2013 The New Giant TCR SL 2 Launch

The all new Giant TCR SL 2  has Giant’s unrivaled alloy engineering prowess in its bones. All new aluminum road bike performance, Crafted from top-end ALUXX SL Ultralight-Edition aluminum with proven design features including Giant’s OverDrive tapered steerer tube, it’s light, fast and ready to race.

Giant have affected America this year, with bikes as well as their Defy Advanced two, that won the athletics and Bike of the Year award. therefore our ears pricked up once a replacement model, the TCR FTO two, popped into the BikeRadar workplace.

The 2013 TCR bikes represent a success for Giant’s aluminum road bike vary, proving that you simply don’t got to look towards carbon if you wish a performance bike.   

The £1,249 (US$1,550) FTO two is constructed with a one hundred and five groupset, ANd an Ultegra-equipped version, the SL 1, comes in at £1,799 (US$2300). the most important news is that the frame, that is built from ALUXX FTO Ultralight-Edition aluminum, that weighs one,050g – superb for a motorbike of this value.

Giant have pushed their tube manipulation skills to the goop with the frame, with nearly each section having one thing fascinating occurring. the top tube, for instance, uses Giant’s OverDrive tapered system, with one one/8in high and 1 1/2in lower bearings during a rather neat-looking package. It’s connected to the equally spectacular high tube, that is tapered intent on identical diameter because the head tube and slims down towards the seat tube.

The seat tube itself is manipulated in various ways that. big ar clearly taking mechanics seriously with this bike, with AN aero seatpost and seat tube, as well as a cutaway to convey area for the rear wheel as seen on several TT bikes.

Lower down, the seat tube squares off at the BB to convey a bigger junction, presumptively to extend stiffness. The press-fit BB shell ought to aid this stiffness, serving to the frame transmit the maximum amount of your power as doable to the rear wheel.

There’s no distrustful that the TCR frame is that the main story here. However, it’s price viewing however big have achieved such a complicated frame at this value purpose.

They’ve equipped it with Shimano one hundred and five STIs and mechs, however have managed to save lots of a little of money with AN R561 chainset and brake callipers and a 12-28T Tiagra container. These ar upgradable components however ought to perform well anyway.

Giant have conjointly used their own components for lots of the finishing kit, all finished to a prime quality. The wheels also are AN own-brand giving, with sealed bearing hubs, P-R2 rims, and twenty eight DT Competition spokes on the rear and twenty four at the front. P-SL1 tyres close up the package.

Obvious comparisons is drawn with the Scott Speedster, that conjointly comes during a 105/Tiagra possibility (£999/US$1,369) or AN Ultegra one (£1,449/US$1,889).

Full Specs Giant TCR SL 2 :

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