The Takeaway: A super fast, capable women’s road bike that can handle road, trails, and gravel—and looks good doing it.
- New 32mm tires
- Lighter-than-ever carbon frame tuned specifically for women
- Smooth, fast SRAM Force eTap AXS shifting
Price: $5,600
Weight: 17.8 lb. (XS)
Liv updated its Avail Advanced endurance bike and the result is a ride that is more versatile than ever. One of the biggest updates is a switch to 32mm tires—up from the 25mm tires previous iterations were built with—in order to provide more grip and control on dirt and gravel, as well as pavement. Liv’s product managers didn’t simply slap on the bigger tires and send it out the door: The frame’s geometry is adjusted to compensate for the bigger tires so it handles as well as possible.
I rode this bike on paved roads, where it definitely held its own up steep climbs and turny descents, and on gravel paths, where it truly comes alive. I even took it out for a rip on some tame singletrack, where it was surprisingly lively and nimble.
Our review bike is built with a 12-speed Force eTap AXS group. The Force eTap was lightening fast and luxurious, but the same frame, with the same Giant wheels and 32mm tires, is available with Shimano Ultegra mechanical for $3,900.
Like all Liv bicycles, the carbon layup of the frame is designed specifically for the strength and “muscle recruitment patterns” of women’s bodies, and this version is the lightest they’ve created for the Avail so far. It’s fast and capable on dirt, gravel, and pavement, so it’s ready to ride almost anywhere you’re going.
SRAM Force AXS eTap
Just like SRAM Red eTap, but a little bit more affordable.
Disc Brakes
160mm rotors for no-sweat stopping power.
Carbon Wheels
Rip gravel and pavement on these Giant SLR 1 Disc 30s.
Sleek Design
With an integrated headset and internally routed cables.
Women-Specific Frame
The new carbon layup is lighter than ever.
Component Highlights
Liv dressed the Avail Advanced Pro 1 Force with a no-holds-barred drivetrain: SRAM Force eTap AXS with wireless electronic shifting and hydraulic disc brakes. SRAM took their top-of-the-line electronic shifting (Red eTap AXS) and created a more affordable system by using less expensive materials in some areas. However, Force AXS uses the same motors, batteries, and chips as Red AXS, so shifting features and performance are almost identical.
Liv's product managers chose the 10-33 cassette and 33/46 chainrings, which provides a low-enough gear for picking your way up gravel climbs or moderate singletrack. That type of terrain is made even more accessible by the wide and grippy 32mm Giant Gavia Fondo 1 tires. Most Liv bikes come set up tubeless from the factory so you get the additional flat protection the system offers without needing to purchase any more stuff.
Style: Endurance road
Material: Carbon
Drivetrain: SRAM Force eTap AXS 12-speed
Brakes & Rotors: SRAM Force hydraulic disc (160mm rotors front and rear)
Cassette: 10-33
Chainring: 33/46
Handlebar: Liv Contact SLR D-Fuse
Stem: Liv Contact SLR Flux
Saddle: Liv Contact SL
Seat Post: Giant D-Fuse SL
Wheel Size: 700c
Wheels: Giant SLR 1 Disc 30
Tires: Giant Gavia Fondo 1, tubeless, 32mm
Max Tire Clearance: 35mm
The Avail Advanced Lineup
In addition to the model reviewed here, the Avail Advanced Pro 2 is available for $3,900, which is made with the same carbon frame, but a Shimano Ultegra group. The Avail Advanced 1 ($2,950) has the same frame and Ultegra group as the Pro 2, but downgrades the wheels and cockpit. Next is the $2,450 Advanced 2 with a Shimano 105 group. At the most affordable end of the Avail Advanced line is the Advanced 3, which offers the same carbon frame again with a cheaper Shimano Tiagra drivetrain, for $2,050.
Geometry Changes
The crown jewel of this gorgeous on/off-road bike is the finely tuned carbon frame. To accommodate the switch to 32mm-wide tires, Liv made some adjustments to the frame by lengthening the fork, lowering the bottom bracket, shortening the headtube, and increasing the fork rake.
