Just bought then bottom level Propel. This the best bike I’ve ever ridden. It’s does it all, climbs, is lighting fast on the flats and descents. The bike is stiff and all of your power goes into the wheel, but it still very comfortable to ride , not sure how Giant pulled that off. I’m more into functionality than looks so the looks don’t bother me. My wife likes the bright red as it adds safety to my ride, you can’t miss it.
Allen McGlew I'm interested about the Propels climbing ability. I'm considering a TCR or Propel and I'm a bit concerned the Propel isn't a great climber?
Steve Smith I have broken many of my previous Strava climb segment records now that I’m riding the on my Propel. The bike climbs really well, but if you’re climbing a lot then maybe a climbing bike is for you; if not I think you’ll be very happy with how well rounded the Propel is for an aero bike
Excellent review. It is great to hear the high and low points as well as an informed opinion after a longer term test rather than just your typical press day event. Looking forward to more like this.
Current owner and traveler with the top of the range Propel (Choice of colour only blue). Upgraded from my 2015 model. An upgrade it is. Very true comments and solutions to everything. If I went for looks then I would not have bought it, but I am about durability and comfort on long rides. My next tire selection would be going to the Mavic range of tyres and in a years time probably a set of Mavic disc tubeless aero rims. (Stick with the experts in this field). Taped the cables together above the top tube and all sorted. Nick name for my new Propel is "Fat Head". I don'r really care what the Pro's are doing, I do not have a team of mechanics, physio's and heath nutritionists behind me. Just me doing 18 - 20 000 Km a year.
Great review. I think you did a great job of identifying pros and cons. I'm really interested in this bike. As for Sunweb, I sorta get it. I have a 2018 TCR Advanced SL disc and love it. It just does everything so well. Its 7.1kg in M with discs, roval clx50s, and dura-ace di2. The stiffness of the downtube and that massive BB give it tremendous power transfer and great handling. And, as with the review, I'm surprised by how much I like the Giant saddle. Complaints are, again in line with the review, that ISP is just a pain. Second, I would like it to be a bit more areo. Third, its not downright uncomfortable, but it is stiff. Now, about discs. Er, guys, they work! No brake fade with prolonged use. And when it rains...well, they work! No going back to calipers for me.
I was fortunate enough to get the blue version as a shop had stripped off the Di2 and power meter for another build. It was put back together with the latest mechanical Dura Ace at a great price. I have now been racing this frame for about 2 months. My thoughts? ... The look of the bike grows on you. Others racing think it looks aggressive. It looks better with the top cap if you are not running many spacers. I stripped the Giant tyres for a set of Pirelli clinchers .. a great decision. AS for its racing performance? ... this bike is FAST .. you can feel it. It handles well on all types of courses and I have not encountered the skipping mentioned in the review (possibly tyre choice). The seat comes with a number of spacers for the seat clamp so it is very easy to adjust the seat up and down should you require. The Giant wheels are fast and have DT internals and they are very quiet. The bike came with two sets of axles .. one flush and one with the lever. I have always used stepped rim heights so the 42 front and 65 rear do not put me off in the looks department. And the review is correct .. the Giant seat is very comfortable. Hope this helps
good honest review - i have the 2017 Propel Advanced SL and it takes my breath away it's so quick - you have to pay attention all the time. i also have the TCR Advanced SL2 and it is just a classic all round racer that can't be faulted...it's the more predictable bike and i wonder if that's why the Sunweb Team prefer it? i do masters crit racing and use the Propel purely because it's sprint capability is electric....and it's a thrill rather than a pleasure to ride. get both if u can afford it but if i had to choose one...the TCR.
Another feature that I like from owning this bike is that since I have been racing this bike my performances have improved dramatically without any additional training .. it is quicker than my F8 or my aero Yoeleo
Patiently waiting for the frameset only options. With respect to the TCR vs Propel question, the TCR is just a really really good bike...if it ain’t broke...
mayalman I would also say, it is the discs and running tubulars. There is a theme starting that most of the top hitters are not in tune with the feel of the disc brake bikes. It is complicated, as the disc bikes are designed quite different. You have a dished cross spoked front wheel which may not feel as agile, also the disc loads the fork under braking, decreasing the ability of the fork to control road variance. When braking it flexes and tries to twist the wheels and frame under braking due to the dishing of the wheels and one sided brake disc (why thru axles are needed). It may also be the disc wheels don’t come in tubulars, which is still the preferred tyre rim combination, funny that?? Hmmmm
I own a tcr disc (the second tier one without the ISP). I am running full dura ace and some 50mm wheels from Yoeleo carbon. It is the best bike I have ever had. I think there is a greater difference moving between Canyon and S-works (Kittel) that there is moving between disc and non disc (at least from a frameset ride feel perspective).
Dr. O - I have owned a Propel, albeit the previous version and I now own two TCR ADV SL bikes, one shod with 58mm wheels another with climbing wheels. To my mind, the TCR is a perfect well rounded do it all bike very good at everything. It climbs better than any bike I have ridden due to the BB area loving cadence over torque and it makes me feel like a climber when the road curry's favour. In fact, I sold my Pinarello F8 to buy a second TCR SL as in most respects it is a better 'bang for your buck' bike. I can only assume the pro riders prefer the TCR as it is like the old S-SWorks SL4/5 in it is simply a very good bike. The propel I had back in 2015 rattled me to death and on Dartmoor, it is not a wise choice of bike when the wind whips up ! Cracking review by the way and concur with everything you have said. Giant's wheels are cracking but need to be wider next gen around.
To answer the question at the end, this review may change the sale statics compared to the TCR. Everyone I know with a propel over the years has loved the bike, but complained about the climbing issue. The TCR in general is more of an all rounder. In many ways the propel was the bike you dated, and the TCR was the one you married.
The Giant tires came off my Defy after 1 week. I found them harsh. The tires may be the source of your chattering on hard cornering. Any Continental tire is better. I would never go back to rim brakes after having discs especially with carbon rims. I believe they will become the standard. I could live with the chunky appearance of the stem. Form should follow function. They could probably improve the shape and maintain the same function. Try taping the cables together under the top cap. That may make it easier to put the cap back on! Happy riding!
I have the top of the range version. First job was removing the Giant tyres and replacing them with Pirelli clinchers .. it rides very well in this format
Lee Norris The Defy came tubeless ready but I had tubes in the tires. I’m not sold on tubeless for every day riding. I just put a set of Pirellis on. I’m giving them a try!
