Gear Review: 2017 Giant Propel Advanced Pro 1
In an attempt to keep my Tuesday posts more about how to's and relatively generic guides on whatever I feel like writing about that week, I'm going to start a Friday post. This one is going to come once every two weeks, and it will be all about the gear that I'm using. Pros and cons of specific products I've had the opportunity to use, my opinions on it all, you get the idea. To kick things off, my first "proper" road racing bike.
When I first got into road cycling, I was captivated by the aero road bikes. From the side, they're big, beefy, and just exude power and strength, but if you look head on they're slender, cutting through the air with the precision of a heart surgeon. Or at least that's what I thought. In June 2017 I purchased my first new road bike ever, a Giant Propel Advanced Pro 1, and over the next four months, put close to 5000km on it. Here are my thoughts.
I'll start with what I changed and why. The stock saddle lasted the whole of an hour. I would've changed it sooner, but I was working a closing shift, and by the time it got uncomfortable (about three minutes into my ride) everybody had left the shop, so I changed it when I got back in the next day. I'm sure there are people who like the stock saddle, but I like the shape (especially the cut-out) of the Specialized Romin Evo. I went for the Expert variant in a 143 width and haven't had any issues at all. I actually own two of these now because I like them so much.
The other big thing I changed was the tires. They ship tubeless without any sealant, which is how I rode it (I carry two spare tubes on training rides) but they didn't feel very nice, are incredibly slick (had next to no grip when cornering/accelerating even in the dry) and I had a piece of glass go through the front one after about a week of riding. Instead of putting in sealant, I bought a pair of Specialized Turbo Tubeless tires, which are 180tpi and ride like a dream compared to the stock 60tpi tires (they also cost twice as much). After putting on 4500km they are definitely worn down, but that's my biggest complaint. I ran them at 120psi every time I remembered to pump them up, and they rode great, the supple casing took out a surprising amount of road chatter, and the high pressure would roll forever. I've seen some tests that show the Propel to be one of the more compliant aero bikes so that likely helped a bit too, but either way, it's a nice feeling bike.
I also changed was the left crank arm. I swapped it for a 4iiii precision power meter, but that's a story for another day (let me know if you want a review on it).
So on to the bike. It retails for $4000cad ($5000 with my upgrades), which is getting pretty up there, but for a full carbon frame, Ultegra 6800 groupset, and deep section carbon wheels standard, the price is more than justified. The first time I rode it was a revelation. Until that point, I'd only ridden a carbon cyclocross bike (designed for compliance) and an aluminium endurance road bike (not designed for racing). I'd been using some carbon soled shoes and Look Keo Blade Carbon pedals on my cross bike for about two weeks and I was starting to think that's what a stiff bike felt like. I was terribly mistaken.
Like most high-end bikes these days, the Propel sports a beefy bottom bracket, which Giant refer to as the "Powercore" bottom bracket. I'd seen that written on some of the bikes in the shop and thought to myself "Wow, they pulled a Specialized and made something most companies do sound cooler." (cough cough rider first engineering cough....) I wasn't wrong, most companies do beef up the bottom bracket, but whoa buddy does that thing transfer power. Leaving the parking lot about 10 meters into my ride I hit 800watts. On my cross bike, this is where it started to flex, but the Propel felt solid, almost mocking me as if to say, "What, that's all you got?" After turning on to the main road, I hit it with a 1200watt standing start and it just flew. This is where I knew I was going to have fun with the bike.
After a week of riding, I became accustomed to the stiffness of the bottom bracket and lost some of the appreciation for just how rewarding it is to throw massive amounts of power at it. As bad as that is, I also started to realize some of the other nuances of the frame. The front end was stiff enough for my use. Living in Winnipeg, our straight, flat roads shouldn't push the handling of any bike over $500 in regular riding, though the one crit I did on the bike proved it's at least good at turning right.
