Giant Revive first impression

My LBG just rec'd my bike yesterday and I"ll pick it tomorrow. I saw it today but he still has to
put a lock on it as it came with nothing. I also just came back from a bike fair in Utrecht and I
saw a bike by Riese and Müller which is a copy of the Revive. Actually, it seems it was the other
way around as the Riese and Müller came out with this style about eight years ago according to the
sales rep I spoke with. The model I saw, the Equinox (blue) costs about 1,600 Euros which is close
to $1800. This model came with 7 (or 8) speeds and did not seem that heavy. So, it seems this style
has been around for some time (which was news to me).

Go to r-m.deframe.htmlOpen ↗ and click on Equinox to have a look.

"B. Sanders" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<XWUjb.158653$%h1.154908@sccrnsc02>...

Quoted message said:

After reading all about the Giant Revive, I finally had a test ride on the model with the enclosed
drivetrain and Shimano Nexus 7-speed internally geared rear hub.

First, it's a very sharp looking bike. The ergonomics do seem well thought out. Seat and handlebar
adjustments are a snap, and appear to be designed for riders with limited mobility. The low
step-over height also points to a target market with limited mobility. This is a bike designed for
aging Boomers.

Good observations. Funny thing though is if you follow how they've been promoting this bike, you'll
notice that just about all the images of the Revive in printed literature and the internet show them
being ridden by young, physically fit folks. I think they do this to avoid turning off any potential
customers who have no "issues" with riding any kind of bike but want something different. At the
same time, their advertising carries an almost "subliminal" message to those who may fit that "aging
boomer" market and can stimulate a thought process like this. "Hey...now there's a bike I believe I
can ride".

At the risk of sparking a debate, Giant is also very adamant about not associating their new bike
with recumbents. They don't even call it a "semi recumbent". My theory on this is due to the fact
that many folks outside the recumbent circles consider bents to be precisely for the aging and the
physically infirm. You have no idea how many times I've been asked when riding a bent during some
of my club rides if I do so because of some physical incapacity of some sort (ARRRGGG!!!). I
remember overhearing a conversation during a bike tour between some DF riders who were examining a
friend's Wind Cheetah as to how it looked like "hospital equipment". I think this is what Giant is
trying to avoid.

Sorry to have taken this discussion a bit OT;-) I'm glad you had a general good impression of the
Revive. Like any bike, the more it is ridden, the better one gets at it. It took me well over a week
to tweak it to where it's now totally comfortable. I find it more comfortable than most if not all
recumbents I've ever ridden. I'm getting faster and find I can climb steep highway overpasses
(6%-7%+ grade) in the middle range of the 8 speed drivetrain. I would like to challenge myself one
day with real hills for a change;-)

Edward Wong Orlando, FL

Hello, Sorry the Revive is not the bike for you. There are 100's of bikes on the market, maybe you
will find one you like. I just wanted to comment on a couple of items from your list...

Quoted message said:

First, it's a very sharp looking bike. The ergonomics do seem well thought out. Seat and handlebar
adjustments are a snap, and appear to be designed for riders with limited mobility. The low
step-over height also points to a target market with limited mobility. This is a bike designed for
aging Boomers.

OK, limited mobility? I think the Revive is designed for everyone to enjoy, not aging boomers! Just
for the record, I'm 41 and weight 150lbs. I can ride any bike I want!

Quoted message said:

It's rather heavy, which should come as little surprise. That's the downside to wide
adjustability, stylized body panels, wheel covers, etc. I suppose you could drop the weight quite
a bit by removing all of the stylizing bits; but that would be missing the point, I think. This is
not a bike that was designed to be carried up 3 flights of stairs to your urban apartment. Its
supposed to sit in a suburban garage, and be ridden on weekends.

You may be right there, I would not want to carry my Revive dx up stairs all the time, but I do lift
it up to put it on the bike rack and It's not really that heavy,I ride lots of hills here in
St.Louis and have no trouble! I do live in a house with a garage and ride it almost everyday!

Quoted message said:

I like the riding position; but as I had imagined, it is not good for making power, and thus is
slow. I tried several different seat heights and handlebar positions to see if I could produce
more power. Nothing doing. Also, I noticed significant leg interference with the seat edge (which
I had expected, due to the low BB height). The only way to solve that would be to use a much
narrower saddle, but, again, that would be defeating the purpose. This is not a racing bike.

