I just got the Avow! I think it is a great bike and am really excited to start riding and racing on it. I was in the market for a new bike and this made the short list based on my relationships with local shops, but a lot went into my final decision. First, I went to see my fitter on my old bike and using that, as well as the geometry of a previous bike we determined what bikes would work and get me the best possible fit. Next we compared the geometry of several other bikes and most had numbers in a workable range for me. Ultimately the Avow made sense for a number of reasons, but most importantly it was going to fit. My previous bike did not, which was frustrating to work with.

I ended up on an XS (I am 5'4" long limbs, short torso). The bike fits great, and the only change I might make in the future is go for shorter crank arms, but I use a quarq for power and can't really afford a new one at the moment. As far as the geometry on the Liv bike, it was designed for women from scratch. Liv is the first brand to do this for a tri bike, most other companies have a women's specific design but the geo is same it just comes in different colors. I cannot recall the exact differences right now, but the stack and reach are a bit different and the top tube is shorter on the Avow than the Giant Trinity. Anyway, I will echo what others have said and adivse you to find a bike that fits. Consult with a knowledgeable fitter, figure out what you optimal coordinates are then narrow bike options from there. Maybe the Liv will be your bike! It does come in awesome colors! Plus the Advanced Pro models have Di2, but all models come with carbon wheels.

I have only been on my bike once on the trainer, but let me know if you have any questions about it! Happy bike searching!

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Emily Sherrard
@EmSher1
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I did consider getting a women's specific bike before but I dropped the idea because I figured the second hand market for it isn't very liquid....but only if resale is a concern for you.

Thanks so much, and congrats on your bike! For reference, what was your bike size in a standard road bike before the XS avow? I'm a 51, and would do a proper bike fit, but am assuming I would probably be a S.

I have a Trek Madone road bike and it is a 51, but a tad too big since I had to put a super short stem on it. I got it before I knew enough about bikes to know it wasn't the right size. No more of that.

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Emily Sherrard
@EmSher1
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This is really helpful, thank you! And Hokeypokey thanks for the point about re-sale ... true that it would be a much smaller market. In my head I will never sell this bike or buy another one. But when is that ever actually true?

You're welcome! Good luck with finding your new bike! If you get the Avow, why would you want to sell it ;) Something else to think about with resale is that although there are far more men in triathlon than women, women are one of the fastest growing segments in triathlon. I am sure you could find a new owner, especially for someone new(er) to the sport, many tend to go with a second-hand first bike.

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Emily Sherrard
@EmSher1
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Just my $0.02 but as a female with a long torso and short legs, I don't fit on women's bikes.
1. The top tube is too short for me so unless I want a ginormous stem, no thank you.
2. The handlebars that come with them are narrower which again, long torso (and also longer arms) I don't need that.
3. Personally, I usually don't like the colors.

I'm 5'4" and ride 48cm bikes that are all "men's." My tri bike is a 48cm Cervelo P2C, road is a 48cm Cannondale Caad10, and cross is a mutt I built up myself with an XS Nashbar frame.

If you have an even longer torso and shorter legs than a man, I don't see you fitting well on a women's bike at all. Especially because most women are the complete opposite. I even buy men's wetsuits because the torso fits better. And I buy mens running tights because again, the legs are shorter and don't bunch up.

Good luck in your search, but definitely get properly fit!

Thanks so much again, all. I test rode the Liv Avow Advanced (DI2 version) yesterday at a bike shop in Brooklyn, and it turns out I had it switched -- I've got longer legs and a shorter torso (more typical female sized than I'd thought based on previous measurement). The Liv fits better than the Small Scott Plasma, the other bike I'd been seriously considering. I'm actually almost an XS in the Liv because even on the S the reach is a bit too long. My conclusion of all of this, in case it's helpful to anyone else, is that for a shorter reach, longer-stack bike, for someone with a petite frame, it's a good fit.

Still going to get a professional bike fit at an independent third party (I find often that the bike shop owners are just trying to sell you their bike, and therefore try harder to "make you fit" on the bike they are trying to sell...), but I'm leaning towards the Avow anyway because it does actually seem to be better suited to a smaller female like me. The resale potential is an unfortunate ding but I'm willing to take the hit if I end up riding this for a long time.

Also FYI that the Di2 version, the Avow Advanced, is sold in XS and S in the US.

My experience has been that Speed Concept xs and Cervelo 45 and 48 have the best stack and reach combinations for us shorties with relatively long legs and short torsos. The Avow has a long top tube and a reach of over 38 cm.

The Avow seems like a lot of money for a Giant brand bike. I find the marketing somewhat disturbing--where do they come up with 21 degree as optimal angle for riding on the aerobars? Why on earth are they plugging the value of the bike for riding on the base bar? Isn't the point of tri bikes to ride in the aero position?

I'm also unimpressed by a bike company that uses imperial and US customary measurement units in the same geometry chart. And at 77 degrees the seat tube angle seems slack for a tri position.

I fall in the camp that bike fit is all about geometry, not sex. A small person needs a small bike, regardless of sex. Looks like to me that Giant put some girly paint colors on a bike that isn't really that small, called it WSD and has built a "global marketing" program around it.

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No coasting in running and no crying in baseball

THIS!!!! You don't need a WSD - you need a bike that fits you. That may mean putting narrower bars and a different saddle on a stock bike - but otherwise, you just need a good fit.

Watch this: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=djlHnZ53sfg

Cervelo sponsors a top women's team and several top pro triathletes and they don't ride WSD - all it takes is a good bike fit! I am not trying to push cervelo but just offer an example of women successfully riding unisex bikes.

Now with all that said, there are certain products that I firmly believe should be designed for women - clothing, saddles, helmets, bars - but not bike frames

Nice video. I went down to Richmond VA to watch the UCI women's races. Now that was cool!

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No coasting in running and no crying in baseball