My biggest complaint about the frame is actually in the frame itself. The down tube starts off as a traditional aerofoil, transitioning to a truncated aerofoil where you would put a bottle cage. This design works very well when you have a direct headwind or tailwind, but will start to stall out at above 5 degrees yaw (according to Giant, although they only admitted this after releasing the 2018 model which sports a truncated aero profile on the whole downtube). Using the industry standard 40kph rider speed, a 3.5kph crosswind will make the frame start stalling out. For reference, most deep section wheels start to slow down at 15-20 degrees yaw (11-15kph crosswind). I should also clarify that by start, I actually mean start. Some aero products will have negative drag at 15-20 degrees, meaning they actually speed you up, and the won't be beaten by their lighter, less aerodynamic counterparts until close to 45 degrees yaw. I'm also using worst case scenario, where the wind is perpindicular to the bike.
The science is all well and good, but how does that translate to the real world? Sadly, it translates pretty well. Being in the prairies, it's windy almost every day, and it's always a head/crosswind. Every time (about 60% of the time). Average wind speed is probably about 20kph. Although you can tell the bike isn't as fast in a 20kph crosswind (as compared to no wind), the power transfer makes up for any losses. MOST of the time there aren't any substantial drawbacks, the stiffness, ride position, stability in the crosswind and overall quality of the bike allow the bike to feel solid in MOST crosswinds. That said, there are two times where the aero shapes where a real drawback.
The first time was on a group ride. There was a head/crosswind of 40kph gusting to 60kph, and the wind gusted just as I got on to a small stretch of gravel. I moved about four feet to the right before I managed to regain control of the bike. On the road I never had anything unexpected like this happen, it felt just as stable as my round-tubed bike with 38mm rims.
The only other time I had an issue was on the way into work one day. Again, it was only one time, but it was really bad. I was initially excited to have a cross/tailwind because of the tailwind part, but as I passed in front of a schoolyard, it felt like I'd put the brakes on. I was doing 350watts with said cross/tailwind of 40kph gusting to 60kph (It's a very common windspeed around here), but I was only doing 28kph. Again I would like to stress that this is one of two isolated instances, and the wind was blowing in just the right way that the yaw angle was almost exactly 90 degrees, which almost never happens. That said, slowing down 12kph from where you should be when you have a tailwind isn't something that should ever happen.
Over the summer, I also had the opportunity to go to La Riviere, a small town about an hour and a half drive from Winnipeg. This town is located in a valley (the closest thing I have to a hill) so I had a chance to test it on three different sustained positive gradients (I'm very hesitant to use the word hill when referring to anything in Manitoba). I spent three hours doing threshold efforts up the valley walls, all of which were 5-8 minutes long. I was with a friend on a similarly specced Specialized Tarmac. I managed to beat him to the top every time. He has a slightly higher ftp than me, but I'm a bit lighter, so we're very evenly matched (In a 32km time trial I beat him by only one second). I'll admit that this isn't an apples to apples comparison, but for a size 58, my bike comes in at a very respectable 8.0kg (no bottles/Garmin) so it's no slouch up those sustained positive gradients (the hardest one is 1.3km @ 5.9%).
Believe it or not, that day wasn't all about finding out which of us was better at five-minute chunks of masochism. We also got into a bit of a pissing contest (slightly vulgar, but it's the best description, sorry Grandma) seeing who could hit a higher top speed going back down the hills. Going down the first time I tried sitting on the top tube and found that either I'm not very good at balancing on the top tube or the bike is very unstable while I'm sitting on the top tube. I'm not sure which it was since I don't ride down anything steep ever, but at least one of those is true. On the subsequent runs, I stayed in the saddle, getting as aero as I could. Coasting down the steep side, I would hit around 72kph. This was really fun until you get to the bottom of the hill, where there's a pretty rough corner that shouldn't be taken any faster than 60kph.
Slowing down to 60 isn't very hard when you start braking well in advance, but the bottom is also the steepest part, and if you remember, I was in a pissing contest (again, sorry Grandma, but it's the most correct term I know). My last time down the hill I got to the steep part and just rode flat out, getting up to eighty-something. I don't remember the exact speed, but I know it was over 80, faster than my friend, and achieved about 100m before that turn I said shouldn't be taken faster than 60. I put on the brakes as hard as I dared, and could feel the brake callipers jitter. It would flex in, then jump back like an elastic band. This issue is solved by breaking a little bit harder (or earlier), but if you find yourself going 20kph too fast into a corner, you don't want to pull the brakes even harder. Again this problem should be resolved for 2018 as the entire line is sporting disc brakes.
