Basically, as a female road cyclist, you can't appreciate enough that Giant is the only bike manufacturer still focussing so consistently on female customers with its women's brand Liv. While all other bike brands have returned to producing exclusively unisex frames after various experiments with women's geometries, Liv continues to develop its own frame shapes for women.
TOUR test: the new Liv Langma Advanced Pro 1
"It puts you straight into race mode", exclaims tester Birgit enthusiastically as she shoots downhill on the Liv Langma Pro 1 on the TOUR test track. Admittedly, the size 54 bike not only fits the 1.71 metre tall test rider perfectly, but also suits her taste in terms of riding position: compact, slightly narrower handlebars, brake levers easy to reach. And it's worth mentioning that Birgit had previously ridden a rather leisurely marathon bike with a very upright riding position; in relation to an average endurance bike, the new edition of the Langma clearly more suitable for racing. But how suitable is it really as a competition bike, the declared goal of the Liv developers?
When the women's brand of the Taiwanese bicycle giant Giant launched the first Langma model in 2017, it was deliberately positioned as an all-rounder: between the Liv Availa good-natured marathon racing bike primarily for beginners, and the Envie (now EnviLiv), Liv's fast aero machine. The Langma was given a completely new frame for the 2022 season. The aim was to make it lighter and more manoeuvrable, but above all more aerodynamic - and therefore even better suited to its role as a competition bike.
At least that should apply to the top model, because the Langma is available in three versions: as a Advanced, Advanced Pro and as Advanced SLwith which the women of the World Tour teams Bike-Exchange-Jayco are on the road. They differ in terms of the groupsets, but above all in the carbon quality of their frames. The frame shape is the same for all models - and visibly different from the previous model Advanced 1+.
At the time, our testers found that the Advanced 1+ didn't feel like a racing machine. This is exactly what the developers have been working on: The seating position on the Advanced Pro 1 is still not particularly sporty, but no longer as upright as its predecessor; the top tube no longer drops quite so low, but fits more harmoniously into the seat tube; the seat post, fork and handlebars are also more streamlined. And the Alacra-SL saddle is a lightweight, short performance carbon saddle with a generous cut-out.
The high standard
The Liv Langma Advanced Pro 1, whose frame design and dazzling blue-green colour scheme appealed to the testers, rides true to the track and yet agile. The relatively low overall weight has a positive effect on climbs, even if the frame is slightly heavier than last year's model.
More than the new seatpost, which is more compliant than its predecessor, the 25-millimetre tubeless tyres all the bumps in the road (the new fork even allows up to 32 millimetres wide tyres). Unfortunately, this effect is counteracted by the saddle: the Alacra SL was only comfortable to ride at first, after a short time the testers felt uncomfortable pressure from the edges of the large cut-out in the centre of the saddle.
In view of the really low Bottom bracket stiffness of 47 N/mm the official weight limit of 126.5 kilograms that Liv specifies for female riders seems - shall we say - curious. Together with the equally low stiffness in the steering head (75 Nm/degree), these are measured values that are no longer appropriate for a modern racing bike that is also intended for competitions. However, it is also true that the TOUR testers, who weigh less than half the permitted weight, did not feel this compliance in the bottom bracket and headset even downhill or during sprints. This means that these values should be unproblematic, at least for light riders.
And what about the much-vaunted aerodynamics?
During the ride, the new Liv Langma Advanced Pro 1 felt quite fast - but how fast road bikes really are is only revealed in the TOUR wind tunnel test. And the Liv Langma Advanced Pro 1 didn't exactly pass this test with flying colours. The relatively moderate aero value will not satisfy riders who really want to know what they are doing in a race. There are significantly faster bikes, the EnviLiv from the same company, for example, which has always delivered excellent values in the wind tunnel in the past. Why the new Langma has only been aerodynamically trimmed in parts - seat post, fork, handlebars - is not entirely clear.
The conspicuously wide down tube in particular is probably responsible for the moderate aerodynamics. This may be due to the alignment of the Live Langma Advanced Pro 1: It should be an all-round competition bike. In other words, a bike for all purposes. A woman should be able to ride it in a marathon, but also in a race. It should therefore be a good compromise between lightweight construction, aerodynamics and suitability for everyday use. The four all-round racing bikes that we tested in TOUR 12/21 have tested.
The Langma Advanced costs in the cheapest version with Shimano 105 gears 2,399 eurosas Advanced Pro 1 with Shimano Ultegra and the Giant PowerPro power meter on board 4,199 euros and in the Top version Advanced SL with Dura-Ace Di2 and power meter 11,299 euros.
Conclusion
The Liv Langma Advanced Pro 1 is a visually attractive, lightweight and very sporty bike, but it might not be sporty enough for ambitious female riders.
Facts about the Liv Langma Advanced Pro 1
- Price: 4,199 Euro
- Weight of complete wheel: 7.7 kilos
- Aerodynamics: 234 watts
- Info: www.liv-cycling.com
Weight frame/fork/steering bearing*: 984/409/46 grammes
Frame sizes**: XXS, XS, S, M, L
Seat/top/head tube: 480/540/156 millimetres
Stack/Reach/STR***: 560/378 millimetres/1.48
Wheelbase/caster: 985/53 millimetres
Equipment
Drive/gear shift: Shimano Ultegra (2x11, 52/36, 11-30 t.)
Brakes: Shimano Ultegra (160/140 mm)
Wheels/tyres (weights): Giant SLR 2/Giant Gavia Course 1 25 mm (front/rear 1,311/1,771 g)
*Weighed weights.
**Manufacturer's test size bold.
***Stack/reach projected vertical/horizontal measurement from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube; STR (stack to reach) 1.36 means a very stretched, 1.60 an upright riding position.
