Liv Avail Advanced Pro 0 review

Dating back to 2008 and now in its fifth generation, the 2024 Liv Avail Advanced Pro 0 is the top-tier offering in Liv’s endurance road bike line-up.

Liv has long produced some of the best women’s road bikes, and it’s the only brand to offer frames built specifically for women, rather than simply making finishing kit amendments or unisex offerings.

Designed for day-long riding without losing sight of performance, the 2024 Avail shares plenty of its DNA with its racier siblings, the lightweight Langma and EnviLiv aero race bike.

It may be built for big days in the saddle, but if you think you’ll be sacrificing a considerable amount of speed for comfort, you’re very much mistaken.

Liv Avail Advanced Pro 0 frame

Liv has used its Advanced-grade carbon fibre composite for the Liv Avail Advanced Pro 0, while Advanced-SL grade composite is used for the fork.

The Giant-owned brand claims a 19 per cent improvement in transmission stiffness, compared to the 2023 Liv Avail Advanced Pro, giving greater power transmission, and measured as a combination of lateral fork stiffness and pedalling stiffness.

Liv has also shaved 75g off the frame and 81g from the fork compared to the previous generation of the same model. Small increases in headset, spacer and expander weights mean the overall weight reduction is 128.4g.

Combining the increased stiffness and reduced weight of the new Avail Advanced Pro, the improved stiffness-to-weight ratio of 92.7 N/mm/kg delivers a 30.18 per cent improvement, according to Liv.

The new Avail retains the Overdrive steerer design (which uses an oversized 1-1/2in lower headset bearing paired with a 1-1/4in upper, and a tapered carbon steerer), as seen in previous iterations, as well as the ‘Powercore’ oversized bottom bracket area.

Liv’s proprietary D-shaped aero seat tube and post are also carried forward into the new range, as well as the internal seatpost clamp, though the rubber bung that covers it has a new tab to help keep it in place.

The new Avail has a sleek silhouette, with all cables and hoses routed internally through the frame, passing through the underside of the stem and into the handlebar.

A relative rarity among carbon fibre bikes, you can fit full mudguards to the Liv Avail, thanks to the stealthy mounts and detachable seatstay bridge supplied.

The paintjob may look subtle from afar, with silver logo lettering on black, but up close it’s an unusual fade from gloss to matt, with the carbon fibre weave visible in some areas under the lacquer.

Liv Avail Advanced Pro 0 geometry

There have been some changes to the geometry for the latest generation of the Avail.

Tyre clearance has been upped from 35mm (measured) to a very generous 38mm, with a resulting 4mm increase in wheelbase.

This increased tyre clearance may also account for the slackened head tube angle, reduced by 0.5 degrees to 71 degrees, and increased trail by 3.3mm.

The standover height has increased significantly, by 21mm on my size-small test bike.

Meanwhile, reach, stack, top tube and chainstay lengths remain the same as the 2023 model.

Liv Avail Advanced Pro 0 specifications

Sitting at the top of the Avail range, the Advanced Pro 0 is kitted out with a near-complete Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset, featuring a compact 50/34-tooth chainring paired with an 11-34 tooth cassette and hydraulic disc brakes with 160mm rotors.

The only non-series part is the 12-speed KMC X12 chain.

The cockpit is supplied by Liv, with the carbon fibre Contact SLR D-Fuse handlebar wrapped in Liv All Condition tape and paired with the alloy Giant Contact SL AeroLight stem.

Giant also supplies the new D-Fuse SLR seatpost, which is claimed to yield 7mm of flex, and gives the option of -5mm or +15mm offset with the rotation of the saddle clamp.

The seatpost is topped with the Liv Alcara SL, a short-nosed women’s-specific saddle with a central cut-out.

The Avail rolls on Giant’s mid-depth SLR 1 36 Carbon Disc WheelSystem, set up tubeless from the factory with Giant Gavia Fondo 0 tyres in a 32mm width, though they measure up at 33mm.

The Pro 0 model also features the Giant PowerPro double-sided power meter.

The Avail Advanced Pro 0 weighs in at 7.6kg, complete with the two aerodynamically optimised bottle cages and the computer mount supplied with this model.

Liv Avail Advanced Pro 0 ride impressions

I tested the Liv Avail Advanced Pro 0 in the UK, taking in the hilly lanes around Exeter and the edge of Dartmoor and a 100km group ride around the undulating New Forest.

From flat to 25 per cent ramps, dry conditions to downpours, and smooth tarmac to rough and gritty lanes with some short gravel sections, I’ve thrown everything at the Avail.

With a factory-fitted tubeless setup as well as pre-fitted aero bottle cages and an integrated computer mount, there was nearly no setup to be done, bar setting my saddle height and tyre pressures.

