GIANT Revolt Advanced 0 gravel bike on test

Thanks to a flip-chip in the dropouts, the wheelbase of the GIANT Revolt Advanced 0 can be adjusted by one centimetre. This affects both the handling and tire clearance. Is this and the mechanical 2×11 Shimano drivetrain enough to make this bike a great all-rounder?

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best gravel bike 2022 – 19 models on test

The design of the GIANT Revolt Advanced 0 is anything but ordinary. With its low-slung seat stays and slightly curved top tube, the bike’s looks are sure to divide opinions. While its looks are a matter of taste, there are details below the surface that are less divisive, making a positive impression throughout. For example, the GIANT has a whole host of additional mounting points – on the fork, on the top tube and under the down tube. In addition, you also have the option of fitting a 30.9 mm dropper post.

Annoyingly, if you choose to ride the GIANT Revolt Advanced 0 with the standard D-shaped seat post, you’ll need to use an adapter. It can easily slide up and fall out when adjusting the saddle height or fall into the frame when removing the seat post completely. In addition, the seat post clamp needs a lot of torque to keep the seat post in place.

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More tire clearance with the flip-chip and dropper post compatibility – the GIANT Revolt Advanced 0 gives you options. In that case, why not ride with flat pedals?

The most striking feature of the Revolt Advanced 0 is the flip-chip on the rear axle, which allows you to adjust the wheelbase and thus influence the handling. During the test, we rode the bike with the wheelbase in the shorter setting, which makes the handling more agile and offers a maximum tire clearance of 45 mm for 700C tires. By adjusting the flip-chip, you can lengthen the wheelbase by 10 mm, increasing the bike’s composure at the expense of its agility. The tire clearance also increases to a whopping 700 x 53C. At 8.76 kg (size M/L), our € 3,999 test bike almost weighs the same as the test field average.

Size	S	M	ML	L	XL
Seat tube	450 mm	470 mm	490 mm	510 mm	530 mm
Top tube	550 mm	560 mm	575 mm	585 mm	600 mm
Head tube	135 mm	150 mm	165 mm	180 mm	195 mm
Head angle	71.0°	71.5°	72.0°	72.0°	72.0°
Seat angle	73.5°	73.5°	73.0°	73.0°	73.0°
Chainstays	425 mm	425 mm	425 mm	425 mm	425 mm
BB Drop	80 mm	80 mm	80 mm	80 mm	80 mm
Wheelbase	1,020 mm	1,026 mm	1,031 mm	1,041 mm	1,056 mm
Reach	381 mm	387 mm	391 mm	397 mm	407 mm
Stack	570 mm	586 mm	602 mm	616 mm	630 mm

For the wheels, seat post, stem and handlebar, GIANT choose to rely on high-quality in-house components that contribute to the frame’s high level of compliance. However, the 440 mm wide GIANT Contact XR D-Fuse handlebar could do with some flare and longer drops for more control when you’re in that position. Taking care of the gears is Shimano’s mechanical 2×11 GRX RX810 groupset. With 48/31 t chainset up front and 11–34 t cassette on the rear, the gear jumps are pleasantly small, but it can’t keep up with the best bikes on test. At high speed, the large chainring allows you to hold the pace for a long time. However, the smallest gear is a bit too big for steep climbs or when you’re hauling luggage. The shifting performance is decent, though the chain slapped around quite a bit on our test bike when things got rough, despite the clutch being activated.

The GIANT Revolt Advanced 0 is more on the leisurely side of the spectrum when you get on the pedals to pull away or try to pick up speed. However, once you’ve got it cruising along at the desired pace, it’s among the top third of the test field in terms of efficiency. This is due in equal part to the bike’s compliance and the 700 x 40C MAXXIS Receptor tires, which have a relatively smooth tread pattern.

However, the rather smooth tread is also responsible for the fact that the bike lacks braking traction on loose terrain and the rear tire tends to spin when putting in a burst of effort and pedalling hard on steep climbs. That said, the shoulder knobs generate a lot of lateral support in these conditions. Nevertheless, the bike is better suited to riding straight ahead or through long corners than quick direction changes and tight turns.

Tuning tips: swap the handlebar with a model that’s flared and has longer drops | dropper post for more freedom of movement on trails

Despite the flip chip being in the shorter wheelbase setting, the bike is still significantly more composed and stable than it is agile. Thus, the GIANT Revolt Advanced 0 is neither particularly direct nor precise, always remaining predictable and intuitive, which makes it a perfectly safe bike for beginners. Along with the easy modulation of the brakes, this instils you with confidence and invites you to get playful on moderate trails.

Otherwise, the bike’s character makes it feel most at home on hardpack and even poorly-maintained asphalt roads. In these conditions, it’s compliant enough, too, reliably dampening vibrations and small impacts, placing it midfield in the test in terms of comfort. Aboard the Revolt Advanced 0, you’re sat a little further behind the bottom bracket than on other bikes, so you have to pedal forward. This can feel unusual. Overall, the bike is a solid tool that’s aimed at beginners or gravel fans with bikepacking ambitions. Without more aggressive tires, it lacks performance on both sides of its potential range of applications to keep up with the best all-rounders on test. Apart from that, it doesn’t accelerate quick enough and is lacking in off-road performance.

Our conclusion on the GIANT Revolt Advanced 0

The GIANT Revolt Advanced 0 provides a solid entry into the carbon gravel segment at a fair price. With so many mounting points and the option of fitting a dropper, it allows you to explore different use cases. However, if you’re looking for a high-performance bike that offers quick acceleration or high-speed on varying terrain, we’d point you to some of the faster bikes on test. The same applies if you’re looking for maximum off-road capabilities.

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You can find out more about at giant-bicycles.com

The testfield

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best gravel bike 2022 – 19 models on test

All bikes on review: 3T Exploro Ultra (Click for review) | BMC URS LT ONE (Click for review) | Cannondale SuperSix EVO SE (Click for review) | Canyon Grizl CF SLX 8 eTap Suspension (Click for review) | Cervélo Áspero GRX Di2 (Click for review) | CUBE Nuroad C:62 SLT (Click for review) | Curve Kevin of Steel III (Click for review) | Falkenjagd Aristos R (Click for review) | Felt Breed 20 (Click for review) | FOCUS ATLAS 6.8 (Click for review) | GIANT Revolt Advanced 0 | OPEN WI.DE. (Click for review) | Ridley Kanzo Fast (Click for review) | ROSE BACKROAD EKAR LTD (Click for review) | SCOTT Addict Gravel Tuned (Click for review) | Specialized S-Works Crux (Click for review) | Stelbel Nina XCr (Click for review) | Storck GRIX.2 Platinum (Click for review) | Wilier Rave SLR (Click for review)

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Words: Photos: Benjamin Topf, Peter Walker