Road, Track & Mountain Bikes » Giant

Giant TCR Advanced T-Mobile Team Bike Review

drbob — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 03:24:33 +0000

By Jez Loftus, BikeRadar

The TCR Advanced T-Mobile Team is Giant's no compromise road race machine and gets its mouthful of a name from being the choice ride for the German pro team. Built with nothing but all-out performance in mind the Advanced Team is light, stiff and fast.

At £4150, it's almost identical to the bike the pros ride but unless you're paid to race do you really need one? Will it make you a faster rider, or simply make you look like an all-the-gear-no-idea poseur?

The fact that the TCR Advanced isn't your average versatile, performance road bike makes it even more appealing. The T-Mobile colours, only minutely adjustable (2cm), one cut, one fit seatmast and compact, stiff frame make it a unique bike. The ride is hard to describe as forgiving - hit a road bump unawares and the shock through the seatmast will try to separate your head from your shoulders. But ride it like you would in a race and it all comes together. Handling, smoothness of power and the unshakable hold on the road all shine through. The only problem is that it wants to be ridden like a race bike all the time. If you haven't got the strength and fitness to feed the frame, it will drop you for dead. If you're up for the challenge then you'll love the TCR Advanced and it will make you a fitter, faster rider in the process.

Frame
Giant was the first bike manufacturer to pioneer the compact road frame almost 11 years ago. Back then the small triangles and angles rocked the road world and had die-hard traditionalists turning in their toe-clips. Today the design almost looks the norm as it's been adopted by many a manufacturer. Carbon is almost the perfect material for the compact frame, and the stiff, light and highly mouldable

T-800 high modulus, nano-tubed carbon fibre structure of the Team Advanced works especially well in compact form.
The performance and feel of the frame comes from the subtle design and fine detailing of the high grade, high modulus carbon. Look closely and the flared curves at the top-tube, bottom bracket and seatmast show that the bike is built to be stiff.
the beast just demands to be ridden fast

The one-piece, lugless front triangle is formed around the oversized (but regular width) bottom bracket shell and a standard 1 1/8 inch head-tube. Seatstays and chainstays are also joined not by lugs but wrapped carbon and are contoured to provide a degree of comfort without compromising stiffness and power transfer to the rear wheel.

Replacing a seatpost with an integrated seatmast does increase the initial firmness of the ride, but it does reduce the weight overall. Getting the right fit, though, is a case of measuring ten times before cutting the frame to size so we'd recommend your Giant dealer does the cutting rather than you running the risk of the DIY route! Other advantages of the seatmast is that it eliminates water ingress down the seatpost into the frame, as well as seatpost slippage, and the saddle always remains straight. It's also worth mentioning that there's only £100 difference between the seatmast and seatpost versions, so if you're not bothered about changing the height of your saddle, it's a cost effective way of getting a carbon post.

Equipment
True to the T-Mobile spec, the Advanced Team comes equipped with a full quiver of Shimano Dura-Ace components. Slick, smooth and fast, Shimano's top gruppo suits the intended purpose of the bike down to the ground. Not a lot else needs to be said about Dura-Ace groupset but we'd like to give a special mention to the powerful brakes. The control and modulation from the big levers married to the powerful callipers is wonderfully reassuring when pushing things to the limit. Although they're not the lightest brakes on the market, Dura-Ace are certainly the best.

Wheels
This is the only departure from the pros' bikes; they predominantly opt for Lightweights. The pair of Shimano Dura-Ace WH7850SL wheels keeps the price down and although they're heavier than the Lightweights, they are more versatile. They're also tubeless-ready.
Continental Grand Prix 400 tyres are plenty sticky in the dry but can get a bit scary over road lines and manhole covers in the wet. Thankfully the frame lets you know exactly what is going on at all times.

