Giant Propel 2018 Range Review

Words by David Hicks

on 16/01/2018 09:53:32

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Already one of the fastest bikes out there, the 2018 Giant Propel has taken things up a notch! Ridden by the professional road team, Team Sunweb, the new Propel has been built around disc brakes with the Giant's AeroSystem Shaping Technology ensuring that the bike is viewed as a complete aerodynamic system. After three years of development and some radical experimentation with tube shapes, the Propel offers the highest stiffness-to-weight ratio of any bike in its class and a lower drag coefficient at a wide range of yaw angles than its non-brake predecessor.

Best for riders who want ultimate speed, with total control. This bike is all about pouring all of your energy into the frame and letting it fire you down the road! If you always want to be the first across a finish line, the Propel is the bike for you.

  • + AeroSystem Shaping Technology
  • + Contact SLR Sero Bar & Stem Design
  • + Disc-specific design

Frame and Forks

Following Giant's typical carbon fibre construction hierarchy, you can choose from their Advanced-grade or premium Advanced SL-grade composite for your frame material, but regardless of your choice you'll find one of the most technologically advanced frames on the market. The Propel has been remodelled from the ground up with computational fluid dynamics and wind tunnel testing contributing to a trunated ellipse airfoil frame shape, resulting in a 15-watt saving over the previous generation. In addition to the aerodynamic artistry on show with the new Propel, Giant have also achieved outstanding stiffness-to-weight, besting every other bike in its class and aided by the OverDrive 2 tapered headtube.

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Groupset

This is a high performance bike and as you'd expect, the components are equally high performance. Ultra-reliable Shimano shifting is used throughout the range with top-end Dura-Ace Di2 electronic shifting found on the flagship Advanced SL 0 Disc model, plus Shimano's new power meter crankset and hydraulic breaking. The rest of the range varies depending on price point from Ultegra to 105, all providing equally slick shifting.

See the 2018 Propel Range >>>

Wheels and Brakes

The inclusion of disc brakes is the main talking point on this new range - in fact, disc brakes aren't just included but form the heart of the bike, with the frame and components geared around their inclusion. With their unrivalled modulation and stopping power, hydraulic disc brakes provide total control to add to all that aerodynamic efficiency. If you'd prefer rim brakes you're still in luck with the lower range models featuring standard rim braking.

As part of their AeroSystem initiative, Giant have paired their own wheels to each model but - to ensure control as well as maximum aerodynamic performance - their new SLR Aero WheelSystem combines a deeper rear wheel with a shallower front wheel. This allows for added control in crosswinds without sacrificing aero performance. The entire range also comes with tubeless tyres.

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Finishing Kit

Another stand out feature of the Propel Disc models is the new Contact SLR/SL Aero handlebar/stem unit which keeps every cable internally routed to optimise aerodynamics. Rather than a single combined bar and stem, Giant's system uses a clever two-piece design with a stem cover which keeps the front end tidy without sacrificing flexibility in terms of stem length and customisation.

Find your nearest store

Get hands on with the 2018 Giant Propel range at Giant Store Rutland, Giant Store Cambridge or one of our other Rutland Cycling stores.

THE RUTLAND DIFFERENCE

FREE DELIVERY OVER £10

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30-DAY TEST RIDE

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