Your complete guide to Giant’s 2017 road bikes

Taiwanese brand Giant is the largest bicycle manufacturer in the world with a huge range of road bikes designed with various different types of riding in mind.

The vast number of models might seem daunting at first but the range is structured very logically so it’s actually pretty easy to work out which is the best choice for you.

Giant also has a women’s specific brand called Liv that offers an impressively large range.

TCR Advanced range

The TCR Advanced bikes are performance road bikes that are designed to be lightweight, stiff and agile, roughly the equivalent of a Trek Emonda or a Specialized Tarmac.

All the TCR models are made from carbon fibre in various grades, and they come in race geometries: low and stretched.

Giant updated the frames of all of the TCR models for the 2016 model year, the idea being to offer the best stiffness-to-weight possible. For 2017 Giant has added some disc-braked models to the range.

TCR Advanced SL

Whereas brands like Trek, Merida and Bianchi have all introduced superlight race bikes to the market recently and other brands have concentrated on improving aerodynamic efficiency, Giant has gone after stiffness-to-weight.

The TCR Advanced SL is the flagship frameset in the range with a claimed frame weight of 856g and a claimed fork weight of 302g. It’s the brand’s lightest road frameset ever.

Giant says that the TCR Advanced SL comes out higher than any of its competitors in both a frameset pedalling stiffness-to-weight test and a frameset and wheelset pedalling stiffness-to-weight test, although other brands would doubtless dispute this.

When we got the chance to ride the TCR Advanced SL we described it as “an amazingly stiff race bike that’ll suit aggressive riders who prioritise all-out efficiency and super-sharp cornering in their efforts to get to the finish line first”.

Mixing seated riding with out of the saddle stuff for the steeper bits of our test rides, the bottom bracket was locked in place. It was the same deal in sprints: solid. If you’re a powerful rider who finds some bikes just a bit flexy when you get serious, give the TCR Advanced SL a go

Read our First Ride report on the Giant TCR Advanced SL here.

It’s available as a frameset for £1,999, or in three complete bike builds. The Giant TCR Advanced SL 2 (£3,299) is built up with a Shimano Ultegra mechanical groupset and Giant’s own SLR 1 wheels, while the Advanced SL1 (£4,299) has the Di2 (electronic) version of Ultegra and SLR 1 wheels. The TCR Advanced SL 0 is the top model with a SRAM Red E-Tap wireless groupset and the Giant's superlight SLR 0 wheels.

Buy if: You’re after a lightweight and stiff race bike and you’re willing to pay big money

TCR Advanced Pro

Although it’s made from a different grade of composite, many of the TCR Advanced SL’s features are carried over to the TCR Advanced Pro, which Giant said they trimmed weight from without sacrificing stiffness when it was revamped for 2016.

A wholesale slimming down took place. Giant reduced the profile size of the top tube, seatstays, chainstays, seatpost and fork legs, and made the walls a more consistent thickness than before to minimise excess weight. The lower headset bearing was shifted up slightly so that it’s more in line with the down tube.

The TCR Advanced Pro is available as a frameset (£1,299) and in three different builds. The most accessible of these is the £2,199 TCR Advanced Pro 2 that’s built up with a mid-level Shimano 105 groupset and Giant’s SLR 1 wheels. The TCR Advanced Pro 1 is next up at £2,599 with a Shimano Ultegra group and SLR 1 wheels, while at the top of the range you'll find the £3,799 TCR Advanced Pro 0 with the new Shimano Dura-Ace 9100 components and SLR1 wheels.

For 2017 Giant has added a disc-braked model to the range in the TCR Advanced Pro Disc, above. It's equipped with Shimano's Ultegra Di2 electronic shifting and Ultegra-level RS785 brake levers and RS805 brakes. The SLR Disc wheels have 12mm through-axles front and rear and the frame uses the same grade of composite as the Advanced Pro 0.

Buy if: You’re performance minded and prioritise frame stiffness

TCR Advanced

The TCR Advanced (without an SL or Pro suffix) also got a lightened frameset for 2016 and a new Variant seatpost that’s designed to improve the ride quality and keep you feeling comfortable.

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 that 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 comes in five different builds. The cheapest of these is the Shimano Tiagra-equipped TCR Advanced 3 at £1,149 while the most expensive is the TCR Advanced Disc 1 (above) at £1,899. This one comes with a Shimano Ultegra groupset and, on paper, looks like very good value for money. In between there's the TCR Advanced 2 with Shimano 105 components at £1,349; the TCR Advanced 1 with Shimano Ultegra at £1,699; and the Shimano 105-clad TCR Advanced Disc 2, also at £1,699.

Find out more about the entire TCR Advanced range here.

Buy if: You’re looking for a high performance bike with real world pricing

Propel range

Whereas the TCR bikes are designed for stiffness-to-weight, the Propels are all about aerodynamics. In that sense, they’re competitors to the Trek Madone, for instance, the Merida Reacto, and the Canyon Aeroad.

