Review: Giant Revolt Advanced Pro 1
(2022) We got our hands on a Giant Revolt Advanced Pro 1 gravel bike and could only think of one thing to do with it- send one of our reviewers into the Adirondack wilderness with it while racing the Black Fly Challenge. Bonuses would be awarded for surviving and filing a timely report. Here are his notes:
Per the Black Fly Challenge organizers, the race could not be attempted on a road bike, and a Giant Revolt Advanced Pro 1 materialized into the creakybottombracket.com service course. Though the asphalt bike hanging from the rack is a size medium, it was recommended to size up to a medium/ large to gain some mountain bike characteristics. A quick tutorial on SRAM’s Rival eTap twelve-speed shifting and the bike was loaded onto the team car for the Adirondack wilderness.
The first test came immediately after arriving in Inlet, NY. To shake out the legs - and to get used to the bike - I took the Giant Revolt Advanced Pro 1 to the area’s famous snowmobile trails. These trails are part sand/ part gravel in late spring, a perfect place to get to know the bike. Cruising atop 38mm tires, the view from the cockpit took some getting used to from a roadie’s perspective. The first question was how much those monster truck tires would slow the ride speed. Once outside of the town of Inlet, and straight onto the snowmobile trails, the bike’s transfer was almost unnoticed. Areas with loamy sand were rolled over with ease. The groomed gravel trail was tackled happily, to the point where a turn back onto the pavement was missed and backtracking became necessary.
The Giant Revolt Advanced Pro 1 features SRAM eTap Rival paired with Giant G-X2 wheel sets to create a stable riding experience.
The second half of the ride around Second, Third, and Fourth Lake was paved with rolling hills and fast flat strips. Here the Revolt raised eyebrows as the terrain was taken simply. For someone who had just driven hours without stopping, I sure did manage a suitable pace on a gravel bike. Further, the bike, despite being a size larger than the road bike, could have been mistaken for a TCR on the climbs and rollers. It might not have been exactly like a race bike, but it wasn’t a cause for regret either.
The geometry of the bike makes all the difference. Among similar sized bikes, the TCX has the shallowest bottom bracket drop, followed by the TCR and finally the Revolt. This puts the rider in a slightly more upright position, keeping more weight over the back wheel. Shockingly, a similar sized Revolt shares a wheelbase length with a TCR while the TCX sports a longer measurement. This larger bottom bracket drop leads me into the Black Fly Race on proper gravel roads the next day.
Anyone that visits the Adirondacks knows it only rains when you visit. But the entire Black Fly Challenge weekend, despite forecasts for rain, was clear, cool, and sunny. (The weekend after it snowed.) The lone gravel road of Cedar River Road was anticipated to be dry. Once the race maneuvered out of Inlet and over a paved climb, the gravel came quickly. Here is where the geometry kicked in. With a lower center of gravity, the bike required trust through twisting descents. With less weight over the front wheel, the ability to control moved to the rear through brake use. Multiple times I let the bike go where it wanted to with a little coercion. And when I say the bike walked a fine line, there was no space left on the shoulder before the catastrophe. The front end is notably light. Yet the Revolt shrugged off the danger and looked for other challenges.
The highlight of the Revolt was obvious. The Blackfly Challenge has several steep gravel pitches, marked on course by telltale signs where back tires slipped going uphill. A seated climb atop the Giant Revolt is a study in economics. Being stationed over the back wheel kept the bike cruising upward at a steady clip. Standing climbs evened the playing field as the back tire would lose grip. Unless a break was needed, every climb became a seated climb for the race’s duration.
The all-black Giant Revolt Advanced Pro 1 equipped with SRAM eTap Rival impressed in numerous categories.
Prior to race weekend, I was brought up to speed with SRAM’s Rival eTap. Here is where SRAM is a wise choice for those looking for long rides like traverses or endurance epics. The bike was outfitted with two removable rechargeable battery cells. They lasted the entire weekend and remained in place. But should issues arise, the front derailleur battery could be swapped with the back in case of emergency. Or, since the battery pack is compact, a third one could be stowed. Either way, our biggest concern of dead batteries in the Adirondack wilderness never materialized. Every inch of the larger brake levers were pulled throughout the event, giving a sense of safety.
Overall the Giant Revolt Advanced Pro 1 handled the weekend masterfully. Once the race concluded, I turned around and hoofed it back to Inlet over forty miles of paved roads. Despite exhaustion the bike took care of me, climbing predictably and providing a comfortable feel. It should be noted that the day concluded peacefully instead of lingering back pain, a sign that the relaxed geometry is beneficial.
On the final day of the weekend, the Revolt was taken out one last time. This is important to note. Everything was in place to leave well ahead of schedule. Get on the road and get home hours earlier or get a ride in? Out of enjoyment the bike was rolled over a few extra miles, because it is that enjoyable to ride. The departing miles were all pavement only due to the remoteness of the area and the demand to travel home. To go into the Adirondack wilderness with an apprehensive road rider trying to punish a gravel bike only to exit by requesting a few more miles is where I’ll leave this review. I didn’t want to enjoy riding this bike because, as a roadie, that feels sacrilegious. Yet there I was, the night after the race, thanking it for being so much fun.
