2022 GIANT REVOLT ADVANCED PRO 0 REVIEW

A “CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE” GRAVEL BIKE

Giant has just launched an all-new version of their gravel bike, the Revolt. The Revolt has been in the Giant catalog since 2013 and was one of the original gravel-specific bikes on the market. A lot has changed since its inception, and while Giant has stayed on trend, this new Revolt Advanced Pro 0 by far enjoys some of the most significant changes yet.

GIANT REVOLT ADVANCED FRAME

Giant has made some significant changes since the original Revolt was launched, and it’s now taken a turn towards the racer. The head tube has been steepened from 70.5 to 71.5 degrees. There is also a rear flip chip, offering a shorter and longer wheelbase than previous years. On our medium-sized frame, the chip would alter the wheelbase settings between 102.6cm and 103.6mm in length (versus the previous static 103.1cm).

The shorter wheelbase and reduced fork trail offered a more responsive ride, while the longer setting helped with high-speed stability. The bottom bracket has also been lowered 10mm to 80mm.

While we only needed one or two bottles during testing, the new Revolt will fit up to six bottles when utilizing the fork-mounting options.

Another update in geometry is the longer reach, which is 6mm longer at 38.7cm, but the bike is now paired with a 70mm stem rather than the 90mm on the previous version. Giant has also retained their D-Fuse seatpost but now with a twist. The new Revolt frame has a round 30.9mm seat tube but uses a wedge system to accommodate their proprietary post. This means you can now run a dropper post or any other 30.9mm seatpost on the new Revolt. Giant still uses the oversized steerer, so if you want a different stem, remember it needs to be 1 1/4 inches, not 1 1/8 inches.

The frame has room for 42mm tires in the short wheelbase setting and 53mm in the long position. Giant offers the Advanced Pro (like our test bike) and an Advanced version of the carbon frameset. Giant claims the only difference is the fork, which has higher-grade carbon and adds more compliance on the Pro.

GIANT REVOLT ADVANCED PARTS

Our test bike hit the scale at 17.81 pounds rolling on Giant’s new CRX1 carbon wheels. The 35mm-deep CRX1 wheels have a hookless bead and 25mm internal width with a claimed weight of just under 1400 grams. On our Pro 0 build, they are paired with the Maxxis Receptor 40mm tires.

Our bike was spec’d with a Shimano 2x GRX 815 (Di2) drivetrain comprised of 48/31t rings matched to an 11-34t cassette. Giant also has a new Contact SLR XR D-Fuse handlebar that they say has the same flex design as their D-Fuse seatpost. Overall, the build is solid and a perfect pairing for a bike meant to be at the front of an event.

GIANT REVOLT ADVANCED RIDE

We have spent most of our time in the short wheelbase setting for the most responsive ride. We never spent much time on the older Revolt, but this new bike is definitely intended for a new audience. The bike has a claimed tire fitment of 42mm in short and 53mm in long, but we found that we could fit larger rubber in the short setting. The rear flip-chip feature is easy to change, but it’s not a roadside adjustment, so choose your setting before heading out.

The wide range of gears offered by the Shimano GRX drivetrain made everything from climbing steep fire roads to high-speed road descents possible.

We felt like the bike was incredibly stiff and transferred power efficiently. Giant claims 20 percent more compliance in the seatpost alone, and from the saddle, the D-shaped seatpost did wonders for in-saddle compliance. All of this comfort is in the rear, and there is room for larger tires than the 40mm Maxxis we tested, which means more rubber could make it even better.

“As the world’s largest bicycle manufacturer, Giant has always been able to provide greater cost/benefit value to the end user than many of their big brand-name competitors.”

In our opinion, the front end of the bike is a different story. Far from compliant, it veers towards being a bit harsh. Racers and those coming from the road will feel right at home, but on our long, very bumpy fire roads, we were left with sore palms. Giant claims the Pro version fork has more compliance than the lower-level Advanced, and if that’s the case, then new handlebars or larger tires might be desired for many riders. The D-Fuse carbon bars seemed to have little to no compliance.

On smoother and faster dirt sections, the Revolt did truly feel and perform like a gravel race bike. Even on the tarmac and in group rides, we had no trouble keeping pace. This could be partly because the 2x drivetrain offers smaller gear gaps and a great gear range whether the road pace is fast or the gravel pace is slow.

The long geometry feels very similar to the previous model, but with a lower center of gravity and slightly more responsive handling. The steeper head tube has made both the short and long position trail numbers smaller, which is reflected in the handling, but mostly in the short setting.

GIANT REVOLT ADVANCED VERDICT

The new Revolt Advanced Pro offers more responsive handling for all, but is catering to the racer with the new flip chip rear end and shorter position. For those that like the long and more stable position, you can now run a dropper post, too, but you will definitely want more rubber to aid in compliance. Most of the stock builds run with a 2x, which we prefer for a “race bike,” but a 1x build is still preferred by many for its simplicity.

As the world’s largest bicycle manufacturer, Giant has always been able to provide greater cost/benefit value to the end user than many of their big brand-name competitors. We were impressed that our pinnacle model with Shimano GRX Di2 and the new carbon wheels was only $6200. There are two Advanced Pro versions and four Advanced versions starting at $2300. Giant also mentioned that there would be an alloy version, the Revolt 2, for $1400.