Handling
The TCR Advance T-Mobile Team is designed as a performance bike and for that it gets full marks. However, it should also come with a health warning - it makes you ride like you're possessed and demands full bodily effort all of the time. Don't mistake that for an uncomfortable, nervy ride, though - far from it. It's more the fact that the beast just demands to be ridden fast. We were hitting nearly 50mph for the cover shoot and the bike felt totally stable yet alive. It really does make you grin on the inside yet grimace on the outside at the amount of effort you're feeding the bike.

Powerful acceleration is spontaneous. The bike is stiff but that's almost doing it a disservice as it's a lot more subtle than that. The feel and control is just so well sorted at speed. It loves to be cornered hard and we lost our nerve before the bike lost its hold on the road. There's a noticeable increase in firmness from the seatmast but it's not uncomfortable, as long as you're fit enough to cope with it on a long ride.

The all or nothing nature of this bike means it isn't a suitable ride for everyone, and those wanting more versatility and comfort should consider Giant's comfier, seatposted TCR Composite or even look at the SCR range. But if you're serious about your racing, speed and performance you'll love the ride of the TCR Advanced T-Mobile Team.

Specification
Replacement value £4150 (£2095 frame only, £1995 non-ISP frame)
Frame and forks
Size tested: Large
Sizes available: S, M, M/L, L
Weight as tested: 7.360kg/16.2lb no pedals
Frame: Full carbon monocoque, forged alloy dropouts, replaceable derailleur hanger
Frame weight: 1335g/2.9lb
Fork: Carbon fork 11/8 steerer, carbon blades/ crown, forged dropouts.
Fork weight: 365g/0.8lb
Bike dimensions
Top-tube: 58.5cm/23in
Seat-tube (c-c): 50.5cm/19.9in
Chainstays: 40.8cm/16.1in
Wheelbase: 100.5cm/39.6in
Head-tube angle: 73°
Seat-tube angle: 73°
Fork offset: 4.5cm/1.8in
Trail: 6cm
B/b height: 27.5cm/10.8in
Standover height: 82cm/32.3in
Braze-ons: 2 bottle cages

Frame alignment
Head-tube: Perfect
Rear triangle: Perfect
Fork: Perfect
Transmission
Chainset: Shimano Dura-Ace forged hollow arms, 175mm, alloy rings 53/39
Bottom bracket: Shimano Dura- Ace external type Freewheel: Shimano Dura-Ace 10s, 12-25 Ti cogs with alloy carrier
Chain brand : Shimano Dura-Ace
Derailleurs: Dura-Ace front and rear; (front braze-on) Gear levers: Dura-Ace STI
Pedals: None
Wheels
Front & rear: Dura-Ace prebuilt, forged alloy hubs with sealed cup and cone, ss spokes 16 radial front, 20 radial/2 cross rear, machined aero rims, asymetric pull rear
Tyres: Continental Grand Prix 4000, 700x23
Wheel weight: f 1038g, r 1435g
Other components
Stem: Deda Newton, 12 cm, 11/8, with 4 bolt 31.7 clamp
Bars: Deda Newton anatomic os, 44cm c-c Saddle: Selle Italia SLR, hollow Ti rails Seatpost: Frame specific machined alloy clamp, approx 2cm adjustment
Brakeset: Shimano Dura-Ace dual pivot Accessories: none

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Giant TCR Advanced SL 2 Review

drbob — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:22:58 +0000

Giant TCR Advanced SL 2

Frame Technology
Experience the one-of-a-kind ride quality of Giant’s unique Alliance technology, which blends the best characteristics of both composite and aluminum. You get amazing power transfer for the sprints and a supple ride for long days in the saddle.

