Giant Propel Advanced 2 Bike Review
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- čas přidán 26. 01. 2016
- So I have had the propel since September 2015 now and I was asked to do a bike review for it. So here it is. First there is a small introduction followed by a section on the bike components. Lastly there is a section on the ride quality. It is laid out as follows;
Introduction
Section 1: Components
Gears and Group Set
The Frame
Potential Negatives
Section 2: Ride Handling
Distance Riding
Climbing
Descending
Overall it is a great bike and I would highly recommend it. I will be upgrading the stock rims though as they are not great. The only other minor issue I have is that the white seat and bar tape has proved very difficult to keep clean lol!
My review focuses more upon the ride quality than technical specifications. If you want a good technical review then I recommend this video by crank fury: • Review: Giant Propel A...
Any questions please feel free to ask.
Enjoyed this video. Just got my Advance Pro 1, haven't been out on it yet, but can't wait! Great in depth review :)
Thank you, I appreciate the comment :) I hope you enjoy the bike. The pro 1 has much better wheels than the pro 2 (if I remember correctly) so you shouldn't have the same problem I did.
Cool man, good job with your review! Congrats on a great bike! Giant is really doing some great stuff for us consumers at a good price, have the same feeling with my TCR Ad pro 1 and even taking it out of the garage it is taking off on me saying lets fly!!!
Great review! Not full of technical mumbo-jumbo; but instead, a practical, down-to-earth, real world review based on actual experiences. I bought a Propel Advanced Pro 2 at the weekend; and that was largely down to this excellent review. Thank you so much! :-)
Great review! I am seriously considering this one and the Propel 1. I am also jealous of where you ride. Looks very scenic.
+xlink316 Thanks for the comment :) If you can afford the step up to the propel 1 I would go for it. It has better wheels as far as I am aware. They are great bikes though. Yes there are some lovely places to cycle in the north east of England
Thanks for this video, you helped me with my choise for the right bike. I want to begin with this bike. So I am happy with your review !!!
Thank you for the comment, I'm glad you found the review useful. It is a great bike. I hope you are happy with it :)
Thanks for the review man. I am coming from about 4 years of riding track bikes. I really love them but I started feeling a burning desire to go faster and i think I already reached my threshold of how fast i can go on a track bike. Even going downhill, no matter how fast I want to pedal, cadence is limited. So i started looking at road bikes to buy and i'm ordering this sweetie tomorrow. thanks again for your review. it really helped me make this decision.
+Luis Maduro Thank you very much for the comment, I appreciate it. I am glad you found it helpful. I love this bike, it was a massive boost in speed for me so if you buy one I hope it produces the same results for you :)
I have just ordered the propel 2 2016 and this is what i have been looking for, a good in depth review from someone who owns one!
I was a little bit nervous when I bought it as there where not too many reviews around. I am glad that you found this useful. It is a great bike and I hope you enjoy it :)
Yeah i kind of went with my gut instinct with this one but i am starting to hear a lot of good. As I said it's exactly what i would have wanted before buying, cheers!
Good review, this helped me a lot on making a decision on what type of bike i want. Thanks.
Thanks for the comment, I'm glad it helps :) hope you enjoy your new bike
great review mate, thanks a lot!
Great review! Sounds genuine. I am more convinced to go for the 2016 GIANT PROPEL ADVANCED PRO 1 CARBON AERO ROAD BIKE
Awesome review man! I also have one and I'm loving it! Shopping around for some new wheels now. Have you put new wheels on since? any advice?
I love the review, man. I'm really looking into the '16 Propel Advanced 2. I want to get an aero bike. I love my endurance (SCOTT Solace) but I want a proper aero bike for shorter, more intense rides.
I've been torn between this and the Defy 2 but after watching this I now know the Propel is for me. Was told it would be better on climbs than the Defy but not as stable on descents due to the wheel base and not as comfortable on longer rides but I'm confident now after watching your review the Propel is the one for me! Cheers!! 👍🏻
Thanks Gary, I'm glad you liked the review. The defy is a good bike and I don't think you could go wrong with either. I was surprised by how much the ride quality was comfortable over distance and just how good it felt on the down hill. Personally, I love the propel :D
thankyou so much for the great video, though i have the same bike(2017ver.) but im just riding it and iam not really fimilar with it.But your video really gives me very useful information and features and so on about the bike. thank u so much!
brilliant coverage. love the look of the bike but was curious how others thought of it. i currently ride a raleigh x-trail (cross) bike and love it but when i go for pure road rides or with a group for long distances it is so hard to stay with the group.
