Giant Revolt Advanced vs Giant Contend AR vs Giant TCX Advanced - Episode 2 | Tire Clearance

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

Be sure to vist my website at www.blackwatercyclist.com Subscribe: kzbin.info Follow me on: Instagram: instagram.com/blackwatercyclist Facebook: facebook.com/BlackWaterCyclist1 Strava: www.strava.com/athletes/179615

[@johnnydwicked]

Thanks for the in-depth tire clearance guide on these Giant bikes. I don't think anyone else has made this type of guide before. so much appreciated. :)

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

Thanks for watching Johnny. Always appreciate your feedback 🙂.

[@kenleonard8733]

The more you talk about the revolt the more I want it. I think that’s going to be my entry into gravel riding.

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

That would be an amazing bike to get started with. You will have to see my next video to see how it compares to the others :)

[@ibatchv]

Very informative and well presented. The tyre width is in millimeters, though. The C marking just identifies metric numbers.

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

Yeah I caught that later and just added a note at the bottom. Those would be some huge tires in cm lol. Thanks for watching.

[@Matvey.]

I have giant contend ar 3, and I have recently ordered new gravel tires 700×38c, and I am really nervous about will it fit or not. Now I saw this video and not nervous at all. Thank you very much!

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

Oh you will be fine with 38mm. They will clear with plenty of room for dirt or mud.

[@Roberto01GM]

I got a Revolt 0 about a month ago and have been really enjoying it, mainly doing some gravel rail to trail rides and some tarmac mixed in. The frame and drive train are great, but I found the Maxis Velocita AR 40 mm tires that came with it to be too flat-prone for my liking, running tubeless with Stan's sealant. The front tire hasn't had any issues, but on the rear, in under 450 miles, I've had two bad flats that wouldn't seal with bacon/plugs, two tire repairs with a boot, and on starting to do that second boot repair, the shop found a third deep gash, so I switched to a different tire rather than doing that second boot repair. I've been doing 25 to 45 mile rides on mostly gravel rail to trail, with some tarmac roads to get there and back. The cuts/punctures seemed to have started on the tarmac, not the gravel. Wondering if anyone else has had cut/puncture problems with the Maxis Velocita AR. I think it's a supple, fast tire, but not quite tough enough. The replacement tire, bought locally to get back on the road fast with a black wall of roughly that same size, is a Specialized Pathfinder Pro 38mm. I'm liking it so far. No flats and rolls well, with more tread pattern than the Velocita, which is a slick with a very light pattern.

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

Beautiful bike you have there! Yeah I have heard the same about some Maxxis gravel tires. I know the Ramblers had some casing issues where they would blister. I have heard very good things about the Pathfinder and they look like they have a great tread pattern for gravel. My favorite tires are actually not tubeless but I run them tubeless and that is the Continental SpeedRide 700x42 c tires. They measure closer to 41c but they are very fast and supple and I have not had flat issues with them.

[@Roberto01GM]

@@BlackWaterCyclist That's interesting that you have non-tubelesss that work well with sealant. I wouldn't have even thought of trying that.

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

@@Roberto01GM yeah back when everyone first started going tubeless on the mountain bikes, that is all we had was a regular tire with a rubber rim strips from Stan's and sealant. Some rims you have to add an extra layer of rim tape for them to seal completely but as long as you aren't going over 45psi for gravel. I'm actually running Grand Prix 5000 tubed tires tubeless for the road. I run the 32c tires and I don't go over 60psi so no need for the crazy tight bead of the tubeless road tires. I would just make sure your rims are hooked instead of the newer hookless ones. The regular GP 5000 are lighter, higher TPI count and just crazy supple. The propose of the tubeless road tires in the past was to be able to run those old super high pressures of 100 psi without it blowing off the rim. My rims are tubeless rated for road so I wouldn't just do it with any rim.

[@markmarlatt1105]

On the contend, check the front derailleur clearance. I have the AR 2 with the Tiagra geoupset and it gets fairly close with a 32, let alone a larger size.

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

Hi Mark, yes that is the one downside of the 2 model is the front derailleur with that long arm which Shimano no longer makes for the higher end components. Any other front derailleur will clear the 42c tires. I should have noted that in the video and thank you for the heads up for others.