True, it's not a racing bike, never will be. And the seat feels great on my bum The riding position
feels wonderful. I can look around and behind me. The lower crank makes it easyer to step on and off
the bike which really helps in traffic. Also, the 20" wheels gives it better center of gravity.

Quoted message said:

The rear suspension seemed to suck up some power, and the Nexus hub was a real power sink, too.
The combination of the Nexus hub, rear suspension and the non-ideal riding position conspire to
make the Revive a "slow rider". It's a cruiser, not a racer.

Again, True it's not a racer, what's your point! The rear suspension is adjustable, it's sucks up
the bumps. That's what it is there for.The inter hub works great, I can change gears even when I'm
not moving, which makes it easy to put it in a lower gear when you have to stop in traffic.

Quoted message said:

Somehow, I don't think the lack of speed is going to be a problem for its intended target market.
It wasn't designed to compete with the lowracers out there. This is a "cruise around the suburban
retirement community and multi-use paths" bike. The intended market will appreciate the low
stepover, the can't-miss shifting, the comfy seat, and the head-turning looks of the Revive. The
grandkids will want to ride it, too, and that's when the wide range of instant no-tools-required
seat and handlebar adjustability will be worth the price of admission. Would I recommend the
Revive for older riders? Absolutely.

Your killing me dude, I know I'm not 20 anymore, like I said I'm 41. I have a 8 year old daughter
and NO grandkids! I do live in the Subs, and if you must know it's a uppermiddle class Hood not I
retirement community. But, I would be nice to retire in a couple of years!

Quoted message said:

All things considered, I expect the Revive to sell very well. The bike received *lots* of
attention during my test ride. People really like the looks of the Revive. The superb ergonomics,
comfy saddle, foolproof shifting, zero-maintenance drivetrain and wide adjustability, combined
with the high head-turning factor will contribute to the success of the Revive.

"Yes" I think you got it! "Thank You"

Quoted message said:

The "aging Boomer" target market (as I imagine it) are people with enough money that the price tag
won't be a significant barrier to entry. They can always opt for the less fancy versions.

People with enough money, Dude, the DX cost around $800.00 US in know road and maintain bikers that
pay that much just on set of pedals that don't come with their bike!

The price will probably come down a

Quoted message said:

bit as the market for semi-recumbents heats up. Giant has a well-deserved reputation for dialed-in
designs with superior component quality at every price point in virtually every cycling niche
market. I imagine they'll continue that tradition with the Revive.

Maybe who is to say? But I'm sure the Revive is the wave of the future. Thanks for letting me get
that off my chest Barry. Have a nice weekend. Derek revivedx.comrevivedx.comOpen ↗ Join The Reviveolution

"revivederek" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello, Sorry the Revive is not the bike for you. There are 100's of bikes on the market, maybe you
will find one you like.

Thanks. I've been heavily into recumbents for about 7 years now. I'm on my 5th recumbent now, and
have owned and ridden a wide variety of 'bents. I can't (yet) afford some of the 'bents that I'd
like to own: Velokraft Low Racer,

I've also owned about 30+ DF bikes in the past 10 years (MTB's, road bikes, touring, tandem - you
name it) in every price and quality range all the way up to an ultra-tricked-out Merlin. I have no
vested interest in any specific bike design. I try to be objective in my evaluations, as much as
possible. Every bike makes design trade offs to suit a specific purpose.

Quoted message said:

I just wanted to comment on a couple of items from your list...

Quoted message said:

First, it's a very sharp looking bike. The ergonomics do seem well

thought

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

out. Seat and handlebar adjustments are a snap, and appear to be

designed

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

for riders with limited mobility. The low step-over height also points

to a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

target market with limited mobility. This is a bike designed for aging Boomers.

Quoted message said:

OK, limited mobility?

Perhaps I should have said "limited range of joint motion." That's what I meant. As we age, it's
harder and harder to throw a leg over the bike for mount/dismount, etc. The less joint motion, the
more comfortable the ride. Again, not a new idea. Look at European city bikes. The low "step
through" design is quite common.

Quoted message said:

I think the Revive is designed for everyone to enjoy, not aging boomers!

That doesn't guarantee that everyone will like it as well as you do.

Quoted message said:

Just for the record, I'm 41 and weight 150lbs. I can ride any bike I want!

