2014 Giant TCR Advanced 2 Review

Giant TCR has Using light-weight, Advanced-grade stuff, large builds each Giant TCR Advanced by hand with its innovative, race-proven Compact Road pure mathematics. light-weight, stiff and fast to accelerate, it options Giant’s OverDrive two steerer tube style for exactitude steering and handling. The MegaDrive downtube and toptube combination, together with the PowerCore bottom bracket, turn out a razor-sharp, super-efficient ride quality that’s usually imitated however ne’er duplicated.

Frame and Equipment Giant Tcr 2:

Giant’s sensible Giant Tcr 2 has grabbed all the headlines recently, however the TCR is its racier older brother and its inspiration. Four years agone, the TCR took the highest spot within the sport and Bike of The Year gunfight, however lots has modified since then.

Giant TCR2

The TCR’s game-changing style are often copied back to the initial aluminum compact style that modified the means road bikes looked forever. For 2013, the new frame has been reworked to stay it bang up-to-date.

Cable routing is currently totally internal and compatible with Di2, with battery mount incorporated on the non-driveside chainstay. conjointly incorporated is Giant’s own RideSense ANT+ compatible device, which is able to transmit cadence and speed info to any compatible device.

Giant TCR2

Up front, the frame shares associate degree Overdrive two tapered steerer fork combination with the new Defy. Tapered head tubes ar one thing large apprehend lots about; they were the primary to introduce them on the 2006 Glory cycle, and Overdrive two improves on the initial style by losing a couple of grams and increasing stiffness.

The TCR’s clearly compact look, each vertically and horizontally, is increased by the aero-profile seat tube, that cuts into the trail of the rear wheel. The seat angle could be a relaxed (by race bike standards) seventy two degrees, putt additional of your weight over the rump. Up front, a slim, straight fork plugs into a racy 73-degree head tube. The distance is race prepared, at a fraction over a metre on our giant check bike.

Giant TCR2

Component-wise, the TCR matches the Defy, with full Shimano one zero five keeping things slick to shift and swish to prevent. The Giant-designed DT Swiss wheels ar a match for each Mavic and Shimano’s equivalents in terms of performance, and higher each once it involves weight. The additional we tend to use Giant’s own whole of tyre the additional we’re affected by the graceful rolling and assured grip in soiled conditions.

Giant TCR2

Giant’s aluminum cockpit is tight quality too – it’s well-shaped and designed with high-quality hardware. On the Defy’s cosseted, comfy ride the bar is ideally suited, however on the TCR’s tougher, stiffer ride we tend to did feel some road buzz within the heels of our hands.

The two huge variations in specification come back from the gears and seating arrangements. whereas the Defy gets a compact and wide-ranging container, the TCR wears its athletics colors with pride, with a customary 53/39 combined with a 12-25T container.

The gears is motor-assisted by the saddle choice; the Fizik Arione might well are designed with the TCR in mind. the additional length suits the bike thus well that on flat ground you’ll need to shift forward and power down on the pedals to exert most speed. On the climbs you’ll need to shift back and use the additional house to lever your legs through the gears.

Ride and Handling Giant Tcr 2:

The Giant’s gears is intended for speed, and of all the Bike of the Year contenders the TCR is that the one we tend to went quickest on the flat with. It suggests that you’ll be putt additional effort in on the climbs, however you simply get the pace on descents. Its long, low-slung position conjointly suits riders wanting to race, thus add a group of attachable TT bars and it’ll build a fine machine to beat the put down.

Giant TCR2

The ride is swish however blanaced and handling sharp while not ever being twitchy, with a certain firmness. At the rear it’s buzz-free and ne’er harsh, despite the rear triangle’s tight dimensions suggesting a rigid structure.

The TCR oozes category and combines assured handling with a smooth-enough ride and quality kit. It’s a motorcycle a great deal geared toward the racer or the terribly match competitive sportive participant. In Bike of the Year company, however, there ar higher speed machines, and its own Equus caballus, the Defy, is that the superior expert.

Full Specs Giant Tcr 2 :

FRAME :
SizesXS, S, M, M/L, L, XL
ColorsComposite/Grey/Blue
FrameAdvanced-Grade Composite
ForkAdvanced-Grade Composite, Full-Composite OverDrive 2 Steerer
COMPONENTS :
HandlebarGiant Connect SL oversize alloy
StemGiant Contact w/ Titanium hardware, OverDrive 2
SeatpostGiant Vector Composite
SaddleFi’zi:k Arione w/ Manganese rails
DRIVETRAIN :
ShiftersShimano 105
Front DerailleurShimano 105
Rear DerailleurShimano 105
BrakesShimano 105
Brake LeversShimano 105
CassetteShimano 105 12×25, 10-Speed
ChainKMC X10SL
CranksetShimano 105, 39/53
Bottom BracketShimano, Press Fit
WHEELS :
RimsGiant P-SL1 WheelSystem
HubsGiant P-SL1 WheelSystem
SpokesGiant P-SL1 WheelSystem
TiresGiant P-SL1, 700×23, Front and Rear Specific, Folding
OTHER :
ExtrasRideSense
WeightHow much does this bike weigh? It’s a common question, and rightly so. But the truth is, there are no industry standards for claiming bike weights—and this leads to a lot of misinformation. Variances exist based on size, frame material, finish and hardware. And as bikes get lighter, these differences become more critical. At Giant, we believe the only way to truly know the weight of any particular bike is to find out for yourself at your local retailer.

 Image Credit © Giant

Leave a Comment