Question. is the model year your are talking about a 2015 or 2016?
Again many thanks for the coverage.
+Rich Thank you for the comment and the question. It is a good bike. A number of people from my group now own this very bike, it is becoming a joke in the club about the number of propels we own ha. This bike is very fast on the flats and descents. It cant quite keep up with the pure climbing bikes but that could just be me being crap at climbing :P
This is the 2015 model, not the 2016 :)
Thank you for very clear and honest review. It's certainly helped in my decision to purchase this bike. I hope after a few months of riding this bike your opinion hasn't changed?
I am glad it helped :) if this helps further, I bought my bike in September and I love it. I now rarely use my hybrid because I like this bike so much.
Great review, got one yesterday but just the frame size S and 105 components....using my carbon wheels on it!!!!
with carbon wheels its 18lb and with my fulcrum its on 17.2lb.....it will be good for climbing.
Great video, just what is needed for every bike! I'm guessing clearance on the frame for mudguards/28mm tyres is out of the question haha? Thanks!
Thank you :-) ha you are absolutely right about that, can't even fit 25mm ;)
I’m also looking to progress from my hybrid to a racing bike. This is a very attractive choice - very tough choice!!
Great video. Long time mountain biker looking at this bike to get on the road with. Have not had a road bike in 20 years. Longest ride I did was 75 miles on all dirt and it took 13 hours. I want to spin more miles in less time. Thus wanting to ride the pavement.
I would plan to change the cassette to have at least a 34. Since you struggle with climbing...do you think you will change the cassette? LOTS of hills around me.
Thanks very much for the comment :) I struggle with climbing because I, personally, am not very good at it ha! I live and cycle in mainly flat areas so I never get much practice. That said, if I lived in a vey hilly area and wanted this bike hen I would probably change the cassette to offer a bigger range of gears :)
Great video mate. I also enjoyed ur video comparison between the hybrid and propel. I also have a hybrid and am looking to buy the 2016 propel adv 2. This a very good review for new cyclists wanted to buy their first proper road bike like myself. we both agree that it is a good looking bike so my question is around security. i live in london and no matter where i lock it, this bike will stand out. apart from keeping it indoors, how do you make sure that someone will not be tempted to steal it?
Thank you, I'm glad you found it useful. Hmm your question is a good one. To be honest I haven't chained it up anywhere in public yet. I have used it mainly for pleasure rides. I use my hybrid for commuting. I think the best thing you could do is to buy the highest secure rated locks you can, buy different types and use both to reduce the likelihood of someone having the correct tool with them to cut it. Also store it so that it is visible and not hidden. Other than that I'm not really sure how else to advise.
How's it going man I really enjoyed the review. I am thinking of getting this bike and selling my tarmac SL2 which I've had since 2013. I really enjoy sprinting and Bunch group rides. As well as descending. Climbing really isn't my thing but I do it on occasion for extra training. How are you still liking this bike? Thank you for the review
The Vegan Cyborg I love this bike still. It is comfortable and speedy. The only thing I didn’t like about it was the stock wheels that came with it. Did about 4K miles on it and the rear rim was almost completely warm through. Otherwise it is great. Quite tough too. I have fallen off it, been ran over on it, hammered it up and down hills and even taken it off road and it is still going strong. I would still recommend it. Though, I would go for the pricier model if you could. They have better components.
great bike, great road, great review for planning to buy this bike.. im planning to buy too.. btw mate whats this place you are riding?
Thank you very much, I appreciate the comment. I ride in the north east of England. Around the Newcastle area :)
+Gone Cycling nice view from the place there.. i bet is cold there right? how about the frame itself mate, is it heavy duty or and can withstand some bumps or mild takedowns?
+renzcec it gets cold in winter but no where near as cold as other places of roughly the same latitude :)
The frame is great as far as I can tell. It handles moderately rough cycle tracks well and it handles sizeable pot holes good too. I have only once fallen off it and it handles it fine without damage :)
Thanks for a great review. I'm Really interested in this bike or another Aero bike, since im training for an Ironman I'm looking for a bike that is not a triathlon bike, but a regular road bike with a lot of speed that I can costumize to perform like a triathlon bike with Aero Handlebars.
simon m you better go for something like a canyon aeroad then or a zannata z88 aero these bikes a budget aero bikes
simon m it is a great bike. Like the comment above mine says, this propel is the base model. If I had more cash I would have bought one of the higher end models though :)
Nice thorough review. What is your STRAVA name?
