New women’s road bike range sees Liv expand sizing
Liv has updated its Avail Advanced road bike range with new framesets said to be lighter and stiffer than their predecessors.
Liv released the Avail in 2008 as its first performance women’s road bike. Now in its fifth generation, Liv says the new Avail Advanced has been re-engineered for “the smoothest, most efficient riding experience” and cycling long distances.
Behind this claim are the two new framesets for the Avail Advanced Pro and the more affordable Avail Advanced, alongside a handlebar and seatpost designed to minimise vibrations and room to fit 700x38mm tyres.
The new range features five bikes, opening with the Liv Avail Advanced 3 costing £2,299/€2,400 and extending up to the Liv Avail Advanced Pro 0 for £5,999/$6,500.
Two new framesets
Liv says the redesigned Avail Advanced Pro and Avail Advanced frames feature high-performance grade raw carbon fibre.
The front triangles are moulded using “a proprietary manufacturing process called Modified Monocoque Construction”.
The frames are said to have new tube shapes and “dynamic feature lines”. These are intended to embody the Avail’s new design identity, which Liv describes as “Vitality”.
The framesets use different forks. The Avail Advanced has an Advanced Grade Composite fork and the Avail Advanced Pro frameset an Advanced SL-Grade Composite fork.
The Advanced SL-Grade Composite Fork optimises strength and stiffness, and “boosts your climbing abilities”, according to the brand.
Both forks are said to handle shock absorption at the front of the bike, while the slim, dropped seatstays are claimed to introduce vertical compliance “to effectively dampen road shocks and vibrations from the rear wheel”.
The frames also share an oversized bottom bracket area, which integrates an 86mm-wide bottom bracket.
Liv says asymmetrical chainstays provide additional stiffness on the driveside and stability on the non-driveside. The frames and forks use flat-mount disc brakes with 12mm thru-axles front and rear.
Efficiency and stiffness claims
Regular readers of BikeRadar will know brands often claim their latest bikes outperform their older models, but with data to back up such statements proving elusive.
For the launch of the new Avail Advanced range, Liv has bucked the trend by providing insights into why its latest bikes are more efficient and stiffer than their predecessors.
The Avail Advanced Pro has a 19 per cent stiffness transmission efficiency, while the Advanced has an 8.2 per cent improvement in efficiency. Liv says the stiffness of the bikes was assessed using the protocol outlined by the German cycling magazine Tour.
Liv tested medium framesets and says its testing determined how much the complete framesets flexed torsionally under load.
It states that increased frame stiffness means better power transmission as well as improved cornering.
Both framesets are said to weigh less than their predecessors.
The Avail Advanced Pro frameset is claimed to weigh 128.4g less, while the Avail Advanced loses a claimed 104.9g.
Combining the stiffness results and weight savings leads Liv to conclude that the Advanced Pro has a 30.18 per cent improvement in its stiffness-to-weight ratio, while the Advanced sees an 16.21 per cent improvement.
Liv also states the Avail Advanced Pro is 7.12 per cent more efficient than the new Avail Advanced.
D-Fuse technology
Liv uses proprietary D-Fuse components on all new Avail Advanced models.
D-Fuse technology was first introduced in 2014 for cyclocross bikes, and is now used across Liv’s range, including gravel bikes and endurance bikes, such as the Avail.
The Liv Contact SLR and SL D-Fuse handlebars use lightweight carbon and are tailored to women’s hands with ergonomic D-shaped tubes and an 8-degree flare.
Live says the handlebars improve comfort across different terrain and have “increased pulling stiffness” for sprinting and climbing.
The D-Fuse SLR and SL seatposts offer up to 7m of flex to act as a shock absorber, according to Liv.
Aero stems
The new bikes from Liv also feature new stems to facilitate aero integration, hiding cables and hoses from the wind.
The Avail Advanced Pro uses the new Contact SL AeroLight Stem, which enables you to route cables beneath and inside the steam.
