Hey everyone, looking for some advice on my first dedicated gravel rig. I’ve been riding a Cannondale Trail 29er SL2 for years, but I’m ready to commit to gravel riding and eventually some racing.
I originally had my heart set on the Canyon Grizl CF 8 Di2, but I’ve decided to move away from direct-to-consumer. Between the potential import duties/taxes and wanting the peace of mind of LBS support, I’m now looking at Giant. My LBS has a great sale on the Revolt line right now.
I’m currently torn between the standard Revolt Advanced and the Revolt X Advanced Pro 1.
Why I’m leaning toward the Revolt X Advanced Pro 1:
The value seems hard to beat. It’s spec'd with:
Drivetrain: SRAM Rival eTap AXS
Fork: RockShox Rudy Ultimate XPLR (30mm travel)
Seatpost: Dropper post with 30mm of built-in suspension
My dilemma:
Coming from a 29er hardtail, I’m used to having some squish, so the Revolt X feels like a natural evolution. However, I’m wondering if the suspension fork is "too much" or unnecessary weight if I want to get into competitive gravel racing.
The Question:
If you were in my shoes, which would you pick? Does the Revolt X provide enough of a performance edge on technical trails to justify it over the lighter, more traditional Revolt Advanced? Or should I stick to a rigid fork for better climbing and racing efficiency?
I’ve attached the specs and photos for comparison. Thanks for the help!
by Maleficent_Finish615
2 Comments
At that price range i’d be looking at Ari and Lauf as well
Are you keeping the hardtail? If so a suspension gravel bike is probably a pretty big overlap in uses and will come with similar downsides on the road and longer distance endurance rides. If you’re not keeping it, it would help to keep you doing some of the harsher trails you might be used to already.