Personally a big fan of tubeless. Got some Schwalbe Pro Ones on my Contend, and they're awesome, I do everything from gravel grinding to road racing on them and can't praise them enough. But a teammate has managed to kill six of those same Schwalbes in the last seven months, as well as a carbon wheel and his collarbone, all in separate incidents, so maybe it's just him, but I can see how tubeless might not be worth it to some people.
The sooner bike brands move away from super-integrated front ends the better, in my opinion. Aero matters but I'd rather spend a couple of watts on a set up that's easy to opt for a different bar and stem, and is easy to look after over the length of time I own the bike.
Ollie, I agree that seem is not very good looking, but as you say it did allow adjustment. I think I'll stick with a good old round steerer, standard stem, and round (at the mounting area) bars. No need to get fancy.
Holy price tag, Batman. I agree that top cap is hideous and an integrated seat post just seems unwise. I saw a green one in the bike shop. It looks better than the fire and ice models.
Good question about the Sunweb team using the TCR over the Propel. All specialized teams seem to be doing the same with the Tarmac over the Venge (except for pure sprinting days). Michael Matthews and Sagan use their sponsor's climbing bikes 95% of the time. My guess is that the ride quality and feel is much better on those bikes and with aero wheels fitted they offer similar aero advantages. Discs could have something to do with it also. I don't know Matthew's take on the disc debate but we know that Sagan won't use disc until the whole pelaton is on them (hence rim break roubaix at P-R). Third, and this one is the clincher for me. Both the Propel and the Venge as UUUUUUGLY!
(first of all sorry for my bad english i'm a french guy). anyway, in my opinion pro run on the TCR version because is more handling and more all rounder bike. i have a giant PROPEL 2018 it's a great bike i love it and it's blow my mind but i think the next bike i will get will be a TCR. it's super light and i love his tube shape. for me it's the best bike in world. to conclude: PROPEL for a flatter terrain and for fun and TCR for the reason.
Giant need to up their wheel and tire game. I almost bougt a Propel but Canyon Aeroad spec'd DT Swiss wheels on Conti GP5000 tires, which is a premium setup for a premium bike. I love Giant and have an Escape for store errands and comfy rides but on the premium end, they need to spec premium wheel/tire.
Further to my comments below, I took off the Gavia Race 0 rear tyre after 2500Km as the integrity of the tyre was compromised and have replaced it with the Gavia AC 0. Both are 25mm but the AC 0 gives me a width of 28 mm on the wheel? compared to the Race 0 which sits at 25mm? Must tell you the last 1000Km have been even more of a pleasure on this second tier tyre. Currently riding the tubless tyres at 90psi. The chattering through the corners has also gone.
+1 for the AC0 tyre. I live here is super sunny/hot Florida, the only part with any hills to speak of as well. While I do believe that the tubless AC0 tyres are indeed a bit slower than my Conti GP400s2 tyres I used to ride on, I am thoroughly impressed! They ride extremely well and I have put about 400 miles on them with no issues to speak of.
Thanks so much for this video , Its down to this this bike or the Madone 9.0 and I think I’m leaning towards the propel . I will make my decision when I see what it can do in the velodrome against others. But the stiffness Is Incredible, and that’s what you want if you want speed . The disk sl only weights 7 kg wooow.👍
I also have had a cut in the tyres, they come up at bang on 25mm with a vernier, but comments on todays ride was why are you riding 23's? That was after the front tyre gave way on an off camber and I low-sided - ouch. The stem well you get used to it, colour scheme is in the eye of the beholder. All good so far although I am looking into options for tyres but tubeless gonna try an embrace it.
I think far too much has been made about the difference between climbing bikes and aero bikes. The flagship propel has a frame weight of 982g, the flagship TCR has a frame weight of 856g, the difference is 126g. Now conceptualize this; a full bidon can weight from 700 - 900 grams depending on the size, a hex key weighs about 45 grams, a mini pump is also about 100 grams. Buy an aero bike with tubeless tires and leave the mini-pump at home, drink half the water in your bidon before starting and leave one of those hex keys at home, weight problems solved.
I ride a TCR SL, i think the pros choose it because it feels so easy to ride. If you put a set of deep section wheels on it on a flat stage, you'll fly round.
The Propel would be a much better bike with Bontrager or Roval wheels. The complaints about rear wheel chatter would probably be diminished with a wider inner rim width, at least at the rear, and tires run at about 90 or 95 PSI unless you're actually competing and have checked the route. Unless we're talking about track bikes it's a massive mistake to start off assuming that you need to run tires at 110 PSI or higher in competition, never mind training. These myths actually came from studying tire performance on the track bikes because they were easier to study (easier to control for variables). Pretty much everyone but Giant got the message on deep V rims. Factor in what we've also learned over time about fluid dynamics and it makes no sense whatsoever to place a rim on the rear of an "aero" road bike with less than 19 mm inner width at the rear. I'm interested in the Propel and unless I get a very good price I'll just get a frame and build it up myself on Roval or DT Swiss wheels. And it DOES make sense to have different specs at the front and rear. For me I think I prefer about 60mm depth at the rear and while I'm OK with 50 mm at the front I sometimes am annoyed in crosswinds like the kind you find crossing bridges and so forth. Most of the time 50 mm at the front is fine with me. If I got a great deal on something like a 65/45 set I'd be really happy. I'd even consider a Roval rear wheel with a Campy Bora 45 mm at the front. Possibly the Propel can be reconfigured with a new rear wheel only if you can't fix the problems with better, wider tires. WRT the stem and head tube for cable integration, Giant and others would be wise to look at the new Izalco Max.
was really looking forward for the review,great stuff.not convinced though at all......foil or reacto for me id say.reacto disc 8000 gives you di2,world tour grade frame and better wheels for the same price.
drasztikus these are both di2 and world tour level frames. Giants wheels would be good if they get with the times and make wider wheels internally and externally. They make god in house parts except for aero rims.
I think you should test which is more aero the Giant Propel advanced SL Disc against the Cannondale System Six Aero. Maybe even with theCanyon Aero, Trek Madone and Specialized Venge Vias. But I feel the Propel Advanced Disc SL and the System Six Aero cause they look very similar.
I have last years TCR frameset only in blue/orange custom built with Ultegra Di2, Ultegra full hydraulic disc, deep section wheels w/thru-axles, etc.. . I have 1 big problem... ISP: integrated seat post. If your body becomes more flexible, or less for that matter, you can’t adjust the seat position nearly as easily. Lowering is “easy”. Cut the seat post lower. If you need to raise the seat, you have to add metal tab spacers only Giant bike shops have, and you can only go with so many spacers, and you better hope it’s enough. As for this one... the thru-axles with no handle piss me off. Carry a 5mm wrench with me? I’ll bet race teams add handles. There’s no way they’re going to NASCAR style tire change, and like you said in the video... rounding the bolts.
