Giant Propel Advanced 2 2015

Here is a review from Cycling Weekly

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/reviews/road-bikes/giant-propel-advanced-2

They seemed to think it was good value

My partner has the female equivalent (Envie) an absolutely loves hers, great for long rides and incredibly quick as a stock bike. So much so i'm thinking of switching to a propel to keep things level between us.

Just home from 116 miles on the Propel, my derriere doesn't feel too bad although I'm sure I can find a saddle that suits me better

i went for the TCR in the end. I figured that as I was planning to do a fair bit of climbing in the future, the Propel might not be the best choice. I'm not regretting my decision.

One more thing, I got a chunk of mine on the CTW scheme. If it hadn't been for that, I would have got a Rose. They do some amazing specs for that kind of money although (I think) their aero bike is a bit of an ugly duckling. The other models in the line up are amazing value and if you go for an ally bike you could get something under 7kg for that price.

Not had any issues with my wheels though I think they are pretty basic. I had a demo ride on the Propel SL with the fancy aero wheels but 105. That was a major jump again but at 2.5k it bloody ought to be. I rode it on a windy day and got caught out a couple of times, wouldn't want to commute on one in busy traffic.

I have the 2015 Propel Advanced 1 too. I've not done much on it yet and the only real disappointment has been the wheels. The front was out of true from new and was straightened by LBS but feels like its on its way out again, and the rear flexes lots. I've just bought some Cero AR30 wheels for it and am hoping that they perform better. They are also about 400g lighter than the stock wheels.

My only other concern was when I was swapping spacers around for the stem I found a lot of swarf inside the steerer tube. Not really a problem in itself but it just raises concerns. External finish and fit is perfect.

Note also that the rear brake cable runs very close to the tyre so you are pretty much restricted to 23c tyres. Some 25s may fit but it would be a gamble unless someone can confirm that they definitely fit first.

I meant to say, my mate who bought a £3.5k disc braked Defy a few months ago gave it a go, and he thought mine had more of that instant jump you get when you stamp down hard on the pedals for a burst of acceleration.

I got the "1" about 3 weeks ago, love it! I think the only difference is the colour scheme and Ultegra instead of 105. All the experts say Ultegra is not worth paying the extra for over 2015 105, but it is very crisp and combined with the red and white colour scheme I am more than happy with mine.

I haven't done a long ride on it yet, aiming to do 100 miles on Sunday so will post again after that if you are interested? I chose not to make comfort too much of a priority in my decision; of the 300 rides I did last year the average was about 2 hours and I had 200+ of them. The longest was only 7 hours, and I don't expect to feel as fresh as a daisy after a ride of that length. Hoping to do an Everesting on it in two weeks...

Faster? Very hard to say, partly because I am fitter than I have been for years and am pushing myself harder. I do seem to be setting good times on routes I have travelled a lot though, which would suggest it isn't just down to my efforts.

It corners and brakes really well, I would say the rear brake is the strongest non-disc brake I have ever used. The Giant tyres seem ok too, but they will be the first upgrade when they wear out.

I'm not sure about the saddle yet; the bike is set up with spacers and is quite upright at the moment, I think the saddle will get better when I lose a couple of the spacers.

My previous bike was a £500 Ebay ally special so as you suggested, anything over £1k will seem a big improvement. I am more than happy with mine!