ColonelSanders

Last year, Giant seemed to wow just about everyone with their new Fastroad SLR & Fastroad CoMax, now they have done it again by releasing a new hybrid they call their Toughroad SLR.

Basically this bike is like a Trek FX on steroids.

It comes with the more advanced SLR grade of aluminium in the frame, comes with a carbon fork, disc brakes, a 2 x 10 chainring on the top model & comes standard with 700 x 50c tyres.

This looks like one hell of a bike and finally a big manufacturer is offering the type of bike so many have been crying out for.

Whilst I called it a Trek FX on steroids, it could just as easily be viewed as a Crosstrail with a carbon fork.

Now the obligatory pics.

Toughroad SLR 1 - RRP $1,300



Toughroad SLR 2 - RRP $870

altondavis2

Looks like a FatBike on Slimfast.

Betcha it sells like craaaaaaazzzeeeeee, especially the SLR 1.

badger1

Got to agree, ColonelS -- smart, smart-looking bike, and a really sensible design concept.

Essentially, a lightish-duty (and light) rigid 29er set up for on/lightish off-road riding, with full-on touring as an option. Really smart design in my view.

Love the look, too; straight tubes: yay! Just looks like an old-school rigid mtb executed in modern materials.

swoodjr1

Reminds me of a Kona Big Rove

KONA BIKES | 2016 BIKES | ROVE | Big Rove AL

NormanF

Looks like it copied the Marin Muirwoods.

That's already an urban 29er.

Giant is late to the party.

NormanF

Marin Muirwoods 29er:



I'm running Freedom Cruz 700 X 52 on mine. That's a true 29 X 2.0 tire.

badger1

Yes, yes ... we know.
'Copied' or not (doubtful), the question simply is 'how well executed is the design'. Looks promising to me ... and one hell of a lot lighter than a Muirwoods (which is an excellent bike, no doubt).

travbikeman

Nice! Those appear to be really great bikes for some long distance riding!

NormanF

Main difference is frame material: ToughRoad SLR is built with butted alloy; Muirwoods is double-butted cromoly.

badger1

Agreed. Double/triple butted aluminum (very light/very strong) w/carbon fork; very good double-butted chromoly/chromoly fork. The latter will inevitably be considerably heavier given equivalent build (components/wheels). It will also be 'tougher', especially if used for loaded touring.

Choice would come down to priorities, and that's a matter of individual preference. If one privileges all-up weight for unloaded, quick riding on roads/rough roads/gravel etc. possibly with some lightish touring, something like the 'Toughroad'. If one doesn't care so much about all-up weight, but does contemplate something like roughish loaded touring at some point (and Muirwoods have been used for this), one might prefer the steel bike.

I think it's great that Giant has jumped into the market with this bike: choice is good.

Wanderer

That looks really nice. I wonder why they don't include 36 spoke wheels????

DorkDisk

Woot. Rigid hardtail mountain bikes with old school geometry (the original hybrid) are being marketed again by mainstream companies.

redcon1

Modern 32-spoke wheels are plenty strong enough for loaded touring and lighter. My 29er has 32-spoke disc wheels and they are bombproof.

badger1

... and a good thing, too.

practical

Is this mainly a touring bike? I assume so but perhaps there are other uses that I'm not seeing.

DorkDisk

Absolutely. Aluminum, especially is very mature now and is no longer the stiff unforgiving material it once was. Newer standards like discs and dropouts are nice to have also.

I like the old school influences: the reversal of the oversize seatpost to 27.2 for more compliance, mid-length stem, steep angles, and a short head tube.

And thank you, Giant for cleaning up your graphics. Your old bikes looked like this:

GIANTGIANTGIANTGIANTGIANTGIANTGIANTGIANTGIANTGIANTGIANTGIANTGIANTGIANTGIANTGIANTGIANTGIANTGIANTGIANT GIANT

badger1

Agreed on every count, including the graphics!

badger1

I shouldn't think so. That impression is given mainly by the f/r racks (included). Unloaded road/gravel/dirt riding; commuting; light to mid-weight touring -- lots of possibilities.

I agree with DorkDisk: a really nice new-but-old school rigid 'hybrid' using the latest aluminum/carbon frame possibilities.

Walter Denton

Hmmm... That Toughroad SLR 2 looks really interesting. I had been seriously considering a Roam 1 but this looks like another option. I expect it will be a while before one is available to try in my neighborhood.

NormanF

The 29er is no danger of disappearing any time soon.

sfrank

This is similar to what my Trek 8.4DS has turned into over the last 4 years. I changed the suspension fork for a carbon fiber one from Origin-8 after the original one was recalled. I also changed the stock handlebars for a Metropolis mustache handlebar. I bought a second set of wheels and installed a set of Bontrager 29-3 tires on them for off-road use. If I hadn't done this to my Trek already I would definitely look at the Toughroad SLR 1

altondavis2

Kona bikes are manufactured in Taiwan. Maybe GIant manufactures them ???

ColonelSanders

If Giant revamps their Roam range next year(and gets it right), then I would say that across the board on hybrids, they have become the leading brand for hybrids over Trek & Specialized.

MRT2

Agreed. 32 spoke wheels might be adequate for lighter riders, or even heavier riders who don't do all that much riding. The 32 spoke back wheel on my Salsa was adequate for the first year of riding. I started having problems after 2 years with the back wheel going out of true. I never popped a spoke, but the rim cracked at about 1,800 miles.

Wanderer

For every day, heavy duty use, it should have 36 spoke wheels, right out of the barn..... For heavy duty touring, for all of us clydes, 32 spokes just isn't enough. 36 works!