Value, Components, Quality construction and finish.

Slightly overweight-- not as light as expected although Giant/Liv does not publish weights.

My wife, who is starting to enjoy road cycling more, was looking for a flat-bar road bike because she has no confidence on the drop-bar bikes she has demoed and rented, and she preferred her more upright hybrid with the flat bar and Ergon grips I mounted. We looked online and she fell in love with the Thrive Comax 1-- carbon frame, 11-speed Shimano 105 drivetrain, hydraulic disc brakes, cool black/purple paint. We put a deposit down last fall and only recently took delivery in PA, an almost 10 month wait. Dealers could not source these bikes from Giant/Liv. After riding it for a few weeks she loves it as much as she thought. The 11-speed 105 drivetrain and flatbar thumb shifters shift effortlessly and the wide range cassette with a compact double up front offers a great range for our moderately hilly terrain here in southern PA. The Shimano M355 hydraulic brakes are confidence-inspiring. The fit/finish is excellent and she even likes the stock ergo grips with built-in bar ends. A carbon seatpost is a nice touch but the flat bar and stem are aluminum. The Giant brand P-R2 disk wheels have a nice deep profile but seem pretty heavy, probably contributing to what we feel is a little more weight than we expected in the bike. The stock seat is nothing special and she will probably mount another. The bike does come equipped with RideSense sensors, so you can by a ANT-compatible computer unit and the sensors are already there. Bonus item - the frame is equipped with fender mounts on the rear dropouts and front fork, and the dealer says a pair of available Giant fenders will pop right on.
Overall she is extremely pleased with her Liv and I feel that the value at $1750 list is outstanding.

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