Giant TCR Advanced 1 Disc review

Giant says its 2017 TCR Advanced 1 Disc – now equipped with hydraulic Shimano disc brakes – is engineered to give you total control in all kinds of weather conditions.

With a lightweight carbon frame and forks, a seatpost designed to give a compliant yet race-tuned ride, thru-axles on both the front and rear, and Giant’s famed ‘Compact Road’ geometry, it’s shaping up to be a cracking all-rounder with a seriously sporting edge.

But how would it perform when we put it to the test?

Frameset

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Giant’s Advanced Grade carbon composite is used for the TCR’s handcrafted frame.

Employing the company’s Compact Road geometry, the frame has a sloping down tube, meaning the front and rear frame triangles require less material, which lends the frame added stiffness, particularly at the rear, which lessens the chance of flex under power.

With a fairly short wheelbase, the clearance at the rear tyre is fairly tight, with a straight fork up front affording agile steering.

Thru-axles are used in place of more traditional quick-release skewers, to reduce the chance of flex at either end when you’re getting a move on.

As an aside, one of the big benefits of Giant’s trademark sloping top tube is that it gives a low standover height, meaning most riders will find it easy to get a good fit.

Groupset

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For a bike with a frameset this good, and running hydraulic disc brakes, we’re pleasantly surprised to see a good blend of Shimano Ultegra and 105 groupset elements on the TCR.

The shifters are Shimano’s BR-RS505 hydraulic set-up – essentially 105-level equipment – and contain their hydraulics cleverly inside slightly larger brake hoods.

An Ultegra compact chainset is mated to an Ultegra front and rear derailleur, while the cassette is a 105-spec 11-28 block.

The Shimano brakes pull on 160mm rotors, which offer very good performance.

Finishing kit

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Giant’s own-brand finishing kit adorns the TCR, and when you get into this price range you start to see a smattering of carbon making its way into the build.

While the Contact/Connect bars and stem (a well-matched 420mm/120mm set-up on a medium frame) are aluminium, the seatpost is Giant’s own composite Variant item topped by the firm’s excellent Performance Road saddle.

Wheels

We’re big fans of Giant’s front and rear-specific P-SL1 tyres, which in this 25c form inspire high levels of confidence in all conditions.

They’re wrapped around the own brand PR-2 disc-specific wheels – which are durable if a little on the heavy side.

The ride

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You’ll either love or hate the paint job on this, the more expensive of Giant’s two disc-equipped TCR models for 2017.

We actually like the colour – not only is the lurid paint decidedly noticeable (so, there’s a safety element) but it’s also a nice change from the ubiquitous fluoro yellow of recent years.

But less of the looks, let’s get riding…

There’s a smooth sensation to this package, with large-volume tyres soaking up downhill bumps at speed, the front remains composed at speed and an overall feeling of light weight allied to peppy performance.

When it comes to getting the power down, the watts go straight to the rear wheel thanks to the bike’s compact frame set-up and excellent components.

The slick-compound Giant tyres don’t slip under uphill acceleration on shiny road surfaces either.

On longer climbs, the 11-28 cassette proves ample for any gradient, whether sitting down and slogging it out or giving it bigger inputs once.

Shifting is very slick from the BR-RS505 set-up, which speaks volumes about the Ultegra equipment in the drivetrain.

The one thing that’s holding the TCR back on the climbs, is a fairly chubby wheelset.

We experienced nothing in the way of flexing under power, but they’re not the most willing to spin up quickly and things could be made more mountain-friendly with a wheel upgrade.

Ride comfort is up there with the best we’ve tested – the carbon seatpost coping with jarring road imperfections admirably.

The front end does suffer some judder, however, forcing our hands on to the drops to appreciate the flex in Giant’s compact-drop Contact bars.

The Giant’s geometry, with its 73° seatpost angle and 72.6° head angle, provides a neutral riding position that puts you in full control with high levels of comfort.

With the full compliment of 30mm worth of spacers moved above the stem, however, we were able to get a real race-ready feel from the bike. With gloved hands (yep, it’s that cold out there) on the drops, the front end proved highly responsive.

Firing the TCR down a series of downhill sweepers, the way it carves and holds a line was enough to force our chapped lips into a grin.

And the way in which those P-SL1 tyres inspire us to push the front end harder, trail-braking into corners, was a nice surprise.

The brakes really do convince you, too, that late application of the stoppers is the norm; it’s hard to imagine running standard rim brakes in winter after riding this.

RATINGS

Frame: It’s plenty stiff but the geometry allows comfort. 9/10Components: A superb mix of Shimano Ultegra and Giant’s own. 8/10Wheels: Not the lightest but the quality isn’t in doubt. 8/10The ride: Let’s just say you won’t be disappointed! 9/10 

Verdict: The way it carves and holds a line managed to put a grin on our chapped lips! The Giant TCR Advanced 1 Disc is a performance bike that's been built for all conditions.  

Geometry

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Spec