If you check with Giant as opposed to just trusting a video review...you'd know you get thru-axles with a handle as well as the ones it is running in the video with no handles. You can swap over whenever you want.
Giant put together some truly value propositions especially the tcr series, however they need to improve their design and make their bikes more attractive which in term make the brand more desirible
Given your thought on the wheels/tyres..it would be good to see a comparison with different wheelset and larger tyres for different situations. PS good review....rounding bolts...never good!!! Cockpit just doesn't appear practical but I'm sure it's fine if your a pro and the mechanic takes care of it.
talking about competitors, how could for forget about Canyon Aeroad Disc ? at least, Aeroad is definitely more practical bike and for me also looks better.
It beats the spesch venge. But I'd like to see how it compares with the madone. Better brakes Vs aero advantage/ISO speed. Or Ollie's new foil. (Think if the colours and black are reversed it would look a lot better.)
So is it Giant's own tires or their rims that's the problem? Did you actually measure the internal rim width? And the stem might look nasty, but it's much easier to optimize aerodynamically speaking, than a a complicated sloping one, plus you don't need to cut holes into the stem, weakening it. And it's much easier to access than a fully internal system. It's the practical, not the pretty solution. But that's always been Giant's thing.
The rider limit on a Giant carbon bike is 95kg where as the rider limit on a Specialized is 109kg. I weigh 88kg and would never ride a Giant because I feel it is too weak. Also, the Specialized frame sports a lifetime guarantee for the original owner. Therefore, in my opinion, there is a ton of quality in that extra 1kg.
Really? I'll have to take a look at that. I'm here in Japan and the dealers told me the limit was 95kg on their carbon frames. Thanks for thr info. There is still no lifetime guarantee and the Propel costs more than the Vias here in Japan.
Sorry mate, there is a lifetime guarantee for the frame and forks for the 1st owner! Also 129kg total weight limit is correct. Check the Owners' manual, version 11.0 Source: I work for Giant UK. As for cost in Japan? I can't argue that point!
You have the bike, you can measure the dimensions that you're criticizing. You should also mention your tire pressure when criticizing things like "chatter." Giant claims the inner rim width is 17mm. Did you verify that? It worries me that you had a blowout running 90 psi. That's what I like to train on and the Giant (size) ML fits me perfectly. Otherwise I'm better off with an Aeroad (size large) and better wheels.
So, Oliver, after replacing the Giant tires with 28's, did it ride like the Cannondale? What about with a tire AND wheel change? Terrific review overall. (And I like the color schemes; matte black...bah)
George Hugh still didn’t feel like the cannondale, but I much preferred the comfort and ride in general. Supersix is one of the best out there for ride quality and handling.
Oli, I'm seriously considering buying this bike on Wednesday, as I love sprinting and rolling hills and punchy climbs. I'm a sprinter/endurance guy more than a climber. How'd you choose between the propel and the tcr? Everyone's telling me go tcr because it's lighter, but I don't like the looks of it. Help please. Thank you.
Great review and a nice bike. Only trouble with it is the name. In Singapore, Giant is the name of the local supermarket chain. It's a bit like your super bike being called an Asda's or a Tesco's!!! Doesn't work for me.
Personally chose a TCR SL0 with an integrated stem n handlebar, over the Propel. Mainly because of living in hilly Devon area. In the real world, I'd take the weight rather than the marginal speed. Maybe go for speed if you do a lot of TT's as well as normal rides. Chose to also run a 53/36 with 11/28. Covers me in all situations, sprinting to climbing. The blue maybe had a hand in choice preference ;-)
If iam travelling down a steep climb at over 50 km an hour I would most definitely want a better design and more accurate steering post for my drop down bars your life depends on it .🚵♂️
I understand this conceal everything look and integrated everything, but as pointed out it is not a practical bike. Everything is proprietary so you can’t adjust or change anything or fit accesories. Great if the bike off the floor suits you perfectly, but this mostly is unlikely. I suggest you buy a bike you can adjust and get yourself into the most comfortable aero position, this will give you bigger gains. Also the concealed cabling, saving how many watts??? WTF!
My friend also had a blowout downhill on a giant tubeless tire and tore his shoulder ligament. I don't trust giant tubeless. He works for a bike shop he knows what he's doing.
AdamOrnelles we recently did a festive 1000km week over Christmas. My wife and I never had one flat with our gator Hardshells. My mate rode with us and was riding his new defy with Giant tyres and had 4 flats.
Everyone forgets, tubeless is still a clincher, it is the sealant that does the “fix” magic. Pinch flats are still a problem and sealant doesn’t fix everything. Once the tyre starts to loose some pressure before the sealant starts to work and seal, the tyre can leave the rim, blowout or get a pinch flat. I really can’t see this great new tyre system “tubeless” being revolutionary.
The supposed "high end" proprietary components Giant and other big brands are now pushing is discouraging. I gotta drop 5-7 grand and then upgrade the wheels right away? I don't think so...
The wheel quality is actually very good. Hubs have DT internals .. the whol wheelset is not heavy and are qucl to accelerate. Only reason to buy a new wheelset is if your ego doesnt allow proprietary wheels
sarethums all aero bikes are that way since the rider is most of the drag. Which I would say a short head tube that makes the top tube lower is the opposite of a sportive bike. What makes a frame a compact is a sloping top tube.
Speaking personally, the TCR is way more my style, but I do think the Propel, if you put some wider wheels and nice 28mm Schwalbes in there, would be a next to perfect aero bike. However, there is no way I can say enough bad things about durianrider to do justice to what an absolute shitstain he is.
There are many disadvantages to disc brakes on road bikes, which despite the continuous pressure from manufactures to adopt them have caused their slow embrace by both professional and recreational racers: cost, weight, and wheel change compatibility to names a few. Disc brakes on road bikes only offer a functional advantage on long, steep, technical descents, especially in the rain. Disc brakes on an aero road bike are unnecessary verging on stupid, because you would only be facing such conditions in mountainous areas, where you would prefer to be on your TCR because it's a lighter, more comfortable all around bike.
