The Giant TCR Advanced 3 is a bit of a favourite with our road riders. Pretty much all of our Tredz racing team use the Giant TCR Advanced frame and it’s really no coincidence.
It's a brilliant road bike. One that mixes the best frame for the money (a big statement, but we'd say that with all of the awards it's won in the last few years we're in good company) with a smart choice of components to make the road bike that most of us want and can, just about, afford.
Frame
The TCR Advanced 3 frame is constructed from Giant’s Advanced T700 fibres, which are painstakingly woven in a factory more akin to an operating theatre than a bike factory. To get this quality of build from other manufacturers you are having to stretch to the top of the range, where Giant offer their beautifully crafted frame cast from the same moulds as the factory Rabobank frames for mid-range prices.
Other frame features like Giant’s Overdrive headest system and the ridged carbon fork produce a really stiff ride. The bike makes you feel like it’s encouraging you to put the power down. The TCR Advanced comes with a Power Sense Speed Sensor built into the chain stay and Giant have somewhat remarkably built the bike in a full monocoque design – showing off their technical mastery there I think.
Groupset
Giant have garnished the TCR Advance 3 with a full Shimano 105 groupset. OK, so 105 isn’t going to be what Lars Boom is running this year but it’s going to do a pretty good job of getting you to a podium finish if you can power it. 105 has been branded as being “designed for riders looking for all the technological features of Dura-Ace and Ultegra at an unrivalled price" - which just about covers it. Unless you're counting grams, 105 will do the job just fine.
Wheels
Normally, manufacturers will fit a wheelset Made by Mavic, Zipp, Amercan Classic or possibly a budget brand. What happens is they end up paying for the parts; and so do you. Giant have gone out and head-hunted some wheel building engineers from the best and most experienced companies and got them to build their own P-SL1 wheelset. Now not only are these wheels a great set of hoops, but they have cut out the middle-man – ergo, you get better quality and pay less.
We can't overstate the importance of the Giant's own wheels to this year's bikes. They've dropped none of the quality (in fact we're willing to bet they'll be winning a few reviews as standalone items) - and have in a few cases actually led to price drops. Can't think of another bike company who have been able to do that as much as Giant have this year.
Recommended for?
The Giant TCR Advanced 3 is sold as a racing road bike, but don't let that put you off. It's supremely comfortable for such a stiff high performance road bike - and won't feel out of place at events as diverse as sportive and triathlon.
We’d recommend the Giant TCR Advanced 3 for any progressive riders. Our own race team are using the TCR Advanced 3 for the 2011 season, and with most of them looking to get in Olympic programs over the next four years, buying one won’t leave you in bad company by any standard.
Also consider: Specialized Tarmac | Cube GTC Race Pro
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