Giant has a huge lineup of bikes and components covering all areas of cycling. Giant road bikes range road cycling reviews from £749 to £9,999 so there’s something for pretty much every budget.
The vast number of Giant road bike models might seem daunting at first but the range is structured logically so it’s easy to work out the best choice for you.
One quick tip before we start is that the word ‘Advanced’ in a model name means that the frame is carbon fibre.
All of Giant’s road bikes feature groupsets from Shimano and SRAM. The lower the number included in a bike name the higher the quality of the components. The TCR Advanced Pro Disc 1 has a higher spec than the TCR Advanced Pro Disc 2, for example, and the TCR Advanced Pro 0 Disc has a higher level again.
Giant also has a women’s brand called Liv that offers an impressively large range.
This article refers to the range that Giant/Liv distributes in the UK, not to models available in other regions.
TCR Advanced range
The TCR Advanced models are performance road bikes that are designed to be lightweight, stiff and agile, roughly the equivalent of a Trek Emonda or Specialized Tarmac.
Giant has given the TCR bikes a major redesign for the 2021 model year, saying that they are now lighter, stiffer than ever before, with the top-level Advanced SL models offering the highest stiffness-to-weight ratio in their class. Giant also says that the TCRs have been aero-optimised for the first time.
The main idea behind the redesign is that the TCR climbs as well as ever while being faster to descend and sprint.
All the TCR models are made from carbon fibre (of differing grades), and they come in race geometries.
There are three different levels. Starting at the top, these are TCR Advanced SL, TCR Advanced Pro and TCR Advanced.
TCR Advanced SL
In developing the top-end TCR Advanced SL Disc, Giant set out to create a stiffness-to-weight ratio higher than that of three key rivals, the Specialized S-Works Tarmac Disc, Trek Emonda SLR Disc, and Cervelo R5 Disc. It says that it achieved this, although both the Specialized and the Trek have since been updated.
2021 Giant TCR Advanced SL 0 Disc
“A high stiffness-to-weight ratio is a hallmark of the TCR,” says Giant. “To retain this critical advantage, new cutting-edge composite materials, laser-cut composite swatches and advanced robotic layup techniques have been used to create best-in-class torsional and pedalling stiffness, giving it a livelier ride quality, explosive acceleration and improved climbing efficiency.”
Giant claims a frame weight of 765g for the 2021 TCR Advanced SL Disc, down from 818g previously, and other savings on things like the clamp for the integrated seatpost and the painted finish. Giant gives a frameset weight (painted frame, painted uncut fork, integrated seatpost, seat clamp, front and rear derailleur hangers) of 1,265g.
Part of the TCR Advanced SL’s stiffness-to-weight gain is said to be down to an upgrade in materials. Whereas 30% of the carbon-fibre used is Toray T800, as before, the remaining 70% is a new higher modulus filament that’s stiffer and lighter.
Giant has incorporated aerodynamic features on its TCR for the first time to minimised drag. Giant says that its tests demonstrate that the new TCR is significantly quicker than the previous version, saving 34secs over 40km (25 miles) at 200 watts of pedalling power.
Two TCR Advanced SL bikes are available in the UK, each of them with disc brakes.
We reviewed the top-level TCR Advanced SL 0 Disc (above, £9,999) here on road.cc and said that it put in a stunning performance.
“The Giant TCR Advanced SL 0 Disc’s understated looks disguise a stunningly good performance,” we said. “This lightweight bike is hugely responsive and handles precisely. Add in aero features and excellent components and it’s a real winner.”
This model is built up with a SRAM Red eTap AXS groupset, including a Quarq power meter, and excellent wheels from Giant’s Cadex brand.
The Advanced SL 1 Disc (£7,499) features SRAM’s next-level-down Force eTap AXS groupset, also with a power meter.
If you wanted a rim brake version, you’d need to buy the frameset and build it up yourself.
Buy if:You’re after a lightweight and stiff race bike and you’re willing to pay a significant amount of money.
TCR Advanced Pro
The TCR Advanced Pro’s frame is made from Toray T700 carbon fibre but in many ways it is similar to the TCR Advanced SL (above). The Advanced Pro Disc’s tube shapes are mostly identical to those of the SL, for example. The head tube, down tube and fork all feature the same new tube profiles – truncated aerofoils that are designed to reduce drag at a wide range of yaw angles.
2021 Giant TCR Advanced Pro 1 Disc – seat tube junction.jpg
There are noticeable differences, though. Most obviously, the Advanced Pro has a seatpost that slots into the seat tube whereas the Advanced SL has an integrated seatpost, and the seatstay yoke is slightly lower on the Advanced Pro.
According to Giant’s own figures, the Advanced Pro’s pedalling stiffness (at the bottom bracket) is 88% that of the Advanced SL’s. The torsional stiffness is 92%, and the lateral stiffness at the fork is 79%.
There are three TCR Advanced Pro disc brake models and one rim brake model for 2021, the top-level option being the TCR Advanced Pro 0 Disc at £5,199. This one comes with Shimano’s excellent Ultegra Di2 groupset, complete with Giant’s PowerPro power meter.
2021 Giant TCR Advanced Pro 1 Disc
We reviewed the £4,199 TCR Advanced Pro 1 Disc (above), built up with the non-electronic version of Ultegra, and also a power meter. We described it as a lively and efficient road bike that puts in an exceptional all-round performance. As well as the frameset and groupset, we were especially impressed by the excellent Giant SLR-1 42 Carbon Disc wheels.
This bike is also available in a rim brake build for £3,699.
The most affordable of the disc models is the TCR Advanced Pro 2 Disc at £3,499. This one is built up with a Shimano 105 groupset (without a power meter).
Buy if:You’re performance minded and prioritise frame stiffness.
TCR Advanced
The TCR Advanced (without an SL or Pro suffix) has also been updated for 2021 with aerodynamic tube shaping, and an aero Variant seat post.
The TCR Advanced uses the same grade of composite as the TCR Advanced Pro, but the fork steerer is narrower, fitting inside a 1 1/8in upper headset bearing and a 1 1/4in lower bearing. Giant calls this its OverDrive system, while the Advanced Pro and Advanced SL are an OverDrive 2 design with a 1 1/4in upper bearing and a 1 1/2in lower bearing for increased front end stiffness.
2021 Giant TCR Advanced 2
Like the other TCRs, the Advanced is built to Giant’s Compact Road Design. Essentially, this means that the top tube slopes downwards along its length and the frame triangles are smaller than usual. Giant says that this makes for a lighter, stiffer and smoother ride.
We wouldn’t say the Compact Road Design is inherently better than a traditional configuration, but some people do prefer it, especially because it gives you a lower standover height and a lot of exposed seatpost to soak up vibrations from the road.
The TCR Advanced 3 is available only with disc brakes (£2,099) – Shimano Tiagra hydraulic disc brakes.
Step up a level to the Shimano 105-equipped TCR Advanced 2 and you get the choice of either rim brakes (above, £1,999) or disc brakes (£2,299).
The TCR Advanced 1 is fitted with Shimano Ultegra components and is disc brake only (£2,599).
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