2020 Field Test: Giant Revolt 2, a $1,000 gravel bike
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- čas přidán 4. 04. 2020
- The Giant Revolt 2 is not fancy. It’s doesn’t take many chances, either in geometry or spec. It’s a workhorse. It is not designed be the best bike it can possibly be; it is designed to be the the best bike it can be at a very specific, and very low, price.
Can you get a good gravel bike for $1000? This is Giant’s answer.
Check out our full review at CyclingTips.com: cyclingtips.com/2020/04/2020-... - Sport
Lol at acting like $1000 bike might not even be fully working. What a time to be alive!
Overall, this was an alright video. Not great, but not horrible. However, I can't help but notice that the reviewers seem to have this attitude of looking down at this bike and expecting it to be a surprise that it actually rolls down the road for $1000. Now, for the average person, a $1000 is a lot to spend, and in reality, $1000 can get you a REALLY nice bike. But I think the reviewers have been riding $6000 bikes way too much, and now see $1000 bikes as machines for plebs. Perhaps they didn't mean it that way, but it was the vibe I got from this video.
When he said "the ride itself is (pregnant pause).... .. non-offensive... not anything special etc."... I just rolled my eyes so hard that I might have to get a surgeon to put them back the right way. he really came off as an asshole here. For 90% of the people on the road, I am sure this bike would be considered a VERY nice ride. But again, if you spend too much time rolling on bikes that cost more than my car, all of a sudden these lower-price-point bikes seem super lame to them.
The perfect example of this out-of-touch attitude.... citing that this bike is perfect for college kids on a budget. No, the average college kid is probably $30-100k in debt... and a $1000 bike that they might have to lock up on campus all the time is probably not a sound purchase. A bike for a college kid on a budget would be that old mountain bike hanging up in their parents garage.
Ryan Sanderson totally agree with you here they downgrade this bike due to its price because they have ridden bikes that 1% of people can afford. It is hard to find a good and honest review from somebody who has this price range on channels like this
This was perfect! I’m an LPN which is like a notch under RN and guess what?! I make pretty good money and guess what?! This was the only bike available that I could actually afford that was not from Walmart that had drop bars lol! 1000$ is a Ton of money in times like these or anytime! That’s one months rent or bills.... buying this bike will take sacrifice and a few months of socking money away for the average person. I couldn’t have afforded it before I became a nurse! These people are out of touch with reality. It’s pretty sad that cycling can be a poor mans transportation / fitness,yet these fancy networks paint it as an elite thing to do....
That’s why we have Criegslist and used bike websites so the jokes on them for spending 5k on carbon wheels and 10k on a carbon bike! At least we peasants get to keep our savings....
Agreed. Good reviewers compare products and services to those found in that price range. I don't think the presenters are sinister, but rather, they are unaware of what the viewer is experiencing.
And talking about "who this is for" when reviewing anything is ALWAYS going to come off as out of touch, because we all different finances. If one still wants to make this kind of statement, then it's always better to put yourself in a paycheck to paycheck frame of mind. This way, people who actually are struggling financially feel related to, and people earning more money will feel good about their situation.
@@jonathanmenard1001 well put
If the bike review was reviewed with the same level of thought as your review review, the review would’ve been excellent and you wouldn’t have had to school the reviewers with your review review.
Tell him it's a $3,500.00 bike and see how much his opinion improves.
$1000 bike ~ “great for college kids on a budget”
Wut. A budget college bike is a $100 piece of junk off Craigslist
I am thinking the same.
Cycling is for massively out of touch rich people.
I bought a specialized hard rock pro disc twice (one got stolen) with student loans. Still paying for them. lol
You can afford one with a small loan of 1 million dollars
Soon Wallymart will have $1000 bikes
"This 10kg bike is pretty heavy" Me who rides a 25kg bike:👁👄👁
I know... Right?! Lol😂😱
Lol I have a trek mountain bike from the 90s I went to the bike store and was shocked at how much lighter the cheapest bikes where then mine! Mine weighs 26 lbs!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😭
Who doesn't love a guy who looks down at bikes that aren't fully loaded? "I notice I've had to review two cheap bikes... The reason question is... do all the parts work?" Maybe he does a recover at the end but I was so turned off by his snooty initial comments, I stopped watching.
This guy should fall in love with this bike for what it means relative to creating more cyclists.
