Giant Roam Review

Every model in the Roam range is based around an ALUXX-Grade alloy frame. This lightweight heart of the bike has a geometry that puts you in both an upright and efficient riding position, balancing the benefits of road and mountain biking. The frame is made using butted tubes, which removes material where it isn’t needed to keep the weight down, while adding material in areas to maintain frame strength. The frame features an integrated downtube mudguard, which neatly houses the cables to keep them clean out the way.

Up front, all the Roam models benefit from a Suntour suspension fork with 63mm travel. This helps to reduce vibrations on rough roads and absorb bumps on gravel tracks and forest trails. The 63mm travel is just enough to help on rougher terrain, yet doesn’t take away from the bike’s efficiency. The Roam 3 and 2 Disc have a Suntour NEX fork up front. Both the Roam 1 Disc and 0 Disc have NCX forks, with the flagship model getting a lighter air spring fork. All the forks get hydraulic lockout for optimum efficiency.

To get you up any hills you may encounter, every Giant Roam comes with a 3x drivetrain, meaning you get three chainrings up front that gives a huge range of gearing. This provides you with both easy gearing for cruising along and higher gearing for greater speeds. Giant specced Shimano groupsets across the range, ensuring precision shifting no matter the model, and reliability that’s second-to-none.

The base model Roam 3 gets a 3x8 speed Shimano Acera/Tourney drivetrain with a total of 24 possible gear combinations. Moving up, the 2 Disc gets an Acera/Altus drivetrain and 3x9 setup. The top two models both receive 3x10 speed drivetrains, maximising the gear range. The Shimano SLX drivetrain on the range-topping Roam 0 Disc comes from mountain biking, giving all-out performance.

The base level Roam 3 gets powerful V-brakes, which provide substantial braking power. The other three Disc models, however, received even stronger hydraulic disc brakes. These have a lighter lever action, delivering even more powerful braking with less effort. They also have better modulation and are just as effective in the wet or dry, giving added control.

Giant manage to keep their bikes priced reasonably, thanks in part to using their great inhouse components. Giant GX rims are paired to Formula hubs on all but the flagship Roam model. The Roam 0 Disc gets a Giant WheelSystem SX-X2 wheelset. This is lighter and a bit stronger, giving more secure and faster rolling. All the wheels are a road-sized 700c, providing a great platform for choosing a wide range of tyres to suit your riding needs.

The mid-size 38c Giant Crosscut tyres are balanced between quick on road rolling and comfort on rougher surfaces. The tread gives grip for off road riding and has closely spaced knobs for low rolling resistance on hardpack paths or paved roads. The Roam has enough clearance for wider tyres too, giving room for further upgrades down the line.