pakeboi

According to a review article in Adventure Cycling (Nov.'18) , the Giant ToughRoad SL flat bar is being phased out for a drop bar line only .

FM1178

If it is, I’m gonna pick up the SLR 2 like now. I want another Toughroad but was awaiting for the 2020s to see if I liked the new colorways better.

I just read read the article and it said “eventually” phase out the straight bar design for the drop bar version. Hopefully not in 2020

pakeboi

Adventure Cycling Review

"And you’d best take Giant steps, too — Juskaitis says the company’s long-term strategy is to eventually phase out the flat-bar ToughRoads for a drop-only product line."

PDKL45

That's awful news, as I really like the Toughroad SLR flatbar and would love to own the 1x11 model. Unfortunately, I can't just up and buy a new bike right now, even if it may be phased out eventually. We saw it with the Giant ARX as well, recently, a wonderful little rigid hybrid with nice fat tires.

Does anyone have any suggestions for alternatives to the Toughroad SLR? An alloy frame with carbon forks and room for fattish tires? The Trek 1120 jumps out, but it has frame cracking problems. I like the look of the Sonder Camino, even if I'd have to run 700x40 or 650x47 tires.

pakeboi

I'd like the 1x11 b ut it's not offered in the US market .
I wonder why the most interesting models are never offered in the US .

PDKL45

It's strange that the Toughroad SLR 0 is not offered in the US. I know that feeling really well; living in Korea the distributors of many brands fail to offer any of the brand's bikes that I am interested in, by focusing on MTB and road and completely ignoring anything else. You guys don't get Merida bikes there either, do you?

travbikeman

Merida owns a healthy portion of Specialized. So in a sense, we do have Merida here in the U.S. But in the form of Specialized bikes.

I'm betting the Toughroad SLR 0 is not offered here for the same reasons why other higher level hybrids seem to fail in this country. They just don't sell here. Example, the Specialized Crosstrail carbon, was very short lived in this country. I personally could never find a shop that stocked these. Now they are not even being sold here.

pakeboi

Maybe we'll see the 1x11 as the flat bar SL's swan song .

PDKL45

Does anyone know if the tire clearance is the same on the flat bar and drop bar models? The flat bar bikes have 700x50 (29x2.0) tires, while the drop bar bikes have 700x40c tires stock. Is it possible to put wider tires in the drop bar frames?

pakeboi

Was told by a Giant dealer mechanic the frames are the same .

pakeboi

Just released ; 2020 TOUGHROAD SLR GX 2
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/to...-slr-gx-2-2020

EGBigelo

Only one model, and it’s a Claris groupset with mechanical disc brakes. I will pass. Hopefully they add at least a Sora model with hydraulic disc.

And the description says 50c tires, but the specs list them as 42c.

PDKL45

Strange that they're only offering the Toughroad SLR GX 2 in the US, You would think that there was a ready market for the higher level GX 1 and GX 0 models there? I was under the impression that some guys were using them as gravel bikes. Giant are really pushing the Revolt Advanced as their gravel bike, though. Edit: They're trickling out the new 2020 models and there's a SLR GX 1 (dropbar) model up now with the same racks as the flar bar SLR 1. Kinda cool.

The Toughroad SLR 2020 colorways should be out soon, I have been checking the various Giant sites to see what they look like (the Australian site has the 2020 Fastroads up), but so far the only 2020 Toughroad model I can see is the GX 2 linked to above.

ColonelSanders

Top tube length and head tube length are different and I suspect there are other differences too, but I can't remember right now.

pakeboi

With the stock 50mm tires ?
I was told by a Giant dealer the bike can run a wide range ; like from 38mm to over 50mm .

ps249

The sky aint falling. Theres plenty of flat bar options.

PDKL45

I think the Toughroad SLR GX has "Giant CrossCut AT 2, 700x38" tires on the lower level bikes and “Giant CrossCut Gravel 2, 700x40” tires on the higher level bikes. That's why I was asking actually, to see if those bikes would take a 700x50 (29x2.0) tire.

FM1178

I was able to find this. Looks like the 2020 SLR 2 will come in metallic black and will be a 2X instead of the triple it always had in the past.

PDKL45

Looking at the site, the 2020 Toughroad SLR 1 will be copper colored with the same Deore 10 speed and the same decent Giant racks. I wonder what the wheels are like, though? In my experience, Giant bikes have excellent frames with questionable wheelsets. Even with the wheelset issues, they're still very good value. I'm pretty certain my next bike will be a Giant.

pakeboi

Giant Australia :
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/au/bi...hroad-slr-2020

PDKL45

No 1x SLR 0?! Maybe they'll release it in other markets, but Oz was the original home of the SLR 0 model.

Edit: Actually, from what I can see, they're rolling out the 2020 models gradually, so there may actually be a 2020 SLR 0 model that will be added to the website later.

Edit 2: See the SLR 0 below.

PDKL45

Have a look at the Toughroad SLR GX 1, on offer in the US. Giant has included the same racks as the Toughroad SLR 1, and it does look like a move a company would make to transition the Toughroad line to drop bar only:

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/bi...ad-slr-gx-2020

pakeboi

2020 ToughRoad SLR 2
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/toughroad-slr-2-2020

PDKL45

Here's the 2020 ToughRoad SLR 0, available in Korea, which, in terms of looks, is very close to the SLR 2 above. It's actually not as nice as the 2019 model in terms of colorway and components (in my opinion, that is). https://www.giant-bicycles.com/kr/toughroad-slr-0-2020

FM1178

I actually like the “copper” color of the SLR1 best.