[@kubasznajder4871]

This is a common problem with Tiagra. This is a road derailleur that was designed for narrow tires. Replace it with a GRX and a larger tire will come in.

[@simonjames8708]

I really enjoyed these reviews! I just bought a Revolt 1 2021 as my first gravel bike and am loving it. If the geometry is the same as the Revolt Advanced then frame clearance for larger tyre doesn’t appear to be an issue. BUT; the front derailleur may limit you to 45c tyres, (which is the limit they advertise). Love the look of the horizon 47c tyres though, I have them on my city bike, very comfortable ride! Keep up the great content!

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

Thanks Simon! The Alloy Revolt has a little longer chainstay than the Carbon Revolt. I honestly would not be surprised if they alloy Revolt cleared larger tires than the carbon model. You got a sweet bike for gravel! That bike will gobble up the gravel for days!

[@TheDarKris]

I have the aluminum Revolt and what you said was pretty accurate. Though one thing I would point out is that the Carbon Revolt has less tire clearance in the rear than the aluminum. I was able to fit 650b x 50mm tires with about 5mm clearance on the drive side and 4mm on the non-drive side. Looking at the clearance with the Horizin tires I'd be hard pressed to see you fitting 50mm tires with more than 3mm clearances on either side.

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

Yeah I agree with you on that one but sometimes the camera angle isn't perfect. It makes since for the Alloy model being able to clear larger rubber because it has a 430mm chainstay where the carbon has a 425mm chainstay. Do you like your alloy Revolt? Would love to get one of those to test and do a comparison between the Contend AR and the Alloy Revolt.

[@TheDarKris]

Black Water Cyclist Absolutely. Upgraded mine to GRX 1x11 and have been super satisfied with it. With the 650b tires, the bike feels very responsive and nimble.

[@stevebzz839]

@@BlackWaterCyclist i have the 2019 Revolt advanced 0.. absolutely love it..

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

@@stevebzz839 That is a beautiful bike! I am actually thinking about getting a Revolt Advanced to do a stand alone review with in the future and see if I can get it to feel a little more peppy than what this one felt.

[@michaelkennedy4444]

I’ve got the 2020 Revolt Advanced 0 which I use primarily on asphalt , which in Canada is like a gravel road. Love the compliance on this bike , especially with the 40mm Maxxis Velocita tires.

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

The Revolt is a very stable platform and is amazing for those mixed surfaces and bad roads. I still can't believe I used to run 23c tires with 120psi all the time.

[@michaelkennedy4444]

Black Water Cyclist . Me too, I had 23c on my old bike back in seventies and will never go back .

[@xandershawvlog]

Did you use the flipper on the rear axel for the Revolt?

[@jamescelloboy3333444]

Hey, thank you for the valuable information. I’m thinking of changing the stock tires on my AR1 to 700x40mm. Do you know what’s the maximum tire width the stock wheels (PR-2) can take? Blessings

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

Hi James, back in the day we used to run 2.2 inch mountain bike tires on 19mm internal width rims so there isn't a limit. The benefit of wider rims keeps the tire from folding over on you in hard turns which honestly I never have experienced. So go ahead and find some 40c tires and you will be good to go.

[@jamescelloboy3333444]

Thanks for the input bro. You’re a real one w the content, keep em coming

[@qinshandai5587]

Hi, I have found that some rear wheels are not in the center of the frame. Is that a manufacture problem? Should I call the warranty?

[@benjaminswanson9092]

Great videos, this info is a little scattered or hard to come by so its great to have it all presented in one place

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

Glad you find it beneficial. :)

[@cornelbacauanu1544]

Great work. It clarifies many people concerns in these 3 bicycles regarding tire clearance . Manufactures should do a better job on advertising tire clearance .

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

Yes I agree they should as well. Unfortunately they don't want to make stance on a certain size because it could be wrong (due to different room widths and tire casing widths) and cause damage to the frame and then they would have to cover the damages.

[@jessecooper6310]

Would be interesting to also compare to the Giant Defy Adv. Giant say it clears up to 35mm, but I feel like it may safely take a bit bigger also.

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

Jesse that is a great question. I'll try to get some images of that if I can find one to check out soon. Would love to turn a Defy into an 80/20 road/gravel bike.