My only other complaint about the bike is the handlebars. I understand that a size 58 is on the larger end of the spectrum, but Giant chose to put a 44cm alloy round bar on the bike. Given the rest of the parts at a $4000 dollar price point, this is understandable, but I would've liked to see something narrower. I fit a 40cm, but given I'm narrower than average, a 42cm would make more sense, and wouldn't add any cost. I've looked at lots of geometry charts, and the propel is one of the most aggressive (Read, has the lowest stack height) of all the bikes I saw in the same size. If they're going so far as to have the most aggressive riding position for sake of aerodynamics, why not put on a narrower bar? In the higher priced versions of this bike, you do get carbon aero handlebars, but they're still 44cm. If I keep the propel for the 2018 season, this is definitely something that will be getting changed.
Just a couple other points that didn't seem to fit in anywhere else, the 11/28 cassette and 52/36 chainring combo is wonderful for my riding. In La Riviere, I could get up the parts that hit 11% and it's just low enough that a 50kph headwind is possible to fight. The wheels are also very stable in the wind and feel fast on the bike, but I would prefer a wider rim given the choice. Also as much as it isn't great on gravel, it's compliant enough that I never complained about hitting a gravel section, though gravel and wind don't mix well with this bike. Also, the routing of the shift cables into the top tube looks gross.
Well, that's all I have to say about the bike. For all the faults I found, it's still a fantastic bike, especially considering the price (relative to the market that is). It's been a privilege to ride this noble steed, and I can't wait to test out the 2018 model and see what kind of improvements have been made. If you have an opportunity to buy one, I would strongly recommend it (or at least taking it for a test ride)
If you like what you just read, fit a size 58, and have $3500 burning a hole in your pocket let me know, I'm actually looking to sell it so I can afford a new bike for the 2018 season (email is kelseygoescycling@gmail.com). I'm selling it with the Romin Saddle, 4iiii power meter, and Turbo Tubeless tires (although they're pretty worn out at this point).
Stay cool internet :)
When I first got into road cycling, I was captivated by the aero road bikes. From the side, they're big, beefy, and just exude power and strength, but if you look head on they're slender, cutting through the air with the precision of a heart surgeon. Or at least that's what I thought. In June 2017 I purchased my first new road bike ever, a Giant Propel Advanced Pro 1, and over the next four months, put close to 5000km on it. Here are my thoughts.
 |
| Hill reps at the local speed bump |
I'll start with what I changed and why. The stock saddle lasted the whole of an hour. I would've changed it sooner, but I was working a closing shift, and by the time it got uncomfortable (about three minutes into my ride) everybody had left the shop, so I changed it when I got back in the next day. I'm sure there are people who like the stock saddle, but I like the shape (especially the cut-out) of the Specialized Romin Evo. I went for the Expert variant in a 143 width and haven't had any issues at all. I actually own two of these now because I like them so much.
The other big thing I changed was the tires. They ship tubeless without any sealant, which is how I rode it (I carry two spare tubes on training rides) but they didn't feel very nice, are incredibly slick (had next to no grip when cornering/accelerating even in the dry) and I had a piece of glass go through the front one after about a week of riding. Instead of putting in sealant, I bought a pair of Specialized Turbo Tubeless tires, which are 180tpi and ride like a dream compared to the stock 60tpi tires (they also cost twice as much). After putting on 4500km they are definitely worn down, but that's my biggest complaint. I ran them at 120psi every time I remembered to pump them up, and they rode great, the supple casing took out a surprising amount of road chatter, and the high pressure would roll forever. I've seen some tests that show the Propel to be one of the more compliant aero bikes so that likely helped a bit too, but either way, it's a nice feeling bike.
