Esthetic

Looking forward to your build!

Just thought i'd share a few pics in its present state before throw the winter training wheels on.
Thinking of going polished wheels for next season, Ritchey Zeta OCR Classic or Hunt Sprint Aero Wides to be exact.

mambac

I am looking at the TCR Advanced 2. Is there really THAT much of a difference between the Advanced, Advanced Pro, and the Advanced SL?

kbarch

From the base to the top, there's a HUGE difference, but at each increment, maybe not so much. That's kind of the point of having increments.

mambac

I have a 2011 Bianchi Infinito with a frame that is too large for me. I love the bike, and I will be keeping the bike for slower, longer rides, but am looking for something with a little more aggression for the local Strava segments and races next spring. My Bianchi really feels wobbly in sharp turns and doesn't have much of a response when I stand up and try to tear the cranks off the bike. I am 26 years old, and I want to start racing.

bbbean 

If you look at the weights and components, you'll find the differences. Whether that's worth the price of admission is up to you. Personally, I buy the best bike and components I can afford. If you're planning to race, small differences in equipment, training, and nutrition can make a big difference in results.

BB

mambac

I understand your point. What I can afford and what would be fiscally responsible to spend on a bicycle are two different things. After more research, I am going to go with the TCR Advanced 2, the basic TCR, and spend the extra on a power meter and better wheels. Love that TCR.

pesty

I have never ridden the TCR, but I did have a 2015 propel for about 13,000 miles (wrecked, broke the top tube). If where you're at is anything like where I'm at in North Texas (relatively flat), my vote is going to be for the Propel. Where I'm at, I can throw together a 60mi ride and really have to plan out my ride if I want to do more than 2,500ft of total climbing. In that type of situation, the Propel is great, it's not so heavy that it has problems going up short climbs, and it's plenty stiff when it comes to throwing down power.

It's also fairly comfy and won't beat you up over 100+ miles, but then you get that out of most carbon bikes these days. Though, I've been running tubeless for about 10 years, so that maybe skews my feelings a bit as well.

The one thing that I will tell you about the propel is that with the TPR brakes that come with it, you will not be able to run anything bigger than a 23mm in the back. Tire will rub on the brake cable. If you get the Fouriers you can run 25s, but that's it. There's no way you're going to get 28's in there and make it work. If you go with the Propel and you want a set of Fouriers, I have the set off my bike and a brand new rear that I didn't use if you're interested.

cpstwoart

Yes. There is a big difference. But it isn't just the bike itself. It is also the components. The Advanced SL is made with different carbon than the Advanced Pro and Advanced. The integrated seatpost is also very compliant and doesn't sacrifice stiffness across the whole bike to achieve that.

However, as a person who is building an aluminum TCR because I raced my Advanced SL and saw what could happen to it, I recommend against the Advanced SL if you want to race it. Frames cracked in crashes are not covered under warranty and when you go down on a frame as expensive as the Advanced SL you will surely be devastated. I think getting the advanced and upgrading components is the way to go. If it allows you to afford a power meter then definitely do that.

I will end with this. Time and time again I tell people that the most important thing about the bike you get is that you are excited to ride it. Who cares about how nice it is SUPPOSED to be. It should be the bike that you see and get all giddy to ride. It should be the one that puts the biggest smile on your face. So Advanced, Advanced Pro, Advanced SL...none of it matters when it comes to your overall happiness, and at the end of the day we ride bikes because, in some way, it makes us happy.

bbbean 

This was fixed in the 2016 and up models. I run 26s on my 2016 Propel, and there MIGHT be enough room for a 28 if I wanted to go that far. The 26s still have enough wiggle room to allow for normal deviation between 26mm tires/tire pressure, etc.

BB

pesty

Out of curiosity, did they fix it by changing the mount point of the brakes on the seat stays, or by replacing the brakes themselves? As I mentioned, I bought Fouriers as a replacement for the stock TRPs. They work fine for 25's, and would probably work for 26's. 28's rub on the brake cable in the back as 25's did with the TRPs.

bbbean 

I'm believe they changed both, but I'm not sure. You could probably check the specs and pics on the Giant site to find out.

Bomb Komodo

Awesome pics I just got the 2017 TCR advanced 1 Disc in a similar color. It has a little more blue and just looks insanely cool in person. Coming from a 2003 Cannondale CAAD, this bike blew my mind. I have only logged 30 miles so far (one ride this AM), but I felt much more comfortable on it, and riding in the drops is pure bliss. Had a couple PRs on longer 5 miles segments and my legs were very tired from the week, I almost did not ride even with a brand a new bike ready to be broken in. This bike is totally stock for now.

Main things I notice - 20 mph felt more like 16-17 in terms of effort. Still getting used to compact gearing, my CAAD was 53/39. Cornering was amazing, just crazy how much more controlled I felt on this bike. The stiffness and responsiveness of the frame is just another level. The CAAD felt very twitchy and I was not comfortable even taking my hands off the bars after over 1,000 miles on it. May have just not been a great fit for me, who knows. Regardless, I felt zero discomfort on the Giant. I did go a size down to Small (I think that is 50?) and the compact frame probably helps as well. Either way, this frame fits me so well, that I probably will not take it in for a fitting for a while. All I have done is drop the stem down and set my seat at my usual height. Have not touched the seat position at all.

Few other things - this thing is dead quiet. Just the sound of rolling carbon on the road. The hubs make no noise when I coast, which was interesting. Not used to that. I think the bike could be a bit lighter. It's a little under 19 now, but maybe some better wheels/tires could help. These seem pretty weighty.

Regardless, I can't believe how nice this bike is for right around $2k. It has really blown me away so far. More to come.

I'd like to see what upgrades people suggest to look into - specific wheel sets, and any good suggestions to save some weight. I am not a weight weenie, but I just think this bike has great potential to be pretty light. I tried the $4,000 SL model and that thing was a feather!

mambac

I can’t wait to get out again. Unfortunately, there is six inches of snow on the ground, so it is back to the trainer for me...