Giant TCR Advanced 2016

[dgalanos]

Hello to everyone. After TCR 2016 redesign, I am seriously considering to upgrade my cheap aluminium road bike with TCR Advanced 2 (105 edition). It's not a superbike, but for me it will be a major upgrade. Budget is tight, but I want to keep some money for early wheel upgrade...

Any opinions? Ride impressions from owners?

PS. At the same budget I could also buy Specialized Tarmac Elite 2015. Is it worth to consider?

Thanks in advance for your support!

[Alpine318is]

I'm not sure if this matters to you or not, but i would imagine the Tarmac would keep its resale value better. I test road the SL5 Tarmac Elite and it was sooooo smooth. Can't comment on the Giant though.

[mimason]

Resale would be equal imo.

I'd ride both and decide....but the Spesh Elite is $2400 and the Giant Adv 1 is $2500 which get you Ultegra for only $100 more = no brainer.

[shotgun]

IMHO the 2016 feels livelier on decents, climbs just as well and seems a little more compliant on rougher roads.

I can't compare to other frames though, I can only compare to older TCRs

[dgalanos]

Thanks for the answers. I am from Europe, where both come at a price around 1800€. Tarmac is on discount because it's a 2015 model and TCR has a standard 2016 price.

TCR ride opinions are crucial for me, especially how much comfort the frame provides. I am not a long distance rider to look for total comfort, I usually do hard 50-80 km, with maximum effort. I also like mountains, but I don't ride often to them because my current setup weights around 11 kg...

[stoney]

I have the 2016 TCR Advanced 0 and love it. It's comfortable to me but stiff in the bottom bracket area, which is a plus. If you're coming off an aluminum frame it should be plenty comfortable for you.

[dgalanos]

Today, after a visit to a LBS, I was advised on Cervelo S2. They told me that it's very comfortable apart from aero, which I am not sure about. Nevertheless, about TCR, I was told to avoid it because it's too stiff! They also told me that I may need a smaller size than I think about. I am 173 cm and I think I ride Medium (54) in almost any brand, especially in Giant. They proposed Small (51)!

I am a little bit confused...

[davetung]

I'm 175 cm and I ride a size small Propel. It fits me perfectly.


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[sharkman]

Look for another dealer he is thinking in profit/margins and clearing old stock!
Tcr 2016 are good bike and pricewise hard to beat by cervelo and especially specialized
If budget is really tight a bike on sale might be a good idea

[Gregg]

A nice review here http://www.cyclist.co.uk/giant/tcr-advanced/721/giant-tcr-advanced-pro-0-review

Giant is keen to point out how well its top-level TCR SL (one level up from this Advanced Pro version) fares in lab tests against the competition, and has published reams of data about stiffness and weight. Unsurprisingly, it claims the TCR SL comes out on top in virtually all categories when compared to the competition, save for ‘overall system weight’, where it loses out to the Scott Addict SL, and ‘pedalling stiffness’, where it loses out to the Specialized S-Works Tarmac.

Giant says no comparable data has been gathered for the Advanced Pro, although it is looking to change this, but its senior designer, Erik Klemm, did tell me that because of a different carbon layup – higher modulus T800 fibres for the SL, T700 for the Advanced Pro – the Advanced Pro would be slightly less stiff than the SL and would also be slightly heavier, a claimed 890g for the frame and 330g for the fork versus 856g and 306g respectively. I reckon I’d be hard pressed to tell the difference.

[dgalanos]

And the more I rode it, the more I wanted to ride it, which is the highest praise you can heap on a bicycle.

This is what I want from a bike.

Apart from the wheels and a full carbon fork, I think that Advanced Pro models are exactly the same as Advanced ones. I am trying to find one for test drive...

[peted76]

Today, after a visit to a LBS, I was advised on Cervelo S2. They told me that it's very comfortable apart from aero, which I am not sure about. Nevertheless, about TCR, I was told to avoid it because it's too stiff! They also told me that I may need a smaller size than I think about. I am 173 cm and I think I ride Medium (54) in almost any brand, especially in Giant. They proposed Small (51)!

I am a little bit confused...

I'm 169cm and ride a Small TCR with about 4cm drop and 90cm stem - I'd say you'd be a small. General rule I've been told, if you're on the cusp of sizing, size down.
(Of course I don't know your mesaurements, but with only 4cm difference in height and if you're anything like me you'd be a small in most bike sizes.)

[lrdunc]

A medium TCR has a 55.5cm top tube. A small has 53.5cm. Given your height, the small makes more sense.

[hybridbrad]

got a tcr recently, have fallen in love with it. posted a video review on my youtube channel 'hybrid life' but cant post a link in here

[kgt]

53.5cm is too big for a 1.73m rider IMO.