As usual with Liv bikes, setting the saddle height proved to be a little tricky with the angled bolt of the integrated seatpost clamp. This means you can only effectively adjust it with a torque wrench.

Mid-ride adjustments are possible, but it takes longer with a chunky multi-tool than it does with a torque wrench at home.

I’ve long been intrigued by the Avail; wide-ranging gears, mudguard mounts and a comfort-centric geometry are all right up my street. However, I was slightly disappointed when I tested the Liv Avail Advanced 1 for the Women’s Road Bike of the Year category earlier in 2023.

Whether it’s the upgrades to this latest generation of the Avail, or the fact that this test bike is considerably higher specced (with a price tag of £5,999 versus £3,699), the difference couldn’t be more staggering.

If you’d have blindfolded me, I would have guessed I was riding the Langma, Liv’s lightweight all-round race bike.

In fact, with the Avail built to a higher spec than the Liv Langma Advanced Disc 1+ I reviewed before (which won the title of Women’s Road Bike of the Year 2022), this bike weighs more than 300g less, even with the bottle cages and computer mount supplied.

The Avail is no longer the slightly sluggish cousin of the racier Langma and EnviLiv (Giant Propel equivalent) models, and certainly worthy of interest for hill-seeking riders who enjoy long days in the saddle through all weathers.

A significant part of that may be down to the tyres specced, with the Giant Gavia Fondo 0 tubeless tyres shaving 75g at either end compared to the Gavia Fondo 1 tested previously.

The 33mm width offered buckets of confidence descending on gritty lanes, as well as easily taking me over some fine gravel cycleways and forest roads without feeling fragile.

Back on tarmac, the bike cornered like a dream and boosted my confidence in that aspect.

Another defining characteristic of the endurance-focused Avail, the wide-ranging gearing, was much appreciated in the rolling countryside of the New Forest.

It offered a gear just low enough to grind up a surprise 25 per cent incline, while also providing high gearing to roll comfortably at over 30km/h on faster-paced group rides.

The major sticking point, however, was the cockpit. I get on well with the narrow hoods of the Shimano Ultegra Di2 shifters; they’re ergonomic and perfect for slightly smaller hands, but that was massively contrasted by the position in the drops.

With the thick Liv All Condition tape then wrapped thickly with a lot of overlapping, the bars measured up at 31.5mm in diameter, which meant I struggled to wrap my hands around them to grip safely while descending in the drops.

For comparison, the wrapped drops on my own bike measure up at 28mm across. At best, the thick drops made descending feel disconcerting; at worst, dangerous.

What made it even more galling was that Liv developed the handlebar with a women’s-specific fit. Whatever benefit that may bring, it’s immediately eliminated by the overkill taping.

The good news is this is easily remedied by rewrapping the tape more sparingly, or even switching out for a thinner bar tape, just as I also dialled in the reach on the brake levers. But it’s a shame to feel the need to do this.

Interestingly, I didn’t notice the 8-degree flare to the handlebar drops, possibly an idea taken from gravel bikes for improved descending stability, though in a much more subtle fashion.

Finally, in terms of aesthetics, I think Liv has continued to excel.

While a black bike might seem boring at a distance, get closer and you’ll see the magic gloss-to-matt fade on the down tube with silver graphics. It certainly attracted a lot of comments.

How does the Liv Avail Advanced Pro 0 compare to the Liv Langma Advanced Disc 1+?

When it comes to the ride, it seems there are more similarities than differences between the top-of-the-range Liv Avail and the mid-range Liv Langma Advanced Disc 1+.

Both offer a fantastic, sprightly ride, cheering you up the hills and enabling you to really lean in round the corners.

For me, having the ability to fit mudguards is a major plus, which can help keep you riding throughout the wetter months, especially if you only have the budget or space for a single bike.

The wider gearing you’ll get on the Avail with a compact 50/34-tooth crankset and 11-34 tooth chainring is more suited to hillier riding, compared to the Langma’s racier 52/36-tooth chainrings paired with an 11-30 tooth cassette.

As you’d expect for a higher-specced bike at nearly twice the price, you get some perks with the Avail, including bottle cages and an aero computer mount fitted as standard, as well as the inclusion of Giant’s double-sided PowerPro power meter.

Liv Avail Advanced Pro 0 bottom line

The Avail Advanced Pro 0 feels like a race bike, and really spurs you to push on the pedals. It's also wonderfully practical, with mudguard mounts, generously sized road bike tyres and wider gearing, meaning you can keep riding throughout the seasons, and from road to light gravel and back.

The result is a wonderfully versatile road bike that excels at almost anything you point it at without compromise.

However, a few small changes – primarily regarding the cockpit – would make this a truly category-leading build, and one I’d be more than happy to have in my stable.