Liv says the design enables you to incorporate extra cable length so you can adjust the height of your handlebar without worrying about short cables.
The Contact SL AeroLight Stem is also said to streamline aerodynamics by integrating the stem cap, spacers and head tube, as well as aligning the face plate with the Contact SL D-Fuse handlebar.
The Avail Advanced has the new Contact Aerolight Stem, which is said to route cables beneath the sides of the stem rather than inside, like the high-spec Contact SL AeroLight Stem.
Tubeless-ready and added extras
The new Avail range suggests Liv wants to give riders as complete a package as possible.
All bikes in the range come with tubeless-ready road bike wheels shod in 700x32mm tubeless road tyres and a frame mount to fit mudguards.
The bikes also feature two bottle cages and a cycling computer mount.
Liv Avail Advanced geometry chart
Liv appears to have extended its size range for the 2024 Avail range, now providing five rather than three sizes, from XXS to L.
The geometry has been tweaked for 2024, with the Avail now featuring a longer wheelbase and short top tube length in some sizes.
Liv Avail Advanced geometry chart
| XXS | XS | S | M | L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube length (mm) | 385 | 405 | 435 | 465 | 495 |
| Top tube length (mm) | 500 | 520 | 525 | 535 | 550 |
| Head tube length (mm) | 110 | 125 | 145 | 165 | 185 |
| Head tube angle (degrees) | 69.8 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 72 |
| Seat tube angle (degrees) | 75 | 74.5 | 74.5 | 74 | 74 |
| Chainstay length (mm) | 420 | 420 | 420 | 420 | 420 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 989 | 995 | 1,002 | 1,007 | 1,013 |
| Stack (mm) | 510 | 528 | 547 | 566 | 589 |
| Reach (mm) | 363 | 373 | 373 | 373 | 381 |
Liv Avail Advanced specs and prices
The new Liv Avail Advanced range includes five models, with the top-level Avail Advanced Pro 0 featuring Shimano Ultegra Di2.
Other models feature Shimano 105 Di2 or 105 mechanical and the lowest-spec Avail Advanced 3 features Shimano Tiagra.
The Avail Advanced 3 is only available in certain territories.
Liv Avail Advanced Pro 0
- Frameset: Liv Avail Advanced Pro
- Groupset: Shimano Ultegra Di2 R
- Wheels: Giant SLR 1 36 carbon rim with Giant Low Friction Hub
- Tyres: Giant Gavia Fondo 0, tubeless, 700x32mm
- Price: £5,999/$6,500/€6,400/AU$7,999
Latest deals
Liv Avail Advanced Pro 1
- Frame: Liv Avail Advanced Pro
- Groupset: Shimano 105 Di2
- Wheels: Giant SLR 1 36 carbon rim with Giant Low Friction Hub
- Tyres: Giant Gavia Fondo 1, tubeless, 700x32mm
- Price: £4,599/$5,000/€4,900/AU$6,499
Latest deals
Liv Avail Advanced 1
- Frame: Liv Avail Advanced
- Groupset: Shimano 105 Di2
- Wheels: Giant P-R2 Disc wheelset
- Tyres: Giant Gavia Fondo 1, tubeless, 700x32mm
- Price: £3,199/$4,000/€3,700/AU$4,999
Latest deals
Liv Avail Advanced 2
- Frame: Liv Avail Advanced
- Groupset: Shimano 105 12-speed
- Wheels: Giant P-R2 Disc wheelset
- Tyres: Giant Gavia Fondo 1, tubeless, 700x32mm
- Price: £2,699/$3,000/€3,000/AU$3,799
Latest deals
Liv Avail Advanced 3
- Frame: Liv Avail Advanced
- Groupset: Shimano Tiagra
- Wheels: Giant P-R2 Disc wheelset
- Tyres: Giant Gavia Fondo 1, tubeless, 700x32mm
- Price: £2,299/€2,400