I'm sure you can.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It's rather heavy, which should come as little surprise. That's the

downside

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

to wide adjustability, stylized body panels, wheel covers, etc. I

suppose

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

you could drop the weight quite a bit by removing all of the stylizing

bits;

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

but that would be missing the point, I think. This is not a bike that

was

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

designed to be carried up 3 flights of stairs to your urban apartment.

Its

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

supposed to sit in a suburban garage, and be ridden on weekends.

You may be right there, I would not want to carry my Revive dx up stairs all the time, but I do
lift it up to put it on the bike rack and It's not really that heavy,I ride lots of hills here in
St.Louis and have no trouble! I do live in a house with a garage and ride it almost everyday!

That's an ideal situation. I envy you. I have no garage, and have to lug my heavy,wide-stance
tadpole trike up and out of a narrow, low cellar door when I want to ride it. It's a royal pain; but
it could be worse! I'm thankful to have good health, storage space, and a place to ride my
recumbents (and DF bikes, too).

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I like the riding position; but as I had imagined, it is not good for

making

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

power, and thus is slow. I tried several different seat heights and handlebar positions to see
if I could produce more power. Nothing

doing.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Also, I noticed significant leg interference with the seat edge (which I

had

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

expected, due to the low BB height). The only way to solve that would

be to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

use a much narrower saddle, but, again, that would be defeating the

purpose.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

This is not a racing bike.

True, it's not a racing bike, never will be. And the seat feels great on my bum The riding
position feels wonderful. I can look around and behind me. The lower crank makes it easyer to step
on and off the bike which really helps in traffic.

Just happens to be ideal for riders with limited joint motion.

Quoted message said:

Also, the 20" wheels gives it better center of gravity.

I would debate this assertion. The Revive didn't feel particularly stable to me, but acceptably so.
I didn't feel confident riding "no hands", for instance. (forgot to mention that in the review)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The rear suspension seemed to suck up some power, and the Nexus hub was

a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

real power sink, too. The combination of the Nexus hub, rear suspension

and

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the non-ideal riding position conspire to make the Revive a "slow

rider".

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It's a cruiser, not a racer.

Again, True it's not a racer, what's your point!

That it's not a racing bike, so don't expect it to go fast. It's a design trade off.

Quoted message said:

The rear suspension is adjustable, it's sucks up the bumps. That's what it is there for.

Like most rear suspensions, it also sucks up pedalling energy.

Quoted message said:

The inter hub works great, I can change gears even when I'm not moving, which makes it easy to put
it in a lower gear when you have to stop in traffic.

I have a city bike with a Nexis 7 rear hub. I can really tell the difference in energy efficiency
between the internal hub and a derailleur. (Also, being a "city bike" it has a less powerful riding
position - again, a design trade off.)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Somehow, I don't think the lack of speed is going to be a problem for

its

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

intended target market. It wasn't designed to compete with the

lowracers

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

out there. This is a "cruise around the suburban retirement community

and

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

multi-use paths" bike. The intended market will appreciate the low

stepover,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the can't-miss shifting, the comfy seat, and the head-turning looks of

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Revive. The grandkids will want to ride it, too, and that's when the

wide

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

range of instant no-tools-required seat and handlebar adjustability will

be

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

worth the price of admission. Would I recommend the Revive for older riders? Absolutely.

Your killing me dude, I know I'm not 20 anymore, like I said I'm 41.

So am I, coincidentally.

Quoted message said:

I have a 8 year old daughter and NO grandkids! I do live in the Subs, and if you must know it's a
uppermiddle class Hood not I retirement community.

Low racers were designed for skinny, tall, muscular young European speed freaks; but older,
aero-bellied, American non-racers love them, too! (I resemble that comment ;-)

Quoted message said:

But, I would be nice to retire in a couple of years!

Retirement is a positive concept these days. The soon-to-be-retiring boomers are a *huge* market.
Lots of companies are marketing to them (and that's nothing new).

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

All things considered, I expect the Revive to sell very well. The bike received *lots* of
attention during my test ride. People really like the looks of the Revive. The superb
ergonomics, comfy saddle, foolproof shifting, zero-maintenance drivetrain and wide
adjustability, combined

with

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the high head-turning factor will contribute to the success of the

Revive.

Quoted message said:

"Yes" I think you got it! "Thank You"

"You're welcome" "what's with the air quotes?" ":-)"

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The "aging Boomer" target market (as I imagine it) are people with

enough

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

money that the price tag won't be a significant barrier to entry. They

can

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

always opt for the less fancy versions.