Thank you :) my strava name is Mark OrdNTR
I know it's a few years old but great vid
I love the look of aero bikes and yours looks the part and is very reasonably priced. The downside is in crosswinds and uphill with the extra weight it would seem.
Up hill doesn't seem to be a problem at all. The bike handles very well. I am just crap at climbing, I always have been lol!
The cross winds are a bit of an issue when the winds are high. So far it hasn't been really bad but it certainly is noticeable :)
Hello did you say what size it is and your height ?Thanks ,regards .
Helpful review. I'm looking at getting the pro 2 very soon only I can't find any weight specs for a medium frame. The only real difference in the two bikes seems to be a carbon headset and rim fairings by the looks of it, so probably negligible. Like you I'll be jumping up from a hybrid which I got frustrated with last year because it was holding me back.
Mine weights 8.5kg. With the lighter parts I imagine the pro would be around 8, maybe less but that would be a total guess. It took me a little time to get used to the road bike shape after using a hybrid for so long but I barely use my hybrid now :)
I found out the large frame weighs in at 8.10KG, so the medium I'm picking up this weekend should be a shade under that. That's splitting hairs tbh, it's a damned sight lighter than my hybrid (-3.5Kg).
Damn dude, I am torn between this bike, and the TCR. I don't know which one to choose.
Both are great bikes. I guess it depends on the terrain in your area. If there are tons of climbs then I would probably go for the tcr otherwise the propel would be worth buying.
Same choice for me. What a hard choice.
Awesome video 👍mint bike path
Hello again :)
So I've just bought 2014 Propel Adv 2 and its amazing. Much prettier "in person" than on pics or vids.
I know you guys mentioned that the wheels are pretty bad, but when I roll the front wheel with my hands the wheel stops really fast, after like 15s, much quicker than my standard, also poor alexrims on Scott. The brakes are not rubbing. What could it be?
Do they work like that by design ;)?
Hello. That is odd. The wheel should be very free. When I spin mine it spins for a long time. Could the quick release be too tight? Also does it have the standard tyres because it has very little clearance between the brake cable and tyre surface. If it has bigger tyres on it might be rubbing the cable.
+Gone Cycling Nothing seems to be rubbing, I loosened the quick release and it stops a bit later, but still very fast. The tyres are standard too. Weird.
It is similar with the rear wheel, but I supposed with rear its different story. And I have to remove the ugly transparent cover under the cassete.
Do you still ride on the PA-2s?
+Aertotiago I did a little research and found that if the bearings have been freshly greased that the new packed in grease can add a lot of friction but a few rides should sort it. I also read that if the bearings are too tight it can add friction. Try taking it out for a little ride and see how it feels.
I am still using the stock wheels :)
+Gone Cycling Thanks for info, it might be it, I'll ride it as soon as it stops raining and see what happens. Well at least Im calm thats not normal and they're not that bad and just sth needing adjusting.
+Gone Cycling btw, where did you mount your speedometer/garmin? I wanted to mount mine on stem, but I doubt that classic, rounded bases are gonna fit on that weirdly shaped giant's stem.
I'll be mounting a lemond later, so it wont be much space left for cycling cpu
wich wheels would u upgrade to?
Hey Gone Cycling, nice review
have you considered other aero bikes when buying, like Merida Reacto?
I am also cosidering switching from "normal" (non-aero) road bike to this (or Merida) and my only worry is (or was maybe, after I watched this) that a few people in shops in my country describe this as a "entry level aero road and triathlon bike for shorter distances". I have lower back problems on longer rides on my ALU Scott and hence the worries that it might get even worse.
What size do you have and how tall are you?
I did consider the reacto but it was beyond my price range :-/ I'm not sure how the two compare in terms of ride quality but a guy in my cycle club has a reacto and he loves it. I suppose this is entry level and if you have the cash you could probably buy better but it really just depends upon how much you are willing to spend. My one piece of advice is to think hard about the terrain you will ride as if there are tons of hills this might not be the best bike and might be worth getting a lighter one.
