QUICK HITS
• 115mm FlexPoint Pro Suspension
• Full Advanced-grade composite frame
• Sizes XS – Large
• 432mm Reach (Medium)
WE DIG
WE DON’T
ABOUT THE LIV PIQUE ADVANCED 29
FRAME AND FEATURES | On their continuous improvement journey, Liv managed to shave 297 grams off the Advanced Grade Composite frameset in size Small. This dramatic weight reduction can be credited to its proprietary carbon materials; lighter and stiffer tube shapes, and the move to its single pivot rear suspension called FlexPoint Pro. The top tube was straightened out to improve stiffness, along with the widened, squared-off profile of the downtube and chainstay. These subtle changes also resulted in a lighter frame and increased pedal stiffness, improved by 10%.
Frame features include internal cable routing for the derailleur, brake, and dropper cables. A 3M clear foil protector on the downtube and chainstay are provided for durability and prevention of frame damage. All sizes except for the XS frame include a second water bottle mount on the top tube to aid in hydration. And a new Giant/MRP chain guide reduces the risk of dropping the chain in rough terrain.
SUSPENSION | Perhaps the most significant change Liv has made to the Pique is the FlexPoint Pro suspension system, replacing the typical Maestro system. Used by XC racers, FlexPoint Pro eliminates the unnecessary pivot points and lower rocker arm, leaving a superlight and active rear suspension system. This single-pivot system uses a full-composite rear triangle to delivers 115mm of rear wheel travel through a flex pivot design. FlexPoint Pro has been crafted to offer steady damping and spring performance at all points in its travel, bringing a smooth feel through the full shock stroke. The Advanced-Grade Composite and single-pivot point help bring the Pique into this new generation of lightweight, active XC bikes.
GEOMETRY | Liv offers the Pique Advanced 29 in sizes Extra Small to Large, accommodating riders from 4’11” to 5’11” (150-181cm). Reach numbers stretch across the sizes, with a 406mm reach on the XS frame to 445mm reach on the Large. The size medium I tested sported a 432mm reach paired with a 612mm stack height; a stable 435mm chain stay length; 585mm top tube length, and 1,154mm wheelbase. The head tube angle on the size medium is slacker than the previous generation, at a still very much XC 67 degrees. The seat tube angle of 76 degrees is steeper in this new version, in a bid to improve rider performance when sprinting and climbing.
It’s recommended the rider pay close attention to their preferred geometry when diving into Liv’s sizing chart. All sizes are equipped with 29” tire in the front and back, and are consistent in chainstay length and bottom bracket drop (45mm). This geometry lends to a reimagined cross-country race bike, that’s entered its next greatest era to tackle the evolving World Cup XCO courses and your home trails alike.
BUILD SPECS | Liv offers four specific builds, with no customization or frame-only options. Models in the US include the entry-level “3” at $4,500 USD and a higher mid-spec “1” for $7,500 USD. The model I have for testing is the “0” build, offered in nearby Canada for $14,999 CAD, translating to a rough $10,380 USD. A few specs remain the same between all models, including the advanced grade composite frame, stem, grips, saddle, and tires. The ”0” build is painted in a Mulberry Glitter, while the “1” comes in a Raw Carbon and the “3” in Ice Age.
The Pique Advanced 29 0 comes equipped with Fox 34 Float SC Factory 120mm up front and Fox Float SL to deliver the 115mm in the rear. There’s SRAM’s wireless GX Eagle AXS shifting with a 10-52t 12-speed cassette and the SRAM XX SL T-type crankset with a 32t chainring and a power meter. The braking is handled by Shimano’s XTR.
There’s a Fox Transfer dropper, Zipp’s 1ZERO HiTop SL 29 wheelset is wrapped in Maxxis Aspens with EXO casing, and features the Tyrewiz 2.0 pressure monitor.
