![]() “This is the first time I’ve ever seen Giant really take the bull by the horns and pound their own chest a little,” said Jordan. Jordan, who has attended all of Giant’s dealer events, agreed. In his keynote address at the Link, Giant’s national sales manager John ‘JT’ Thompson told retailers that the company’s 2014 line was “by far the boldest launch with the best bikes I’ve ever seen.” New Propel and women’s Envie models are available at lower price points, and 100 limited edition Marianne Vos Envie models will also be released. Giant’s 2014 road line remains largely the same, except in the aero category. Aluminum TCX and Liv/Giant Brava frames feature Giant’s proprietary Aluxx SLR technology-their stiffest and lightest alloy yet. All models come equipped with disc brakes. “Room for big tires, disc brakes, three water bottle cage mounts and a mud guard-these bikes will do great for us."Īlso notable is the revamped cyclocross line, which features new geometry, including better stand-over height and increased bottom bracket drop. Our area has more gravel grinders going on every year and now we have a bike from the big boys that will be perfect for that kind of riding,” said retailer Kyle May of Spin City Cycles in Decateur, Illinois. “What I’m most excited about is the new Revolt and Invite. The AnyRoad, another drop-bar, all-terrain model, will likely appeal to commuters and the touring crowd. The women’s-specific counterpart is the Liv/Giant Invite. ![]() “Having so many options for women’s bikes across the board-in number of models, great color options and finally in carbon-is going to make it easier to help our female customers buy their first bike or their 10th,” said Jordan.īreaking into the growing ‘off-road adventure’ category, Giant introduced two new models for all-terrain riding, touring and racing “gravel grinders.” The Revolt is a drop-bar bike complete with fender and rack mounts and geometry that’s suitable for long-haul riding. Longtime Giant retailer Heather Jordan, owner of The Wheel Cyclery in Kansas City, Missouri, is happy to see such breadth and depth in the 2014 women’s line. The Liv/Giant 27.5-inch models clear that all up, and are up to two pounds lighter, which makes a big difference in how the bikes pedal.” “There were standover, frame flex, and control issues for some women. “The Liv/Giant Anthem X 29 worked well for many women, but the fit was sometimes difficult, particularly for extra small and small sizes,” said VanHorn. The decision to eliminate the popular full-suspension women’s 29er-and all 29-inch wheels in the Liv/Giant line-ultimately came down to a matter of fit and handling. The 2014 Liv/Giant bikes have been redesigned from the ground up, featuring revamped geometry and new model names. “So what you get is better handling and better control from a lighter weight bike that still rolls over obstacles as well as a 29er,” he said. ![]() VanHorn went on to say that extensive testing and prototyping demonstrated that Giant’s 27.5-inch models combine the best attributes of both the 26-inch and 29-inch wheel sizes without any of the disadvantages. ![]() “We wanted to prove that we have the most comprehensive line when it comes to the new wheel size, and that we are fully committed to taking the industry lead.” “We didn’t just want to roll out two models with 27.5-inch wheels,” said VanHorn. Giant’s all-in approach to the emerging tweener wheel size is a result of three years spent testing all of the wheel sizes, said Patrick VanHorn, communications manager for Giant USA. In addition, all of its women’s Liv/Giant mountain bikes are 27.5-inch, from a hard tail carbon race bike and on up the line. What’s most striking about Giant’s 2014 lineup is that all but two of its performance mountain bike models are available with 27.5-inch wheels. ![]()
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