People with enough money, Dude, the DX cost around $800.00 US in know road and maintain bikers
that pay that much just on set of pedals that don't come with their bike!

True; but most people (in the US, anyway) buy their bikes at WalMart and ToysRUs. Sad but true. $800
is a *lot* of money for most folks to spend on a bike.

Quoted message said:

The price will probably come down a

Quoted message said:

bit as the market for semi-recumbents heats up. Giant has a

well-deserved

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

reputation for dialed-in designs with superior component quality at

every

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

price point in virtually every cycling niche market. I imagine they'll continue that tradition
with the Revive.

Maybe who is to say? But I'm sure the Revive is the wave of the future.

Perhaps. It is being marketed to consumers who should appreciate its benefits. As someone pointed
out on this NG, the Revive is not a new design. It's just a more refined version of an existing
design. The fact that Giant has entered this market bodes well for this type of bike design. They're
a conservative company, for the most part.

Quoted message said:

Thanks for letting me get that off my chest Barry.

NP. Always glad to discuss new things.

Quoted message said:

Have a nice weekend.

You too, Derek. Nice website, BTW.

-Barry

I thought Barry's review was well balanced and not negative at all. It's a cool bike, not real
performance orientated, and probably perfect for fitness and cruising around.

B. Sanders said:

"revivederek" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello, Sorry the Revive is not the bike for you. There are 100's of bikes on the market, maybe you
will find one you like.

Thanks. I've been heavily into recumbents for about 7 years now. I'm on my 5th recumbent now, and
have owned and ridden a wide variety of 'bents. I can't (yet) afford some of the 'bents that I'd
like to own: Velokraft Low Racer,

I've also owned about 30+ DF bikes in the past 10 years (MTB's, road bikes, touring, tandem - you
name it) in every price and quality range all the way up to an ultra-tricked-out Merlin. I have no
vested interest in any specific bike design. I try to be objective in my evaluations, as much as
possible. Every bike makes design trade offs to suit a specific purpose.

Quoted message said:

I just wanted to comment on a couple of items from your list...

Quoted message said:

First, it's a very sharp looking bike. The ergonomics do seem well

thought

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

out. Seat and handlebar adjustments are a snap, and appear to be

designed

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

for riders with limited mobility. The low step-over height also points

to a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

target market with limited mobility. This is a bike designed for aging Boomers.

Quoted message said:

OK, limited mobility?

Perhaps I should have said "limited range of joint motion." That's what I meant. As we age, it's
harder and harder to throw a leg over the bike for mount/dismount, etc. The less joint motion, the
more comfortable the ride. Again, not a new idea. Look at European city bikes. The low "step
through" design is quite common.

Quoted message said:

I think the Revive is designed for everyone to enjoy, not aging boomers!

That doesn't guarantee that everyone will like it as well as you do.

Quoted message said:

Just for the record, I'm 41 and weight 150lbs. I can ride any bike I want!

I'm sure you can.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It's rather heavy, which should come as little surprise. That's the

downside

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

to wide adjustability, stylized body panels, wheel covers, etc. I

suppose

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

you could drop the weight quite a bit by removing all of the stylizing

bits;

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

but that would be missing the point, I think. This is not a bike that

was

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

designed to be carried up 3 flights of stairs to your urban apartment.

Its

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

supposed to sit in a suburban garage, and be ridden on weekends.

You may be right there, I would not want to carry my Revive dx up stairs all the time, but I do
lift it up to put it on the bike rack and It's not really that heavy,I ride lots of hills here in
St.Louis and have no trouble! I do live in a house with a garage and ride it almost everyday!

That's an ideal situation. I envy you. I have no garage, and have to lug my heavy,wide-stance
tadpole trike up and out of a narrow, low cellar door when I want to ride it. It's a royal pain;
but it could be worse! I'm thankful to have good health, storage space, and a place to ride my
recumbents (and DF bikes, too).

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I like the riding position; but as I had imagined, it is not good for

making

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

power, and thus is slow. I tried several different seat heights and handlebar positions to see if
I could produce more power. Nothing

doing.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Also, I noticed significant leg interference with the seat edge (which I

had

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

expected, due to the low BB height). The only way to solve that would

be to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

use a much narrower saddle, but, again, that would be defeating the

purpose.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

This is not a racing bike.

True, it's not a racing bike, never will be. And the seat feels great on my bum The riding
position feels wonderful. I can look around and behind me. The lower crank makes it easyer to step
on and off the bike which really helps in traffic.

