Co-op Cycles  ADV 2.3 Bike

So let me start off by saying I have been riding bikes for a while and have owned a lot of bikes. When I got this bike I was extremely pleased with the feel and quality of the build and components. This bike should be a perfect 5 stars. Sadly there is a majore issue with the paint quality. In the course of ridding this bike 2 months I have seen more paint chip or flake off then my mountain bike that I have had over a year or any other bike I have owned. While the matt yellow looks awesome there is a quality control issue and even the housing cables wear the paint off the bike with just a couple of rides. My partner bought a Topstone at the same time and there is not a single issue with the paint. I have had to buy LOTS of clear covers to keep the bike from touching any of its own cables. On top of that the bike chips with any gravel use....... and its a gravel bike. I tried reaching out via REI chat but got nowhere with the issue. My hope is that REI addresses the paint issue head on.

The bike works fine so far, but the paint gets rubbed off the frame very easily. After two months there’s already lots of paint scraped off all over the frame.

There are a couple issues that preclude me from recommending this bike. 1) the steerer tube on the fork comes precut way to short, I've been in the industry for 20 years and I've never seen a bike speced with one so short. The fork comes with a metal threaded insert (not a starnut) that would at least prevent a technician at REI from going any shorter. This is advertised as an adventure bike this is very much so a roadie saddle to bar drop. I've tried the shortest negative angle stems you can buy to try to get the fit better. 2) the paint is low quality, if you live in the PNW, you will probably notice this even more than I do in SoCal. Anything rubbing the frame such as a saddle bag or your shoes will take the paint off right away. Not part of the bike but a comment about REI, I received the bike with stripped bolts on the saddle clamp. I called the store and shared that the technician should not be using the ball end of an alen key on high torque bolts. They offered to replace this, but I had a trip to go on and fortunately could use pliers to remove the bolts and had spare compatible bolts (30 min job).

I liked the overall specs on this 2.3 bike. When I went to buy it in March 2022 it was out of stock. I found a used one locally that was in excellent condition that a gentleman had to sell for health reasons. The overall ride and performance of the bike has been excellent with the exception of the paint. While I had read earlier review about paint quality, I didn't expect to literally rub off. I've had to cover a large portion of the bike in clear tape to preserve what's left of the paint job. This bike should have never made it through REI quality control. I have a K2 road bike and K2 mountain bike that I bought at REI in 2005 and both of their paint jobs have been bullet proof. REI should consider giving owners of this bike replacement frames or a credit on another CO-OP bike purchase.

Just bought the bike after comparing options with other competitors. I was a bit hesitant due to 1x gearing but the bike seems to work well, in reality I need to develop as a rider to push the bike harder. Dropper post is fun to use once in a while. I have added gel cover to the saddle. trail shocks were absorbed really well, I went over pebbles, bumps, twigs and other vegetation several times without any issues.

I have a Giant Seek 2 which I have been using for commuting as well as rides but it was pretty limited on what I could do with it. With some advise, and pressure, from friends I decided on a gravel bike. The components on this one really had me intrigued. I did change out the stem to put me a bit more upright but starting to really get used to her and it has been a ball.

This bike looks, feels and works great. After waiting 71/2 months for another gravel bike I’d ordered I stumbled on this one on the REI site and can only consider it Devine intervention. The GRX 800 drivetrain is smooth and precise, and the disc breaks will leave skid marks though I don’t recommend it (my first disc breaks). The geometry feels right and the mat yellow finish (add the orange bottle cages) really pops. I’m even impressed with the WTB tires which are surprisingly smooth on pavement and handle well in gravel. I don’t do much trail riding so no comment there. I may add a 5mm spacer to the stem and exchange a carbon seat post for the drop post I don’t really need. I suspect a saddle and tire upgrade in the future but honestly, out of the box this bike is fantastic. The “go anywhere bike” I’ve wanted for a long time.

Excellent bike. I use it 90% on fire roads and it works great. The dropper did not work but REI was very cool and let me swap it out for a better dropper no charge. PNC 110mm drop is an excellent upgrade. Love this bike and have almost stopped using my mountain bike since I’ve owned this.

Put a few hundred miles on this bike since picking it up about a month ago. I have been super impressed with how smoothly it transitions from gravel to road. Really great handling, quick, and light. Would absolutely recommend. The upgraded GRX group-set makes a huge difference.

I have chosen this nice all road/ gravel bike that has a Giant factory frame, full of nice features: Almost full GRX 800 group except the crank. Standard threaded bottom bracket that is easy to maintain. (no press fit creaks or headaches later on) Smooth rolling wheel set with enough spokes for adventure riding. Rear rack capable with rubber plugs installed, nice touch. Dropper seatpost help with confidence when descending. Very adequate WTB factory tires that matches the ability of the bike, especially when setup tubeless. Mostly importantly: available for purchase, don't have to wait for months or a year. I have taken this for a first ride up very a steep climb and descent on a fire road. We are talking about 15% grade or more that should challenge just about any rider. My previous bikes including MTB had started lifting the front tire or spin the rear resulting in me needed to stop. With this bike I was able to power up this hill with the factory tire tubeless at 35 psi. It was not easy but I made up the steep patches that had normally gave me problems. After cresting the hill I retracted the dropper seatpost with a push of the left lever and descent down the other side. The dropper does help with the stability. The hydraulic disc brakes worked nicely although not as strong as my mountain bike that has a bigger disc. The pads are not bedded in when new and should improve with use. On the road it does give up a bit of speed, probably due to the low pressure and off road tires. I think it should be quite capable for long riding on the road with proper tires. With the stock tires it is ready for offroad use, doesn't try to be "hybrid" nor pretend to be. I have used SRAM Rival, Red, 1x etc, I still think Shimano group is top notch and I usually prefer Shimano when given a choice. Some other reasons I purchased this REI bike @ REI is because my local branch's bike shop does good work with reasonable rates. I usually do my own work but I also like the bike put together properly initially, and they did just that.