The EnviLiv is one of if not the only true women’s specific aero road race bikes on the market today. Like all bikes in the Liv range it has dedicated women’s geometry and fit rather than using the same frame as the men’s equivalent. The bike colour is called Chameleon Saturn and is a mix of green and gold depending on the light and which angle you look at the bike from. This is really stylish and stands out in transition when racing perfect for triathlon.
The frame and fork are made using Giant’s Advanced Composite Technology. The whole of the front triangle of the frame is made in one piece rather than in 5 or 6 smaller pieces. This keeps it lighter and super strong. The fork has an oversized carbon steerer tube which is really light but stiffer than normal which helps make the handing of this bike as sharp as it is. When riding this bike you can really feel how fast it is, you know all the power you are putting into the bike isn’t waisted. This bike is made to go fast.
Every tube is shaped to be aero to cut through the air as fast as possible but it’s designed to handle cross winds really well too so it can be ridden every day regardless of what the weather is doing. This is a real benefit as no matter what conditions you are racing or training in, you know the bike will perform so you can be confident to go fast. The bar and stem are aero too. The brake hoses are hidden in the bars and stem to keep the lines as clean as possible which also looks really neat and tidy.
The stem is a really clever design as it has a wedge system so you can move the bar forwards or backwards 10mm so you have effectively 2 stem lengths in one so fitting is really easy. The bars can also be fitted with clip on tri bars if you need them. I usually race without them but I have the option to add them for the right event.
The seat post is shaped to be aero and has stacks of adjustment and the really neat internal seat clamp is hidden under this rubber cover. This bike comes as standard with my favourite saddle the Liv Contact SL Forwar
d. The comfort is great even in a tri suit.
The wheels are the Giant SLR 1 carbon wheels and there’s a 42mm rim on the front and a 65mm rim on the rear. This combination is super quick but really easy to handle at the same time making it a great set of wheels for the different events I race in as well as great to train on.
The wheels are fitted with the brand new CADEX Race tyres. These are tubeless tyres and are really light, supple and the grip is fantastic.
The Pro Zero is the flagship model and is fitted with the SRAM Force AXS groupset. The shifters and derailleurs are totally wireless so no cables here at all. Shifting is really quick and precise and you can customise how the shifters work from the AXS app if you want to. The cassette has 12 sprockets from 10 to 28 teeth and the chainrings are 35 and 48. This gives me a huge range of gears so I’m covered for all my racing and training. The chainset comes as standard with the Quarq D Zero power meter. I like to train using power either out on the bike or in the shed on my Wattbike so having the power meter as standard is a real bonus.
The brakes are disc brakes which Liv have proven are more aero than a rim brake set up plus I’ve got way more stopping power when I need it so it’s a win win.
All up this bike weighs in at just 7.2kg. t’s light, fast and of course looks amazing….
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