Liv, Giant's Sister Brand, Drops Thrive E-Bike With Outrageous Range. Only for the Ladies

This is the sort of idea that may have led to Giant Bicycles creating their sister brand, Liv. If you've never heard this name before, all you really need to know is that it's a company dedicated specifically to the female rider. Every bike and piece of gear has been subjected to scrutinous R&D to ensure its design is optimized for the ladies in the house.

One machine that caught my attention as I explored this brand is the Thrive E+ EX Pro. It's hard to say what all those letters mean precisely, but that doesn't take away from the fact that I, too, would consider rocking this machine if I had the chance. How could I not? Just look at it, for god's sake!

Technically, this bugger falls under the "Road E-Bikes" category on Liv's website, so that should tell you all you need to know about where you will be riding this bugger. Because bikes are defined by the sort of terrain they operate on, you'll be able to see a geometry similar to that found on gravel, road, and long-distance machines. If you feel like taking the Thrive out for a spin on some gravel routes, 2.4-inch cross-section tires and fenders are sure to have you covered. Heck, those racks also look perfect for taking long rides up to your favorite camping spots.

Worried that you may struggle uphill? Don't. Remember, the Thrive is an e-bike, which means an entirely different riding experience than you may expect. Assisting your pedaling will be a SyncDrive Pro mid-mounted motor with 80 Nm (59 lb-ft) of torque. Considering some e-MTBs feature less torque than this, the only question remains: What hills? Oh, and if you didn't know that Yamaha designs and builds e-bike motors, now you do; SyncDrive is the result of Giant shaking hands with Yamaha.

Since something needs to be feeding all that power with electricity, I want to direct your attention to the bike's down tube. It's here that you'll see an integrated and removable battery pack with 500 Wh of juice. According to Liv's website, you can achieve a range of 90 miles (145 kilometers)! That, of course, is in optimum conditions, which we may rarely encounter in real life, but I feel that a good 80 miles (129 kilometers) should be achievable with minimal effort. The rest of the drivetrain is covered by the one and only Shimano, with a mixture of components to yield a smooth ride.

Try and think of things this way: it's Friday, and you've gotten off of work. On your way home, you stop by the store to pick up some groceries for that lava cake you have in mind. Home safe, you tie off your evening without any issues whatsoever. Come Saturday morning, you arise with a phone call from the girls to meet up for a ride. Slightly worried that you didn't charge your battery the night before, you turn on the Thrive and see that you have another 70% of spunk in the tank; good for another 50 miles (80 kilometers). Time to ride.

Now, ladies, this one is clearly for you, but boys, if you're reading this and your special someone deserves a machine built specifically for her, this one is worth the second look. And since money is of no importance when we talk about love, be ready with $4,300 (€4,140 at current exchange rates). Mic drop.