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Factor SLiCK vs Liv Avow Advanced SL
Pick up to 4 bikes. Rows line up component by component. Highlighted rows differ, and green marks the best value where lower or higher is clearly better.
Key differences
- The Liv Avow Advanced SL starts €1,900 cheaper (€7,499 vs €9,399 for the Factor SLiCK).
- Our verdict scores the Factor SLiCK higher overall: 78/100 vs 77/100.
- Tire clearance: up to 32 mm on the Factor SLiCK vs 30 mm on the Liv Avow Advanced SL.
- The Factor SLiCK comes in 5 sizes, the Liv Avow Advanced SL in 4.
Factor SLiCK
Liv Avow Advanced SL
| FactorSLiCK | LivAvow Advanced SL | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Brand | Factor | Liv |
| Build | SLiCK Premium SRAM Red w/ Power Meter | Avow Advanced SL 1 |
| Build notes | Premium build: Black Inc Tri Bar and Black Inc SIXTY TWO wheels. Crank length is chosen at order. | Model year 2027. EUR price from Liv Germany (Liv Italy lists €8,999); not listed on Liv's UK or US sites. |
| Price (MSRP) | €12,499$11,399€12,499 | €9,500€9,500€9,500 |
| Model year | 2025 | 2027 |
| Generation | Redesigned SLiCK (launched December 2024), Factor's first triathlon-only bike | Avow Advanced SL (first disc-brake Avow) |
| Launched | 2024-12 | 2025-01 |
| Discipline | Triathlon | Triathlon |
| UCI legal | Not stated | Yes |
| Verdict (out of 100) | ||
| Overall score | 78 | 77 |
| Aero | 82 | 84 |
| Frame | 86 | 82 |
| Components | 85 | 72 |
| Hydration & storage | 85 | 85 |
| Fit | 72 | 82 |
| Practicality | 82 | 62 |
| Price | 57 | 70 |
| Frame & fork | ||
| Frame material | Carbon (Toray and Nippon Graphite pitch-based fiber) | Carbon (Advanced SL-grade composite) |
| Fork material | Carbon (SLiCK wide-stance fork) | Carbon (Advanced SL-grade composite, full-composite OverDrive steerer) |
| Frame weight | 1,250 g2.76 lb | — |
| Fork weight | 459 g16.2 oz | — |
| Weight measured on | Size 54 (Factor press release) | — |
| Frame sizes | 48, 52, 54, 56, 58 | XXS, XS, S, M |
| Colours | Shadow White, Nebula Blue | Carbon; Gloss Pearl White/Chrome (2027 SL 2); Gloss Ultra Navy (2025 tri frameset); Gloss Mercury Gale (2027 SL-FF) |
| Also available as | HANZŌ is Factor's UCI time-trial bike | Giant Trinity Advanced SL (Giant-branded sister model); Avow Advanced SL framesets |
| UCI frame approval | — | Approved 21 Apr 2024 as 'MY25 AVOW ADV PRO' (frame and fork), category ALL, sizes XXS-L (5), code LIV-010 (UCI list version 2026.10.02); the list does not use the Advanced SL name |
| UCI configuration | — | Liv says the frameset is compliant for TT events; the 2027 SL-FF frameset ships with a UCI bottle alongside the hydration kit |
| Compatibility & standards | ||
| Brake type | Disc, max rotor 160 mm front and rear | Flat-mount disc |
| Max rotor size | 160 mm | 160 mm |
| Wheel size | 700c | 700c |
| Max tire width | 32 mm | 30 mm |
| Bottom bracket standard | T47 (CeramicSpeed aluminium cups, 30 mm spindle bearings) | Press-fit (PowerCore, 86 mm wide) |
| Front axle | 12x100 thru-axle | 12x100 thru-axle |
| Rear axle | 12x142 thru-axle | 12x142 thru-axle |
| Drivetrain compatibility | Electronic groupsets; max chainring 56T | Electronic groupsets only (Shimano Di2 and SRAM AXS) |
| Mechanical shifting possible | No | No |
| Max chainring | 56T | — |
| Cable routing | Internal | Internal, with ports at the head tube and rear dropout |
