Giant has launched a new generation of its Revolt carbon gravel bike. The new Revolt Advanced Pro and Revolt Advanced feature lightened framesets with updated geometry designed to boost speed and efficiency on rough roads, gravel and dirt.
Giant Revolt Advanced 1
(Image credit: Giant)
The Taiwanese brand's new high-end gravel bikes are in line with a trend we're seeing from the likes of Cervelo and Scott for lighter and faster, rather than tougher and burlier, gravel bikes.
But it's not all about stripped-back race readiness: the new Revolts also come with what Giant describes as a host of breakthrough technologies including a flip chip rear dropout that lets riders adjust the wheelbase to fine-tune the handling for different riding styles and terrain.
(Image credit: Giant)
Giant says its engineers and product developers worked with athletes from the Giant Factory Off-Road Team to develop the new Revolt Advanced Pro and Revolt Advanced. According to Giant, racers including Josh Berry - a former winner of the Belgian Waffle Ride and podium finisher at Unbound Gravel - helped target specific ways to boost performance for pro-level gravel competition. Over the past year, Berry and several teammates tested prototype models at various races around the US including Rebecca’s Private Idaho.
“Gravel racing has become more aggressive, and this new Revolt is helping us push the limits of what we are capable of,” Berry said in a press release.
“Rolling on a bike that is much lighter than the race bike I was on last year is a real pleasure. Now I find myself jumping in the local group road ride then taking trails home. It’s a lot more enjoyable now with improved handling and a more efficient pedaling response.”
Giant says it was the demand for a competitive edge by racers like Berry, combined with a goal of having wide-ranging capabilities for various styles of gravel riding, that led the development process of the new Revolt. The end result, Giant claims, is a next-generation gravel machine that marks a huge leap forward in efficiency, control and adaptability to variable riding styles and terrain.
Lighter weight, racier geometry
The flagship model of the new range is the new Revolt Advanced Pro, which Giant says is the lightest Revolt ever produced. An all-new Advanced-grade frame and Advanced SL composite fork save a claimed 200 grams compared to the previous generation.
The new Revolt has clearance for 42mm tyres in the short-wheelbase flip-chip setting and 53mm in the long setting.
(Image credit: Giant)
The Revolt Advanced features the same frameset and an Advanced-grade composite fork, saving a claimed 160g over the previous generation.
Both new bikes have a shorter wheelbase and reduced fork trail, aimed at supplying a livelier, more responsive feel in a wide variety of riding conditions. Geometry updates also include a longer reach - now 387mm compared to 381mm on the previous generation for a medium size frame - and a head angle one degree steeper (71.5 degrees compared to 70.5 degrees). In addition, the bottom bracket has been lowered 10mm (80mm drop compared to 70mm).
Improved compliance
There’s also a lower seatstay junction with thinner-diameter tubes that’s designed to improve rear-end compliance without sacrificing stiffness while cornering, sprinting or climbing.
The new models also come with the Giant’s latest D-Fuse seatpost technology - the D-profiled tube aimed at reducing shocks and vibrations. The Advanced Pro comes with the composite D-Fuse SLR, which has a -5/+15mm offset option. The seatpost clamp is hidden inside the seat tube, allowing for a claimed 25% more flexing area. Canyon ran into problems with an Aeroad seatpost that was allowed to flex inside the seat tube, prompting a recall, so it will be interesting to get a closer look at how Giant’s solution works.
(Image credit: Giant)
However, there’s an adaptor for a 30.9mm round seatpost meaning an aftermarket dropper post can be specced instead of the D-Fuse.
Both the Revolt Advanced Pro and Revolt Advanced bikes come with D-Fuse handlebars, which feature similar D-shaped tubing to the seatpost. The Revolt Advanced Pro models come with the Giant Contact SLR XR D-Fuse composite handlebar while the Revolt Advanced gets the Contact XR D-Fuse aluminum bar.
Flip chip for wheelbase adjustment
(Image credit: Giant)
The new Revolt models feature a new flip chip on the rear dropout that lets riders adjust the wheelbase by 10mm. The short setting will give it a quicker, more agile feel, while the longer setting should improve stability on rougher roads, gravel and dirt. The long setting also provides more clearance for a larger diameter rear tyre (up to 53mm compared to 42mm in the short setting) and extends fork trail by 4mm to add stability at higher speeds.
Additionally the new Revolts get some component upgrades. Both series also feature composite Giant WheelSystems, including the new CXR 1 on the Revolt Advanced Pro models, set up with tubeless tyres right out of the box - something Giant has been ahead of the curve in offering.
(Image credit: Giant)
Both series now include six water bottle mounts - two on the down tube, two on the fork, plus one each on the top tube and seat tube - giving it extra capability for long races or adventure riding. The frameset also includes an adaptor at the seatpost for mounting a rack and is mudguard/fender compatible.
Pricing and availability
The range starts with the Shimano GRX RX-400 2x10-equipped Giant Revolt Advanced 3 at £2,199. Next up is the Giant Revolt Advanced 2 with Shimano GRX RX-600 2x11 at £2,399. The Giant Revolt Advanced 1 retails at £2,999 and is specced with SRAM Rival eTap AXS 1x12. All three of these have Giant's P-X2 Disc aluminium wheelset.
The Giant Revolt Advanced 0 retails at £3,499 and has Shimano GRX-810 2x11 and rolls on the Giant CXR 2 Carbon Disc WheelSystem.
The Giant Revolt Advanced Pro 1 has a RRP of £4,299 and is specced with SRAM Rival eTap AXS 2x12 and the Giant CXR 1 Carbon Disc Wheelsystem.
The flagship bike is the Giant Revolt Advanced Pro 0 at £4,999. It gets Shimano GRX RX-815 Di2 and the Giant CXR 1 Carbon Disc WheelSystem.
The Giant Revolt Advanced Pro is available as a frameset only at £1,599.
Giant says UK and Ireland stock will begin to arrive later this month.
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Simon Smythe is a hugely experienced cycling tech writer, who has been writing for Cycling Weekly since 2003. Until recently he was our senior tech writer. In his cycling career Simon has mostly focused on time trialling with a national medal, a few open wins and his club's 30-mile record in his palmares. These days he spends most of his time testing road bikes, or on a tandem doing the school run with his younger son.
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