These tweaks don’t change the way the bike fits, they help fit the wider tires, and compensate for the additional height of the bigger tires, so it should handle similarly to a sporty, smaller-tired road bike. They also use a new carbon layup for the Avail Advanced that’s lighter than previous versions, and specifically tuned for the weight and “muscle recruitment patterns” of women riders.
The ride is further smoothed by the D-Fuse handlebar and seatpost. These D-shaped tubes flex more than perfectly round tubing at both touchpoints, reducing the amount of fatigue riders get from jackhammering down chunky roads.
Component Highlights
The SRAM Force eTap AXS drivetrain is lightening fast. While it’s lighter counterpart, Red, might be more ideal for the road-only use, Force is potentially preferable for riders who plan to get a little more risky. It utilizes the same batteries, motors, switches ,and chips, but parts made from less-exotic materials are cheaper to replace in the event of a big wipeout. The D-fuse handlebar is wrapped in a shock-absorbing bar tape that’s pleasantly tacky (when dry). Another sticky detail is the subtle crosshatching etched into the hoods for better grip. The carbon wheels secure to the bike with tool-free thru-axles that easily screw in and out. I definitely appreciated not having to whip out tools to pull off a wheel to fit it in my car.
Ride Impressions
On road: The wider tires contributed to a very stable, in-control experience descending and cornering on the Avail, and took the sting out of potholes. I took it up some long, challenging climbs that reached 20 percent grade in sections, and the generous gear ratios on the Avail allowed me to stay seated as long as I wanted.
Another tester reported that the bike felt a little sluggish and slow to respond to power input on the road in comparison to road-race bike. This isn’t supposed to be a road-racing bike, but if utmost efficiency is a priority —more important than versatility and comfort—this bike might not be for you
The stock bar tape on the Avail is cushy and shock absorbing, but it becomes realllly slick from sweat. I typically don’t wear gloves on warm days, but I needed to on this bike because the tape gets so slippery.
On trails: Yeah, it’s a road bike, but in the interest of science (or something) I took it on some mellow singletrack. Because why not? Once I dropped the tire pressure down to about 20, the 32mm slicks surprisingly held their own on the mild singletrack. I was thanking the tubeless tires every time I popped over a drop or log without flatting. The rigid frame and narrow handlebar was even preferable over a bulky mountain bike in some tighter or steeper sections of the trail, though definitely not for any big log-overs.
On gravel: Where the Avail Advanced Pro 1 Force really sparkles is on gravel. Whenever I hit those sections during the ride, I felt this bike just sail. Running lower tire pressure than I would on a normal road ride, the Avail surfed through crushed rock, deep mud, and sand. Where it sometimes felt sluggish on pavement, or jolty over tree roots, it felt like butter on gritty roads. The geometry of the bike put me in an “endurance” position, meaning more upright than a road-race bike, which is perfect for letting it rip with (controlled) abandon through loose gravel.
So what is this thing? Road, gravel, and even trails—basically, wherever you want to take the party—the Avail Advanced Pro 1 Force is down to come along. This iteration of the Avail is a generalist, not a specialist, so if you’re looking *the* perfect bike for Dirty Kanza, or a purebred crit racing machine, this isn’t it. This bike is comfortable for the long haul and a bit of a mutt—so it’s ready and willing to take on a whole variety of terrain in one ride. If you’re the kind of rider who likes to start the day with a pocket full of snacks and a plan to get lost, or can’t stand to do the same ride twice, this is the bike for you.
Pros
- Extremely capable on dirt, gravel, and pavement
- SRAM eTap Force is built with the same electronic components as Red
Cons
- Not Top of Class on any single terrain (but good at many)
Riley Missel is an experienced road racer, mountain biker, national champion on the track, and a former Bicycling editor. She is a USA Cycling-certified Level 1 coach, a loud and very stoked Spin instructor, and she will definitely stop the ride to pet that dog.