Propel Advanced SL

Giant calls the Propel Advanced SL the ‘world’s fastest aero road bike’. The frame tubes have been designed with aerodynamics in mind, so you get a very deep down tube and a seat tube that’s cut away around the leading edge of the rear wheel – both features common to many other aero road bikes.

That seat tube incorporates an integrated seatpost that’s designed to be more aerodynamically efficient than a standard round post. Giant says that the integrated post saves weight too – about 45g compared to a standard composite seatpost – and adds comfort.

The Propel Advanced SL is available as a frameset (£2,499) and in three complete bike builds starting with the Propel Advanced SL 2 (£3,449) with a Shimano Ultegra mechanical groupset. The Propel Advanced SL 1 (£4,299) gets the Di2 version of Ultegra. Like the TCR Advanced SL 0, the £5,999 Propel Advanced SL 0 has SRAM's wireless electronic Red E-Tap group and Giant’s SLR 0 Aero wheels with 55mm-deep rims.

Check out John Degenkolb’s Giant Propel Advanced SL from the 2015 Tour de France.

Buy if: You’re after a pro-level aero road bike with a very high spec

Propel Advanced Pro

The Propel Advanced Pro is built to the same race geometry as the Propel Advanced SL, it’s just that it uses a different grade of carbon fibre, and whereas the SL comes with the seatpost integrated into the frame, the Pro takes a separate seatpost.

You can get the Propel Advanced as a frameset for £1,499, or you can opt for one of three complete bikes. The Shimano Ultegra Di2-equipped Propel Advanced Pro 0 is £3,599, but the Propel Advanced Pro 1 (above) looks the pick of the bunch in terms of value. It comes with a Shimano Ultegra groupset and Giant’s own 55mm deep SLR 1 Aero wheels for £2,799. The range is completed by the £2,549 Propel Advanced Pro 2 with Shimano 105 components.

Buy if: You're looking for an aero road bike at a slightly more affordable price

Propel Advanced

The Propel Advanced is made from same grade of carbon-fibre as the Propel Advanced Pro but the fork comes with an alloy steerer rather than being a full-carbon design.

The Propel Advanced 2 (above) looks good value at £1,499. This bike comes with Shimano’s mid-level 105 groupset.

If you want deep section wheels, though, you need to go up to the £2,749 Propel Advanced 0. This comes with Giant’s SL 1 Aero wheels and a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset.

Buy if: You want aerodynamic efficiency and are prepared to take a slight hit on weight

Defy range

The Defy is Giant’s carbon fibre endurance/sportive road bike lineup, designed to be comfortable over long distances while still providing plenty of speed. The Defy bikes are shorter in the top tube than equivalent TCRs, for example, and have taller head tubes to put you into a ride position that’s a bit more relaxed and back-friendly. Specialized takes a similar approach with its Roubaix bikes, Cannondale offers its Synapse range, and many other brands have their equivalents.

All the Defy bikes have disc brakes.

Defy Advanced SL

Giant revamped the Defy range for 2015, trimming the weight down to under 900g weight for the Advanced SL in a medium size. Along with the reduced weight and focus on disc brakes, the other big area that Giant worked on was the comfort. When we tested the Defy Advanced SL here on road.cc we concluded that it had taken a big step forward: this really is an extremely smooth bike.

Giant achieved this improvement by working on the carbon-fibre layup and developing tube profiles and shapes.

The Defy Advanced SL strikes a good balance between the outright stiffness of a race bike and the wallowy softness of some endurance bikes. There's noticeably more frame stiffness when you're putting a load of watts through the cranks compared to many other endurance bikes.

There are two Defy Advanced SLs for 2017. The more accessible of the two is the £3,499 SL 1 with Shimano Ultegra components and RS785 hydraulic disc brakes and the luxury option is the Defy Advanced SL 0 for £5,999 with SRAM Red E-Tap wireless electronic shifting.

Read our review of the 2015 Giant Defy Advanced SL.

Buy if: You want an endurance/sportive bike with disc brakes and a very light weight

Defy Advanced Pro

The Defy Advanced Pro is made of a different grade of carbon-fibre from the SL and it has a standard rather than an integrated seatpost. That D-Fuse SL Composite post is designed to provide plenty of comfort.

The most affordable of the Defy Advanced Pro models is the £2,399 Defy Advanced Pro 2 (above). This one has Shimano’s highly rated 105 groupset and RS785 hydraulic disc brakes.

Buy if: You prioritise comfort and want the assurance of hydraulic disc brakes

Defy Advanced

Last year's Defy Advanced bikes had to rely on TRP Spyre mechanical disc brakes rather than hydraulic stoppers, but for 2017 they all get the appropriate Shimano hydraulic brakes.

This is an incredibly popular lineup with three models from £1,499 to £1,899. The £1,499 model is the Defy Advanced 3 built with Shimano’s fourth tier Tiagra components – great stuff that benefits from technology that has trickled down from higher level groupsets.