ShawnFenty2 have you ever ridden discs on a road bike? I own a TCR disc and have been riding since 2016, it weighs 6.7 kilos in a size large and the brakes simply work better in all conditions period
I have never ridden disc brakes on a bicyle, but I have never felt the need to either. I have 30+ years of club level road racing experience in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US, logging hundreds of thousands of trainig/racing miles in all conditions. I currently have a stable of 3+ road racing bikes including a Giant TCR Advance Pro, Giant Trinity, and an old Cannondale System Six all with rim brakes and Zipp carbon wheels with 23/25mm Conti GP 4000s ~@90psi. I have a Tarmac Pro that I run aluminum rim wheels, Conti Gatorskin 25/28mm @85 psi in the rain, more because I don't like grinding the braking surfaces of my carbon rims in the wet than out of concern for braking performance. Even though I run Campy Record controls/drivetrains on almost all of my bikes, I use SRAM Rival rim brakes on them because they are relatively cheap, easy to adjust, and they stop my bike just fine! I have never felt that I was having any kind of problem controlling my bicycle in any conditions that disc brakes would have made any difference. When I do cost/benefits analysis of disc brakes for road racing in my region, it just doesn't make any sense for me in terms of the $ invested against the promised marginal gains in braking performance. But there are +/-s to everything, and if it makes sense for someone else, that's cool. I just wanted to express my opinion that all of this disc brake stuff seems to be way overblown imo. Cheers!
The hell, why are they making it ONLY disc brakes? It makes the bike more expensive overall. Maintenance and traveling is also more annoying when you have disc brakes. I don't like this new direction of not even giving the consumer an option, other than not buying their bikes.
It makes it less expensive, acktchewally. Production is cheaper due to less versions having to be made, so if you compare this to something like an equivalent spec Teammachine, Venge Vias, or Madone, this is quite a bit more affordable. And honestly, if you still want rim brakes on a new road bike, either A. You're in a lot of racing situations where swapping wheels quickly is something you regularly have to do, or B. You're wrong.
I’m enjoying the bike so far ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxMesz3KOGEmwmvyKQfLfrRSUXLFzfVHZA My only real complaints are the brakes and the pedals. I feel like a bike designed for bigger people should have much larger pedals and more heavy duty brakes. I’ve only gotten two really good rides out of it, minimal downhill action, and the brakes feel like they’re already going out. A larger person has more momentum, so I think this wasn’t thought through very well. Also, I wear size 13-14 wide shoes. My feet cramp up on these pedals that are clearly made for smaller feet. Since I’m not a pro rider (and I don’t think many are who purchase this bike) I don’t think that the straps on the pedal are necessary at all. None of this takes away from the enjoyment I get from riding, however. I’ll just head to a bike shop to improve on a few things.
They really dropped the ball on those wheels, they are only 17mm internal width, so any tyre wider than about 23 will make the aero performance worse. Sure you can run wider tyres for comfort, but you will lose the aero benefits of the rim. Also, asymmetrical wheels look ugly.
Campagnolos wider wheels only have 17mm internal width. That is about as low as you can go for 25mm tyres. AS for the 42 front and 65 rear wheels? .. very vey good racing in crosswinds
cannon1156 If you look at Enve's disc brake aero wheels they are 25 mm internal though, optimal for 28-30 mm tyres. 17 internal is pretty narrow & old-school at this point.
The stem handlebat set up is extremely stiff which is great for sprinting. The cover on the stem looks crazy when you have not lowered the handlebar height by taking out spacers and cutting the steerer tube. It looks way better with minimal spacers
The cable system requires some accommodation. The top cap is a good compromise. Form follows function and if you don't want your cables flapping in the wind you have to figure something out.
Nice to see a well-rounded, honest review for once.
Just bought then bottom level Propel. This the best bike I’ve ever ridden. It’s does it all, climbs, is lighting fast on the flats and descents. The bike is stiff and all of your power goes into the wheel, but it still very comfortable to ride , not sure how Giant pulled that off. I’m more into functionality than looks so the looks don’t bother me. My wife likes the bright red as it adds safety to my ride, you can’t miss it.
Allen McGlew yup I got the all orange one too and I’m with you it’s pretty damn amazing for the money.
Allen McGlew I'm interested about the Propels climbing ability. I'm considering a TCR or Propel and I'm a bit concerned the Propel isn't a great climber?
Steve Smith I have broken many of my previous Strava climb segment records now that I’m riding the on my Propel. The bike climbs really well, but if you’re climbing a lot then maybe a climbing bike is for you; if not I think you’ll be very happy with how well rounded the Propel is for an aero bike
Hows the tires? I have a 2018 tcr advance disk KOM with PR2 wheels. I dont like these wheels but only 23 miles on them.
How much is this?
Excellent review. It is great to hear the high and low points as well as an informed opinion after a longer term test rather than just your typical press day event. Looking forward to more like this.
Current owner and traveler with the top of the range Propel (Choice of colour only blue). Upgraded from my 2015 model. An upgrade it is. Very true comments and solutions to everything. If I went for looks then I would not have bought it, but I am about durability and comfort on long rides. My next tire selection would be going to the Mavic range of tyres and in a years time probably a set of Mavic disc tubeless aero rims. (Stick with the experts in this field). Taped the cables together above the top tube and all sorted. Nick name for my new Propel is "Fat Head". I don'r really care what the Pro's are doing, I do not have a team of mechanics, physio's and heath nutritionists behind me. Just me doing 18 - 20 000 Km a year.
Great review. I think you did a great job of identifying pros and cons. I'm really interested in this bike. As for Sunweb, I sorta get it. I have a 2018 TCR Advanced SL disc and love it. It just does everything so well. Its 7.1kg in M with discs, roval clx50s, and dura-ace di2. The stiffness of the downtube and that massive BB give it tremendous power transfer and great handling. And, as with the review, I'm surprised by how much I like the Giant saddle. Complaints are, again in line with the review, that ISP is just a pain. Second, I would like it to be a bit more areo. Third, its not downright uncomfortable, but it is stiff.
Now, about discs. Er, guys, they work! No brake fade with prolonged use. And when it rains...well, they work! No going back to calipers for me.
I was fortunate enough to get the blue version as a shop had stripped off the Di2 and power meter for another build. It was put back together with the latest mechanical Dura Ace at a great price. I have now been racing this frame for about 2 months. My thoughts? ... The look of the bike grows on you. Others racing think it looks aggressive. It looks better with the top cap if you are not running many spacers. I stripped the Giant tyres for a set of Pirelli clinchers .. a great decision. AS for its racing performance? ... this bike is FAST .. you can feel it. It handles well on all types of courses and I have not encountered the skipping mentioned in the review (possibly tyre choice). The seat comes with a number of spacers for the seat clamp so it is very easy to adjust the seat up and down should you require. The Giant wheels are fast and have DT internals and they are very quiet. The bike came with two sets of axles .. one flush and one with the lever. I have always used stepped rim heights so the 42 front and 65 rear do not put me off in the looks department. And the review is correct .. the Giant seat is very comfortable. Hope this helps
Does it climb well? Will it cause you to lack behind equally capable TCR riders?
