversely, tall women should also take a look at the Giant portfolio, as there is not only more choice in terms of equipment options. In some cases, the Giant is even cheaper: the Revolt gravel bike, for example, costs 200 euros less than our test bike from Liv - with identical equipment.
The Liv Avail Advanced 1 in detail
- Price: 3699 Euro
- Weight of complete wheel: 8.7 kilos
- Frame sizes: XXS, XS, S, M, L
- TOUR overall grade: 2,5
Geometry
- Seat/top/head tube: 436/525/145 millimetres
- Stack/Reach/STR: 569/363 millimetres/1.57
- Stack+/Reach+/STR+: 609/517 millimetres/1.18
- Wheelbase/caster: 1005/70 millimetres
Equipment
- Drive/Circuit (1.0): Shimano 105 Di2 (2x12; 50/34, 11-36 t.)
- Brakes (1.5): Shimano 105 (160/160 mm)
- Tyres (3.0): Giant Gavia Fondo 1 32 mm (eff.: 34 mm)
- Impellers: Giant P-R2 Disc
- Impeller weights: 1570/2182 grams (front/rear)
Measured values
- Driving stability (2.0): 7.58 N/mm
- Rear comfort (1.7): 113 N/mm
- Comfort front (2.7): 97 N/mm
- Ride/ bottom bracket stiffness (2.3): 52 N/mm
The Liv Devote Advanced Pro in detail
- Price: 6499 Euro
- Weight of complete wheel: 8.1 kilos
- Frame sizes: XS, S, M, L
- TOUR overall grade: 1,9
Geometry
- Seat/top/head tube: 392/535/112 millimetres
- Stack/Reach/STR: 560/378 millimetres/1.48
- Stack+/Reach+/STR+: 606/516 millimetres/1.17
- Wheelbase/caster: 1020/75 millimetres
Equipment
- Drive/Circuit (1.0): SRAM Force AXS (2x12; 43/30, 10-36 t.)
- Brakes (1.5): SRAM Force (160/160 mm)
- Tyres (2.0): Cadex AR 40 mm (eff.: 40 mm)
- Impellers: Giant CXR 1
- Impeller weights: 1340/1786 grams (front/rear)
Measured values
- Driving stability (2.7): 6.97 N/mm
- Rear comfort (1.3): 88 N/mm
- Comfort front (2.0): 80 N/mm
- Ride/ bottom bracket stiffness (4.3): 40 N/mm
In an initial version, the Liv Devote Advanced Pro received an overall TOUR score of 2.3, which was incorrectly based on the rating of a marathon bike, resulting in a lower individual score for weight. With the evaluation as a gravel bike, the Devote achieves an individual score of 2.0 for weight and thus improves to a TOUR score of 1.9. We apologise for the error.
Sandra Schuberth
Editor