Features
- Complete 10-speed SRAM RIVAL (black) groupset
- Lightweight Giant Connect SL handlebar and stem
- Fi’zi:k Pave CX saddle
- Lighter Mavic CXP22 wheelset

Review
We have to break out the superlatives for this out-of-the-box racer. It's the lightest and stiffest frame that Giant has ever produced—the same one (albeit without the integrated seat mast) that was ridden to more pro wins last year than any other bike. Granted, the SL 2 is hung with a more affordable mix of Shimano Ultegra components and Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheels. But make no mistake: It's still an absolutely race-worthy rig. It's such a well-rounded package, in fact, that three testers each gave it a perfect 10 on their score sheets—but, and this is the most telling part, in three different categories: climbing, descending, and pedaling responsiveness. 16 lbs, 56cm; giant-bicycles.com

Giant Trinity Alliance Review

drbob — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:14:43 +0000

By Mat Brett

The Trinity Alliance is the middle option in the triathlon range from Taiwanese giants Giant, sitting between the aluminium framed Trinity (£1200) and the tricked-out carbon composite Trinity Advanced (£3250). The Alliance splits the difference with a frame that fuses carbon and aluminium. A female-specific version is available too – the Aeryn Alliance W (£2000).

Ride & Handling: steady rather than super speedy
With an all-up weight of 9.2kg the Giant is a little portly, but while it's not lightning-quick out of the blocks, it accelerates just fine. Those deep tubes hold the bottom bracket good and tight so when you’re jumping up and down on the cranks to wind up the speed, all your effort is converted straight into forward motion.

Although the head tube isn’t mega-short, the steep seat angle helps you get into an efficient, flat-backed riding position without too much trouble even if you’re not especially bendy. Once you’re down there, the Alliance isn’t the most forgiving bike – the tight back end in particular can skitter when you hit a section of frost-damaged road fast. That said, there’s enough damping courtesy of the carbon in the frame and fork that you’re never left feeling battered and bruised for the run, and the Arione saddle is a real star.
The Alliance just gets on with the job of racking up the flat miles with no drama whatsoever. It’s swift enough that you can hold your cruising pace without feeling that you’re in a constant battle, and it’s controllable enough for you to stay down on the aero extensions even through tight turns and steep descents.

The Alliance will get you up and over moderate slopes without breaking your rhythm too much, but it’s not at its best when the road really heads skyward. It’s a couple of pounds too heavy to be a natural climber and the deep-section Mavic wheels are a tad porky although, on the plus side, they’re virtually flex-free when you get out of the saddle and stomp. And you might find yourself wishing that your biggest sprocket was a 25t rather than a 23, although that’s easily sorted.

Frame: neat carbon/alloy combination
It’s the top section of the Trinity Alliance’s frame that’s carbon – the sloping, triangular-profiled top tube, the upper section of the deep, aero seat tube, and the seatstays that angle in sharply to produce small and taut rear triangles. The rest, including the broad, teardrop shaped down tube, is made from Giant’s AluxX alloy with carbon filament wrapped around the junctions. Those joints are so smooth that you have to work hard to find them.

The fork blades are carbon too and so is the aero seat post. There’s a composite insert moulded to the inside of the seat tube designed to soak up road vibration while the cables burrow through the tubes up front and travel backwards inside the frame to reduce drag.

Equipment: respectable spec and finishing kit
The Trinity Alliance’s gearing comes courtesy of Shimano’s slinky Ultegra range. The alloy Cosmic Elites aren’t in the same league as Mavic’s more expensive carbon aero wheels, but for tri use they’re a cut above standard road hoops. With 30mm deep rims and just 20 bladed spokes per wheel, they’re pretty quick on the flat and are strong and durable with it.

Fizik’s Arione Tri 2 saddle is well proven too. You get all the butt-saving flex of normal Ariones but with extra padding on the front – where you most need it – and a seamless nose cover, which you’ll appreciate when you’re spinning along in just a thinly-padded trisuit.
The women’s version, the Aeryn Alliance W, comes with a slightly longer head tube and a female-specific Fizik Vitesse tri saddle, but that aside, the spec is exactly the same.
+ Steep frame geometry helps you get into an efficient ride position
+ More efficiency comes courtesy of the high level of stiffness
- Too heavy to fly around the hillier courses
- A bigger sprocket would make things easier on steep climbs