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Giant unveils the Revolt X - a super-capable suspension gravel bike

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Suvi Loponen's picture

Suvi Loponen

Tech writer

Suvi joined off.road.cc in 2022 as a tech writer and brought in her enthusiasm for gravel and long-distance riding. She's a lover of underbiking and exploring on the bike both on and off-road, especially if it means finding more great cafes and some good viewpoints. 

8 comments

1 year 9 months ago

I wonder what the weight is.. weight has been a factor between XC and hybrid bikes previously.. the addition of a front suspension fork makes this basically an XC bike with curvy handlebars.. where is this bike going to be ridden that makes it better than a £4.5k XC bike?

1 year 9 months ago

For all my sceptism about this I really must point out that by Giant standards that green bike looks stunning. Love how they've incorporated the gloss black fork with the black seat tube and stays. Very classy.

1 year 9 months ago

IanMSpencer wrote:

 

The logical extension of this is seeing drop bars on MTBs, then we've covered all the bases.

The Revolt is just retracing the steps of the evolution of MTBs. Whether you need suspension is really a matter of how far off-road you want to go. If we are talking an occasional descent of a steep, rocky path, then I'll take the battering over lugging the weight of suspension. If I'm intent on riding MTB territory, then if give serious consideration as to whether it was a mountain bike I needed. It'll either find its niche or it won't.

 

Feels to me that you could have an absolute top end XC race bike for less money which will be far more capable. Stick that on "Road Plus" tyres and off you go. I used to run WTB Senderos and Byways on my hardtail in the summer and that thing would go everywhere fast/efficiently. Ran it with a Jones Bar for additional hand positions and long ride comfort.

 For UK use where gravel bikes really come into their own is as an "endurance" CX bike - clearance, eyelets, relaxed geo etc, enabling a mixed commute or leisure ride. I'd love to know the split between on-road and off-road for most gravel bikes in the UK. Even here on the edge of the New Forest/Salisbury Plain mine spent more time on the road doing transitions than offroad, which is why an endurance road bike on CX rubber (should we call it a randonneur?) will be my setup for the summer.

Suvi Loponen's picture
1 year 9 months ago

kil0ran wrote:
That is very true, this has been corrected now Smile 

 

Pretty sure that it's not the "Revolt Advanced X" just "Revolt X" for the ally version. Advanced in Giant language means carbon fibre.

Let's hope they've fixed the seatpost cracking issue on the carbon version.

 

1 year 9 months ago

The logical extension of this is seeing drop bars on MTBs, then we've covered all the bases.

The Revolt is just retracing the steps of the evolution of MTBs. Whether you need suspension is really a matter of how far off-road you want to go. If we are talking an occasional descent of a steep, rocky path, then I'll take the battering over lugging the weight of suspension. If I'm intent on riding MTB territory, then if give serious consideration as to whether it was a mountain bike I needed. It'll either find its niche or it won't.

1 year 9 months ago

Also - £3k for an ally-framed bike which sans fork only costs around half that?

*inserts Goodfellas laughing bar scene gif*

1 year 9 months ago

Pretty sure that it's not the "Revolt Advanced X" just "Revolt X" for the ally version. Advanced in Giant language means carbon fibre.

Let's hope they've fixed the seatpost cracking issue on the carbon version.

1 year 9 months ago

Rival 1x11 is a crappy choice for the amount of money you are paying.