Distance has not been a problem on this. I used to have back problems riding distance on my hybrid but so far I haven't had trouble with this one.
It is a medium size and I am 5.9 and a bit (smack bang in the middle of the two sizes ha)
+Gone Cycling Thanks for quick answer!
I believe Reacto is also slighly heavier.
Well, I weigh in at 92kgs, so shaving off 1kg of the bike wont make me a climber, surely :)
I will use it mainly for training rides 50 to 120kms and triathlons (44kms), flat roads.
Size fitting to this kind of frame is also not probably equal to standard frames, I consider L for 192cm (6.3"), gotta try it somewhere before buying tho.
Now I noticed even localized Giant website says its "aero road bike ideal for short triathlons" :/
would you like to share how you mount the camera on the back? thanks.
The one at 4.20 ish? That is the go pro jaws flex mount. I clipped it across the quick release handle and chainstay. My issue with the mount was that it moved quite easily and a few times it rubbed against the spokes. That said the frame on my bike is weirdly shaped with it being aero so on a normal shaped frame it would be more grippy than on my frame :)
+Gone Cycling yeah 4:20 i have similar mount and yes it moves easily and can be dangerous. i was sourcing for a more secure one. thanks anyway.
I am planning to get this bike, but I have heard braking performance is not good. Brakes lose tension, and braking power is really poor, have you had any issues with them?
The only time I have had issues with them was when I first used it because I was used to disk brakes and their greater stopping power and when you ride in proper heavy rain. This is an issue with all rim brakes though. Other than that I haven't noticed an issue.
+Gone Cycling Thanks for the prompt response! I am doubting on getting size XL or L for the frame, I am 1'93 and 94 cm of leg lenght ( don't know the precise word in english)
how did u do the rpm part etc
Some help for when your climbing just spin up at 90-100 cadence in an easy gear and you willl smash your group
Thanks for the advice. I need all I can get for climbing haha. I will try that next time :)
giant just keeps getting better in terms of getting more value for money, there's a 2018 giant propel advanced pro 1 going for 2000 pounds at my local bike shop. However i dont think im the only one that things the new propel does look quite ugly x.x
Hey, do you have any recommendations for a cheap aero wheelset that can fit 25C?
Ashraff Akramah Asmadi take a look at mavic pro carbone its only 700 and it fits 25c
What is the price
Could you give us an update on the 107 miles ride? Is it still quite comfortable? I was going to get the defy advanced until i saw your video, and i went on a ride with the propel in store. It was quite stiff, but somewhat comfortable. So i want to know how it was when it was on a longer ride?
It was really good. I started to ache in my shoulder a little bit towards the end and my ass was a bit dead but then everyone else was in the same situation. It was by far the longest time I have spent in the saddle but found it to be reasonably comfortable with only some minor discomfort. The issue I have in drawing conclusions is that the others in my group (not my bike) had a ton of mechanicals so an 8 hour ride was extended to 12 hours. I hit the wall towards the end of the ride so it was a real struggle but if I had enough food with me I think I could have gone for longer. Overall I was very pleased with it which was a surprise. I think if you were to do distance with a lot of climbing involved it might be a different story but I won't know that until June when I do just that :-)
+Gone Cycling Thanks for the feedback! I agree with bringing enough food, i learned that the hard way as well. I don't think an aero bike is bad for the climbs. They may be heavier, but i doubt average riders like us could really notice the difference. I am pretty dead set on this bike tho
+Murt I love the bike, if you want it then I certainly recommend it. A genuine pleasure to ride and fast as hell when you give it some :-) to be honest I struggle to give feedback on the climbing ability. The propels gear ratio is different from my hybrid which makes climbing a little tougher (I have fewer easy gears) but I don't know if it is different from any other road bike so it is hard to give comparisons to other road bikes.
+Gone Cycling Thats because the cankset is 36/52 and back cassette is 11/28 compare to TCR/DEFY 34/50 and 11/28.
The less teeth in the crankset the easier it is to climb, assuming the cassette stays the same.
+Gone Cycling
Hey man, thanks for your review. I just took my new propel advanced 1 on a ride, and it was fantastic!
