The fork and seat stays sit well wide of the wheel and tyre, the idea being to improve airflow efficiency as well as increasing tyre clearance. Most obviously, the Advanced Pro has a seatpost that slots into the seat tube, whereas the Advanced SL has an integrated seatpost the extended seat tube is topped by a seatmast, negating the need for a post , while the seat stay yoke is slightly lower on the Advanced Pro.
Even here, though, the Advanced Pro's seat tube and Variant composite seatpost feature truncated aerofoil tube shaping.
The Advanced Pro's performance in the wind tunnel is unlikely to be vastly different, but we can't put figures on it. You can't feel aero improvements either, but you can feel the TCR Advanced Pro 1 Disc is a lively performer that responds well as you increase the power.
It isn't quite as stiff as the Advanced SL, but it's pretty close. Would you notice the difference? If you sprinted on them back-to-back you might. Otherwise, probably not. Although the Advanced Pro lags a little behind the Advanced SL in terms of rigidity, we're comparing it with one of the stiffest race bikes out there. You certainly aren't left feeling the Advanced Pro is in any way flexy. Far from it. It feels solid and offers rapid acceleration. I rode the L version with a mm top tube, mm seat tube short because of Giant's compact frame design and mm head tube.
Giant has tweaked the geometry of the TCR with this latest incarnation, but only slightly. The bottom bracket drop the vertical distance the BB sits below a line between the hubs — see more here has been increased by 2mm to take account of larger tyres; these lift you slightly higher off the ground, so increasing the BB drop moves you earthward again.
The disc brake TCRs have room for C x 32mm now, although 25mm tyres are fitted as standard. Various other measurements have been revised so that stack and reach, measured from the bottom bracket, remain unaltered.
Giant has changed things to keep them the same, if you know what I mean. Oh, there is one other significant change, but that's to the sizing. Whereas the ML model was previously closer to the L size than to the M, it now splits the difference between the two. As you'd expect, the TCR's geometry is race focused, but it's not unusually aggressive. My L-sized bike was fitted with a mm stem and a Giant Contact SL handlebar with a 44cm width measured centre to centre and I could easily get into a flat-backed 'attack' position that felt efficient.
I can't say that aftermarket stem compatibility bothers me hugely. That should cater for nearly everyone. If you have unusual requirements or you wanted to swap to a particular model from another brand, though, you could struggle.
I won't go into massive depth on the Shimano Ultegra groupset because we've reviewed it separately, but it's excellent kit with hydraulic disc brakes providing loads of one-finger control. One major feature that's not immediately obvious is the Giant PowerPro power meter integrated with the chainset. It's a double-sided device — it measures power from both legs — that adds just 32g and has a claimed power range of up to 3, watts.
That's way higher than any of us will ever hit. Stay tuned for a separate review on road. The Giant SLR-1 42 Carbon Disc wheels demand attention because, although pretty understated, they perform extremely well. You might see they're in-house wheels and assume that means they're cheap and cheerful placeholders. This is a seriously good wheelset that has been updated for Giant says that its Finite Element Analysis FEA has allowed it to put material only where it is needed, making the structure robust while minimising weight.
Giant also says that the hub internals have been precision machined to eliminate excessive bearing load and reduce wasted power. They come with C x 25mm Giant Gavia Course 1 tyres fitted, set up tubeless and ready to rock. The tyres roll fast, grip hard in the corners, and come with a Kevlar Race Shield puncture protection layer to help you keep rolling sealant inside the tyres will hopefully deal with most punctures.
Some brands spec relatively low grade wheels and tyres on bikes of this price, figuring you're likely to take them off and fit your favourites anyway. Giant hasn't done that, going with a really impressive setup that helps the bike deliver a responsive performance from the off. As mentioned way back, Giant's updated Variant composite seatpost is designed to reduce drag, and it's topped by a Giant Fleet SL saddle.
Liam is reviewing this saddle separately for road. This means that separate pockets within the saddle contain 'high-elastic, free-flowing particles' that are designed to distribute pressure across a large contact area.