Exactly the same thought, terrible start, just really frowning down on the price and not the bike... Btw I believe 1000$ to be quite a bit of money, but these people get so absorbed on the 5000$ superbikes that they really don't understand the concept of budget friendly good bikes.
It’s hard to fall in love with a bike that is a piece of shit. He is being honest and is letting people know that there is some components on the bike that are garbage. This is one of those bikes people buy and use it 5-10 times and then it will collect dust in your garage for the rest of its life.
@@hadleybennett6875 Hi, I am interested in this bike as a commuter and weekend forest trails. Which components are garbage? And they never really explained what the issues is with the square taper bottom bracket.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with the square taper bottom bracket. If it was good enough for Eddy Merckx it’s good enough for you.
@@hadleybennett6875 Bike snobs the fact is that $1000 or less is what the average smuck can afford. I've had less than $ 1000 bikes that I have ridden hundreds of times and so have many others. Yup spend more and you will get better, smoother and lighter components but hardly garbage. Sorry but in some cases yes but for many your comment is BS if you have a lot of extra cash more power to you but $1000 is a lot of money to many people.
I have the earlier version of the Revolt (with the bent chain stays). The nicest thing about the Revolt IMO is that odd hybrid mechanical/hydraulic cylinder. Mine was originally spec’ed with normal 10sp Tiagra (which is as good as 11sp 105 performance-wise) but when it was time to change the brifters to something different, I replaced them with 10sp Gevenalles, while still keeping the entire hydraulic portion of the break system intact.
Good review. Do you have any plans for testing the Cannondale Topstone alloy? The Sora version also seems like a compelling budget option.
I’ve got a first year Revolt (the cheap one) and a couple thousand miles later I still love it!
that's the kind of review we need
I love my 2019 Giant ToughRoad Gravel bike. Aluminum frame, carbon fork. Shimano Tiagra brifters, derailers, 11-34 rear cassette. FSA front crank 48/32. Carbon Defuse seatpost, the same Cable to Hydro brakes all for $1100 at the time. Edit-Also comes 700x40c setup tubeless (can fit 50c comfortably.)
I recently bought the 2020 Revolt Adv 0 - It's awesome and I love it. Glad to hear this version is also great.
z.browning Me too, and I love my 0. Giant offers a great overall package at each level compared to certain other bike companies.
@@TheWik4 have you got the revolt 0? What size would you recommend? I'm 180meters and struggling between L/M und L.
I want to know what shorts Caley is wearing, look perfect for gravel!
Hello, nice vid! What about the review of Merida Silex 300?
HI everyone I bought a revolt recently. I'm new to cycling, if I change the tyres to road focused tyres would I be missing out on much from a road focused bike?
You recommend this bike a.o. for cross. I never actually tried cross myself, but aren’t sloping frames hard to shoulder?
I'd like to see y'all do a review of the Poseidon X Gravel bike.
great review. I love my Revolt 2 (2020) Had it 4 months now. However you missed identifying the perfect group for this bike: If you are a mountain biker thinking of getting into Gravel - this should be your first pick. It's cheap, it's super supple, I upgraded to SRAM Rival 1x and it's a beast.
James Owens Did your revolt come with tubes in or did you put the sealant in yourself?
James Owens what’s it like on tarmac?
Hey James, is 40c really the max tire size? Hoping to get some 45-47c on there if possible.
@@williammarkey5068 The max is 45c. You can see it in official Giant Revolt website.
What was you average MPH on this bike???
Would you recommend this for long rides and weekend bikepacking?
Which do you think is better this bike or the trek checkpoint al3?I have a mountain bike but I want a gravel bike to rice on this 30 mile trail by me im in Florida so everything is pretty much flat im just doing it to have a little cardio in and lose someweight but I dont know which one to get
Do you find too much difference between the Giant Revolt 2 and the Canyon Grail AL 7.0?
Just a heads up: this bike can fit well beyond a 40mm tire. You could go 45-47mm and still have good clearance
Quite nice. With done modifications, close to perfect for touring and commuting. And for a an aluminium bike, it's very handsome, too.
What modifications would you make?
What will be batter Giant Revolt or Merida Silex 400/600
?
Would this be a good bike for bikepacking?
I got my fresh new revolt 2 stopped coz isolation! Good job and review! My best from Spain!
Be safe!
