Giant first entered the aero road bike game in 2013 with the launch of their Propel Advanced SL. Tests showed that, at 40 kph, the Propel Advanced SL saves 12-36 seconds over 40 kilometres. Third-party wind-tunnel tests showed that the Propel Advanced SL is more aerodynamic from every yaw angle tested when compared to other leading aero road bikes.
The Frame
Giant says that during its design and development, they went through more than 80 iterations of the design as well as plenty of prototyping, riding and wind tunnel analysis to get to a happy medium. The bike’s geometry is based around the race-ready TCR and, its more forgiving stable mate, the Defy blending the best of both into an aero platform. Other than the lack of an integrated seatpost, the fundamentals of the Advanced 2 are the same as the SL: the frame geometry is identical and they share aero profiled tubes, oversized head tube and bearings, hidden brakes and profiled bars.
There is no excess on the frame with lots of attention to detail and, in keeping with the aero nature of the frame, everything is neatly tucked away behind or under a sculptured tube. One simple example of the thought that has gone into the bike is how the bottle cage mounts have been incorporated. The down tube changes shape midway through to incorporate a standard bottle cage that can fit a round bottle. The second bottle cage mounts on the seat tube are lower, so they stay in line with the down tube bottle. Clever stuff.
The only oddity seems to be the loop the rear derailleur outer makes from the handlebar to where it disappears into the top tube behind the steerer tube. In terms of aero gain, that’s the place to do it as it’s already in “dirty” air, but it’s bit unsightly.
Specification
- SizesXS, S, M, ML, L, XL
- ColoursComp (Matte/Gloss), Blue (Matte/Gloss)
- FrameAdvanced-Grade Composite
- ForkAdvanced-Grade Composite, Hybrid OverDrive Steerer
- HandlebarGiant Connect
- StemGiant Connect, ±8-degree rise
- SeatpostGiant Vector Composite
- SaddleGiant Performance Men’s, Manganese rails
- ShiftersShimano 105, 11-speed
- Front DerailleurShimano 105, 11-speed
- Rear DerailleurShimano 105, 11-speed
- BrakesGiant SpeedControl SL
- Brake LeversShimano 105
- CassetteShimano 105 11-28, 11s
- ChainKMC X11L
- CranksetShimano RS500, 34/50
- Bottom BracketShimano, Press Fit
- RimsGiant P-A2
- HubsGiant Performance Tracker Road, Sealed Bearing
- SpokesSapim Race
- TyresGiant P-R3, Flat Guard, front and rear specific, 700×23
- Retail Price R 26,495.00 (2016 pricing: R 28,495.00)
Components
Powering the Advanced 2 is Shimano’s excellent 11-speed 105 groupset paired with a RS500 chainset. This was obviously done to hit a certain price point and although it makes no immediately obvious difference to the performance of the drivertrain, there is a slight weight penalty and it limits the chainring choice to a 34/50, something some riders may find to be too low. Even so the drivetrain performed flawlessly during my time on the bike and to be honest the 34/50 was at times a welcome spec choice.
Except for the KMC chain and Sapim spokes, the rest of the kit comes from Giant’s own range of gear. It may lack some big name wow factor, but there is little to fault in terms of performance and it helps keep the price within range for some buyers. The aero-profiled alloy P-A2 rims are suited to all-round riding. Acceleration was good and climbing out of saddle (something I don’t do too often) showed they were stiff with good engagement from the hub. The bike came fitted with Giant’s own brand tyres, which have proved to be a good tyre, offering lots of grip in both wet and dry conditions and did not suffer any punctures. They have since made way for a set of Vee Tire Co Apache tires we have on test.
RideSense: Integration for a cadence and wheel speed sensor.
The SpeedControl SL brakeset (made by TRP) is well up to the task with its aero shape keeping the overall profile of the bike down and with it the drag low. Special mention has to go to the in-house saddle. I found it comfortable from the first ride and it never caused me any issues or pain. Well done to Giant for getting it just right.
On the Road
At 179cm, the M/L was a perfect fit. A low front end means you will be able to go very aggressive with your setup and run a super low, slammed stem and handlebar for maximum aero effect. This will cost you some comfort, but raising and dropping a stem is easy enough to go back to a more comfortable position on longer training rides.
I can’t honestly comment on just how much the aero shape plays a part in real life conditions, but the Propel certainly felt fast. Much has been said about the ride qualities of aero road bikes and I’m glad to report that the Propel, as tested, suffers from just about none of that. To be clear – it is not a Defy and cannot match it for its all-day comfort. In terms of feel it is closer to a TCR, but it is not nearly as harsh a ride as some other aero bikes I’ve sampled and could easily be anyone’s “one bike”. The frame and fork manage to soak up high frequency vibrations and chatter well enough to keep fatigue at bay and with the growing trend of wider road tires there is little to nothing to write home about.
Thankfully that doesn’t come at the expense of handling. The Propel carves corners and mountain pass descents with precision. There were no scary or sketchy moments pushing the bike – it felt like anything I could throw at it was well within its ability. It picks up and maintains speed with the vigour and determination of a Fox Terrier.
Verdict
Not one to comment too often on looks in a review as it is very subjective, but I will make an exception on this one: The frame is beautifully designed with lines that blend and flow into each other. The paint job can look plain in some stock photos, but it looks great in the flesh. There is a bit of “satin” in the paint that makes it pop, making this one stand out.
Think of the Propel Advanced 2 as a great road bike that happens to be aero and you get the picture. If ever you were looking at getting an aero road bike, but are worried about the ride quality, then this is the one to get. Late to the game, but nailed it at first attempt did Giant. This leaves me to wonder that if the Advanced 2 is this good, what must the Advanced SL 0 ride like?
From the Manufacturer:
Escape from the pack, its just you against the wind. Sprints, attacks or solo rides find your edge with this class-leading aero road bike.
- Stiff enough to transfer power to the pedals, forgiving enough to keep you comfortable during long training efforts. A class-leading aerodynamic road frame module based on extensive wind tunnel testing-that’s Propel Advanced.
- Lightweight Advanced-grade composite frameset
- Aerodynamic shaping throughout including headtube, downtube, seatstays, fork and seattube
- Aerodynamic composite seatpost for maximum aero’ advantage
- Internal cable routing and aero brake system-no detail overlooked
Wow...HOT!!!