We’d still be tempted to pay £200 extra and get the Defy Advanced 2 with Shimano 105, though.

Read our Shimano Tiagra 4700 First Ride review here.

Buy if: You want a bike for comfortably racking up the miles

Contend range

The aluminium-framed Contend range replaces last year's aluminium Defy models. The geometries are almost exactly the same as those of the carbon fibre Defy bikes, with the exception of shorter chainstays on the Contend frames. They also come with tapered head tubes and steerers for accurate steering, and a D-Fuse seatpost that’s designed to damp vibration.

There are three flavours of Contend: Contend, Contend SL and Contend SL Disc. The clue's in the name; the latter has disc brakes, while the others have rim brakes.

If you're in the market for a bike at the typical Cycle To Work Scheme threshold can run to £999, the Contend SL 2 Disc (above) looks like good value with Shimano Tiagra components and Giant's own hydraulic disc brakes.

If you're a fan of lightweight aluminium-framed bikes, then the Contend SL duo is well worth a look. Back in 2013, Giant proved it still had serious expertise in aluminium with the brilliant but sadly short-lived TCR SL. We're hoping the Contend SL shares some of that bike's technology and characteristics, though we don't expect it to have a 1,050g frame, and the fork has an aluminium steerer rather than a carbon fibre one.

The entry-level model in the range is the £525 Contend 2 (above) with components from Shimano’s 8-speed Claris groupset.

Check out our guide to Shimano’s road bike groupsets here.

Buy if: You want the comfort of an endurance road bike and you don’t necessarily feel the need for discs.

Liv Envie range

The designed-for-women Envie bikes are branded Liv rather than Giant, and they’re essentially women’s versions of Propels. Like the Propels, they’re divided up into different categories. There’s no SL version but there are Envie Advanced and Advanced Pro models along with an Envie Advanced Tri.

The Envie Advanced Pro 0 (above, £5,499) is equipped with SRAM Red E-Tap while, at the other end of the spectrum, £1,499 gets you the Envie Advanced 2 with a Shimano 105 groupset.

Buy if: You want an aero road bike in a women’s-specific geometry.

Liv Avail range

The Liv Avail bikes are pretty much women’s versions of the Giant Defys and Contends. It’s a large range containing 11 different models, covering both carbon fibre Advanced models and aluminium-framed bikes. Giant hasn't rebadged the women's aluminium bikes for 2017.

There are six aluminium Avails, four of them with rim brakes and the other two with discs. The £975 Avail SL Disc 2 has TRP Spyre C mechanical disc brakes while the £1,149 Avail SL Disc 1 has Giant's own Conduct hydraulic discs.

The rim-braked Avails start with the Avail 2 at £525.00 — the women's equivalent of the Contend 2 — and go up to the £999 Avail SL 1 with Shimano's 105 components.

Top of the carbon fibre Avails is the Avail Advanced Pro 1, above, with Shimano Ultegra and Shimano hydraulic brakes for £2,799. All the Avail Advanced bikes have hydraulic discs.

Buy if: You’re after an endurance road bike that’s made especially for women

AnyRoad

The AnyRoads are really interesting bikes that are designed for riding both on asphalt and on rougher roads – gravel, towpaths, forest tracks, that kind of thing. Many other manufacturers are producing bikes that are similarly versatile: GT makes the Grade, for example, and Jamis has the Renegade.

The AnyRoad is built with a tall head tube for a fairly upright riding position, and comes with 32mm tyres for grip and comfort on less than perfect road surfaces.

There are two aluminium-framed AnyRoads, the cheapest of which is the £849 AnyRoad 2 (above) with a Shimano Sora groupset and TRP Spyre mechanical disc brakes.

The £1,599 AnyRoad CoMax (above) has a frame made from a blend of carbon-fibre and fibre-reinforced polymer. This one has a Shimano 105 groupset and TRP Spyre mechanical disc brakes which we rate highly. It's slightly surprising not to see hydraulic brakes, but using cables instead of hoses allows Giant to include an extra set of levers on the handlebar tops.

Buy if… You want a relaxed geometry bike that’s capable of riding on smooth and not-so-smooth roads

Revolt & Invite

The disc brake Revolt bikes are designed for riding on gravel and dirt as well as on the road, and although they come fitted with 35mm tyres, there’s room to go right up to 50mm if you like. The alloy frame has an endurance geometry with a front end that’s lower than that of the AnyRoad. Revolts are the men's bikes, Invites the women's.

There are three bikes in the range. If you can stretch to the top-level Revolt 1 (above, £1,099) you’ll get a Shimano Tiagra groupset and Giant Conduct hydraulic disc brakes.

The Invite is essentially a women’s version of the Revolt. There are two aluminium-framed models including the £849 Invite 1, above, with Shimano Sora components and TRP Spyre mechanical disc brakes.

Buy if: You’re looking for an endurance bike that can handle all kinds of road surfaces

For more info go to www.giant-bicycles.com

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