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review

Giant Propel Advanced 1

9
£1,599.00

VERDICT:

9
10
Fast and agile aero road bike that offers exceptional value for money
Weight: 
8,050g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Giant Propel Advanced 1 is a fast and reactive aero road bike that offers excellent value. There are slightly better climbers out there, but if you're after straight-line speed and snappy handling, this bike has loads to offer.

Is it really aero?

The Propel Advanced 1 is a very fast bike (for people who object to a bike being described as 'fast', that means that for a given power input it is quick compared to competitors). Tuck yourself down on the drops, hit the pedals hard and you're rewarded with impressive speed for your efforts. This thing can really shift.

> Find your nearest dealer here

Although the materials are different, the Propel Advanced 1 is a very similar design to Giant's top level Propel Advanced SL – the only distinction is that the SL version has an integrated seatpost. The tube profiles are identical so you benefit from the same aero technology as Team Giant-Alpecin but at a more affordable price.

Giant Propel Advanced 1 - riding 5.jpg

We don't have the facilities to verify Giant's claims on aerodynamic efficiency so we'll just report them and you can choose whether or not you're convinced. Giant says that the AeroSystem Shaping Technology of its Propel Advanced SL (the same tube shaping as our Propel Advanced 1, remember, and the same brake positioning) "saves 12-36 seconds over a distance of 40km at a speed of 40km/h compared to key aero bike competitors".

Giant Propel Advanced 1 - seat tube shape.jpg

Okay, that doesn't quite make sense. If two bikes are both going 40km/h they're going to cover 40km in exactly the same time – an hour. But you know what Giant means, right? If you put in the same amount of power, you'd cover the 40km slightly quicker on the Propel.

Who are these competitors of which Giant speaks? You can find out on this video from when the latest version of the Propel was released.

Giant Propel Advanced 1 - riding 3.jpg

Personally, I'd take a lot of the details of aero claims from all manufacturers with a pinch of salt. Whether bike X is quicker than bike Y over a given distance depends on a million and one different factors. But Giant has designed this bike with the aim of minimising drag from all angles, and my speed versus power figures over regular routes convince me that the designers have done a very good job.

How does it ride?

The Propel Advanced 1 isn't simply a one-trick pony. Aside from its aero credentials, it's a bike with plenty of frame stiffness.

Giant uses what it calls its 'PowerCore' design, meaning that the bottom bracket/chainstay area is oversized. Although it uses a 24mm rather than a 30mm axle, the bearings are incorporated within the BB shell.

Giant Propel Advanced 1 - bottom bracket.jpg

The result is a bottom bracket that barely moves off-centre even when you're duking it out in a Marcel Kittel streak for the line.

The front end offers plenty of rigidity too, thanks to Giant's OverDrive arrangement. That's Giant's way of saying that the head tube is built around a standard 1 1/8in bearing up top and a 1 1/4in bearing down below. Although the fork legs are composite, the steerer that slots in there is aluminium (higher level Propels have full composite forks).

Giant Propel Advanced 1 - fork.jpg

I've ridden bikes that offer a higher level of accuracy when gunning it through tight corners, but the Propel Advanced 1 provides you with enough confidence to lean the bike over hard and lay off the brakes, and to jump about in the group to get on the right wheel.

As an aero bike, the Propel Advanced 1 isn't as featherweight as some competitors – the extra material used to make the tubes deep and slippery obviously adds a bit – but at 8.05kg (17.7lb) it's still reasonably light for something of this price. It struggles just a fraction to keep up with lighter bikes coming out of the tight corners and on the steepest of climbs, but that's being really picky. It's certainly no slouch in either of those situations.

Is it comfortable?

In terms of comfort, the Propel Advanced 1 feels like a race bike – which is exactly what it is. That's not a euphemism for saying it's harsh – that's not the case at all – but it does sit towards the firm end of the spectrum.

Giant Propel Advanced 1 - riding 2.jpg

If the roads around your way ride are less than perfect – and, let's face it, they are less than perfect – the Propel Advanced 1 will pass on the message.