THE DIRT
SETUP | Initial set-up followed Fox’s tuning guide, but I found it to be too firm for my liking. At 130 pounds, I ended up running 115 PSI in the rear and 52 PSI up front. Tire pressure varied depending on conditions, but were on average ran at 19 PSI in the front tire and 21 PSI in the rear.
Set-up also included connecting the tire pressure sensors, TyreWiz. It involved setting a range of acceptable tire pressure in which a light on the sensor would be green if inside the range and flash red if outside the range. This was a handy add-on that I actually enjoyed because of my natural inclination towards laziness. I typically give my tires a good squeeze to make sure there’s still air in them and roll out. TyreWiz removed the squeezing step and gave me a blinking red light that I couldn’t ignore. TyreWiz can be managed in SRAM’s AXS app, as well as the power meter that comes equipped on the two higher-end models. I initially thought I’d find the power meter fun to analyze performance, just as I do with Strava, but it turned out to be an add-on that didn’t fit my type of riding. If were actively involved in racing, I might care to know my wattage for training purposes, but I’m not, so I didn’t.
Rolling with my usual simplicity, I didn’t make any real adjustments to the bike. I rode clipless (gross) and in flats through my testing period. In general, I felt properly balanced on the bike and didn’t feel the need to adjust any areas of the bike (stem, bar width, etc.) to get riding. I do want to note that I’ve more consistently been in the Medium range on Liv’s bikes, but at 5’4ish, I’m riding the cusp between sizes. I opted to size for a Medium for a more balanced feel and to make the bike handle a little more aggressively on the technical trails. Overall, I was satisfied with the sizing – it wasn’t too much bike to handle, even though I’m on the shorter end of the spectrum.
CLIMBING | I had only two wishes prior to testing the Pique: that my usual climbs would be much less painful; and that the bike would be competent enough to tackle technical climb sections. I was delighted to find myself two and sometimes three rings down on the cassette from where I usually ride, still with a regular heart rate. The lightweight frame and components certainly helped, but overall I felt the Pique’s pedaling platform was supportive, allowing every pedal stroke to fuel its mission up the mountain. The medium Pique was still significantly lighter than my small all-mountain bike, and it was easily felt when I needed to pick the front or back ends up for placement. I was honestly amazed at how fast this 29-er was on the way up the technical rock sections or the usual climb trail.
I did feel that the bike was a little long when on steeper inclines, and it was harder to keep traction as a result. I attribute this to being on the shorter end of the size Medium spectrum, which can make it hard to evenly distribute my weight across the bike in those cases. I was still able to stand up to find traction and put in real effort to overcome uphill sections of technical trails that I had normally strayed from. Even though Liv slackened the head tube angle for descending capabilities, they found the sweet spot on the Pique in order to avoid sacrificing climbing comfort and efficiency. I had ample ground clearance to grind up and over uphill rock gardens, and the shortened rear end made it easy to navigate switchbacks.
Fox’s remote suspension lock-out lever was well worn by the end of my testing. I found it most useful on forest service road climbs, where I needed a firm ride for a longer period of time so I could grind the miles out. Fortunately, with it being a quick thumb movement away, I never forgot to unlock the suspension for my descent. Unsurprisingly, Liv included a sleek, lightweight saddle for this cross-country race bike. The Fi’zi:k Vento Argo R5 saddle was the only part of the Pique climbing experience I dreaded. There was no chamois thick enough to make that saddle comfortable during my rides. Saddles are a personal piece of gear and this saddle was much too small for my sit bones. It was clearly a choice of weight – Fi’zi:k’s saddle being between 225 and 232 grams while Liv’s Sylvia SL saddle clocks in at 265 grams.
DESCENDING | My first month on the Pique was a blast – I found it to be playful on small jump lines, and I felt confident pointing it down trails with some chunk and the occasional rock roll. There was an immediate difference in rolling speed from my personal bike and other bikes I’ve tested. Which, honestly, required a significant adjustment, as I realized I was coming into corners at a higher speed than my usual approach without any extra pedaling. The Maxxis Aspen tires had a surprising amount of grip, even in dusty corners. I kept waiting to lose my front end but it never came – perhaps because I felt very centered on this bike on the descents, and was able to keep traction with ease as a result.
