Light blue matt paint at the front, silver metallic at the rear, garnished with red lettering: Giant's decor on the Propel Advanced 2 is refreshingly colourful. The most affordable bike in the test largely shares its frame shape with the expensive Propel. The most noticeable difference, apart from the higher weight, is the height-adjustable aero seat post. Although the suspension is significantly worse than the seat dome on the expensive Propel, it simplifies the adjustment. Shimano's 105 gears work superbly, and the only criticism of the V-brakes is that there is no room under the cable for tyres wider than 23 millimetres. In the wind tunnel, the Swiss Side wheels save 8 watts compared to the heavy standard wheels. This makes the bike a real recommendation for cost-conscious speed freaks.
Price 1,700 Euro
Weight 8.4 kilos
Available in specialised shops
Reference/Info www.giant-bicycles.com
Frame/fork/steering bearing weight 1,284/576/71 grammes
Frame size XS, S, M, ML, L, XL
Seat/steering angle 72,5°/73,5°
Seat/top tube/head tube 545/570/170 mm plus 34 mm headset cap
Wheelbase/caster 990/51 mm
Stack/Reach/STR 571/393 mm/1.45
Equipment
Steering bearing FSA, top 1-1/4, bottom 1.5 inch
Brakes/gears Shimano 105
Bottom bracket Shimano RS500 (50/34 t., press-fit)
Wheels/tyres Giant PA2 Aero/Giant P-R3 23C
Handlebar/stem Giant Contact/Giant Connect
Saddle/post Velo/Giant Vector (aero profile)
*The frame set accounts for 36 per cent of the overall score, the equipment for 54 per cent and the aerodynamics for 10 per cent. The grades are calculated with all decimal places up to the final grade; however, for the sake of clarity, all grades are given with rounded decimal places.
**Weighed weights.
***Manufacturer's specification, test size greased.
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