The £1,000 price point has never been more competitive than it is this year, with New Zealand company Avanti among those trying to muscle in on the market with their Giro 3.0.
This is part of the Avanti Endurance Road range, but what makes this different to most ‘endurance/sportive’ bikes is that with the headset spacers whipped out the slim-waisted head tube is also relatively short. This gives more aggressive riders the option to get lower, a position that suits the Giro’s ride very well. Fit is also short for the listed size. It is a compact frame, though, so you’ll still get a lot of seatpost showing even if you do size up.
The relatively long chainstays and wheelbase plus the slack 72-degree head angle make the Giro inherently stable. However, the trail of the S-curved carbon ‘lady legs’ fork is a couple of millimetres less than normal and the rake is 5mm more, which gives the front a responsive and agile feel. It also makes it noticeably smoother than most forks on £1,000 road bikes we’ve tested – without losing the precise feel of the tightly laced Shimano wheels.
That means that, while the Kenda Kriterium tyres aren’t generally our most trusted rubber, the Giro flatters them, and we were happy to fly around wet corners at full speed. They’re light too, although in our experience they’re more puncture prone than better protected but heavier Kendas.
Spec is mostly Tiagra, though the 105 shifters keep the cabling neat and the weight down, and at just over 9kg (19.8lb) it’s light for the price. This makes climbs curse free, the Giro picking up speed with ease over summits or if the gradient shallows mid-slope.
Zero supply just about all of the Avanti’s hardwear
Fast acceleration syncs with the rear end’s punchy feel, and it’s more than happy to mix it up on club runs and chain gangs through winter or races and rapid sportives come summer. And while bigger jolts will make you jump, the flattened centres of the Avanti VRS (Vibration Reduction Stays) seatstays, long seatpost and centre-hole saddle translate to perfectly reasonable all-day comfort.
Avanti have served up a responsive and characterful Kiwi, one that deserves a slice of the market for the more aggressive rider. But it is worth reiterating the advice about sizing up if you prefer a bike with long cockpit reach, as the Giro feels more hunched and huddled than long and languorous.
This article was originally published in Cycling Plus magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.