That's partly down to Giant's own P-SL1 tyres, though. There's absolutely nothing wrong with them – they're grippy and reasonably light – but they are 23mm wide when most of us have got used to the extra cushioning provided by 25s these days.

Giant Propel Advanced 1 - rim.jpg

If the amount of buzz bothers you, there's enough room in there to switch to 25s. I did exactly that for a while and it certainly made a significant difference to the feel of the ride.

What's the geometry like?

We had the XL sized Propel Advanced 1 in for review, but I'll tell you about the geometry of the M/L model because that's relevant to more people (sorry big fellas, you've been outvoted).

Giant calls the M/L a 545mm frame. It has a 570mm top tube and a 170mm head tube. The head angle is 73 degrees and the seat angle is 72.5 degrees.

Giant Propel Advanced 1 - full bike.jpg

The stack (vertical distance from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube) is 566mm and the reach (the horizontal distance between those points) is 391mm.

It's an aggressive (but not crazy) geometry that's exactly the same as Giant uses for its higher level Propels and very similar to that of the TCR lightweight race bikes.

> Read Your Complete Guide to Giant's 2016 Road Bikes here

I removed all the headset spacers on our review bike (well, I stuck them on top of the stem because cutting down the steerer tube on a borrowed bike just isn't the done thing) and got myself into a position that felt both comfortable and efficient. You're likely to be able to do the same.

What about the components?

The Propel Advanced 1 comes with a mostly Shimano Ultegra mechanical groupset. The only significant deviation from the theme is the brakeset, and there's a good reason for that. Giant specs its own SpeedControl linear pull (V-type) brakes because the arms sit in line with the fork legs and seatstays to minimise drag.

Giant Propel Advanced 1 - rear brake 2.jpg

The derailleurs, shifters, cassette and chainset are all Ultegra, and we've nothing but positive things to say about Shimano's second-tier road groupset. The shifting is light-action and good under load, the levers are comfortable and easy to use, it's all lightweight...

> Check out our complete Ultegra groupset review here

I'm a big fan of the chainset in this 52/36-tooth flavour. You need that 52t chainring on a race bike, and the 36t ring makes life a whole lot easier than a 39 on the steep stuff. It's a good choice.

Giant Propel Advanced 1 - chainsetq.jpg

Pretty much all the other components are Giant's own. They might not have the glamour of kit from some other brands but it's hard to fault the performance. The Contact aluminium bar and stem don't flex much, the Performance Road saddle is comfortable if a little bulky, and the P-A2 Aero rims spin smoothly on sealed bearing hubs. They're a little flexy and are probably worth an upgrade to something deeper further down the line, but they've served me well through a lengthy test period.

Summing up

The Giant Propel Advanced 1 is a quick bike with a high level of frame rigidity. It reacts well to being chucked in and out of corners and handles sharply in the hurly-burly of a fast-riding group. It's not quite as adept at accelerating and climbing as superlight rivals, but this is still a very skilled race bike. With an almost complete Shimano Ultegra groupset, it's also excellent value.

Verdict

Fast and agile aero road bike that offers exceptional value for money

road.cc test report

Make and model: Giant Propel Advanced 1

Size tested: XL

About the bike

State the frame and fork material and method of construction. List the components used to build up the bike.

Frame Advanced-Grade Composite

Fork Advanced-Grade Composite, Hybrid OverDrive Steerer

Handlebar Giant Contact

Stem Giant Connect

Seatpost Giant Vector Composite

Saddle Giant Performance Road

Shifters Shimano Ultegra

Front Derailleur Shimano Ultegra

Rear Derailleur Shimano Ultegra

Brakes Giant SpeedControl

Brake Levers Shimano Ultegra

Cassette Shimano Ultegra 11-28

Chain KMC X11L

Crankset Shimano Ultegra 36/52

Bottom Bracket Shimano PressFit

Rims Giant P-A2 Aero

Hubs Giant Performance Tracker Road, Sealed Bearing

Spokes Sapim Race

Tyres Giant P-SL1, Front and Rear Specific, 700x23mm, Folding

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 designed as a race bike although it's suitable for any type of performance-type sporty riding.