Y
absolutely appreciate the detailed review, please do more of these reviews on the high-end bikes
Made a review of my own. It's pretty slick how there are absolutely no cables showing. Cheers!
I have two months with my propel advanced disc one and Im so happy is real a super bike
good honest review - i have the 2017 Propel Advanced SL and it takes my breath away it's so quick - you have to pay attention all the time. i also have the TCR Advanced SL2 and it is just a classic all round racer that can't be faulted...it's the more predictable bike and i wonder if that's why the Sunweb Team prefer it? i do masters crit racing and use the Propel purely because it's sprint capability is electric....and it's a thrill rather than a pleasure to ride. get both if u can afford it but if i had to choose one...the TCR.
Another feature that I like from owning this bike is that since I have been racing this bike my performances have improved dramatically without any additional training .. it is quicker than my F8 or my aero Yoeleo
How about road vibrations/comfort level to the f8?
Patiently waiting for the frameset only options. With respect to the TCR vs Propel question, the TCR is just a really really good bike...if it ain’t broke...
mayalman I would also say, it is the discs and running tubulars. There is a theme starting that most of the top hitters are not in tune with the feel of the disc brake bikes. It is complicated, as the disc bikes are designed quite different. You have a dished cross spoked front wheel which may not feel as agile, also the disc loads the fork under braking, decreasing the ability of the fork to control road variance. When braking it flexes and tries to twist the wheels and frame under braking due to the dishing of the wheels and one sided brake disc (why thru axles are needed). It may also be the disc wheels don’t come in tubulars, which is still the preferred tyre rim combination, funny that?? Hmmmm
I own a tcr disc (the second tier one without the ISP). I am running full dura ace and some 50mm wheels from Yoeleo carbon. It is the best bike I have ever had. I think there is a greater difference moving between Canyon and S-works (Kittel) that there is moving between disc and non disc (at least from a frameset ride feel perspective).
Dr. O - I have owned a Propel, albeit the previous version and I now own two TCR ADV SL bikes, one shod with 58mm wheels another with climbing wheels. To my mind, the TCR is a perfect well rounded do it all bike very good at everything. It climbs better than any bike I have ridden due to the BB area loving cadence over torque and it makes me feel like a climber when the road curry's favour. In fact, I sold my Pinarello F8 to buy a second TCR SL as in most respects it is a better 'bang for your buck' bike. I can only assume the pro riders prefer the TCR as it is like the old S-SWorks SL4/5 in it is simply a very good bike. The propel I had back in 2015 rattled me to death and on Dartmoor, it is not a wise choice of bike when the wind whips up ! Cracking review by the way and concur with everything you have said. Giant's wheels are cracking but need to be wider next gen around.
Now thats how you review a bike. Great review love the bike it also comes in full orange colour not half orange.
All orange bike is the lower model, different seat post and head set I think,
To answer the question at the end, this review may change the sale statics compared to the TCR. Everyone I know with a propel over the years has loved the bike, but complained about the climbing issue. The TCR in general is more of an all rounder. In many ways the propel was the bike you dated, and the TCR was the one you married.
The Giant tires came off my Defy after 1 week. I found them harsh. The tires may be the source of your chattering on hard cornering. Any Continental tire is better. I would never go back to rim brakes after having discs especially with carbon rims. I believe they will become the standard. I could live with the chunky appearance of the stem. Form should follow function. They could probably improve the shape and maintain the same function. Try taping the cables together under the top cap. That may make it easier to put the cap back on! Happy riding!
I have the top of the range version. First job was removing the Giant tyres and replacing them with Pirelli clinchers .. it rides very well in this format
Are the Defy tubeless though?
Lee Norris The Defy came tubeless ready but I had tubes in the tires. I’m not sold on tubeless for every day riding. I just put a set of Pirellis on. I’m giving them a try!
Personally a big fan of tubeless. Got some Schwalbe Pro Ones on my Contend, and they're awesome, I do everything from gravel grinding to road racing on them and can't praise them enough. But a teammate has managed to kill six of those same Schwalbes in the last seven months, as well as a carbon wheel and his collarbone, all in separate incidents, so maybe it's just him, but I can see how tubeless might not be worth it to some people.
I have pr2 wheels on my giant tcr
There horrible
I feel like they slow the bike down.
Personally love the orange flame colour and stem but agree tyres should have been 28's
thanks for taking my recommendation and reviewing my next dream bike!
Same!😄
The sooner bike brands move away from super-integrated front ends the better, in my opinion. Aero matters but I'd rather spend a couple of watts on a set up that's easy to opt for a different bar and stem, and is easy to look after over the length of time I own the bike.
Grigor Browning Yep, fully agree
Ollie, I agree that seem is not very good looking, but as you say it did allow adjustment. I think I'll stick with a good old round steerer, standard stem, and round (at the mounting area) bars. No need to get fancy.
Holy price tag, Batman. I agree that top cap is hideous and an integrated seat post just seems unwise. I saw a green one in the bike shop. It looks better than the fire and ice models.
Patrick Carroll what’s wrong with the isp ??? Granted cutting is a pain but once done it’s more comfortable and lighter than a regular seat post
This bike with a pair of Zipp 454's, 25mm Shawalbe One tubeless tires, would be perfect!
Good question about the Sunweb team using the TCR over the Propel. All specialized teams seem to be doing the same with the Tarmac over the Venge (except for pure sprinting days). Michael Matthews and Sagan use their sponsor's climbing bikes 95% of the time. My guess is that the ride quality and feel is much better on those bikes and with aero wheels fitted they offer similar aero advantages. Discs could have something to do with it also. I don't know Matthew's take on the disc debate but we know that Sagan won't use disc until the whole pelaton is on them (hence rim break roubaix at P-R). Third, and this one is the clincher for me. Both the Propel and the Venge as UUUUUUGLY!
That blowout sounds horrendous... a bit like the top cap! Great honest review tho. Ollie one of the most honest bike reviewers/commenters on UA-cam
The TCR Adv SL is an amazing bike. Ride one and you will see why most of the giant team choose it.
kilo lighter than Venge vias? Well nuff said, none of its minor shortcomings matter compared to the weight advantage.