Just happens to be ideal for riders with limited joint motion.

Quoted message said:

Also, the 20" wheels gives it better center of gravity.

I would debate this assertion. The Revive didn't feel particularly stable to me, but
acceptably so. I didn't feel confident riding "no hands", for instance. (forgot to mention
that in the review)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The rear suspension seemed to suck up some power, and the Nexus hub was

a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

real power sink, too. The combination of the Nexus hub, rear suspension

and

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the non-ideal riding position conspire to make the Revive a "slow

rider".

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It's a cruiser, not a racer.

Again, True it's not a racer, what's your point!

That it's not a racing bike, so don't expect it to go fast. It's a design trade off.

Quoted message said:

The rear suspension is adjustable, it's sucks up the bumps. That's what it is there for.

Like most rear suspensions, it also sucks up pedalling energy.

Quoted message said:

The inter hub works great, I can change gears even when I'm not moving, which makes it easy to put
it in a lower gear when you have to stop in traffic.

I have a city bike with a Nexis 7 rear hub. I can really tell the difference in energy efficiency
between the internal hub and a derailleur. (Also, being a "city bike" it has a less powerful
riding position - again, a design trade off.)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Somehow, I don't think the lack of speed is going to be a problem for

its

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

intended target market. It wasn't designed to compete with the

lowracers

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

out there. This is a "cruise around the suburban retirement community

and

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

multi-use paths" bike. The intended market will appreciate the low

stepover,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the can't-miss shifting, the comfy seat, and the head-turning looks of

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Revive. The grandkids will want to ride it, too, and that's when the

wide

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

range of instant no-tools-required seat and handlebar adjustability will

be

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

worth the price of admission. Would I recommend the Revive for older riders? Absolutely.

Your killing me dude, I know I'm not 20 anymore, like I said I'm 41.

So am I, coincidentally.

Quoted message said:

I have a 8 year old daughter and NO grandkids! I do live in the Subs, and if you must know it's a
uppermiddle class Hood not I retirement community.

Low racers were designed for skinny, tall, muscular young European speed freaks; but older,
aero-bellied, American non-racers love them, too! (I resemble that comment ;-)

Quoted message said:

But, I would be nice to retire in a couple of years!

Retirement is a positive concept these days. The soon-to-be-retiring boomers are a *huge* market.
Lots of companies are marketing to them (and that's nothing new).

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

All things considered, I expect the Revive to sell very well. The bike received *lots* of
attention during my test ride. People really like the looks of the Revive. The superb ergonomics,
comfy saddle, foolproof shifting, zero-maintenance drivetrain and wide adjustability, combined

with

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the high head-turning factor will contribute to the success of the

Revive.

Quoted message said:

"Yes" I think you got it! "Thank You"

"You're welcome" "what's with the air quotes?" ":-)"

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The "aging Boomer" target market (as I imagine it) are people with

enough

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

money that the price tag won't be a significant barrier to entry. They

can

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

always opt for the less fancy versions.

People with enough money, Dude, the DX cost around $800.00 US in know road and maintain bikers
that pay that much just on set of pedals that don't come with their bike!

True; but most people (in the US, anyway) buy their bikes at WalMart and ToysRUs. Sad but true.
$800 is a *lot* of money for most folks to spend on a bike.

Quoted message said:

The price will probably come down a

Quoted message said:

bit as the market for semi-recumbents heats up. Giant has a

well-deserved

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

reputation for dialed-in designs with superior component quality at

every

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

price point in virtually every cycling niche market. I imagine they'll continue that tradition
with the Revive.

Maybe who is to say? But I'm sure the Revive is the wave of the future.

Perhaps. It is being marketed to consumers who should appreciate its benefits. As someone pointed
out on this NG, the Revive is not a new design. It's just a more refined version of an existing
design. The fact that Giant has entered this market bodes well for this type of bike design.
They're a conservative company, for the most part.

Quoted message said:

Thanks for letting me get that off my chest Barry.

NP. Always glad to discuss new things.

Quoted message said:

Have a nice weekend.

You too, Derek. Nice website, BTW.

-Barry

[I just saw 3 Giant Revive's on "Clearance" at the Bronx Bicycle Center on 912 E Gunhill Road in the Bronx
Prices from $375 for base to $500 for DX
I bought a 2003 Cypress DS for $200
The Revive looked interesting but I preferred a hybrid