Giant says: "Best-in-class aerodynamics plus sharp yet stable handling on the road, you get it all with Propel Advanced. Engineered with AeroSystem Shaping Technology and Advanced grade composite, this race ready rocket ship delivers lightweight performance and a stiff chassis for sprinting.

"The Vector seatpost offers wide ranging adjustability with minimal drag. An OverDrive steerer tube and PowerCore bottom bracket help improve its sharp handling and pedalling efficiency''the perfect combo when you're at the front of the pack."

Frame and fork

Overall rating for frame and fork
 
9/10

Tell us about the materials used in the frame and fork?

The frame and fork legs are made from Giant's Advanced Grade Composite.

"High-performance T-700 raw carbon fibre is used to produce custom composite material in Giant's own composite factory," says Giant. "Extremely lightweight, stiff and compliant, these handcrafted frames feature the following materials and processes:

MATERIALS: High Performance-grade raw carbon material features an excellent stiffness-to-weight ratio.

RESIN: High Performance formula provides excellent void minimisation (bubbles) while maintaining outstanding strength. And vibration absorbing particles are added to help disperse road shock.

MODIFIED MONOCOQUE CONSTRUCTION: The front triangle (down tube, head tube, top tube, seat tube) is assembled and moulded as one continuous piece. This front half is then joined to the rear chainstays and seatstays in a secondary process. This process eliminates the outermost woven composite sheet to reduce weight without affecting ride quality, strength or stiffness."

Tell us about the geometry of the frame and fork?

You get a race geometry here: aggressive but not too extreme. I've covered this in more detail in the main text.

How was the bike in terms of height and reach? How did it compare to other bikes of the same stated size?

Most people will be able to get a position that's as low as they want for efficiency.

Riding the bike

Was the bike comfortable to ride? Tell us how you felt about the ride quality.

It's a fairly typical road bike feel, although the 23mm tyres do make things a little firmer than you get with 25s.

Did the bike feel stiff in the right places? Did any part of the bike feel too stiff or too flexible?

It certainly feels stiff through the bottom bracket and it's pretty sturdy up front too.

How did the bike transfer power? Did it feel efficient?

It does feel like your effort is getting transferred into forward motion rather than flexing the frame.

Was there any toe-clip overlap with the front wheel? If so, was it a problem?

None.

How would you describe the steering? Was it lively, neutral or unresponsive? On the lively side of neutral so it's easy to change your line according to the situation.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's comfort? would you recommend any changes?

Ultegra levers are always very comfortable. The handlebar is a bit too skinny for my taste. If it was my bike, I'd fit something with a larger diameter to fill my palms more.

If you want more comfort, the obvious change would be to change the 23mm tyres for 25s.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's stiffness? would you recommend any changes?

The wheels flexed a little throughout testing. I'd upgrade them to something deeper for racing.

Rate the bike for efficiency of power transfer:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for acceleration:
 
7/10
Rate the bike for sprinting:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for high speed stability:
 
7/10
Rate the bike for cruising speed stability:
 
7/10
Rate the bike for low speed stability:
 
7/10
Rate the bike for flat cornering:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for cornering on descents:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for climbing:
 
8/10

The drivetrain

Rate the drivetrain for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the drivetrain for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the drivetrain for weight:
 
9/10
Rate the drivetrain for value:
 
9/10

Ultegra is exceptionally good value on an aero bike of this price.

Wheels and tyres

Rate the wheels and tyres for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the wheels and tyres for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the wheels and tyres for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the wheels and tyres for comfort:
 
7/10
Rate the wheels and tyres for value:
 
8/10

Tell us some more about the wheels and tyres.Did they work well in the conditions you encountered? Would you change the wheels or tyres? If so, what for?

I found the wheels would flex a little more than is ideal. They're decent enough, they run very smoothly, and the freehub is silent (you might prefer a clicky one, but I like peace and quiet!). They would be my first upgrade, especially for racing.

Controls

Rate the controls for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the controls for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the controls for weight:
 
9/10
Rate the controls for comfort:
 
9/10
Rate the controls for value:
 
9/10

Your summary

Did you enjoy riding the bike? Yes

Would you consider buying the bike? If I was in the market for an aero road bike at this price, definitely.