How is it more road geometry with a 71 degree head angle, long trail and decently high stack? Genuinely curious as I am trying to decide between the diverge and a 21 revolt. Seems to me the revolt is a bit more relaxed with a shorter reach and slacker HA.
My wife and I are in our late 50's and we bought 2 Revolt 2's and we are quite happy with them.
Ive owned it almost a year now. Im 6 ft 205 lbs. I love it and on have put about 1k miles on it. STILL NO FLATS! Done a mixed terrain 100 miler on it and plenty of single track and gravel fire trails. ONLY change I made was I put a Deore 9 speed rear and a cog with a 42 for doing steeper climbs. The Sora cant handle that range well. Highly suggest
I've been riding a 2020 Giant revolt 1 'Tiagra' all summer and its an amazing bike. I have outfitted it with all the ortlieb bikepacking bags and have done many multiday trips in the Canadian west. I have a Salsa Fargo also and value both bike just as much as the other.
This is a great bike for multi-surface riding, I have also put on WTB Riddler 700x45c tires and it is plenty "supple", fantastic all around bike.
Don't be fooled, I think some of these review channels get funded to get more sales on higher performance bikes. This is truly a gravel bikepacking monster, PERIOD.
It says that you tested a M/L, which is the only size that I can find near me. For reference, how tall are you? Any issues with fit (toes into front wheel, knees into handlebars)?
What is your height and which size of Giant Revolt were you testing?
Could the bike be seen as a more relaxed road bike for older riders?
Did you guys get a chance to review the Aluminium Cannondale Topstone?
When i got my Revolt 2 1 month ago, i got an eye on the Topstone Tora aswell.. The break and tubeless setup was important in my decission.
Both bikes are awesome for $1,000
@@LoisCS Did you test the Topstone? How does it compare in terms of confort and handling?
Press fit bottom bracket? It’s a quiver bike. Might work okay for a weekend tourer and a light weight off road bike packing rig.
I want this bike but theres no stores in my area that carry it. 😔
Does someone know how this one compare to Cannondale Topstone in terms of confort and handling?
cannondale is much more better as price tells you :) i have both
Please review the GIANT TOUGHROAD SLR GX
front and rear thru axles? That is hard to find at a low price point. I currently have a 1st gen diverge with QR, Sora, and mechanical disc brakes. I'm happy with Sora, but QR and TRP Spyres are not ideal.
Brad Thomas I don’t quite understand what you’re saying here. Can you elaborate?
How does it compare to the Giant Contend AR?
Gontend is more about road, a bit lighter aswell, + endurance road geo
What size it's the revolt on video?
Not much mention of how the bike rides (e.g. handling), like you did for the reviews of other bikes. And is that BB bad?
The main drawback to the square taper BB, and crankset, that comes with the bike is weight. The Revolt has a standard BSA threaded BB, so you can replace it with pretty much anything. I bought this bike for the frame, so one of the first things I did was swap the FSA crank for something much lighter and easier to service.
Thanks. I'm curious how difficult it would be to put, say, GRX on this. And how the ride compares to other "unremarkable" bikes such as the Grail, which they reviewed.
@@willlin9020 I bought one to upgrade (czcams.com/play/PLxD9_pR9BX2GESlZ4nyvXKuU0ecDWrkr9.html). I didn't go with GRX, but I would guess the riding experience would be pretty much the same because I used the clutched Ultegra RD. Personally, I love it. Handling is predictable, and the stance is long enough that it's easy to modulate speed in snowy/sloppy conditions, but not so long that it's a handicap on the road.
I liked the brake contraption cause it allowed mounting extra brake leavers near the center of the handlebar.
which levers did you buy to add please?
I've been watching this channel because of their usually excellent reviews and insight. I would just take this video down, not at all lined up with the rest of content. Entry level riders need the most help from review videos as well, doesn't make sense to brush off an entry level bike for that reason.
Have the Revolt Advanced 3 Love it
Where can I buy this bike?
Cool review! My Revolt 2 is 5 years old (Before the hybrid brakes) I'm not rough with it. But, I do hit rough patches every now & then. I like it!
What about toughroad gx1?
what size and weight requires?
Not too shabby for only 1000 bucks. A comparably priced Trek or Specialized would run a Claris groupset and mechanical disc brakes. For not too much money you could upgrade this bike to the new Shimano GRX 600 groupset (costs the exact same as 105 or SLX) and go to full hydraulic disc and 11 speed (and I think GRX can go up to 40t cassette).
