Giant Tcr Advanced Pro 0 Disc 2019 Review
We tested the Giant TCR Avant-garde Pro 0 as part of a 4 bike shoot out which as well included the Specialized Tarmac SL7 Expert, (opens in new tab) BMC Teammachine SLR Two and Scott Addict RC xv. (opens in new tab)
Each bike was tested with its stock tyre, and a control tyre (Schwalbe Pro 1 TLE, 25mm), using the aforementioned test loop which covered 32 miles and included ascents and descents of Leith Colina and Box Hill in Surrey. The other reviews and last conclusions volition be published in Cycling Weekly magazine, on Thursday Apr 29.
The Giant TCR needs no introduction – but here'southward a quick one anyway. Designed by British bohemian inventor Mike Burrows, the 'Total Compact Road' has been a regular fixture in the pro peloton since the 1990s (opens in new tab). It'due south actually not a fixture of the pro peloton this yr, but this latest version of the TCR – which adds aerodynamics to its traditional loftier stiffness and low weight thanks to the meaty design – was ridden by Greg Van Avermaet (opens in new tab) last year in a glorious gold/black fade.
Giant TCR Advanced Pro 0: frame and fork
Giant has the Propel as its aero bike and the TCR as the lightweight all-rounder merely, as with Scott'south Aficionado and Foil, the two are edging closer together with the TCR adopting the tube profiles and integration of its slipperier stablemate.
The head tube, down tube and fork all go an aero makeover. Even the massively wide downward tube is optimised for airflow when a standard bottle is fitted, co-ordinate to Giant.
However, it keeps its sloping peak tube and doesn't driblet its seatstays – in that location's nonetheless that very recognisable Behemothic TCR silhouette.
This 'consumer' version has a separate seatpost, dissimilar the flagship TCR Advanced SL 0 (opens in new tab) that has an integrated seatmast. The other principal deviation is that this bicycle costs well-nigh one-half the price of the flagship model and that's not but because information technology has an Ultegra Di2 groupset and Giant wheels rather than a SRAM Red eTap AXS groupst and Cadex wheels: Giant uses its second-tier carbon to bring the price downward. The Advanced Grade Composite will exist slightly heavier and not every bit stiff as Advanced SL-Grade Composite, but as we'll see, the ride quality of the lower-priced bike is uncommonly good despite this, and the weight is very respectable too.
Giant hasn't gone to boondocks with cable integration on the TCR, even on the flagship model, which is maybe a footling surprising since the Propel was one of the first route bikes with an integrated cockpit when information technology was unveiled in 2017. (opens in new tab) But this volition be good news for home cycle plumbing equipment and for those who don't necessarily want to cut their fork steerer and commit to a single position for the rest of the bike's life (brusque of buying a new fork) as circular spacers tin can easily exist swapped nether or over the stem. Our examination cycle'southward stem has the steerer already cut equally Giant asked me for my setup measurements in advance of sending the wheel, but you'll go some adjustment room on a new one.
At that place'southward also more than traditional routing for the rear brake hose and Di2 cable, emerging from the handlebar with a brusque exposed run, causing minimal disruption to the airflow earlier disappearing into the side of the caput tube.
As for the geometry and sizing, the M/L is a 56 in old money and has classic 73° parallel angles. Stack and attain are well judged and don't nowadays whatsoever fitting issues – a ratio of one.43, which is almost boilerplate for a race bike this size. The chainstays are short at 405mm compared to the standard 410mm, helping with responsiveness at the rear.
Giant still makes the TCR in a rim brake version – virtually a rarity for a pinnacle race bike these days.
Components
A full Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset is par for the form at this toll. We've reviewed it very favourably elsewhere (opens in new tab) so we'll leave it at that. As is also standard, at that place's the 52/36 chainset and 11-thirty cassette that give all the range you lot need for the majority of road riding.
Only the ace upwards the TCR's sleeve is the Giant Ability Pro ability meter on the left-paw crank, something that none of the other three bikes we tested at the aforementioned time – the Specialized Tarmac Good, the BMC Teammachine SLR 2 and the Scott Addict RC fifteen – could offer. This is something that'due south not strictly essential but actually nice to have. Who spends £5K on a race bike without beingness interested in how many watts they can produce? Bought separately the Giant Power Pro-equipped Ultegra chainset costs £799.99, so you lot're definitely getting value here.
The Giant SLR 1 42 Disc Carbon Wheelsystem is a £ane,200, sub-1,500g set of wheels with the latest hookless rim tech – something Giant is fully committing to – and are the lightest, fastest, most expensive wheels on whatever of the four bikes in our grouptest. With a 42mm rim depth front and rear, they came ready tubeless with Giant's Cadex Route Race 25mm tyres, which again, are high finish.
The alu bar and stem are Giant'southward own Contact SL components, 42cm and 110mm respectively with the size 1000/50. and the stem came with a bonus out-forepart computer mountain, which was a prissy bear on.
As I mentioned, bar and stalk are traditional, divide components using industry standard measurements. Aye, the cockpit is not as make clean looking every bit that of the Scott or the Specialized, but information technology makes adjustment that much more straightforward. Personally I would always opt for ease of adaptability over aesthetics or single-figure watt savings.
Ride
The Giant had me at the commencement pedal stroke. I've ridden TCRs at nearly every stage of their journey correct from the loud yellow aluminium ONCE ones that used to be everywhere through the pink T-Mobile carbon model in 2006... I've watched this bike abound up and I felt virtually proud of how far information technology has come.
With its superior spec information technology's conspicuously the best on paper, and the lightest of the iv too. When I felt it surge the first time I pressed down on the pedals I knew beyond doubtfulness it was a exam winner.
The ride quality is merely superbly nuanced. The stiffness is there only it'southward not overdone – it feels lively and springy rather than brutally rigid. Having ridden our four bikes around the same test loop pretty shut together it was like shooting fish in a barrel to compare performances on diverse sections: it climbed efficiently, descending was stable and confidence inspiring. It had just the right corporeality of comfort without losing the feeling of connection. On the apartment it was smooth and fast when rolling round a large gear. I came dorsum with 19 trivial gold, silver and statuary medals and one pinnacle-10-finish bays.
The Giant TCR Advanced Pro 0 just felt similar 'my' bike. And I would happily ride it exclusively for the rest of the summer – but of course information technology's going dorsum to Giant with the other 3, just every bit all our exam bikes do.
Value
Of our four test bikes, the Giant is the 2d lowest priced (only the BMC was cheaper at £4,500) but the spec is miles above all of them. I've already mentioned the Giant Power Pro power meter, which would toll £799.99 bought separately. The carbon wheels are the lightest and most expensive of the iv sets here. There's no obvious surface area where corners have been cut and coin has been saved – it all feels similar quality kit.
It'due south also the lightest on test, and although weight is sometimes regarded every bit concluding decade'south metric, who doesn't relish a lightweight bike? The side by side lightest bike in our test, the Specialized Tarmac Expert SL7, was almost half a kilo heavier at 7.81kg.
Mayhap in this value section it'south not quite a fair playing field since Giant is literally a giant Taiwanese bike make that manufactures original equipment for other brands and harnesses huge economies of scale to bring in its own-branded bikes at lower prices than other people's (including those of its own clients). Still, buying power tin't necessarily blueprint a great bicycle: coming total circle dorsum to the radical, Mike Burrows-designed TCR, Behemothic has always innovated and it's this assuming approach to bicycle design, and not only the competitive prices – though of form they are the icing on the block – that makes Giant's route bikes so unbeatable.
Source: https://www.cyclingweekly.com/reviews/road-bikes/giant-tcr-advanced-pro-0
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