Would you recommend the bike to a friend? Yes

Rate the bike overall for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the bike overall for value:
 
9/10

Use this box to explain your score

This is a very good bike at an exceptionally good price. The fact that you get a full (well, very nearly full) Shimano Ultegra groupset swings it a 9 rather than an 8.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 43  Height: 190cm  Weight: 75kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

Add new comment

20 comments

Avatar
anthonybbb | 7 years ago
0 likes

What kind is Propel for climbing ?

Avatar
Podc | 8 years ago
0 likes

Thanks for the info hampstead_bandit.

I've tried contacting Giant UK to ask about availability but have had no response yet.

 

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hampstead_bandit | 8 years ago
0 likes

@Daveraverygravey your bike has the 2016 brake set fitted. Its easy to tell because the 2016 brake has the large allen key bolt and clamp plate for retaining the cable.

the other give away is the taller arm and generous clearance between the straddle cable and tire if the store has "supplied" these brakes they have nabbed them off another bike (obviously their choice).

 

Avatar
Podc | 8 years ago
0 likes

Thank you  1

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Daveyraveygravey | 8 years ago
1 like

Excuse the state of it, two "dry" rides and it looks like it's been off-roading!

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Podc | 8 years ago
0 likes

I would like to use 25mm tyres on my Propel but haven't because of the proximity of the rear brake cable.

I had a quick communication with a local Giant dealer and they advised that they have spoken to Giant and Giant only recommend that Propels are used with 23mm tyres; none of their brakes are designed specifically to accept 25mm tyres. They also advised that depending on the exact generation of the brakes, you might find you can accommodate larger tyres.

Not sure what to conclude from that so it would be a great help if you could upload the pics please Daveyraveygravey.

 

 

Avatar
Daveyraveygravey replied to Podc | 8 years ago
0 likes
Podc wrote:

I would like to use 25mm tyres on my Propel but haven't because of the proximity of the rear brake cable.

I had a quick communication with a local Giant dealer and they advised that they have spoken to Giant and Giant only recommend that Propels are used with 23mm tyres; none of their brakes are designed specifically to accept 25mm tyres. They also advised that depending on the exact generation of the brakes, you might find you can accommodate larger tyres.

Not sure what to conclude from that so it would be a great help if you could upload the pics please Daveyraveygravey.

 

 

 

Pics tonight, will try and take them so you can see the tyre dims.  

Is this a case of one person at Giant saying one thing, and someone else another, or one of them not knowing the whole story?  I got mine from Giant in Shoreham, admittedly the first set of replacements sound like they were the old type and it took my having a problem for them to find out/remember about the modification to allow 25 mm tyres to be used; we had quite a long chat about this when I was in the shop!  I was initially told the replacement modded brakes would take 2-3 weeks to get a hold of, but they "borrowed" them from a demo bike for me.

Just looked at the review again, the second to last pic shows what I would say are the same brakes as I have.

Avatar
Podc replied to Daveyraveygravey | 8 years ago
0 likes
Daveyraveygravey wrote:

Pics tonight, will try and take them so you can see the tyre dims.

Is this a case of one person at Giant saying one thing, and someone else another, or one of them not knowing the whole story?  I got mine from Giant in Shoreham, admittedly the first set of replacements sound like they were the old type and it took my having a problem for them to find out/remember about the modification to allow 25 mm tyres to be used; we had quite a long chat about this when I was in the shop!  I was initially told the replacement modded brakes would take 2-3 weeks to get a hold of, but they "borrowed" them from a demo bike for me.

 

Thank you - much appreciated.

 

Gave my Propel its first proper blast of the year last night. Damn its sweet  1

Avatar
hampstead_bandit | 8 years ago
0 likes

@Mat Brett

"Although the materials are different, the Propel Advanced 1 is a very similar design to Giant's top level Propel Advanced SL – the only distinction is that the SL version has an integrated seatpost. The tube profiles are identical so you benefit from the same aero technology as Team Giant-Alpecin but at a more affordable price."

 

..

