Liv introduces new lighter Langma with 33mm clearance, more aero and more efficiency: here are our first ride impressions

Liv has launched the third-generation Langma road bike, crafted for performance-oriented road cyclists and promising exceptional performance on climbs, descents and flat roads (everything, then) thanks to its lighter weight, improved aerodynamics and enhanced efficiency. While the Langma caters for the specific needs of women cyclists, its most recent update shares many features with “lightest, most efficient Giant TCR ever” launched in March. Ahead of the launch, we've been putting some of these claims to the test, so read on to find out our first ride impressions. 

While the TCR is in its 10th iteration, the newest Langma represents the third generation of the all-rounder race bike first launched in 2017. The 2024 flagship model, the Langma Advanced SL, has undergone the most substantial transformation in the new range, shedding 123g from the frameset compared to its predecessor. It also boasts a 2.5% increase in pedalling stiffness and a 6.75% increase in torsional stiffness, which Liv says results in an overall stiffness-to-weight ratio improvement of a very specific 11.98% over the previous Langma. 

For a bike that is raced at the WorldTour level, aerodynamics are as important, if not more important than weight and stiffness, so Liv has redesigned the frame shape and added internal cable routing (which Anna was missing when she reviewed the outgoing model) with a redesigned handlebar, stem and wheels. Sticking with the theme of giving us very particular figures, Liv says this has contributed to a 12.57-watt aerodynamic efficiency saving. This figure relates to a complete bike fitted with two bottles and cages, with a dynamic mannequin in place, spinning wheels, and a moving drivetrain. Liv says it would take 256.27 watts to hold 40km/h on the 2021 Langma Advanced SL, and only 243.7 watts on the new 2025 Langma. 

That's a lot of improvement claims, so let's see how Liv has achieved those... 

Liv Langma 2024: updated frame design details

As you might have gathered from the above, the new Langma range comes with claims of significant improvements in efficiency, aerodynamics, and integration. Much of these can be attributed to small tweaks to materials used, but also to the component choices. 

> Has aero gone too far? 

Starting with the frame, the new Langma framesets utilise Advanced SL and Advanced composites. The top-of-the-range Advanced SL framesets, used by Liv’s pro racers, incorporate professional-grade carbon fibre with what Liv calls Carbon Nanotube Technology (CNT) resin. This is something the brand says enhances impact resistance. The premium frameset is now also made in a single mould instead of the previous three, meaning that there are fewer joins needed, and that has lowered the weight. 

The headtube has a D-shape for even less air resistance, and the quest for more comfort and less drag also extends to the full composite fork, which features a symmetric design. The frame changes have allowed Liv to also increase the tyre clearance to 33mm, up from the previous 32mm maximum. 

The redesigned frames feature truncated ellipse tubing, developed through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and wind-tunnel testing. According to Liv, these airfoil sections improve aerodynamic efficiency by reducing drag across a range of yaw angles. Adding to that aero prowess, the internal cable routing system has been overhauled and the Langma now has a sleek, uncluttered appearance.

Helping that sleek look is the updated cockpit that houses the cables inside. Although it's fully integrated in its appearance, Liv has stayed away from a fully one-piece cockpit design to make adjustments easier.

Another significant component change - adopted from the Giant TCR - is the integrated seatpost that the Advanced SL models get. The Variant Integrated Seatpost is made specifically for road racers, and Liv says it improves aerodynamic performance and compliance.

Lastly, on the frame design and component front, Liv has decided to keep using press-fit bottom brackets with the Langma. 

First ride impressions

We've got the Advanced Pro 1 with Shimano 105 Di2 in for review, and Rebecca has been putting the bike through its paces ahead of the official launch.  This is what she's got to say about the bike so far: 

"The new iteration of the Liv Langma looks almost glamorous. My test bike has come in this striking chameleon-esque paint job, with green, yellow and golden hues. It’s very evidently a bike suited to climbing, not least because of its shape. It strikes a delicate balance between stiffness and compliance, and what has struck me most about the first few rides on this (the Langma Advanced Pro 1) is just how well it climbs. 

"I’ve set a few new personal records on local hills that I haven’t been able to touch in years. Whether or not that’s because in the last few months, I’ve actually got off my backside and trained or whether the bike is the making of such progress remains to be seen, but it definitely feels like climbing is that little bit more effortless.

"The geometry just takes some getting used to, if you’re not already part of the Liv ecosystem. It’s very specifically a bike designed for women, and it’s taken me a few rides to embrace the difference in position based on my usual ride which is a Trek Émonda.

"So far, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the ride quality, expecting something far more harsh. But instead, it’s more compliant than one might assume, and I’m enjoying thrashing it around the local Yorkshire lanes."

Liv Langma 2024 models and pricing

The 2024 Langma range is divided into three series: the Langma Advanced SL, the Langma Advanced Pro, and the Langma Advanced. There are five sizes available in the range: XXS, XS, S, M, and L catering to riders from 4’9” (145 cm) up to 6’0” (183 cm) tall. The geometry of the new Langma has not seen any updates compared to the outgoing models.

The flagship Langma Advanced SL, which is also the official bike of the WorldTeam Liv AlUla Jayco, incorporates new one-piece frame moulding technology, the D-shaped headtube and spacers, integrated seatpost as well as internally routed cables, while the oversized down tube, top tube, and bottom bracket areas contribute to "superior stiffness and power transfer". Arguably, the changes to the Langma are the most tangible in the Advanced SL models. 

• Advanced SL 0: SRAM Red AXS Etap 2x12 groupset, CADEX Max 40 WheelSystem - £11,999
• Advanced SL 1: Shimano Ultegra Di2 2x12 groupset, Giant SLR 0 40 WheelSystem - £8,999

The Langma Advanced Pro and Langma Advanced models share the core innovations of the SL series and feature the same advanced composite materials, aerodynamic enhancements, and internal cable routing.

Though the most noticeable updates have been made for the Advanced SL models, the Langma Advanced Pro and Langma Advanced framesets have also got frame weight reductions of 44 grams and 75 grams, respectively. They do come with lower-spec wheels and carbon frames, and the Advanced 1 and 2 get less integrated Liv Contact handlebars. 

• Langma Advanced Pro 1: SRAM Rival AXS 2x12 groupset, Giant SLR 1 40 WheelSystem (AXS) - £4,999
• Langma Advanced Pro 1 (Pro Compact): Shimano 105 Di2 2x12 groupset, Giant SLR 1 40 WheelSystem - £4,899
• Langma Advanced 1 (Pro Compact): Shimano 105 Di2 2x12, Giant P-R2 wheels - £3,199
• Langma Advanced 2 (Pro Compact): Shimano 105 2x12 groupset, P-R2 wheels- £2,699

You can find the full Liv Langma range on Liv's website.