It works. At least, it works for me and — spoiler alert! I've had no comfort issues whatsoever with the Giant TCR Advanced Pro 1 Disc, finding it easy to stay seated for long periods and not getting rattled on fast, sketchy descents. If you ever did feel the need from more cosseting, you could easily switch to 28mm tyres or even wider and run lower pressures. Of the recent bikes we've reviewed on road. Like the Giant, the Merida is equipped with a Shimano Ultegra groupset, but it's the considerably more expensive Di2 version with electronic rather than mechanical shifting.
On the flip side, the Giant has a power meter and better wheels, so it comes down to what you value most. Trek does spec power meters on some models in the range, but not on this one, so that might be an important factor for you.
It's zippy and efficient while offering well-balanced handling. Add in a high quality build, excellent wheels and a power meter, and you have a seriously strong contender. If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road. Tell us what the bike is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about the bike? It's a road bike designed for performance and speed. The TCR has always been the lightweight road bike in Giant's range — now it has aero features for the first time.
Giant says: "Climb, corner and descend with unrivalled all-rounder performance. From the mountains to the flats, in all types of conditions, the new TCR Advanced Pro Disc takes it to the next level with a lighter, stiffer frame and new aero-engineered tubing. This podium-seeking all-rounder is re-engineered with an Advanced-grade composite frame that boasts an outstanding stiff-to-weight ratio, along with new aerodynamic tube shaping in the head tube, down tube and fork.
With its proven Compact Road geometry, OverDrive 2 front end, flat-mount disc-brake integration and smooth-riding Variant seatpost, this is a race-tuned performer that excels in all aspects of road riding. The shape, though still very familiar, has been honed by computational fluid dynamics CFD and wind tunnel testing alongside real world riding — prototypes of the new TCR competed in events throughout Giant claims this new, more rounded take on the truncated airfoil attains lower drag numbers across a wider range of yaw angles the direction at which the wind hits the bike.
In reality, this means the new down tube is much broader than the previous model because it was designed around having standard 22oz g water bottles in place. Giant has also routed the hose through the fork for the first time and worked on the hose exit in relation to the brake unit and fork leg. The new carbon stem uses a traditional clamp and integrates a GPS mount into its two lower stem bolts. The new TCR is, however, said to be significantly more aerodynamic than the previous generation bike, saving 34 seconds over a distance of 40km at watts, according to Giant.
Aside from the redesigned and now symmetrical fork, and the new tube shapes, the TCR still looks very familiar, and some of the details of the previous TCR have been retained, albeit lightened and apparently improved. This works in conjunction with a tapered fork steerer, which Giant claims offers class-leading steering stiffness. The 86mm-wide PowerCore BB leads into symmetric chainstays that Giant claims provide additional stiffness on the driveside and stability to the non-driveside.
The more affordable Advanced Pro Disc and Advanced Disc frames will accept electronic or mechanical drivetrains, as will rim brake frames across all three levels. Some riders will worry about using an integrated seatpost, with the need to cut to size, so Giant has addressed this by including two clamps with every SL frameset and bike. The more affordable Pro and Advanced bikes use a standard, although still aero-shaped, seatpost. This creates a slight difference in the silhouette between the SL and the rest of the range because the seat tube is deeper on the non-SL bikes to incorporate a traditional post.
The Pro and Advanced models both share the same frame though with a different fork , constructed using per cent Toray T fibres.
The new Advanced Pro 1 chassis loses Meanwhile, the Advanced Disc drops The SLR wheels also switchover to the same internals as used on Cadex wheels, which Giant claims offer 69 per cent less bearing drag on the freehub than the benchmark DT Swiss internals. Giant tells us it is ready to launch the bike in the Taiwanese and Japanese markets, where the current coronavirus pandemic is under more control and life is returning to close to normality. Pricing and availability for the global market is expected to be confirmed in early May.
In , Giant decided to jump from 30mm wheels to 42mm wheels on its TCR Pro Advanced models and I could certainly see this paying off as the bike held its speed with ease. Image 3 of Giant has been also active in moving towards tubeless wheel systems. While not all riders have yet been converted, I am and I was personally grateful to be able to run lower pressures on the specced 25mm Cadex race tyres without the risk of pinch punctures straight from the off.
It even gave me the confidence to take this TCR on a few local gravel routes. But like the decision to upgrade to that permeable vinyl flooring, spending just over four grand on this Giant TCR Pro Advanced 1 is quite a sound investment. Sign up for our newsletter Newsletter.
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