I started to believe that the Pique could conquer almost anything outside of the bike park. As it turns out, I was a little overoptimistic, and I found the bike’s limitations in spectacular fashion. There are rocks steep enough and technical sections with sustained hits on my local trails that were beyond my abilities to ride with less suspension available to cushion the blows. I nursed a thumb injury for over six months as result of my overconfidence, and that did affect my overall feelings towards the Pique and what I was willing to take it down. That’s to say, there were enough moments where the Pique wasn’t the right fit, that it overshadowed the times where the Pique might be the best choice, like in climbing efficiency and mellower trail ripping. Later in the season, I started opting back towards my all-mountain bike, even on rides with significant elevation, long miles, and brutal heat. The Pique just wasn’t aggressive enough to make the cautious, stiff descent worth the easy breezy uphill.
I found the suspension to be a little too firm for my liking, and it moved through the stroke without a lot of ramp up at the end, giving a linear feeling. The stiffer frame was great for generating speed, but caused a lot of reverberation through my hands and feet when tackling technical areas. In some senses, the bike’s riding characteristics are a double-edged sword. You need to look at your riding style and decide what is most important to you – going up or going down. If you really enjoy undulating terrain, the bike’s supportive nature will be fun. However, if you like to dabble in tech, the steep head tube angle and linear nature of the rear suspension can easily get overwhelmed on repeated hits. You will certainly become an expert in line choice, as this bike isn’t designed to clobber everything. My opinion isn’t that it’s a bike that rides poorly, it’s more that this bike doesn’t fit my riding style, as a rider that prefers technical riding and enduro races. While I never really thought this bike would do it all, I hoped that it could have real potential to be part of a 2-bike quiver, but it didn’t hit that mark for me, unfortunately.
FINISH AND VALUE | The priciest model comes equipped with Shimano XTR brakes, which I’ve found to have a fairly quick braking point. Coupled with a bike that’s designed for efficiency, I felt the brake selection meshed well with the Pique, as I could quickly engage the brakes and receive solid stopping power.
I was originally skeptical of the Maxxis Aspens which all models are spec’d with. Not being an XC rider, there has never been a time when I’d willingly choose to go with this kind of tire or ever need to, but I put the Aspens to the test and came out pleasantly surprised with their performance in different conditions. While they never experienced full slop weather, I did ride the Pique through the spring, summer, and fall in the Inland Northwest. I had a high rolling speed and plenty of predictable traction even in the driest months. I had no qualms with the casing spec, and fortunately didn’t encounter any flats, but to be fair I wasn’t pointing this bike down the gnarliest of trails during my testing.
For a price tag over $10,000, it’s definitely on the very high end of the spectrum, and I’ll say that Liv has packed in quite a bit. Despite the fact that I couldn’t justify that amount for an XC bike – or really any bike – all the components make sense on the Pique. The carbon wheels increase the stiffness and rolling speed while decreasing weight. The power meter and tire pressure sensors are useful in this application. There’s quality brakes, wireless shifting, and a high quality carbon fiber frame. Liv wanted to serve up a light machine for racers, and that’s exactly what they did.
The Wolf’s Last Word
The Liv Pique Advanced 29 0 is a light powerhouse that enjoys the technical end of the cross-country spectrum, but is equally fun on machine-built berms and smaller jumps. The Pique has been reinvented to offer women an aggressive and efficient XC bike, and for the right rider it delivers strongly. Predictably, it may not be suited for riders who prefer to mash through technical and steep descents, but you’d find yourself right at home on this bike if you love milder terrain, mellow backcountry escapades, and are gearing up to race your local XC series.
Price: $Varies
Website: Liv-cycling.com
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