(first of all sorry for my bad english i'm a french guy). anyway, in my opinion pro run on the TCR version because is more handling and more all rounder bike. i have a giant PROPEL 2018 it's a great bike i love it and it's blow my mind but i think the next bike i will get will be a TCR. it's super light and i love his tube shape. for me it's the best bike in world. to conclude: PROPEL for a flatter terrain and for fun and TCR for the reason.
I’d imagine there aren’t many team sunweb riders using the propel simply because the tcr is great
Giant need to up their wheel and tire game. I almost bougt a Propel but Canyon Aeroad spec'd DT Swiss wheels on Conti GP5000 tires, which is a premium setup for a premium bike. I love Giant and have an Escape for store errands and comfy rides but on the premium end, they need to spec premium wheel/tire.
Further to my comments below, I took off the Gavia Race 0 rear tyre after 2500Km as the integrity of the tyre was compromised and have replaced it with the Gavia AC 0. Both are 25mm but the AC 0 gives me a width of 28 mm on the wheel? compared to the Race 0 which sits at 25mm? Must tell you the last 1000Km have been even more of a pleasure on this second tier tyre. Currently riding the tubless tyres at 90psi. The chattering through the corners has also gone.
Race 1 & 0 are really only suitable for hot conditions. In the UK for instance, AC 1 & 0 are the way forward.
+1 for the AC0 tyre. I live here is super sunny/hot Florida, the only part with any hills to speak of as well. While I do believe that the tubless AC0 tyres are indeed a bit slower than my Conti GP400s2 tyres I used to ride on, I am thoroughly impressed! They ride extremely well and I have put about 400 miles on them with no issues to speak of.
Thanks so much for this video , Its down to this this bike or the Madone 9.0 and I think I’m leaning towards the propel . I will make my decision when I see what it can do in the velodrome against others. But the stiffness Is Incredible, and that’s what you want if you want speed . The disk sl only weights 7 kg wooow.👍
I also have had a cut in the tyres, they come up at bang on 25mm with a vernier, but comments on todays ride was why are you riding 23's? That was after the front tyre gave way on an off camber and I low-sided - ouch. The stem well you get used to it, colour scheme is in the eye of the beholder. All good so far although I am looking into options for tyres but tubeless gonna try an embrace it.
Friend of my has one, his is fluorescent red ( or what ever the color is called) SUPER SHARP! I like the bike a lot.
Beautiful bike!
I think far too much has been made about the difference between climbing bikes and aero bikes. The flagship propel has a frame weight of 982g, the flagship TCR has a frame weight of 856g, the difference is 126g. Now conceptualize this; a full bidon can weight from 700 - 900 grams depending on the size, a hex key weighs about 45 grams, a mini pump is also about 100 grams. Buy an aero bike with tubeless tires and leave the mini-pump at home, drink half the water in your bidon before starting and leave one of those hex keys at home, weight problems solved.
I ride a TCR SL, i think the pros choose it because it feels so easy to ride. If you put a set of deep section wheels on it on a flat stage, you'll fly round.
I bought a propel adv 1 -17 (full Ultegra) as my first real road bike. Swapped the tires for michelin power endurance. Rides better
The Propel would be a much better bike with Bontrager or Roval wheels. The complaints about rear wheel chatter would probably be diminished with a wider inner rim width, at least at the rear, and tires run at about 90 or 95 PSI unless you're actually competing and have checked the route. Unless we're talking about track bikes it's a massive mistake to start off assuming that you need to run tires at 110 PSI or higher in competition, never mind training. These myths actually came from studying tire performance on the track bikes because they were easier to study (easier to control for variables). Pretty much everyone but Giant got the message on deep V rims. Factor in what we've also learned over time about fluid dynamics and it makes no sense whatsoever to place a rim on the rear of an "aero" road bike with less than 19 mm inner width at the rear. I'm interested in the Propel and unless I get a very good price I'll just get a frame and build it up myself on Roval or DT Swiss wheels. And it DOES make sense to have different specs at the front and rear. For me I think I prefer about 60mm depth at the rear and while I'm OK with 50 mm at the front I sometimes am annoyed in crosswinds like the kind you find crossing bridges and so forth. Most of the time 50 mm at the front is fine with me. If I got a great deal on something like a 65/45 set I'd be really happy. I'd even consider a Roval rear wheel with a Campy Bora 45 mm at the front. Possibly the Propel can be reconfigured with a new rear wheel only if you can't fix the problems with better, wider tires.
WRT the stem and head tube for cable integration, Giant and others would be wise to look at the new Izalco Max.
was really looking forward for the review,great stuff.not convinced though at all......foil or reacto for me id say.reacto disc 8000 gives you di2,world tour grade frame and better wheels for the same price.
drasztikus these are both di2 and world tour level frames. Giants wheels would be good if they get with the times and make wider wheels internally and externally. They make god in house parts except for aero rims.
could the chatter on turns be stiffer side walls on the tyres?
I think you should test which is more aero the Giant Propel advanced SL Disc against the Cannondale System Six Aero. Maybe even with theCanyon Aero, Trek Madone and Specialized Venge Vias. But I feel the Propel Advanced Disc SL and the System Six Aero cause they look very similar.
Great review guys . I love my propel and tcr but I would like to be able to get wider tiers on them
This is the most beautiful bike that I have ever seen. In love with
I have last years TCR frameset only in blue/orange custom built with Ultegra Di2, Ultegra full hydraulic disc, deep section wheels w/thru-axles, etc.. . I have 1 big problem... ISP: integrated seat post. If your body becomes more flexible, or less for that matter, you can’t adjust the seat position nearly as easily. Lowering is “easy”. Cut the seat post lower. If you need to raise the seat, you have to add metal tab spacers only Giant bike shops have, and you can only go with so many spacers, and you better hope it’s enough.
As for this one... the thru-axles with no handle piss me off. Carry a 5mm wrench with me? I’ll bet race teams add handles. There’s no way they’re going to NASCAR style tire change, and like you said in the video... rounding the bolts.
If you check with Giant as opposed to just trusting a video review...you'd know you get thru-axles with a handle as well as the ones it is running in the video with no handles. You can swap over whenever you want.
Giant put together some truly value propositions especially the tcr series, however they need to improve their design and make their bikes more attractive which in term make the brand more desirible
Given your thought on the wheels/tyres..it would be good to see a comparison with different wheelset and larger tyres for different situations. PS good review....rounding bolts...never good!!! Cockpit just doesn't appear practical but I'm sure it's fine if your a pro and the mechanic takes care of it.
