The Liv Brava SLR 2 is what Giant describes as a do-it-all bike for women looking to discover new forms of cycling. © Cyclocross Magazine
At the top end of the sport, Giant Bicycles needs no introduction, supplying Marianne Vos with cyclocross race models that have won a staggering number of world championships. Just before the season began, the Liv brand has released the Brava SLR 1, which is a performance-oriented cyclocross bike equipped with Shimano Ultegra 11-speed, Rotor 3DF cranks and Shimano RS685 hydraulic disc brakes.
At Outdoor Demo during Interbike 2014, we caught a lineup of the Brava SLR 1’s younger sibling, the entry-cyclocross Liv Brava SLR 2.
The Brava comes with Shimano 105 and a composite fork with alloy OverDrive steerer. © Cyclocross Magazine
We spoke with Janette Sherman, US Marketing Manager with Liv, and she commented on the success of the Brava SLR 2 when it was just released last year. Moving forward, the Liv brand wanted to recapture the affordable price point while offering their customers a product with high potential, whether it be during a gravel grind or adventure race.
Even at the lowest price point, the Brava SLR 2 has internally run cable housing. © Cyclocross Magazine
The Brava SLR 2 is currently available, and is priced at $1650, fully-built with an aluminum frame and carbon fork. The model has a Shimano 105 drivetrain and matching shifters, while TRP Spyres take over as this year’s braking system. Sherman pointed out the great price point of the calipers while they retained an amazing stopping power in all conditions.
The Brava SLR 2 also comes equipped with TRP Spyre disc brakes. © Cyclocross Magazine
The geometry is relatively upright, and Sherman mentioned that the Brava SLR 2 is not just a bike designed for race day on a cyclocross course. The bike’s average consumer are women looking to explore gravel grinding, touring and cyclocross, and Liv is looking to meet all the demands of each of those activities.
The Brava SLR 2 has a slightly upright geometry, with tire clearances for cyclocross and a mechanical brake housing that runs to this inside of the chain stay. © Cyclocross Magazine
With Marianne Vos riding a specially built TCX frame for her size, and the explosive growth of high-level participation in women’s cyclocross, we had to ask Sherman if there was a full carbon women’s bike on the horizon.
“That’s a wave we would never want to miss,” she answered. “We get that question many times a week about a series of our models, and the good part about Liv is that we are committed to the women’s market. [A full carbon cyclocross bike] is always on the radar. Thankfully, we have access to Giant’s amazing engineering, inspiration and design.”
The frame is Giant’s grade aluminum, ALUXX SLR with a vibration-damping D-Fuse composite seatpost. © Cyclocross Magazine
For more information: giant-bicycles.com