[@Swampyfisher]

@@BlackWaterCyclist Do you think the Defy would work out for Gravel uses aswell? (Tyre (maybe 40mm)- and Geometry wise)

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

@@Swampyfisher That is a great question. I actually had the same thought as you when I was looking at the Contend AR. I have recently checked out a Defy just to see if it had the clearance. While Giant seems to be conservative on their estimates for sizes on the gravel bikes, on the Defy they are spot on and really cannot clear larger than a 35mm. You could get away with some tame gravel with the defy but wouldn't want to use it on anything really rough or harsh.

[@kubasznajder4871]

When's the next movie and comparison? I am looking to buy a bicycle that will become a comfortable road bike with the option of commuting. Now I have Contend SL but the 28mm tire on bad asphalt tires my back. I drive a lot 60 km to work every day + 200-300 km every weekend. I was thinking about Contend AR 1 + 38C but revolt looks cool too. I need a comfortable bike with endurance geometry.

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

Thanks for watching. I plan to have it out in the next 2 weeks. I think you would definitely benefit from either the Contend AR or the Revolt. I'll have more details in the 3rd video.

[@jorgenyt1]

Hello, I'm in the market for a Giant Contend AR 1 that I will use for winter and rainy days. So I will put on some "all around" mudguards (almost capturing the whole wheel except from the roadpart of course) The mudguards will never leave the bike. I know that will work with the 32mm tires. But will the all around mudguards also work with 33mm cross tires (= Challenge Grifo Pro Open)? In particular the part between the rear wheel and the seat post at the bottom near the chain? Thanks (and sorry for my bad english). Regards Jorgen

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

Yes you will have room for the fenders and the 33c tires with tread. Just make sure you have a fender that can clear the tire size because the Contend AR has room for that fender and size tire. I also have a video installing fenders on the Contend AR you can watch if you want.

[@jorgenyt1]

@@BlackWaterCyclist First off, thank you for the fast reply! With tread that means cross tires? I will check the other video 👍.

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

@@jorgenyt1 The fenders I installed could clear 35mm tires and I had 32mm in there with plenty of room for tread. If you did some fenders that clear 38mm then you would have plenty of clearance.

[@danielcovert1023]

I have giant contend AR. Red frame. I use the bike as a road bike. I use 30 mm tires. It rides awesome. If I wanted to go to a 32mm road tire will it still work with a standard 23-28mm road tube?

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

You should be fine. I have run smaller tubes than that in a 32mm tire and it worked fine. It may not be as puncture resistant since the tube will be stretched a little thinner to take up the extra volume. I have not used one in the long term but will work fine to get you by or just ride it til it flats and replace with a larger one.

[@danielcovert1023]

@@BlackWaterCyclist if I’m running 32mm tires what tube should I get?

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

@@danielcovert1023 I would get something like this that goes from 25-32. amzn.to/3fXb1z9

[@tacconelli]

I have a TCX SLR 2 (2017) and run 700x40mm tires (Schwalbe g-one speed). I have plenty of room and want to go bigger, but most tires I want only come in 38 or 40mm maximum. Are there other companies like WTB that cater to the 'gravel' type tires? I crave larger!!!

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

Hi DerekTac, you may want to look at Rene Herse tires. They have a 44c slick and 55c slick as well as some 48c options. That 55c is a 29x2.2 in standard measurement. You may want to try the Schwalbe G-One 29x2.0. It measures a little narrower than 2.0 so it could possibly fit in the TCX.

[@devynshaver7489]

On some of the more entry level models in Giant and Liv's line up such as the standard Contend (non AR) and Avail 1 (non AR) do you think I can tape up those rims and get them tubeless or would I have to get a new wheel set?

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

Hi Devyn, the issue with the lower end wheels and going tubeless is the high pressures. You can actually convert a non tubeless tire and rim to tubeless if you do not go over like 50 psi. When you start getting to those higher pressures, you need a dedicated road tubeless rim and tire which are designed to have tighter beads and won't blow off the rim. I tried tubeless on a road rim and tire back in the day when MTB tubeless was just starting and at 65psi it blew off the rim. Sealant was everywhere and my ears were ringing for about an hour LoL.