For anyone wondering, I have this bike - this exact one (I’ve added a few mods, grx groupset, new bars, tyres, mtb pedals) it’s incredible! I love it so much - however, the mechanical hybrid brakes are a disaster if you want to go bike packing. I’m getting an engineer to build a system so I can fit a front bag :/
Super bike GIANT 🚲 Thank you . CHICAGO 🇵🇱🚲🌍🇵🇱
Am I seeing an FSA crank set , and not a full SORA build ? Or am I wrong ? 🤔🤷🏼♂️ the shied away from my info on it too . Hmmm 🤔🤔🤔
Before the unveal of GRX, none of the Shimano groupsets 105 or below offered crankset with less than 50T. Therefore all the non-GRX Shimano gravel bikes will have non-Shimano cranksets to have a 48T or less chainring, which is common for gravel bikes.
@@huwillysh Except for the CX parts, which came as standard even for Ultegra CX with a 46T.
@@allanrutland269 I stand corrected then. Changed the original comment to exclude Ultegra or above.
@@allanrutland269 but the small ring (the *important* one) is always 36T
@@charliewhiskey8440 Which is why you change it for a smaller one since decreasing the larger ring allows you to and keep within capacity limit.
Weight?
lmfao the front end is not that odd. I have the same setup on my Defy and it works flawlessly while keeping the cost down. Just because it may look a little different, doesn't mean anything. Plus, the odd front end has all the built in attachments for lights/gopro mounts/ computers, that are awesome.
Hey CyclingTips, my partner is looking at the Liv Avail AR (AllRoad), is this pretty much the female version of the Revolt, is it just as capable in terms of Gravel/Light Singletrack?
I believe the Avail AR is more in line with the men's Giant Contend AR which is in between the Revolt and the ToughRoad
This is my get around bike and I got it up to 26 mph on a flat surface. I love it yes there are better bikes out there, but to me this bike is a good one to have.
They got kickt out of the bar...
Giants rock.
Is it suitable for bikepacking?🤔
Why not?
Square taper BB is a giant plus :)
You can have absolutely any gear ratios / chain line / triple you like with something like the stuff from SpaCycles. Square taper is great for everything other than racing.
Any good on the road this bike?
Pump the tyres up to 65psi and it’s a great enduro bike!
I do like Giant bikes, good value for money - and they just work. However, I'm not sure about this one, and I don't like those hybrid mech/hydro brakes.
I was hesitant about the junction box but when I searched online last year I couldn't find many complaints by people who lived with them. Yes, it's a bit ugly and I'm sure it's a bit heavy but it's been a complete non-issue in a year and 3k km of various riding. Plus, if I ever need to replace a brifter I can use the cheaper cable ones, or upgrade to full hydro.
I have those brakes on my 2019 Giant ToughRoad for about 3200 miles now. No issues at all with them. Can easily lock up both front and rear with just one finger on the lever. Also cheaper brifters of you wanna change them out because you just have to buy the mechanical
What is the tire size limits?
45mm. And you can go bigger for sure.
It says 40mm in the video
@@businessboss4838 it's alright they might got confused with so many reviews.
Here is the description in their Web
www.giant-bicycles.com/us/revolt-2-2020
Like in previous comments, a very stuck up review, it seems the where given this bike to very reluctantly review and that reflects in the “it’s alright but not as good as what I’ve got “ narrative . Shame .
great video
i bought the 2022 giant Revolt 2 because two local Trek dealers didn't have any Domanes in my size... so I opted for this Taiwanese bike... so far so good.
To be frank, that front end mechanical / hydraulic converter look good to me.
1000 ?! Not in Canada 😭
sound like snotty wine snobs
I just know Specialized would charge $2500 to $3000 for this bike!!!
Arthur J the low end specialized diverge which has very similar parts, is also $1000, also specialized is cooler than trek
Arthur J the low end specialized diverge which has very similar parts, is also $1000, also specialized is cooler than trek
@@Foster_B S-works are made by Merida. Specialized is Merida.
FosterKid the diverge has very little tire clearance for big gravel tires and the mechanical brakes on those entry level bikes, even at the tiagra level are really bad. Giant smokes specialized
@@Grunge_Cycling If so, is the Warp the same as the Shiv? If that's the case, maybe Dennis didn't have to move teams to Ineos since the Shiv is one of the better TT bikes in the peloton...
