Complementing the tubeless tires are the carbon 42 mm deep-dish rims, another upgrade from our recent bike. Migrating from box section aluminum rims, we were amazed at the stiffness of the TCRs tubeless system base. For stock carbon hoops, the Giant SLR1 rims respond to heavy acceleration and hard lateral demands. We occasionally grin at the sought-after echoing sound of rolling carbon wheels. The Variant seat post adds just enough compliance to give it a balanced, race-tuned feel on the road.
In direct comparison to its predecessor, GIANT claim that the new TCR 2021 is 34 seconds faster over a distance of 40 km when riding at 200 W. That’s a significant improvement and underlines the fact that aerodynamic features are finding a place on all new bikes. The TCR has always been the lightweight road bike in Giant’s range – now it has aero features for the first time. From front to back, the Giant TCR differed from the outgoing road bike once parked in the garage.
And updated routing to the new flat mount discs (and of course 12mm thru-axles) doesn’t hurt either. 2021 giant KIDS BIKES Advanced SL 0 DiscAt first glance, the new TCR doesn’t look all that different than the previous generation, carrying over their long-held sloping compact frame shape and the long extended seat mast on the Advanced SL model. If anything, tube shapes look slimmer than before, but Giant claims this new TCR is “significantly more aerodynamic” than before, while still delivering the “best-in-class stiffness-to-weight ratio”. This construction allows the stiffness and flexibility of the seatpost to be designed within clear parameters, rather than having to accept varying levels of stiffness with different insertion depths of a conventional seatpost. The bike comes with two seatpost toppers with different lengths and offsets, allowing you to tune your riding position.
Testing took place across yaw angles ranging from -15 to +15 degrees, with the Specialized S-Works Tarmac Disc, Trek Emonda SLR Disc and Cervélo R5 Disc also tested. The TCR Disc’s new fork is wider, to accommodate up to 32mm tyres , and is also symmetric, unlike the previous generation’s disc fork. Giant has also routed the hose through the fork for the first time and worked on the hose giant KIDS BIKES exit in relation to the brake unit and fork leg. More frame stiffness means better cornering and a responsive ride out on the road, according to Giant. Also, improved stiffness through the drivetrain results in improved power transmission – in short, more speed for less effort. The original took the idea of compact sloping frame geometry from mountain biking and adapted it for the road .
The Variant seatpost adds just enough compliance to give it a balanced, race-tuned feel on the road. And with its integrated disc-brake technology, including flat mounts and 12mm front and rear thru-axles, it’s an all-weather, all-conditions race machine to keep you at the front of the pack. Reengineered with updated aerodynamic tube shaping in the headtube, downtube and fork, plus added clearance for larger diameter tyres , the new TCR Advanced Disc delivers outstanding on-the-road efficiency. Combining lightweight composite frame engineering with strategic aero tube shaping and integrated disc brakes, the new TCR Advanced Disc series delivers versatile road racing performance. The most efficient race bikes have the perfect balance of light weight, stiffness and smooth compliance on the road.
There are more than 500 pieces of woven carbon used throughout the frameset, compared to the 2020 model’s 380. The most advanced steerer tube technology in today’s Giant bikes. Designed to offer unprecedented front-end steering performance, the system’s oversized headset bearings (1 1/2” lower, 1 1/4” upper) and tapered steerer tube work in harmony to provide supreme steering stiffness. This proprietary seatpost design offers the perfect balance of light weight, superior ride quality, aerodynamics and easy saddle installation and adjustment. The scale may surprise weight fiends out there when we say the bike was measured with titanium cages, pedals, rear light, and computer mount. Despite having those accessories, the giant KIDS BIKES in size medium shocked us by barely scaling over seventeen pounds.