I also changed was the left crank arm. I swapped it for a 4iiii precision power meter, but that's a story for another day (let me know if you want a review on it).
 |
| "Hey, can you hold this a sec?" |
So on to the bike. It retails for $4000cad ($5000 with my upgrades), which is getting pretty up there, but for a full carbon frame, Ultegra 6800 groupset, and deep section carbon wheels standard, the price is more than justified. The first time I rode it was a revelation. Until that point, I'd only ridden a carbon cyclocross bike (designed for compliance) and an aluminium endurance road bike (not designed for racing). I'd been using some carbon soled shoes and Look Keo Blade Carbon pedals on my cross bike for about two weeks and I was starting to think that's what a stiff bike felt like. I was terribly mistaken.
Like most high-end bikes these days, the Propel sports a beefy bottom bracket, which Giant refer to as the "Powercore" bottom bracket. I'd seen that written on some of the bikes in the shop and thought to myself "Wow, they pulled a Specialized and made something most companies do sound cooler." (cough cough rider first engineering cough....) I wasn't wrong, most companies do beef up the bottom bracket, but whoa buddy does that thing transfer power. Leaving the parking lot about 10 meters into my ride I hit 800watts. On my cross bike, this is where it started to flex, but the Propel felt solid, almost mocking me as if to say, "What, that's all you got?" After turning on to the main road, I hit it with a 1200watt standing start and it just flew. This is where I knew I was going to have fun with the bike.
After a week of riding, I became accustomed to the stiffness of the bottom bracket and lost some of the appreciation for just how rewarding it is to throw massive amounts of power at it. As bad as that is, I also started to realize some of the other nuances of the frame. The front end was stiff enough for my use. Living in Winnipeg, our straight, flat roads shouldn't push the handling of any bike over $500 in regular riding, though the one crit I did on the bike proved it's at least good at turning right.
My biggest complaint about the frame is actually in the frame itself. The down tube starts off as a traditional aerofoil, transitioning to a truncated aerofoil where you would put a bottle cage. This design works very well when you have a direct headwind or tailwind, but will start to stall out at above 5 degrees yaw (according to Giant, although they only admitted this after releasing the 2018 model which sports a truncated aero profile on the whole downtube). Using the industry standard 40kph rider speed, a 3.5kph crosswind will make the frame start stalling out. For reference, most deep section wheels start to slow down at 15-20 degrees yaw (11-15kph crosswind). I should also clarify that by start, I actually mean start. Some aero products will have negative drag at 15-20 degrees, meaning they actually speed you up, and the won't be beaten by their lighter, less aerodynamic counterparts until close to 45 degrees yaw. I'm also using worst case scenario, where the wind is perpindicular to the bike.
 |
| These are actually all the pictures I have of my bike. I need to step my game up. |
The science is all well and good, but how does that translate to the real world? Sadly, it translates pretty well. Being in the prairies, it's windy almost every day, and it's always a head/crosswind. Every time (about 60% of the time). Average wind speed is probably about 20kph. Although you can tell the bike isn't as fast in a 20kph crosswind (as compared to no wind), the power transfer makes up for any losses. MOST of the time there aren't any substantial drawbacks, the stiffness, ride position, stability in the crosswind and overall quality of the bike allow the bike to feel solid in MOST crosswinds. That said, there are two times where the aero shapes where a real drawback.
The first time was on a group ride. There was a head/crosswind of 40kph gusting to 60kph, and the wind gusted just as I got on to a small stretch of gravel. I moved about four feet to the right before I managed to regain control of the bike. On the road I never had anything unexpected like this happen, it felt just as stable as my round-tubed bike with 38mm rims.
The only other time I had an issue was on the way into work one day. Again, it was only one time, but it was really bad. I was initially excited to have a cross/tailwind because of the tailwind part, but as I passed in front of a schoolyard, it felt like I'd put the brakes on. I was doing 350watts with said cross/tailwind of 40kph gusting to 60kph (It's a very common windspeed around here), but I was only doing 28kph. Again I would like to stress that this is one of two isolated instances, and the wind was blowing in just the right way that the yaw angle was almost exactly 90 degrees, which almost never happens. That said, slowing down 12kph from where you should be when you have a tailwind isn't something that should ever happen.
