Do Gravel Bikes Need Suspension? Giant Revolt X FIRST RIDE

Summary

The video introduces the new Giant Revolt X, a versatile bike designed for both gravel and mountain trails. It features a redesigned frame with suspension at both the front and rear, a flip chip for adjustable wheelbase, and a unique dropper suspension seat post. The bike comes with a wide range of gears and chunky tires for enhanced grip. The reviewer, David from Just Ride Bikes, shares his first impressions after a quick ride, highlighting the bike's impressive performance, comfort, and aesthetics. He also notes some initial concerns about the seat post's operation, promising more in-depth reviews in the future.

Takeaways

• 🚴 The Revolt X is a new addition to Giant's lineup of gravel and adventure bikes, offering a blend of gravel and mountain bike capabilities.
• 🔄 The bike features a completely redesigned frame, available in both carbon and aluminum, with a focus on suspension performance.
• 📏 Key frame geometry changes include a shorter head tube, altered head tube and seat tube angles, a lowered bottom bracket, and shorter chain stays for improved handling.
• 🔧 The Revolt X includes features borrowed from the standard Revolt, such as flip chips for adjusting wheelbase and tire clearance.
• 🪜 A notable feature is the dual-purpose dropper suspension seatpost, offering both a drop function and a small amount of suspension travel for comfort.
• 🛠 Riders can swap out the suspension seatpost for a regular round 30.9mm seatpost or a d-shaped version for maximum comfort.
• 💰 The Revolt X will be offered in four builds, starting at £3,000 in the UK, with the model reviewed featuring a SRAM Rival 1x setup and retailing for £5,500.
• 📏 The bike is available in a size ML, suitable for a rider who is 181 cm tall, and weighs 10 kilos without pedals, which is considered heavy but doesn't ride as such.
• 🌲 The bike is equipped with Giant's own super lightweight and wide carbon fiber wheels and Cross-Cut 45 mm wide tires for excellent grip.
• 🎨 Aesthetically, the Revolt X features minimal graphics and a two-tone paint job, which the reviewer finds appealing and stylish.
• 🏞️ The reviewer's initial impressions after a short ride are positive, noting the bike's performance, comfort, and suitability for a wide range of trails from road to deep woods.

Q & A

What is the Revolt X and what is its main feature?

The Revolt X is a new addition to Giant's lineup of gravel and adventure bikes. Its main feature is the suspension at both the front and the back, which gives it the 'X Factor' and enhances its capability for riders who enjoy the blend between gravel and mountain biking.

How does the Revolt X differ from the regular Revolt in terms of frame design?

The Revolt X has a completely redesigned frame, available in both carbon and aluminum, optimized around the suspension fork. Notable changes include a shorter head tube, different head tube and c-tube angles, a lowered bottom bracket, and shorter chain stays.

What are the angles of the head tube and c-tube on the Revolt X?

The head tube angle of the Revolt X is 71 degrees, and the c-tube angle is 73 degrees.

What features have been borrowed from the normal Revolt for the Revolt X?

The Revolt X has borrowed features such as the flip chips in the rear dropout to adjust the wheelbase for shorter or longer handling, as well as tire clearance.

What is special about the dropper seat post on the Revolt X?

The Revolt X features a dropper seat post with a unique dual-purpose design, offering between 75 and 100 millimeters of drop from the handlebar lever, and an additional 25 millimeters of suspension action, which is a clever trick not commonly found in most dropper seat posts.

What are the different configurations and prices for the Revolt X?

The Revolt X will be offered in four builds, starting at three thousand pounds in the UK. The model featured in the script is a Pro One with a SRAM Rival 1x setup and an Eagle GX rear mech, retailing for five thousand five hundred pounds in the UK.

What is the weight of the Revolt X in the video, and how does it feel when riding?

The Revolt X in the video, without pedals, weighs 10 kilos. Despite being heavy on paper, it doesn't ride heavier and feels lighter, which is partly due to the super lightweight and wide carbon fiber wheels.

What are the tire specifications and brand used on the Revolt X?

The Revolt X is equipped with Cross-Cut tires that are 45 millimeters wide, featuring a chunky tread pattern for good grip.

What is the reviewer's opinion on the aesthetics of the Revolt X?

The reviewer finds the Revolt X to be a fabulous-looking bike, appreciating the minimal graphics, the two-tone paint job, and the color combination that matches the fork to the front half of the frame.

What are the components of the SRAM gear system on the Revolt X?

The Revolt X features a SRAM Rival 1x setup with an Eagle GX rear mech and a massive 10-52 dinner plate cassette, providing a wide range of gears.

What is the reviewer's initial impression of the Revolt X's performance on trails?

The reviewer's initial impression is positive, noting that the Revolt X maintains the sprightliness and performance of the regular Revolt, with the addition of the suspension fork and seat post enhancing comfort and handling on various trails.

What potential issue did the reviewer notice with the Revolt X's seat post during the first ride?

The reviewer noticed the seat post clunking as it topped out and hit the stops, which is something they plan to monitor over the coming weeks and months to determine if it's a problem or just a teething issue with a new component.