RIDE REVIEW I 2022 GIANT LIV EMBOLDEN E+ 2
P98
steady. This kept things moving
up hills with surprising ease—and
again, not such ease that it's do-
ing the work for you. But enough
that these ass-kicking climbs
that used to force me to either
strain my lower back, or get off
and push, were now doable.
You can also choose the auto
mode of the SyncDrive Sport
motor, which is its default set-
ting until you manually alter it. In
this setting, the bike will decide
how much to juice it and when.
I found the auto setting pretty
useful for about 80 percent of
the time. It was only when I was
craving more or less of a work-
out that I opted to toggle the
power levels myself. Even at the
"Hogbacks" riding area near my
house, where the trail features
several miles of sharp drops and
climbs through twists and turns,
the auto power mode worked
incredibly well, provided I didn't
get lazy with my shifting.
The Embolden E+ 2 features
29-inch wheels in every size but
an XS frame (27.5-inch wheels).
This adds to the overall comfort
of the ride, but as is the tradeoff
with larger wheel sizes, it creates
a taller ride that is not as nimble
in the turns. I actually found that
in the more technical downhills,
Excellent ergos and
intuitive power let you
spend more time in the
saddle. Longer rides
equals more fun!
SPECIFICATIONS I GIANT LIV EMBOLDEN E+ 2 ($4399)
MOTOR
Giant SyncDrive Sport,
70Nm, 5-mode plus automatic,
360% tunable support,
powered by Yamaha
CONTROLLER
Giant RideControl Ergo
SENSORS
Giant PedalPlus 6-sensor
technology
BATTERY
Giant EnergyPak Smart
Integrated 500Wh, 36V 13.8Ah
rechargeable lithium-ion
FRAME
ALUXX SL-Grade Aluminum, 120mm
FlexPoint Suspension System
FRONT SUSPENSION
SR Suntour XCR 34 Air
LO-R, 130mm travel, tapered
steerer, Lockout, 110x15
Quick-Loc thru-axle
REAR SUSPENSION
RockShox Monarch R,
High Volume, 184x44mm,
custom tuned
HANDLEBAR
Giant Connect TR Riser
31.8x750~780mm (XS-S:
750 / M-L: 780)