Over the summer, I also had the opportunity to go to La Riviere, a small town about an hour and a half drive from Winnipeg. This town is located in a valley (the closest thing I have to a hill) so I had a chance to test it on three different sustained positive gradients (I'm very hesitant to use the word hill when referring to anything in Manitoba). I spent three hours doing threshold efforts up the valley walls, all of which were 5-8 minutes long. I was with a friend on a similarly specced Specialized Tarmac. I managed to beat him to the top every time. He has a slightly higher ftp than me, but I'm a bit lighter, so we're very evenly matched (In a 32km time trial I beat him by only one second). I'll admit that this isn't an apples to apples comparison, but for a size 58, my bike comes in at a very respectable 8.0kg (no bottles/Garmin) so it's no slouch up those sustained positive gradients (the hardest one is 1.3km @ 5.9%).
 |
| Different ride, same bikes. Which looks faster? |
Believe it or not, that day wasn't all about finding out which of us was better at five-minute chunks of masochism. We also got into a bit of a pissing contest (slightly vulgar, but it's the best description, sorry Grandma) seeing who could hit a higher top speed going back down the hills. Going down the first time I tried sitting on the top tube and found that either I'm not very good at balancing on the top tube or the bike is very unstable while I'm sitting on the top tube. I'm not sure which it was since I don't ride down anything steep ever, but at least one of those is true. On the subsequent runs, I stayed in the saddle, getting as aero as I could. Coasting down the steep side, I would hit around 72kph. This was really fun until you get to the bottom of the hill, where there's a pretty rough corner that shouldn't be taken any faster than 60kph.
Slowing down to 60 isn't very hard when you start braking well in advance, but the bottom is also the steepest part, and if you remember, I was in a pissing contest (again, sorry Grandma, but it's the most correct term I know). My last time down the hill I got to the steep part and just rode flat out, getting up to eighty-something. I don't remember the exact speed, but I know it was over 80, faster than my friend, and achieved about 100m before that turn I said shouldn't be taken faster than 60. I put on the brakes as hard as I dared, and could feel the brake callipers jitter. It would flex in, then jump back like an elastic band. This issue is solved by breaking a little bit harder (or earlier), but if you find yourself going 20kph too fast into a corner, you don't want to pull the brakes even harder. Again this problem should be resolved for 2018 as the entire line is sporting disc brakes.
My only other complaint about the bike is the handlebars. I understand that a size 58 is on the larger end of the spectrum, but Giant chose to put a 44cm alloy round bar on the bike. Given the rest of the parts at a $4000 dollar price point, this is understandable, but I would've liked to see something narrower. I fit a 40cm, but given I'm narrower than average, a 42cm would make more sense, and wouldn't add any cost. I've looked at lots of geometry charts, and the propel is one of the most aggressive (Read, has the lowest stack height) of all the bikes I saw in the same size. If they're going so far as to have the most aggressive riding position for sake of aerodynamics, why not put on a narrower bar? In the higher priced versions of this bike, you do get carbon aero handlebars, but they're still 44cm. If I keep the propel for the 2018 season, this is definitely something that will be getting changed.
Just a couple other points that didn't seem to fit in anywhere else, the 11/28 cassette and 52/36 chainring combo is wonderful for my riding. In La Riviere, I could get up the parts that hit 11% and it's just low enough that a 50kph headwind is possible to fight. The wheels are also very stable in the wind and feel fast on the bike, but I would prefer a wider rim given the choice. Also as much as it isn't great on gravel, it's compliant enough that I never complained about hitting a gravel section, though gravel and wind don't mix well with this bike. Also, the routing of the shift cables into the top tube looks gross.
Well, that's all I have to say about the bike. For all the faults I found, it's still a fantastic bike, especially considering the price (relative to the market that is). It's been a privilege to ride this noble steed, and I can't wait to test out the 2018 model and see what kind of improvements have been made. If you have an opportunity to buy one, I would strongly recommend it (or at least taking it for a test ride)
If you like what you just read, fit a size 58, and have $3500 burning a hole in your pocket let me know, I'm actually looking to sell it so I can afford a new bike for the 2018 season (email is kelseygoescycling@gmail.com). I'm selling it with the Romin Saddle, 4iiii power meter, and Turbo Tubeless tires (although they're pretty worn out at this point).
Stay cool internet :)
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the 4iiii unit. I also have one.
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