By Elaine Sheikh
As I entered my first full year of competitive cycling, one thing was certain: I was due for a bicycle upgrade. This became very evident in April at the Tour of the Gila when there were no neutral wheels available to me as I was the only woman in the peloton with a 10-speed cassette! Since Liv, a sister company of Giant featuring women-specific bicycles, is a sponsor of our team, I knew I wanted to start there with my bicycle search. Fortunately, Liv offers a comprehensive line-up of race bicycles, so I knew I would find a bike that would meet my needs. After much research and vascillation, I chose the 2019 Langma Advanced Pro 1 Disc. With an advanced-grade composite frame, Shimano Ultegra mechanical groupset, and Giant SLR-1 Disc 30 WheelSystem, I knew I would be getting quite an upgrade from my previous race machine.
The first thing I did was upgrade the crankset from a compact to a mid-compact with a Pioneer powermeter. I knew that with the 11×30 cassette, I would have no trouble with the larger chain-rings. Otherwise, the only other change to the original product was the saddle. The wheelset comes tubeless ready, which is how I ran it.
First impressions: The bike is gorgeous, with a sleek black finish and small dark purple and gold accents. I expected the bike to be light, but I was still surprised with the lightness of the bike when I picked it up. Riding over chip seal, I found that my wrists, arms and shoulders felt remarkably less fatigue than n my previous bike. The shock absorption of the composite frame lends itself to a smooth, comfortable ride. The bike accelerates quickly, with enough stiffness to be responsive. Additionally, it is also stiff enough in the lateral planes to corner confidently. Overall, I have loved my first week with the new bicycle and can’t wait to represent Team Athletic Mentors and Liv bicyles for the rest of the road season!
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