Clearly the top cap is for aerodynamics. If you're worried about rounding off the bolts, perhaps you're doing them up to tight.
talking about competitors, how could for forget about Canyon Aeroad Disc ? at least, Aeroad is definitely more practical bike and for me also looks better.
Team Sunweb aren't using it because Disc wheels take ages to change.
It beats the spesch venge. But I'd like to see how it compares with the madone. Better brakes Vs aero advantage/ISO speed. Or Ollie's new foil. (Think if the colours and black are reversed it would look a lot better.)
So is it Giant's own tires or their rims that's the problem?
Did you actually measure the internal rim width?
And the stem might look nasty, but it's much easier to optimize aerodynamically speaking, than a a complicated sloping one, plus you don't need to cut holes into the stem, weakening it. And it's much easier to access than a fully internal system. It's the practical, not the pretty solution. But that's always been Giant's thing.
The rider limit on a Giant carbon bike is 95kg where as the rider limit on a Specialized is 109kg. I weigh 88kg and would never ride a Giant because I feel it is too weak. Also, the Specialized frame sports a lifetime guarantee for the original owner. Therefore, in my opinion, there is a ton of quality in that extra 1kg.
The specs for the Giant says 129 kg rider wieght with full load/outfit. At least for Giant Propel Advanced....
And I´m 119 kg and riding it full on....
Really? I'll have to take a look at that. I'm here in Japan and the dealers told me the limit was 95kg on their carbon frames. Thanks for thr info. There is still no lifetime guarantee and the Propel costs more than the Vias here in Japan.
Sorry mate, there is a lifetime guarantee for the frame and forks for the 1st owner! Also 129kg total weight limit is correct. Check the Owners' manual, version 11.0 Source: I work for Giant UK. As for cost in Japan? I can't argue that point!
Don't believe the marketing hype. I've broken just as many Specialized frames as Giant. At 75 kg's in weight and hard racing neither last long.
You have the bike, you can measure the dimensions that you're criticizing. You should also mention your tire pressure when criticizing things like "chatter."
Giant claims the inner rim width is 17mm. Did you verify that? It worries me that you had a blowout running 90 psi. That's what I like to train on and the Giant (size) ML fits me perfectly. Otherwise I'm better off with an Aeroad (size large) and better wheels.
well if its so areo why aint giant sunweb using it??
So, Oliver, after replacing the Giant tires with 28's, did it ride like the Cannondale?
What about with a tire AND wheel change?
Terrific review overall. (And I like the color schemes; matte black...bah)
George Hugh still didn’t feel like the cannondale, but I much preferred the comfort and ride in general. Supersix is one of the best out there for ride quality and handling.
Oliver B: Thanks for the reply!
What would you reckon is the max tyre width? Wondering about 35mm for gravel rides
Oli, I'm seriously considering buying this bike on Wednesday, as I love sprinting and rolling hills and punchy climbs. I'm a sprinter/endurance guy more than a climber. How'd you choose between the propel and the tcr? Everyone's telling me go tcr because it's lighter, but I don't like the looks of it. Help please. Thank you.
Tcr pro o dura ace review please, non on the internet yet
Sadly Scholten doesn’t sell this Sunweb bike in my size. (XL) they’re all cut to medium.
Agree with your opinion about the ugly cap XD
After all that twaddle think I'll wait for the S Works Tarmac personally if it's all the same to you
according to george hincappie the wheels being super stiff are the issue on decents
Great review and a nice bike. Only trouble with it is the name. In Singapore, Giant is the name of the local supermarket chain. It's a bit like your super bike being called an Asda's or a Tesco's!!! Doesn't work for me.
Indurain ftw, how to look good on a bike! oh and Lemond also
Personally chose a TCR SL0 with an integrated stem n handlebar, over the Propel. Mainly because of living in hilly Devon area. In the real world, I'd take the weight rather than the marginal speed. Maybe go for speed if you do a lot of TT's as well as normal rides. Chose to also run a 53/36 with 11/28. Covers me in all situations, sprinting to climbing. The blue maybe had a hand in choice preference ;-)
How much is this bike is it under a grand
Great looking bike
does the PROPEL ADVANCED DISC
2018 for 3750.00 come with Di2, website is unclear.
How do you recycle a carbon bike? :P
Great review
If iam travelling down a steep climb at over 50 km an hour I would most definitely want a better design and more accurate steering post for my drop down bars your life depends on it .🚵♂️
Iam on a 2017 tcr advanced giant road bike and love it hopefully would like to up date to another more ero advanced tcr eventually 🚵♂️
I had an ISP frame once, never again.
Pretty interesting that none of the sunweb team really use the propel much
I understand this conceal everything look and integrated everything, but as pointed out it is not a practical bike. Everything is proprietary so you can’t adjust or change anything or fit accesories. Great if the bike off the floor suits you perfectly, but this mostly is unlikely. I suggest you buy a bike you can adjust and get yourself into the most comfortable aero position, this will give you bigger gains. Also the concealed cabling, saving how many watts??? WTF!
its Always nitce to hear about these Superior bikes...but most of us cannot afford it...Why not a review like this on a bike we can pay for ?
My friend also had a blowout downhill on a giant tubeless tire and tore his shoulder ligament. I don't trust giant tubeless. He works for a bike shop he knows what he's doing.
AdamOrnelles we recently did a festive 1000km week over Christmas. My wife and I never had one flat with our gator Hardshells. My mate rode with us and was riding his new defy with Giant tyres and had 4 flats.
Everyone forgets, tubeless is still a clincher, it is the sealant that does the “fix” magic. Pinch flats are still a problem and sealant doesn’t fix everything. Once the tyre starts to loose some pressure before the sealant starts to work and seal, the tyre can leave the rim, blowout or get a pinch flat. I really can’t see this great new tyre system “tubeless” being revolutionary.
always change to gatorskin hardshells asap-
The best colour is the neon red matte , other colourways look like power ranger suits lol 😂
Is the Giant bike a Japanese manufactured bike
Taiwan, I believe.
Ok, what is everyone's favorite Propel Color?
1: Blue ( my favorite.)
2: Orange.
3: Green.
Blue!!!!!!!
They all look bad to me
Blue
Has to be blue
Mulish the cheapest one which is a different scheme. Black on orange.
most aerodynamic brick in the world
Blowout! Tubeless are still clinchers!
vais all the way mate. great video though
Next thing they will put in the stem is an air bag!
