Liv Avail: My new wheels for the Etape du Tour

As part of my preparation for the Etape du Tour I have been given a bike by the good people at Liv Giant, a Liv Avail road bike which is perfect for long-distance rides and cyclosportives.

There's nothing like new kit to get you motivated to take on a challenge - be it clothing, a training device, and my case a bicycle. 

I have recently taken ownership of a Liv Avail Advanced 2, and I must say I'm loving it (as the saying goes). 

The good people at Giant-Liv have provided me with a bicycle as part if their ambassador programme. Liv have a history of supporting women in their bike-riding adventures - be it in elite road racing athletes and teams, amateur athletes, or events like the Women's Tour de France. 

So I am very happy and honoured to be supported by Liv, and I am very excited to be riding one of their bikes.

The Avail Advanced 2 is an endurance bike, with a geometry that allows a slightly upright position rather than a full-on racing position that you find with the Langma. Endurance is my thing these days, so it is ideal for cyclosportives. It comes with Shimano 105 groupset, hydraulic disc brakes, and tubeless tyres. Most importantly, the saddle is a women's specific Liv Approach, which I have used before on other bikes and I know it will be comfortable over many miles. The other important thing is the very low gears, which are perfect for my ageing knees!

I must say I like the deep green colour (officially called Kelp Forest), which then gradually shades into black at the bottom. You don't often see bikes in that colour so that makes it quite distinguished. 

I will do a proper review in the coming weeks, but I just wanted to say how excited I am to have the bike. Maurice Burton and his team of shop assistants and mechanics at De Ver Cycles kindly set up the bike for me, and it was quite a joy to get out and ride around the block when trying it out. I look forward to getting in lots of miles and smiles on it

Related posts 

Operation Etape du Tour: February update

The Etape du Tour comes to Nice

Back again to Paris by bike

Photo of the day - 2: Islabikes eJanis eBike

 I finally got my review of the Islabikes eJanis written out and submitted to Cycling Weekly for publication on the website. I must say I find this e-bike quite elegant-looking, especially as the battery is discreetly built into the frame. The other thing too, is that it weighs 13.5kg, which is very light compared to other ebikes. Some ordinary mountain bikes weigh more than this e-bike. So if I ever had power failure, the bike is perfectly rideable without the motor. Of course, now that I have the motor I am going to use it. 

Review of the Islabikes e-Janis on Cycling Weekly website 

Christmas gift ideas and treats for cyclists -1

A few things I think would make great gifts for a cycling buddy. These are items I have got, or have reviewed, and I have found them pretty useful and quite cool.

Primal Unicorn women's jersey

I was a bit tired to take a decent pic after 120 miles!

I do like the colours of the range of clothing by Primal, and over the years I have worn a few of their jerseys. This year I treated myself to the Unicorn one which I wore at Ride London. I got a lot of positive comments about it.

Talking of Primal, I also recommend the Kismet Arm Warmers, which have 50% off and are now just £10, and the Tripper Day jersey.

Women's Unicorn jersey: £50
Tripper Day women's jersey: £50
Kismet Arm warmers: £10
www.primaleurope.com


Liv Avail Advanced Pro 1 women's road bike

If you are really looking for a special treat for Christmas then you can't go wrong with the Liv Avail Advanced Pro 1 women's bike.

It's got SRAM eTap electronic gears, is super-light, being made of carbon fibre, and rides oh so smoothly. The tyres are slightly wider than on usual road bikes, meaning you it is possible to ride on slightly rougher terrain than the smooth-ish road surfaces.

Overall, it's a good all-round bike for if you are doing long distance sportives and endurance rides.

Check out my review of it for Cyclist.

Avail Advanced Pro 1 (2020): £4,799
www.liv-cycling.com


Cube full-fingered winter gloves

I used these gloves last year when I rode the Festive 500. They really made a difference to me having a good or a not-so-great experience of the challenge, especially on one of the days when I was up in the Peak District and the weather was a bit damp and miserable.

The gloves kept my hands warm and they were waterproof. They have good grip too when you are going over rough terrain.

Cube gloves X-Shell long finger natural fit: £52.99
www.cube.eu













Exposure Race MK14 Lights

For me, Exposure are the gold standard when it comes to lights. I feel really confident that they won't let me down, and are very robust. I have the slightly older version of this - the Race MK13 lights which I got last year.

They were really useful when I used them on a lonely December night, along a rail trail in Norwich when I was doing the Festive 500 on a gravel bike. I have also used them this year on local trails in South London when doing mountain bike rides at night.

Of course, you can use them on the road as well, but as they are designed for riding off-road in pitch black, remember to put the setting to low when on populated roads. It gets slightly problematic when you dazzle other road users!
Alternatively, Exposure have a range of lights for other purposes, including commuting, and helmet-mounted lights.

Exposure Race MK14 mountain bike lights: £250.00

www.exposurelights.com

Christmas Gifts for the Cyclist - 2

If you're looking for new wheels for next year here are a few ideas based on bikes I have tried and bikes I just like:

Raleigh Mustang Sport

I have tested out the Raleigh Mustang Sport gravel  bike quite a lot this year and it's been good to me.  Some people have been a little sceptical about the point of this style of bike. But I just consider it to be a great all-round bike that can be used on and off-road. Think of it as something that can work well on slightly more rugged terrain than a forest trail, but without the chunkiness of a mountain bike.


It is also great for carrying bits and pieces if you are carrying your provisions for multi-terrain cycle touring, or just commuting. And of course if you are just going to be riding on tarmac you can always put on thick slick tyres. There are other bikes available in the Mustang range if you are looking for something harder core or lighter.

The Trott range of bikes from Laura Trott Kenny have been gradually making their presence known on the streets and lanes around the country. I have been testing out the RD2, and have found this good value for money. It's a decent entry level bike if you are making the step up to cycling as a sport. I found it nice and light on the hills and you can pick up a decent speed on the flat.

My old favourite is the Boardman Team Carbon women's bike. I have ridden different incarnations of this bike since when they were first publicly on sale around 2010, and they have never failed to disappoint.  The latest version still has the same basic geometry, though with small tweaks to give comfort when riding long distances such as in a cyclosportive event or a long training ride. These are perfectly good bikes to race with as well.

Visually I like how this bike doesn't have any pink or flowers or anything girly about it, but everything in the form is female specific. Boardman have also managed to keep the cost well within the £1,000 mark (In fact it is currently retailing at £799, down from £999) so it can be purchased on the Cycle to Work scheme, meaning you only end up paying £400 for the bike. Now that's good value.

Liv Fluorish FS

Finally, I wanted to add in the Liv Flourish FS hybrid. I am always on the look-out for a nice sit-up-and-beg hybrid for when running errands or going on picnics. These bikes really make cycle riding a pleasure and I feel I can take life easy, and enjoy the environment around me.



What I particularly like about the Flourish FS is that although it looks like an old fashioned "Call the Midwife" bike, it has got a bit of performance, as city bikes go.


The frame is made from lightweight aluminium, there's a triple chain ring giving a choice of gears from the 21 speeds available, and the fork even has suspension, with 40mm of travel. Get you! Liv as a brand is not so well known in the UK, but just think Giant and that should give you a better idea of them. Liv is the women-specific arm of this well established name in bike gear, so you can't go wrong on quality. I look forward to seeing more of their gear in 2017.


Related Posts
Christmas Gifts for the Cyclist - 1

Bike Review: Raleigh Mustang Sport Gravel Bike

Bike Review: Trott RD2 road bike

Bike Review: Boardman Team Carbon women's bike