Did you know that Giant is the largest bike manufacturer in the world today?
Although they are based out of Taiwan, they also have factories in China and the Netherlands and thousands of retail stores worldwide.
Giant started life back in 1972 and Schwinn was their major customer. Back in the day, Giant manufactured the majority of Schwinn’s bikes. It wasn’t until 1987 when their relationship ended that Giant decided to manufacture bikes under its brand name.
They were pioneers in some of the technologies we take for granted today. Among others are the introduction of a stronger and lighter aluminum frame when the industry standard was steel. They were also instrumental in making carbon bikes cheaper and accessible to most cyclists in the early 2000s.
Today Giant is well known for producing value for money bikes. Their bikes are priced competitively against their competitors and are widely used in professional cycling.
Giant Road Bikes Line Up
Giant’s road bikes are very streamlined and are divided into three models; the TCR, Propel and Defy.
Within each model, there’s the top-of-the-line Advanced SL, followed by mid-range Advanced Pro, and lastly, the Advanced carbon frames.
Here are some salient differences between each frame.
- Advanced SL frames are built using Giant’s highest-grade carbon and have an integrated seat post. The top-of-line groupsets (SRAM Red eTap AXS and Shimano Dura-Ace Di2) are only available in the Advanced SL models.
- Advanced Pro and Advanced frames have a lower grade carbon than the SL and have a non-integrated seat post.
| Model | Designed for | Price range |
|---|---|---|
| Giant TCR Advanced | All-rounder race bike | $3,700 to $12,200 |
| Giant Propel Advanced | Aero race bike | $6,000 to $12,500 |
| Giant Defy Advanced | Endurance bike | $2,800 to $6,500 |
Giant TCR Advanced
The Giant TCR Advanced is an all-rounder road bike designed to be lightweight and be able to climb and descend equally well. It would suit most cyclists because it’s versatile and can handle various terrains well (although not as fast as a Propel on the flats).
The top-tiered Giant TCR Advanced SL has an integrated seat post and is specced with either SRAM Red, Force eTap AXS, or Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 (R9200). The Giant TCR Advanced Pro sits in the mid-range, uses a lower-grade carbon fiber (Advanced Grade), and is slightly heavier.
For those looking to custom-build their bikes, the framesets are available in both the Advanced SL and Advanced Pro versions.
| Model | Frame material | Groupset | Retail price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giant TCR Advanced SL 0 | Carbon (Advanced SL-Grade) | Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 (R9200) | $12,200 |
| Giant TCR Advanced SL 0 | Carbon (Advanced SL-Grade) | SRAM Red eTap AXS | $12,200 |
| Giant TCR Advanced SL 1 | Carbon (Advanced SL-Grade) | SRAM Force eTap AXS | $9,200 |
| Giant TCR Advanced Pro 0 | Carbon (Advanced Grade) | SRAM Force eTap AXS | $6,800 |
| Giant TCR Advanced Pro 0 | Carbon (Advanced Grade) | Shimano Ultegra Di2 (R8100) | $6,500 |
| Giant TCR Advanced Pro 1 | Carbon (Advanced Grade) | Shimano Ultegra (R8000) | $5,200 |
More reading : Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 (R9200) vs SRAM Red eTap AXS Groupsets
Giant Propel Advanced
The Giant Propel Advanced is an aero road bike designed for speed.
At first glance, it’s obvious that this bike is fast and stiff with its slim frontal end and deep-dish wheels. All Giant Propel models are disc-only and have hidden cables for a clean aero profile.
The Giant Advanced SL is the lightest among them, with an integrated seat post, and uses Giant’s highest-grade carbon fiber. The Advanced is one step down and heavier due to the different carbon fiber used and non-integrated seat posts.
| Model | Frame material | Groupset | Retail price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giant Propel Advanced SL | Carbon (Advanced SL-Grade) | Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 (R9200) | $12,500 |
| Giant Propel Advanced SL | Carbon (Advanced SL-Grade) | Shimano Ultegra Di2 (R8100) | $8,000 |
| Giant Propel Advanced SL | Carbon (Advanced SL-Grade) | SRAM Force eTap AXS | $8,000 |
| Giant Propel Advanced 1 | Carbon (Advanced Grade) | SRAM Rival eTap AXS | $6,000 |
More reading : Shimano Ultegra Di2 (R8100) vs SRAM Force eTap AXS Groupsets List of Bikes with Shimano Ultegra Di2 (R8100)
Giant Defy Advanced
The Giant Defy Advanced is an endurance bike.
Unlike the Giant Propel Advanced and TCR Advanced, the Giant Defy is designed for you to go longer distances and be comfortable. To achieve this, the Giant Defy has a more relaxed geometry with a shorter reach and higher stack compared to a similar size Giant TCR Advanced. The frame can take up to 700x35c tires.
| Model | Frame material | Groupset | Retail price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giant Defy Advanced Pro 1 | Carbon (Advanced Grade) | Shimano Ultegra Di2 (R8100) | $6,500 |
| Giant Defy Advanced Pro 2 | Carbon (Advanced Grade) | SRAM Rival eTap AXS | $5,200 |
| Giant Defy Advanced Pro 2 | Carbon (Advanced Grade) | Shimano 105 Di2 (R7100) | $4,800 |
| Giant Defy Advanced 0 | Carbon (Advanced Grade) | SRAM Rival eTap AXS | $4,100 |
| Giant Defy Advanced 1 | Carbon (Advanced Grade) | Shimano 105 Di2 (R7100) | $3,900 |
| Giant Defy Advanced 2 | Carbon (Advanced Grade) | Shimano 105 (R7000) | $2,800 |
More reading : Shimano 105 Di2 (R7100) vs SRAM Rival eTap AXS Groupsets List of Bikes with Shimano 105 Di2 (R7100)
Giant Road Bikes in Professional Cycling
In recent years, the World Tour teams such as Team Sunweb (formerly Giant-Shimano) and CCC Team raced on Giant bikes. Team Jayco Alula is riding Giant bikes for the 2023 season.
Tom Dumoulin rode to his Giro d’Italia victory in 2017 on board a Giant TCR Addvanced SL. This was followed by Warren Barguil winning the polka dot jersey at the Tour de France the same year.
More reading : Bikes at the 2022 Tour de France
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is Giant’s warranty?
Giant bikes come with a lifetime warranty on the frame and fork for the original purchaser.
More about Giant’s warranty policy.
What is Giant Overdrive?
The Overdrive is Giant’s fork steerer-tube technology. Now in its second iteration, the oversized headset bearings (1 ¼” top and 1 ½” bottom) provide 30% more torsional steering stiffness compared to a standard 1 ⅛” headset bearing. This also means that the standard stems with a 1 ⅛” steerer diameter will not fit onto a Giant bike.
Does Giant have a women-specific bike range?
Giant’s women-specific bikes are branded Liv Cycling. They have a complete range of bikes from road to gravel, triathlon, city, and electric bikes.