I have been following discussions on the Toughroad SLR 2 for 6 months or more. I am sure it will be the ideal bike for me for using on bike paths, a little road (the less the better) and some rail trails. When the 2018 models came on special due to the 2019 models about to be released, I hot footed it to my LBS only to find that the medium size that suits me, already sold out. That was disappointing so I was resigned to waiting for the new models. Now having details of the 2019 models I think I will go for the SLR 1 as it has only 2 chainrings. On my old Avanti Discovery 2007 (New Zealand bike) which I bought to see if I would like bike riding again after 55 years I mainly use the middle ring with occasional use of Granny gear (or in my case Grandpa or the small chainring. Great fitness bike in that weight with panniers and mudguards was nearly 18 kilograms which made me pedal a bit harder and get more exercise. The SLR 2 has gone up by $100 to $1399 here in Oz while the SLR 1has remained the same at $1699. The drivetrain has changed to Shimano from SRAM, I dont know what difference that will make quality wise.
i am keen to purchase but have a couple of obstacles in the way. I haven’t ridden one yet so I will have do that and my wife has just had a stroke and is recovering at home so depending upon her prognosis for the future is whether I take the plunge.

I finally made up my mind and ordered the 2019 Toughroad SLR 1 a fortnight ago. LBS said it would arrive in Oz week forty which is next week. So should have it within a week or two after that. Really keen to take it for a spin as I have been making do with daughters Giant Rock of some indeterminate year. I feels a good bike but I am sure the Toughroad will be fantastic compared to it.

Was in annoying the sales staff at my LBS on Wednesday and Lee (we are on first name terms now as I have pestered him so often) said that my Toughroad SLR 1 2019 had arrived and would I like to have a look at it. Is the Pope a Catholic? He took me to the mechanics area and there it was up on a work stand. All beautiful, shiny brushed silver paintwork. It looked like they had just got a bare frame and wire brushed it and then put a clear coat of sealer over it. I doubt that though. In general I think most of the colours of most brands of bikes are pretty crappy and I was resigned to the fact that in photos the silver looked reasonable but not exciting. In the flesh though it does look very nice and so I am happy from that point of view.
I was not able to pick it up until this morning (Saturday) but was there when the shop opened. Taking delivery I put it in the back of my van and brought it home. First thing I did was to weight it. I told the LBS not to fit the fron pannier frames as I won’t use them at this point, maybe later. They fitted a Giant Axact+ computer for me which I could have done myself but why do the barking when you have a dog? I got that pretty right at $29AU down from $74. Don’t know whether it is a current model but don’t care as all I want it for is to use as an odometer. I then set that up properly using the roll method to get a fairly accurate measurement of the wheel circumference. Long story short, the weight came out to be 10kg on my state of the ark 1980’s analogue scales where my old 2007 hybrid was 17kg, so a definite weight improvement. Fitted my Knog phone holder and PWR light and Knog Blinder tail light and then had lunch. After waiting for a discrete amount of time (it nearly killed me) I made my escape from the better half.
I did 41km over my most travelled bicycle route that I use and my impressions are:
it is really light and nippy compared to my limited experience with other bikes. The 50mm tyres soak up any unevenness, cracks and bumps in the track as does the composite front fork and the Dfuse seatpost. I can feel the seatpost flexing as I go over the bumps and hollows. The gears change pretty well out of the box. The mechanics haven’t done much with them I feel and I will be asking them to have a look at a bit of hesitation in gearchanges from high 2 to 3 and 3 to 4 that I noticed sometimes. The down changes on the cassette were light on the lever, I attribute this to the Deore engineering. Something I noticed that the front lever for the cassette (up changes) could be had by pulling the lever with your finger or pushing the lever with your thumb similar to a SRAM lever. Neat trick and something I like and will probably use more often as time goes by. The bike accelerates quite well with less effort than other bikes that I have ridden (I repeat that I I limited experience and only on fairly ordinary bikes) my speed was good for less effort and my maximum speed was probably better by 3km than in the past and with less effort to do it. It took it on about 2km of gravel to see how it felt and I was completely happy with the comfort while doing so. I don’t know what the Tyre pressures the bike shop put in the tyres but I think it would be nearly 60 psi.
The only negative thing I could say about the bike at this stage is that when I got back home, the bike was dusty! Apparently they don’t self clean, pity.