[@devynshaver7489]

Black Water Cyclist Extremely informative. Thanks so much and great work!:)

[@chrlmlln9018]

Dear, sir, a big THANK, to you, for sharing these important facts about tire clearances! I own the Giant TCX Advanced SX from year 2017 now still riding with the 40mm factory tires! I really needed to know if the model can have more fat tires, and by your excellent review, I now know! Much much appreciated! Now subscribing includes FB and IG also! Wishing you safe rides! God bless you! Best regards from Sweden! ❤❤❤👍👍👍 💯❤

[@TheLadeef]

quick question, is it possible to run 2x on the TCX?

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

Hi, yes you can run 2x on the TCX.

[@TheLadeef]

@@BlackWaterCyclist do I need an adapter or anything?

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

@@TheLadeef If there is not a front derailleur hanger on it already, you will need this item: www.amaincycling.com/giant-2016-tcx-advanced-pro-front-derailleur-hanger-black-380000008/p-2qqrhqrqatazwdwz?gclid=CjwKCAiA78aNBhAlEiwA7B76p7x4bgeXwMRyqMgQsJafdWaCLgbeyZ29f5DITRtsgLVoIJsCctt9mhoCVuUQAvD_BwE

[@kennoon7177]

Great job with good info- thanks

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

Thanks for watching 👍

[@alphalau3243]

great content. thanks for the video.

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

Thank you for watching.

[@Cheffus]

Nice idea with Pink on the revolt !

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

Haha, thanks Kevin. Definitely adds some flare.

[@Cheffus]

Black Water Cyclist Absolutly , i will get mine in 2 weeks ! I am so exited . Never thougt to buy a bike in that class !

[@WakizashiSabre]

I guess the flex of the bike when cordering could make do some rubbing on the Contend?

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

I have yet to have any tire rubbing on the Contend and that was even during a Mud Race with 42c tires mounted so I do not see it being an issue here. I am not a small rider either and I ride pretty aggressive and no rubbing.

[@WakizashiSabre]

@@BlackWaterCyclist cool to read, mate

[@mehdiabad5453]

Thank you!

[@WilliamR-nt5ek]

If I were to go with Giant. It would be the ToughRoad SLR GX1 or, The Revolt is nice too. I wish all Bike Brands would list Min. & Max. tire size in their specks... instead of what just comes in the box. I've been looking too, at the Cannondale Top Stone.. and have no idea what the tire range would be... I guess it's a big big secrete. The Top Stone is more like the bikes your comparing in this video. I think the Brand that's gonna get my money, is the Salsa.. Journeyman 700. Tire range from those guys is 32 to 51 for the 700. And 47 to 57 for the 650B. 700 & 650B frames.. are identical. They have a build too, with the Apex 1 drive. I'm just thinking the Giant Contend AR, TCX and Revolt... just have too much hard core road bike specs for a old man looking to petal putt around on. Good Video..

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

I agree, I wish they would too. Maybe do a spec sheet on what size for mud or dry conditions. I know they do not because so many tire sizes are a different size than what is actually printed on the sidewall so if they make a stance on a tire size and someone puts a tire size in and it turns out to be wider and damages the frame, they aren't responsible. The Topstone is claimed at 40c but I have heard 42c will clear without issues. Yeah I am kinda showing bikes that could possibly serve as a road and gravel bike. Yes Salsa has some very comfy bikes for gravel. I actually reviewed the Warroad, thinking it was going to be very aggressive but even that bike felt very smooth. My next video I will talk about how they ride and I will say, the Revolt is SMOOOOOOTH.

[@chefnigeltv8580]

And all of a sudden ppl are now in to gravel. Wow!!!

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

Yes it is crazy how gravel has blown up. I started riding gravel in our area in 2007 but of course the old timey hardcores were always riding gravel going back to the beginning of the Tour de France days. Back when roads were only gravel.

[@brody5211]

@@BlackWaterCyclist is your source reliable ?

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

@@brody5211 kzbin.info/www/bejne/a4qtiGmQm8SEl6M and go to around 5:20 and he mentions there are no paved roads in the first Tour de France races.

[@LeoInterHyenaem]

3 so-called "Adventure" bikes, none of which sports a fork crown mount for a headlight! 😏

[@BlackWaterCyclist]

Well I wouldn't classify these bikes as adventure bikes but more like road/gravel/light touring. I think the Toughroad is more of the adventure bike for Giant.

[@LeoInterHyenaem]

@@BlackWaterCyclist I agree, but the ToughRoad is clumsy and heavy. Still a tad better than traditional touring bikes, but not polished with for my taste.