Bike check - Ila Stow's Cape Epic-conquering Liv Pique

A close encounter with Liv's third-generation Pique, the brand's flagship cross-country race bike.

Dino Lloyd

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Apr 3 2024

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Giant Bicycle's stand-alone women-specific brand, Liv, is focused on designing and creating products specifically for women, rather than simply rebranding existing men's product lines. In terms of the Absa Cape Epic, Liv has enjoyed some relative success over the years and fielded a mix of amateur and pro teams through its Liv Trail Squad program pre-COVID-19. In a post-COVID world, we hope to see the commitment return to the event. That aside, the brand does provide a local demo support fleet for Epic Day Trippers, a guided tour taking in some of the Cape Epic's stages.

With the launch of Liv's third-generation Pique, the company's flagship cross-country race bike, Ila Stow competed in her third Cape Epic within the UCI women's category on the new Pique, paired with German national Laura Stark as Team Fortress Women.

Western Cape-based Stow is a regular feature on the local race calendar, is fully immersed in mountain biking DNA, and has also taken part in three other Epics as one of the Bulls Media eBike riders.

So it makes sense that Liv's third-gen Pique makes its racing debut piloted by a multi-faceted rider. off.road.cc got some time with the new Liv Pique at Stage 7's Grand Finale in Stellenbosch and went through some of the details.

Liv's third-generation Pique sees several key revisions in suspension, carbon layup, and geometry, nearly 300g have been carved away. Ila's large frame bike was raced near full stock other than setup changes on the saddle, stem, and tyres to suit personal preferences.

Immediately noticeable is the placement of two full-size water bottles inside the main frame, accommodated across small, medium, and large frame sizes.

Designed to be light, tough, and compliant, Zipp's 1Zero HiTopSW wheelset comes standard with TyreWiz valves. Also note the low profile rim design ridge, to mitigate damage from pinch impact on the tyres.

The stock racy Maxxis Aspens were changed in favour of the faster-rolling 2.4 Rekon Race at the front and rear.

SRAM XX1 Transmission, in the space of 12 months the flagship system appears to be the accepted standard among elite racers.

Gone is LiveWire and Maestro, Fox Float front and rear with a flex pivot instead providing 115mm rear travel to compliment 120mm up front.

Fox Transfer Factory dropper post with that famous Kashima stanchion.

24-hole Zipp ZM2 SL Hubs, six-pawl 66 engagement points, and laced up with Sapim butted spokes. Thoroughly race proven in the arduous conditions found at the Cape Epic.

The spec 60mm stem is replaced with a stubby trail stem to suit Ila's reach/handling preference. The custom stem cap is a carryover, gifted to Ila during her time with the Bulls media crew.