A question for those much wiser than I, When I set up the trip computer I wheel the bike over the one revolution of the wheel instead of sitting on the bike as I didn’t have anyone to assist me. This might possibly alter than rolling diameter of te wheel I presume but by how much I am clueless. I notice that the trip computer, over 40 km is about 0.7 of a kilometre higher than the reading obtained by on my cycling App, Endomondo on my iPhone. Which do you think would be the more accurate, the App or the cycling computer? If it is the App do I go into the cycling computer and adjust the circumference up or down by a centimetre or two. Being a little more than slightly anal retentive I would like to be as accurate as possible.

i hope these first impressions are helpful to anyone contemplating one of these steeds. If you have any questions, ask away and I will do my best to answer them.

Wanted to post a first picture for you but apparently I need ten posts before I have that capability. Shame about that.

Thank you for that explanation Hokiefyd. I did do the unloaded roll from valve stem to valve stem but it thinking about it, I wasn’t particularly accurate with it as I measured from a piece of carpet near my work bench in the garage to the second point where I placed a carpenters pencil and the measured between the two. Might I just add that it was in haste as I wanted to get out there and just ride! I will do the unloaded and the loaded roll today with assistance and aim for a little more accuracy. Whatever I come up with will be more accurate than the bike shop who just set it up as 700c wheels and didn’t go further to do a rolling measurement. I will post back here when I have done that.

I just have to get my post count up to ten and then will give it a go. I am a reasonable photographer but have never tried any bike photography. Some new skills to learn.
I think that every day you should try to learn something new so will include bike photography in that. Also if you don’t knock some skin off every day, you are not really trying. Or am I just clumsy?

I did another test of the wheel measurement today. This time seated on the bike, leaning forward and tiptoeing along. This time it came out to 2250mm whereas previously the unloaded roll was 2270 (I think). The ride distance on the Giant Axact+ computer is now closer to the reading obtained on the Endomondo App. There is only a 200 -300 metre difference now so that is good enough for me.

I checked my Tyre pressures today and my highly expensive foot pump ($14 at Aldi, a cheap goods store) indicated that the front Tyre had only about 20psi in it. No wonder the bike felt so comfortable! I took the pressure up to about 55psi and did the back Tyre too. I went for a ride and stopped within 3km to lets a little air out of the tyres. That impripoved the ride a bit but not as plush as my initial ride. I think I am going to have to invest in an accurate digital gauge as 55psi really felt more than that. There has to be a Goldilocks point where the pressures are just right.

Looks like I was wrong about the AnyRoad being discontinued for 2019. It's not on the U.S. Giant website, but it's still there for some countries.

Thanks for that HerrKaLeun, I weight 72Kg and I have started experimenting with what feels good as regards the pressures. The Giant Crosscut Gravel tyres suggest 35-60PSI As started before I don't know what the accuracy of my gauge is but will buy a digital gauge and as long as it reads somewhere between the two limits and I am happy with the ride I will go with that.

I didn't manage to get a ride today. It rained and I didn't want to get the new toy dirty!

Went for a quick ride today in between showers of rain. Did 18km on bitumen and hard picked dirt. Gears are pretty sweet but will need a bit of adjustment. Tyre pressures are still a little hard so will let some air out before next ride. Have now travelled 104km total over three rides. Looking forward to spending more time in the saddle.

The Toughroad SLR 1 has tubeless tyres too. I think whatever your ideas of “comfort” regarding Tyre pressures are, then that is what is good for you. As long as you don’t get flats from under or over inflation and are happy with with your ride then that is what is best.