| Electronic battery location | — | Battery holder in the down tube |
| Hydration & storage | ||
| Integrated hydration | Yes | Yes |
| Hydration volume | — | 850 ml28.7 fl oz |
| Hydration details | Hydration reservoir on top-tube bosses, placed in the wake of the stem. | AeroVault reservoir with a straw near the armrests: 850 ml on M, 700 ml on XXS, XS and S. A metal threading tool is included for cleaning, and a standard bottle cage and bottle can be fitted instead. |
| Integrated storage | Yes | Yes |
| Storage details | Bento box on top-tube bosses behind the reservoir, plus an in-frame storage space under the down-tube bottle cage with a zipped soft bag for tubes, levers and small tools. | Top-tube bento box for up to six 32 g gels. |
| Top tube bento box | Yes | Yes |
| Fit & adjustability | ||
| Aerobar system | Standard build: Vision/FSA TriMax 3-piece aerobar (clip-on, carbon base bar, NS SMR II stem). Premium builds: Black Inc Tri Bar. | AeroDrive base bar with integrated stem and Sync armrest set; Giant SYNC EVO Pro extensions fit the bridge without an adapter |
| Third-party aerobars possible | Yes | — |
| Pad stack adjustment range | — | Armrest stack 0-80 mm in 9 positions (tri pad stack 604-686 mm on XXS to 672-752 mm on M) |
| Pad reach adjustment range | — | Armrest reach 0-75 mm in 10 positions (tri pad reach 309-383 mm on XXS to 360-435 mm on M) |
| Pad width range | — | 192-244 mm in 8 positions |
| Extension options | — | 10 and 15-degree extension wedges; armrest angle 0, 10 or 15 degrees; extension width 82-166 mm in 4 positions |
| Seatpost type | Factor SLiCK carbon straight post with 42 mm of adjustment; Ritchey-style 7x7 rail clamp | Liv Avow Composite aero seatpost (7x9 carbon rails compatible) |
| Saddle position range | — | Four offset positions within a 51 mm range |
| Effective seat angle range | 73-79° depending on saddle height (geometry chart lists 76°) | — |
| Fit notes | A standard 1-1/8 in steerer (1-1/8 in upper and 1-3/8 in lower bearings) lets riders fit third-party base bars, risers and extensions. Factor says the geometry has a particular focus on smaller riders. | — |
| Aerodynamics | ||
| Manufacturer aero claims | About 6 W saved at 48 km/h and about 12% better aerodynamics than the previous SLiCK | — |
| Testing method | — | CFD and dynamic wind-tunnel testing (AeroSystem Shaping) |
| Travel, maintenance & warranty | ||
| Travel & packing | Factor says the standard steerer lets the bike be taken apart and rebuilt for travel easily and consistently. | — |
| Headset bearings | CeramicSpeed SLT, 1-1/8 in upper and 1-3/8 in lower bearings | — |
| Proprietary parts | — | AeroDrive base bar and stem, Sync armrests, Avow Composite seatpost |
| Frame warranty | Limited lifetime warranty | Lifetime limited warranty on the frame and ten years on the rigid fork, original owner only (US) |
| Sold via | Direct from factorbikes.com and through retailers | Liv online store with delivery or pickup through authorized Giant/Liv retailers, and in store |
| Drivetrain | ||
| Groupset | SRAM Red AXS | SRAM Force AXS E1 |
| Launched | — | 2025 · current generation |
| Speeds | 12-speed | 12-speed |
| Electronic | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless | Yes | Yes |
| Drivetrain | 2x | 2x12 |
| Shifters | — | SRAM eTap Clics (extensions) / eTap Blips (basebar) |
| Position | — | Extensions and basebar |
