Amazingly popular last season and back for another year, the 2018 Giant Advanced Pro 1 marries the reliability and slick performance of Shimano's 11 speed Ultegra groupset to a great value, high performing chassis and smooth-rolling aerodynamic Carbon Tubeless wheels, all for an incredible price. The Propel has been a resounding success over the last 3 seasons and looks set to maintain it's momentum thanks to a very strong range once again. The Advanced Pro 1 will again be a popular choice as it has everything the dedicated rider could need for a multitude of disciplines, be that the weekly club ride; local Crit race; long course technical triathlon or simply for those looking to go contre la montre to break up their riding week.
Like the entire Propel Range this year, the Propel Advanced Pro 1 comes supplied with tubeless wheels, valves and sealant. Given the ease of fitting of Giant's own Gavia Race 1 tubeless tyres - that require no tools to fit, it will be little bother to take advantage of the lower rolling resistance, greater comfort and reduced puncture risk of the tubeless system. This is of particular importance to Testers and Triathletes alike as well as those of us who just hate being stood at the side of the road getting our hands dirty!
The Propel Advanced Pro 1 is equipped with the most popular groupset currently available - Shimano's Ultegra. 11 speed mechanical shifting is sublime and certain but with a light action and while not electronic, it does leave the door open for a simple future upgrade should you wish. The ride quality of the Advanced Pro frame is closer to that of the more technical SL than the Advanced range thanks largely to the OD2, carbon steerer and front end that lends a precise handling that you may find lacking on it's competitors at the price.
There is no doubt that the Aero Road bike has been around for some time - it had it's genesis in the form of the Felt AR back in 2007. That said, 2014 saw a huge increase in the take-up of the Aero Road platform by more of the major bike brands and one of the stand-out machines from the last 2 seasons was the Propel: already a winner of 'Aero Road Bike of the Year'.
For 2018, seeing the Propel as the ideal one-bike solution for many riders looking to a multi-sport machine, suitable for both road riding and Triathlon / Time Trialing; Giant have increased their offerings and have also produced a dedicated Propel Disc platform.
Giant only uses the finest quality Japanese Torayca carbon fibre in all their frames: the ‘Advanced’ a T700 and the ‘Advanced SL’ a T800 fibre. The difference is found in the rate at which the fibre is produced. A lengthier process produces a stronger fibre which means that less can be used for the same stiffness and strength. The production cost increases dramatically as the quality increases, which is reflected in the price you pay for the final product. However as with everything, the effort that is required to make a fibre as good as the T700 that little bit stronger for the T800 is relatively large compared to the benefit inherent in the jump from Aluminium to the T700 carbon.
Previous years have seen Giant use a T600, T700 and T800 fibre to produce 3 ranges of carbon bikes. For 2018, Giant continue to produce the Propel Advanced and Advanced Pro with the same T700 fibre and the distinctions between the ranges come down to the finishing kit, steerer tube material on the fork (Aluminium on the Advanced and Carbon on the Advanced Pro / SL) and wheels. The Propel Advanced Pro range offers the rider a ready-to-go package that delivers lower weights, more responsive handling and a much reduced upgrade path - all the while maintaining the value for money and top drawer quality, synonymous with the Giant brand.
The Giant Propel Advanced Pro frameset is aerodynamic, light, astoundingly stiff under load, smooth and incredibly precise in the corners. Although it is not Giant’s flagship frame it punches well above its weight and happily competes with many top-of-the-line frames produced by other companies. This of course is reflected in the honours bestowed upon it.
In this case why is it relatively cheap? This is largely down to the fact that Giant are an enormous company, producing frames for many of the other major players in the industry. This is indicative of several facts; firstly Giant are in control of production from the ground up as they purchase the raw fibre from Torayca and manufacture it themselves, producing every carbon frame by hand. As such the quality control is impeccable and although Giant give a lifetime warranty on all their frames we would be surprised if you ever had to use it. Secondly Giant’s manufacturing costs per frame are far lower than all their competitors as they are not having to outsource. As such they can push more resources into research and development and produce a higher performing, higher quality frame at a lower price. In addition, they now produce their own high quality wheels and finishing kit which again helps to reduce end-user costs but without sacrificing on quality and performance.
Giant are building their brand on creating some of the highest performing bicycles on the planet. There are many of us who ride Giant and are now hard pressed to even consider something else given the immense value that they represent. The Propel Advanced Pro is a perfect example of this, a versatile platform that is equally at home on club runs, mid week criterium races and Triathlons - a superb bike that performs at a level that belies its price tag.
Giant's AeroSystem Shaping Technology and SpeedControl SL brake system are the result of countless hours in the wind tunnel and deliver quantifiable aerodynamic gains. The Advanced-grade composite frame delivers optimal stiffness and light weight while the Vector seatpost offers wide-ranging adjustability while minimising drag. Race-proven frame technologies, including the OverDrive 2 steerer tube and PowerCore bottom bracket, make it a well-rounded performer that shines in sprints and solo flyers alike.
The Propel Advanced Pro 1 features a refreshed graphic for 2018. Produced digitally, the new designs add depth to the frames for a stunning finish. The bikes are supplied with Giant's RideSense ANT+ / Bluetooth frame mounted speed and cadence sensors for integration with countless cycle computers, GPS and Smart indoor trainers, as well as tubeless tyre sealant.