10 kilograms. USA still does lbs and oz's. (sealant works just as well in tubes as it does in tubeless)
Thats because they won't catch up with the rest of the world cheers from Australia!
@@adrianburns7975 I see in the US science and other professional fields use decimal measurements. But its funny to see a hybrid where they say something like 3.4 pounds!
He really had hard time saying it was...
Nothing against the bike on paper, looks like an impressive build for $1,000. But for a presenter to say that Sora feels the same as 105 or Ultegra... gotta start questioning their judgment
98% of entry-level enthusiasts who ends up with this purchase will not notice the difference between Sora vs. 105. -- People who care about that difference will not be looking at a $1,000 new road/gravel bike in the first place.
I don't get why you've chosen Revolt 2 instead Revolt 1 to that contest, especially that it included a way more expensive bikes than revolt 1. The one offers better specs than revolt 2. It uses Tiagra drivetrain and Tiagra hydraulic disc brakes, which affects ride impressions hugely. And it's still sold at comeptitve price of ca. $1200. See no reason for saving $200 on Revolt 2, if you can so much better components for just $200.
Here the difference is like near 300$.
What's happening with the sock height, these days? It's like a cheese throwback to the twenties, or something.
No one is gonna service those brakes, just replace, why do that. My bike shop gets hydraulic disc brakes for 40 bucks give me a break literally
Given the state of the present economy, this is no longer a budget bike.
put a bottle of sanitizer in one of the bottle cages and you're good to go.
@@littlegoobie if you put a bottle of hand sanitizer on it, it will double in value
@@theoutdoorbeast6423 It'll triple the value since you would need to put a nice handgun in the other bottle carrier to protect your sanitizer.
A store near me has had irregular but consistent supplies of sanitizer on the shelves. For the past few weekends it's been available but sells out within a few days when people catch wind of it. I'm not there all the time so i can't say too much but i do know it's there. And that store has a big bottle at every checkout for customers to use which gives me confidence they have a good amount flowing throw their suppliers. It was $12 for a about 250ml (just guessing) so it's not cheap but at least it's there. maybe it'll be like that where you are soon. Oh, and TP is always around now too in just about every store i've been to.
I bought a Vitus Substance V2...it came with Tiagra 10 speed and hydraulic brakes with WTB wheels. $1000. These are over priced. You guys need to look overseas...better deal
last time i both new bike it was like 2012. its time for new bike. i want road or gravel bike. but prices are so high these days. and these "reviewers" and "reviews" are so misleading... 1000 is new budged? wtf :D
Wtf did they add in two years to make it $1599 now in 2022.
Nice shorts Caley. You get those from the Discount Jehova's Witnesses Outlet?
Ooh ah up the ra
Bike snob reviewer. If you dig a little deeper you can find everyday people reviewing this bike and they had a blast riding it.
bike snobs
I have an aluminum bike with better welding than these big brand name bikes. When I first saw it I thought it was carbon.
Almost stopped watching in the beginning. Bike snobs make me sick.
You have interesting choice of words "inoffensive" lol kind of arrogant way to review something.
I feel like this review is similar to someone who drives a Ferrari doing a thorough review on a $10k Kia.
Well, if you don’t feel like whipping your a”” with a $1,000 dollar bill this morning, then maybe you can spend it on this bike?? Maybe give it to some low class peasant? Lol
College kids with rich parents, maybe. lol
I just went to the giant site $1850.. not 1000
You were wrong..thats not the same model
bloody hell, so many compromises in parts. I mean you save money on initial purchase, but what will this bike do in 2 years time? wow no.
I have a 2019 Giant ToughRoad ($1100) which has a very similar build to the Revolt except mine came with Tiagra instead of Sora). Havnt had to replace anything in 3200 miles except my FSA omega bottom bracket just started acting up this weekend but I have sent my bike through hell (gnarly mtb trails and sunk in mud).
Those parts may be heavy, but no less reliable than the expensive stuff.
Everyone should Just buy $4000 bikes all else is Junk :oP
Didint even ride the fucking thing
Proprietary parts on a 1000 dollar bike, awesome, obsolete in 2 years, no way giant will continue to support that cable/hydro box.
Found the content to be good but the attitude snobby and elitist. I had negative reaction listening to this presenter. Other CZcams reviews of this bike were easier to listen to