The supposed "high end" proprietary components Giant and other big brands are now pushing is discouraging. I gotta drop 5-7 grand and then upgrade the wheels right away? I don't think so...
The wheel quality is actually very good. Hubs have DT internals .. the whol wheelset is not heavy and are qucl to accelerate. Only reason to buy a new wheelset is if your ego doesnt allow proprietary wheels
It looks sportive because its a compact frame?
sarethums not compact, the propel has a horizontal top tube
Jonathan Zappala the too tube is lower than a regular frame of the same size?
sarethums all aero bikes are that way since the rider is most of the drag. Which I would say a short head tube that makes the top tube lower is the opposite of a sportive bike. What makes a frame a compact is a sloping top tube.
They’re using the TCR because it’s a superior racing machine! Just ask durian rider lol.
Speaking personally, the TCR is way more my style, but I do think the Propel, if you put some wider wheels and nice 28mm Schwalbes in there, would be a next to perfect aero bike.
However, there is no way I can say enough bad things about durianrider to do justice to what an absolute shitstain he is.
There are many disadvantages to disc brakes on road bikes, which despite the continuous pressure from manufactures to adopt them have caused their slow embrace by both professional and recreational racers: cost, weight, and wheel change compatibility to names a few. Disc brakes on road bikes only offer a functional advantage on long, steep, technical descents, especially in the rain. Disc brakes on an aero road bike are unnecessary verging on stupid, because you would only be facing such conditions in mountainous areas, where you would prefer to be on your TCR because it's a lighter, more comfortable all around bike.
ShawnFenty2 have you ever ridden discs on a road bike? I own a TCR disc and have been riding since 2016, it weighs 6.7 kilos in a size large and the brakes simply work better in all conditions period
I have never ridden disc brakes on a bicyle, but I have never felt the need to either. I have 30+ years of club level road racing experience in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US, logging hundreds of thousands of trainig/racing miles in all conditions. I currently have a stable of 3+ road racing bikes including a Giant TCR Advance Pro, Giant Trinity, and an old Cannondale System Six all with rim brakes and Zipp carbon wheels with 23/25mm Conti GP 4000s ~@90psi. I have a Tarmac Pro that I run aluminum rim wheels, Conti Gatorskin 25/28mm @85 psi in the rain, more because I don't like grinding the braking surfaces of my carbon rims in the wet than out of concern for braking performance.
Even though I run Campy Record controls/drivetrains on almost all of my bikes, I use SRAM Rival rim brakes on them because they are relatively cheap, easy to adjust, and they stop my bike just fine! I have never felt that I was having any kind of problem controlling my bicycle in any conditions that disc brakes would have made any difference. When I do cost/benefits analysis of disc brakes for road racing in my region, it just doesn't make any sense for me in terms of the $ invested against the promised marginal gains in braking performance. But there are +/-s to everything, and if it makes sense for someone else, that's cool. I just wanted to express my opinion that all of this disc brake stuff seems to be way overblown imo. Cheers!
Amazing how you can build such a great bike and then mess it up so badly on the final touches. The stem and paint jobs are ridiculous.
Again that is just personal opinion
Propel new stem is a true Godzilla in stems world.Paintob so ugly that create airless buble around bike make it more aero.Genious!
I love my Gaint bikes but Gaint tyres are of a lower industry standard. Tyres are a too specilised an industry.
The hell, why are they making it ONLY disc brakes? It makes the bike more expensive overall. Maintenance and traveling is also more annoying when you have disc brakes.
I don't like this new direction of not even giving the consumer an option, other than not buying their bikes.
It makes it less expensive, acktchewally. Production is cheaper due to less versions having to be made, so if you compare this to something like an equivalent spec Teammachine, Venge Vias, or Madone, this is quite a bit more affordable.
And honestly, if you still want rim brakes on a new road bike, either A. You're in a lot of racing situations where swapping wheels quickly is something you regularly have to do, or B. You're wrong.
I’m enjoying the bike so far ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxMesz3KOGEmwmvyKQfLfrRSUXLFzfVHZA My only real complaints are the brakes and the pedals. I feel like a bike designed for bigger people should have much larger pedals and more heavy duty brakes. I’ve only gotten two really good rides out of it, minimal downhill action, and the brakes feel like they’re already going out. A larger person has more momentum, so I think this wasn’t thought through very well. Also, I wear size 13-14 wide shoes. My feet cramp up on these pedals that are clearly made for smaller feet. Since I’m not a pro rider (and I don’t think many are who purchase this bike) I don’t think that the straps on the pedal are necessary at all. None of this takes away from the enjoyment I get from riding, however. I’ll just head to a bike shop to improve on a few things.
Oh how i wish to have that kind of bike sad to say i cant afford to buy. from the pbilippines
envia a chile?
blahahaha...."spew out like intestines".....Priceless!
They really dropped the ball on those wheels, they are only 17mm internal width, so any tyre wider than about 23 will make the aero performance worse. Sure you can run wider tyres for comfort, but you will lose the aero benefits of the rim.
Also, asymmetrical wheels look ugly.
Campagnolos wider wheels only have 17mm internal width. That is about as low as you can go for 25mm tyres. AS for the 42 front and 65 rear wheels? .. very vey good racing in crosswinds
cannon1156 If you look at Enve's disc brake aero wheels they are 25 mm internal though, optimal for 28-30 mm tyres. 17 internal is pretty narrow & old-school at this point.
Yes I agree that they would be better if even wider but they are still ok for 25mm tyres. Campagnolo still are doing 17mm internal for the 25 tyres
I mean so close!!! The headset and handlebar look is atrocious!! Who signed off on this? Is there a way to put on another stem and bar combo?
The stem handlebat set up is extremely stiff which is great for sprinting. The cover on the stem looks crazy when you have not lowered the handlebar height by taking out spacers and cutting the steerer tube. It looks way better with minimal spacers
the giant tyres are not great. the 25mm is very narrow. poor in the wet as well.
I have no words for how bad Giants 2018 paint jobs look. 😵😱😩
Vincent Leuenberger I love the green Defy winter bike and my summer laser red TCR!
The colour scheme looks like the sort of tacky thing you'd get on a 10-year olds walmart bike..
U dont know shit
TCR is just the perfect bike propel is not an all round perfect tool
Hm, not my pair of shoes. This awful looking top cap. And the paintjobs.....no....no thanks,
The cable system requires some accommodation. The top cap is a good compromise. Form follows function and if you don't want your cables flapping in the wind you have to figure something out.