Cool review well done very pro, considering this bike for sure now . Hate being a dick but sort out that group ride its very dangerious. No structure , ride in twos keep sides swap over from right to left , that will keep yee safe , all the best
Firstly, I am just now getting to this video after a bit over a weeks worth of sickness from the flu; secondly, I almost ignored this video because of it being a review of a road bicycle, mainly because I have never been too keen on road bicycles; thirdly, it just seemed that 15 and a half minutes about a bicycle would be too much for any one.
Now on to the conclusion: I did watch / listen to the review... mind you, I did fold cloths whilst doing so but I did watch and really did listen intently...
I have never been keen on road bicycles because they have, well, most all bicycles seem to cut off the blood within my hands and it always seemed that road bicycles do it more because it seems that they force one to have to place more weight on ones hands than what one has to do whilst cycling on a hybrid or what one might call a MTB / mountain bicycle. I do loose the feeling in my hands regardless of what I ride.
I did enjoy this review and you could almost convince me to buy one of these bicycles but I mostly ride to get to the shops and not out touring. :'D
+Walking Zed's Push Bike *BUT*, I just looked at the cost! That's $2100 USD's, that's just plain mad! :') I will stick to my 1993 mountain bicycle, thank you very much.
Hey mate, long time :) hope you are feeling better after the illness. Yes road bikes are not for everyone. I have friends who much prefer the smooth ride of fat bikes than a roadie. The blood circulation thing is usually down to a poorly fitting bike but if it happens with other bikes then I'm not sure what to suggest, must be pretty annoying.
15 minutes is a long time for a review, I should probably have made it shorter but then I always have had an issue with putting too much info in lol!
Yes it has a steep price, I would only recommend it if you were serious about cycling. If not then go for something cheaper like a cross bike :D
Gone Cycling Thank you for your concern. I only have a dry cough that really doesn't do any thing other-than make my throat a bit scratchy when it is time to go to sleep, but other-than-that, I, or should I say we are good.
Yeah, I have never been too keen on cycling with others, like you do, in mass... I am more of the 'oh, I need to get ___ from the store', or 'let me go to the bank' type of runs and nothing more, nothing less.
But mind you, that is a very nice looking and they way that you explain it, it sounds like a good nick riding bicycle, that if I were to ride like you, I would be willing to check out and consider buying. It's not as if it is only good for a few short years and then one would have to buy another because is has been worn-out from too much use like a pair of trainers or some thing like that.
+Walking Zed's Push Bike sometimes those scratch coughs can be annoying. They take forever to disappear. Yep I wouldn't dream of buying something like this if I only cycles occasionally. It has to be a big interest if you buy it ha. Gutted though, I scratched it a little in my recent crash :-( luckily only the brake levers and quick release but still it is only a few month old :-/
Gone Cycling That is the best thing that can happen to it, once it gets its first scratch you will stop worrying over it like it is a baby and then you will put some really tough mileage on it. :')
how m such did it cost
The bike retails for 1299 pound but you can get them cheaper online.
+Gone Cycling ok thanks
do you still use this bike today??
alvin I don’t cycle very much anymore. I do still have this bike though. I’m reluctant to sell it because it is a genuinely good bike.
@@markord im so confuse whether i'll buy a ADV Tcr or a propel like yours :(
Hi guys, I have a propel A2. Agree with all points covered in this video. Great bike and looks awesome with deep section "bike porn" if you have the aim of upgrading groupset and wheels it's a great bike.
All the best.
Thanks for the comment Fraser. I plan on upgrading the wheels and you are right it looks class with deep section wheels :D
+Gone Cycling np, thanks for the review. Good luck with wheels, I am still saving for a set of mavic myself and then aim for ultrgra groupset. Good luck and let me know how you get on.
If you don't see some serious PR on your GIant comparing to your hybrid, then might as well just walk.
First time I took it out (after an initial set up) I smashed every one of my PRs on the route u took :D
Why 'me' road bike, not my road bike. Is that a pronunciation or slang?
Haha I am from newcasltle. It is the accent I have. Search for "Geordie accent" on CZcams if you have never heard it :)
Im slithtly concerned about your heartrate
lolsquidward thank you but don't be, my resting is 51 BPM I just have a large range. Actually had it checked out and apparently it is just normal for me.
summary out of 10?
1000mantinis for a bike of its price I absolutely love it. I would give it a 9.... if only the stock wheels were a bit better then it would have been a 10.
thanks