Avatar
Mat Brett replied to hampstead_bandit | 8 years ago
0 likes

hampstead_bandit wrote:

@Mat Brett

"Although the materials are different, the Propel Advanced 1 is a very similar design to Giant's top level Propel Advanced SL – the only distinction is that the SL version has an integrated seatpost. The tube profiles are identical so you benefit from the same aero technology as Team Giant-Alpecin but at a more affordable price."

 

The key differences between the 3 tiers of Giant road frame (across each 'family')...'

 

Yeah, we know this. Struggling to see your point here, to be honest. The materials are different (as stated), but the tube profiles are identical apart from the integrated seatpost (as stated).

The materials info on the Giant Propel Advanced 1 is given above under the "Tell us about the materials used in the frame and fork?" heading. 

The head tube/headset info is given there under 'How does it ride?'

Prior to writing the review, we asked Giant about any differences between the tube profiles of the Propel Advanced, Advanced Pro and Advanced Pro SL.

“All Propel Advanced and Advanced Pro bikes are identical in every way until they are painted,” said Giant’s David Ward. “The fork differs but frames are the same.

“The only difference between the Advanced and the Advanced SL’s tubes are the integrated seat post and seat tube on the SL.”

 

 

 

Avatar
hampstead_bandit replied to Mat Brett | 8 years ago
0 likes
Mat Brett wrote:

Yeah, we know this. Struggling to see your point here, to be honest. The materials are different (as stated), but the tube profiles are identical apart from the integrated seatpost (as stated).

 

The materials info on the Giant Propel Advanced 1 is given above under the "Tell us about the materials used in the frame and fork?" heading. 

The head tube/headset info is given there under 'How does it ride?'

Prior to writing the review, we asked Giant about any differences between the tube profiles of the Propel Advanced, Advanced Pro and Advanced Pro SL.

“All Propel Advanced and Advanced Pro bikes are identical in every way until they are painted,” said Giant’s David Ward. “The fork differs but frames are the same.

“The only difference between the Advanced and the Advanced SL’s tubes are the integrated seat post and seat tube on the SL.”

 

...

Avatar
Mat Brett replied to hampstead_bandit | 8 years ago
0 likes

hampstead_bandit wrote:

@Mat. The point I was trying to make, was simple. The head tube are a different diameter on the entry level Advanced Propel frame, to the Advanced Pro and SL frames.

So why all the talk about the materials then? Haha!

The head tubes aren't different diameters, it's just the fork steerers that are different diameters.

 

hampstead_bandit wrote:

Contrary to what David Ward says, the frames cannot be identical as you cannot stuff an OD2 oversize fork steerer into a regular taper head tube, it physically could not fit! 

 

The frames are identical. This from Giant UK:

"The head tube is identical as the frame is identical. The difference in the steerer tube diameter is accommodated for by using different bearings. There’s a lot of spare steel in a sealed cartridge headset bearing so we keep the OD of the bearings the same and change the ID depending on which diameter steerer we fit in that bike.

"When we actually lay up and mould the frame it isn’t an Advanced or an Advanced Pro. That is only designated when it goes to the paint booths."

 

Sorry to hear about the problems you've had fitting people on bikes other than the one reviewed here. 

Mat

 

Avatar
hampstead_bandit | 8 years ago
1 like

@DrJDog The issue with the first generation brake was the lack of tire clearance between the brake cable and the tire's running surface.

This made using a 25c tire unsafe as you would tend to have only 1-2mm clearance which did not allow for debris on the tire or the wheel becoming radially untrue.

The second generation brake has taller arms to allow sufficient clearance between a 25c tire and the brake cable.

The other big improvement has been a switch to an allen key clamp bolt and clamp washer for securing the brake cable; the first generation brake uses a torx screw which directly clamped the cable and unfortunately caused the cable to split requiring frequent replacement.

The brakes are very affordable, so its an easy upgrade for owners of pre-2016 Propels.

Avatar
Daveyraveygravey replied to hampstead_bandit | 8 years ago
0 likes
hampstead_bandit wrote:

@DrJDog The issue with the first generation brake was the lack of tire clearance between the brake cable and the tire's running surface.

This made using a 25c tire unsafe as you would tend to have only 1-2mm clearance which did not allow for debris on the tire or the wheel becoming radially untrue.