| Crankset | SRAM Red AXS Power Meter | SRAM Force AXS E1 Power Meter |
| Chainrings | 48/35 | 50/37 |
| Crank length | 165 / 170 / 172.5 (chosen at order) | 160 (XXS-S) / 165 (M) |
| Power meter | SRAM Red AXS Power Meter | SRAM Force AXS E1 Power Meter |
| Launched | — | 2025 · current generation |
| Bottom bracket | CeramicSpeed T47A | SRAM DUB Pressfit |
| Standard | T47 (aluminium cups, bearings for 30 mm spindle) | Press-fit |
| Front derailleur | — | SRAM Force AXS E1 |
| Rear derailleur | — | SRAM Force AXS E1 |
| Cassette | SRAM Red AXS | SRAM Force E1 |
| Range | 10-33 | 10-33 |
| Speeds | 12-speed | 12-speed |
| Chain | — | SRAM Force E1 |
| Brakes | ||
| Brake levers | — | SRAM Force Aero hydraulic |
| Brake calipers | — | SRAM Force Aero eTap hydraulic |
| Type | — | Hydraulic disc |
| Rotors | 160 mm rotors | SRAM Paceline X |
| Front rotor | 160 mm | 160 mm |
| Rear rotor | 160 mm | 140 mm |
| Wheels & tires | ||
| Wheelset | Black Inc SIXTY TWO | Giant SLR 1 50 WheelSystem |
| Front rim depth | — | 50 mm |
| Rear rim depth | — | 50 mm |
| Hubs | — | Giant Low Friction Hub, CenterLock, 30T ratchet driver |
| Spokes | — | Sapim CX-Ray |
| Tires | — | CADEX Aero |
| Tire width | — | 28 mm |
| Set up tubeless | — | Yes |
| Cockpit | ||
| Aerobar system | Black Inc Tri Bar | Giant AeroDrive base bar with Sync armrest set |
| Pad stack adjustment | — | 0-80 mm in 9 positions |
| Pad width adjustment | — | 192-244 mm in 8 positions |
| Tilt adjustment | — | 0, 10 or 15 degrees |
| Extensions | — | Giant 10 and 15-degree extension wedge |
| Headset | CeramicSpeed SLT 1-1/8" / 1-3/8" | — |
| Saddle & seatpost | ||
| Saddle | — | Liv Contact SL Tri |
| Seatpost | Factor SLiCK Carbon | Liv Avow Composite |
| Saddle position range | Straight post with 42 mm adjustment range | Four offset positions within 51 mm |
| Material | Carbon | Carbon |
| Included extras | ||
| Hydration system | — | Liv AeroVault hydration kit |
| Volume | — | 850 ml28.7 fl oz |
| Notes | — | 700 ml on XXS, XS and S |
| Storage / bento | — | Liv Top-tube bento box |
| Geometry (smallest – largest size) | ||
| Sizes | 48, 52, 54, 56, 58 | XXS, XS, S, M |
| Rider height min | — | 151–173 cm4′11″–5′8″ |
| Rider height max | — | 161–182 cm5′3″–6′0″ |
| Stack | 470–570 mm18.5–22.4″ | 467–532 mm18.4–20.9″ |
| Reach | 385–445 mm15.2–17.5″ | 387–432 mm15.2–17″ |
| Pad stack min | — | 604–672 mm23.8–26.5″ |
| Pad stack max | — | 686–752 mm27–29.6″ |
| Pad reach min | — | 309–360 mm12.2–14.2″ |
| Pad reach max | — | 383–435 mm15.1–17.1″ |
| Seat angle min | 76° | 77° |
| Seat angle max | 76° | 77° |
| Head tube angle | 71.5–72.5° | 71–73° |
| Head tube length | — | 65–125 mm2.6–4.9″ |
| Effective top tube | — | 493–554 mm19.4–21.8″ |
| Seat tube length | 478–582 mm18.8–22.9″ | 440–538 mm17.3–21.2″ |
| Chainstay | 405 mm15.9″ | 405 mm15.9″ |
| Wheelbase | 968–1,044 mm38.1–41.1″ | 969–1,013 mm38.1–39.9″ |
| BB drop | 76–78 mm3–3.1″ | 70 mm2.8″ |
| Fork offset | 43–51 mm1.7–2″ | 40 mm1.6″ |
| Trail | 61–62 mm2.4–2.4″ | 63–79 mm2.5–3.1″ |
| Standover | 725–882 mm28.5–34.7″ | 733–814 mm28.9–32″ |
| Saddle height min | — | 530–615 mm20.9–24.2″ |
| Saddle height max | — | 680–765 mm26.8–30.1″ |
| Wheel size | 700c | 700c |
| Crank length | — | 160–165 mm6.3–6.5″ |
| Basebar width | — | 400 mm15.7″ |
Geometry overlay
Pick a size for each bike to see frames and arm-pad ranges on top of each other.
Drawn to scale (how to read it).