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The Giant Revolt Advanced Pro 1 is a lightweight, full-carbon gravel bike that does a far better job than most at straddling the full gravel spectrum.
It’s fast, lively and fun, but includes the mounts and generous clearances needed for true versatility.
As the road-mountain-bike pendulum swings wildly from one extreme to the other, bike makers are falling over themselves trying to decide if gravel riding necessitates a road bike with abnormally large tyres, or a mountain bike with strange curly handlebars.
There is no such thing as one bike to do it all, but the Revolt gets a whole lot closer than most.
Designed according to Giant’s David Ward to be ‘as adaptable as possible’ for a world where ‘people’s needs for a gravel bike are changing rapidly’, the new Revolt Advanced Pro is the lightest yet, its frameset saving a claimed 200g over its already respectably light predecessor.
It manages this despite the addition of rear dropout ‘flip chips’ – more on those in a minute.
The 2022 Revolt is not a step-change in design from the outgoing model, but it is a completely new frameset, with a subtly more angular aesthetic that makes it feel fresh.
The silhouette is similar, with flattened seatstays that are dropped well below the line of the top tube, even though the latter slopes quite dramatically already.
While the bottom bracket is characteristically substantial, the frame’s tubing is slender in profile, the effect heightened by the chunky tyres and Giant carbon rims that boast a 25mm internal width.
Long a proponent of D-section seatposts, Giant still specs the Revolt with a flexy D-Fuse item – it really is squishy – but the frame accepts standard 30.9mm round posts too. There’s a subtext here – it means the frame is dropper compatible, and indeed one model in the range comes poised to plummet.
The new Revolt also has a mount for everything, and then some. Giant even includes an extra bracket in the box that fits over the seatpost to give you proper rack mounts, a rare option on a carbon bike.
All dimensions in mm except where noted
So what’s actually changed? The Revolt’s reach has grown by 6mm on a medium, but a shorter stem more than cancels that out. So far, so trendy, so trail-friendly.
Stack has increased too, by 14mm, bringing it to 586mm for a medium. That’s on the lofty side, but pretty typical for a gravel bike that isn’t solely aimed at riding very quickly in Kansas.
More to the point, it means riders of average flexibility may not need any headset spacers, and that makes for a better looking bike.
Meanwhile, the head angle has steepened by between half and one whole degree depending on size, with trail figures reducing a corresponding few millimetres. In isolation that should mean quicker handling and a touch less stability, but it’s a small part of the bigger picture.
The new Revolt’s geometry isn’t entirely fixed thanks to those flip chips, which offer the option to move the rear wheel backwards, lengthening the rear-centre by 10mm and taking official rear tyre clearance from 42mm to 53mm, matching that of the fork.
Confusingly, the ‘long’ and ‘short’ geometry figures Giant publishes for the Revolt use two different tyre sizes. That’s why measurements such as fork trail (which you’d expect to remain constant with only the rear axle moving) vary along with the rear-specific numbers.
It’s hard not to see the flip chips as a nice bonus or even a bit of a gimmick rather than an essential feature.
While the change is only a matter of undoing a few bolts and flipping the brake adapter – don’t forget the rear calliper needs to move with the wheel – it’s not something you’ll be doing by the roadside, and I’d hazard few riders will make the switch than once or twice in the whole of their ownership.
Tyre clearance aside, the real-world difference between modes is minimal. Back-to-back testing suggests the bike climbs very slightly better in the long configuration as it helps keep the front end on the ground, but we’re talking about a very marginal difference here.
In theory I’d expect the long mode to be less nimble too, but one adapts so quickly that it’s just not noticeable.
Ward notes that the team behind the Revolt led by one Nixon Huang is responsible for the TCR race bike too among others, and it shows.
There’s a definite verve to the Revolt’s ride feel that speaks to roadie DNA. It exhibits a liveliness that’s utterly moreish and gratifying on a bike ostensibly aimed at trundling around the woods.
That tiny rear triangle is seriously resistant to twisting forces, while the front end is stout enough that steering precision is never in doubt.The sweep on the bar tops is a welcome salve to sore wrists.
Your bottom, meanwhile, floats on a cloud of D-Fuse smugness, aided no doubt by the flex in those low-profile seatstays and further cosseted by the minimal pressures the wide carbon rims afford.
The Revolt is just plain pleasurable to ride. The impressively low weight helps of course, but it’s the confluence of just-so geometry, capable spec and class-leading frame engineering that makes it special.
Nothing is perfect in this world, of course. Tyre choice is a thorny issue for gravel bike makers because inevitably some proportion of riders will be disappointed with the standard option. Here, it’s me who’s underwhelmed.
Giant’s choice of the near-slick Maxxis Receptor in a healthy 40mm width doubles down on the Revolt’s roadie-relatable personality. They’re a fine choice if your gravel riding includes prolonged stints chasing your compatriots on tarmac and you stick to dry, grippy surfaces off-road.
None of that sounds like gravel riding as most of us picture it, however – the Receptors offer no bite on looser surfaces, nor any mud-churning abilities whatsoever.
In typical UK gravel conditions you’ll be sliding everywhere, longing for a morsel of tread.
While I’m nitpicking, the freehub note is what I’d call ‘insistent’ at higher speeds, and at times I found myself soft-pedalling on fast descents for a moment’s respite.
Really though, this is grasping for spurious negatives. The Revolt is one of the best gravel bikes I’ve ever ridden. There’s your verdict.
Products reviewed by Cyclist are independently selected and tested by our editorial team. Cyclist may earn an affiliate commission if you make a purchase through a retailer link. Read our reviews policy.
The most expensive model in the range, the Revolt Advanced Pro 0 swaps SRAM for Shimano GRX Di2 and bumps the price up a chunky £500.
Consider however that you’re getting Ultegra-equivalent electronic shifting, not to mention those retro-futuristic levers and truly outstanding brakes.
It’s not even half the price of the model on test, and the frame is literally identical – Advanced Pro models simply get a lighter fork. With 10-speed mechanical Shimano GRX, mismatched cranks and wheels made from – ugh – metal, the cheapest carbon Revolt actually makes a compelling case for itself.
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