The second generation brake has taller arms to allow sufficient clearance between a 25c tire and the brake cable.

The other big improvement has been a switch to an allen key clamp bolt and clamp washer for securing the brake cable; the first generation brake uses a torx screw which directly clamped the cable and unfortunately caused the cable to split requiring frequent replacement.

The brakes are very affordable, so its an easy upgrade for owners of pre-2016 Propels.

 

Bandit's right; when I had the wrong arms fitted, you could spin the wheel and although it was close to the brake cable (1 mm, maybe less) nothing touched.  I didn't think my riding it would cause the tyre to deform at that point, so it may have been a bit of road crud catching on the cable that did it, but eventually a couple of strands of cable could be seen.  As I said, I took it into the shop and they put it right for me, I now have 25 mm tyres front and rear. Can upload a photo if anyone wants to see the extra clearance.

Avatar
Daveyraveygravey | 8 years ago
1 like

I have 25 mm Giant tyres on both ends of mine. I had to get the calipers replaced recently ; bad maintenance on my part. The Giant store did the work, and got the replacement new calipers for me, unfortunately someone further up the chain didn't know the calipers were modded last year to allow for 25 mm tyres. The bike was great for about 2 weeks but eventually my fat,arse acting on the tyre which has more tolerance in the spec than a metal part started to fray the brake cable. I managed to wreck the tyre before I realised ; the Giant shop replaced the calipers with the correct size and tyre for free, as they should.

Avatar
nedcase | 8 years ago
0 likes

I have one and it's a good enough climber to do K2 as well as having the straight line speed. I love it.

But, and it's a big but, there isn't room with some wheels to put in 25mms and there definitely isn't room for anything larger. This is due to the brakes, not the frame. One of the reasons the road team dumped the Giant brakes and switched to Fouriers.

Avatar
DrJDog replied to nedcase | 8 years ago
1 like
nedcase wrote:

But, and it's a big but, there isn't room with some wheels to put in 25mms and there definitely isn't room for anything larger. This is due to the brakes, not the frame. One of the reasons the road team dumped the Giant brakes and switched to Fouriers.

Have you tried a washer or two between the block and the brake arm? Should give you a bit more space.

Avatar
I_like_bikes replied to DrJDog | 8 years ago
0 likes
DrJDog wrote:
nedcase wrote:

But, and it's a big but, there isn't room with some wheels to put in 25mms and there definitely isn't room for anything larger. This is due to the brakes, not the frame. One of the reasons the road team dumped the Giant brakes and switched to Fouriers.

Have you tried a washer or two between the block and the brake arm? Should give you a bit more space.

 

DrJDog/NedCase - have you got a link or model of the Fourier brakes?

or if anyone knows any good brake upgrades for the 2015 Red/White Propel Adv 1 that would be great.

 

Joel.

Avatar
hampstead_bandit replied to I_like_bikes | 8 years ago
0 likes
GiantGhostBike wrote:
DrJDog wrote:
nedcase wrote:

But, and it's a big but, there isn't room with some wheels to put in 25mms and there definitely isn't room for anything larger. This is due to the brakes, not the frame. One of the reasons the road team dumped the Giant brakes and switched to Fouriers.

Have you tried a washer or two between the block and the brake arm? Should give you a bit more space.

 

DrJDog/NedCase - have you got a link or model of the Fourier brakes?

or if anyone knows any good brake upgrades for the 2015 Red/White Propel Adv 1 that would be great.

 

Joel.

 

The 2016 Giant brakes is not available in the UK, and Giant UK could not tell me when / if it would be available. They only have the 1st generation brake with the shorter arms and torx screw as a spare part. 

Avatar
Daveyraveygravey | 8 years ago
1 like

I bought one of these a year ago, when it had the nicer (to my eyes anyway) red and white colour scheme.  I love it, it's my only bike.  I did a 27 hour Everesting on it, I ride it to and from work, I'll be attempting the Fred on it next month.

The Giant tyres are way better than I thought; I was going to replace them early, but have ended up getting the same ones when I wore the originals out.  I probably should try some Conti 4000s just to compare.  

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