Giant Advanced v's Giant Advanced Pro

copperthorpe
copperthorpe Posts: 82
edited January 2015 in Road buying advice
Hello folks,

been looking to upgrade my Defy Composite to a 2015 Defy Advanced but I no longer see Composite frames on Giant's Website & I am sceptical about whether the Advanced is now the old Composite?

Can anyone shed any light on this as Giant's site doesn't have any info(that I can find)about the Advanced Pro,so is it 'spec' thing or something else?

Thanks.
C49

Comments

  • stepdavi
    stepdavi Posts: 135
    The advanced and pro are both t700 carbon, with the advanced having alu steered and pro Having carbon. I got a 2015 propel advanced 1 and it's quality.
    2016 diamondback heist 2.0
    2015 giant propel advanced 1
    2015 Genesis day one disc ss
    2014 giant roam 2
  • ElliottDavo
    ElliottDavo Posts: 151
    They both have full carbon forks actually if the UK spec sheet is right. It'll state Aluxx steerer
    Source : I work in a shop which just got the new TCR Advanced in
  • dj58
    dj58 Posts: 2,217
    The Advanced has OverDrive steerer, the Advance Pro has OverDrive 2 steerer.

    http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/tec ... rdrive/50/
  • copperthorpe
    copperthorpe Posts: 82
    Thanks for the replies folks....looks like I'll be getting a new Advanced next year. :D:D:D
    C49
  • simonj
    simonj Posts: 346
    DJ58 wrote:
    The Advanced has OverDrive steerer, the Advance Pro has OverDrive 2 steerer.

    http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/tec ... rdrive/50/
    I think the Giant explanation of OD vs OD2 (i.e. different diameter) is not the only difference for the 2015 Defy fork. As someone said before, the Advanced has a Hybrid (which I presume means alloy) - OverDrive Steerer and the Advanced Pro has a Full Composite OverDrive 2 Steerer which is full Carbon in addition to the different diameter.
  • dj58
    dj58 Posts: 2,217
    simonj wrote:
    DJ58 wrote:
    The Advanced has OverDrive steerer, the Advance Pro has OverDrive 2 steerer.

    http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/tec ... rdrive/50/
    I think the Giant explanation of OD vs OD2 (i.e. different diameter) is not the only difference for the 2015 Defy fork. As someone said before, the Advanced has a Hybrid (which I presume means alloy) - OverDrive Steerer and the Advanced Pro has a Full Composite OverDrive 2 Steerer which is full Carbon in addition to the different diameter.

    Yes I spotted that and that was my understanding of the hybrid fork as opposed to the full carbon fork. However ElliottDavo above seems to be saying that both models have full composite forks.
  • simonj
    simonj Posts: 346
    Hmm, they don't make it easy do they! :) I'm confused, as to me hybrid must have meant something different to carbon?! If it were different carbon, say T700 for fork and T600 for steerer, then it could still be described as full carbon. Guess only way to tell is to take off the top cap and look or ask someone in the know. Also just re-read and stepdavi has an advanced propel with 'hybrid' streerer and he reckons it's alu. I must admit at first glance the spec sheet made me think they were both carbon, but I think they are sneaky with the marketing and hybrid must mean something lesser than full carbon.......
  • simonj
    simonj Posts: 346
    Well I'm confusing myself even more now. I have a Defy 0 (13) and that has alloy steerer, but it said it had alloy steerer. Just looked at the 2015 Defy 0 and that says outright aluxx steerer. :?
  • simonj
    simonj Posts: 346
    More info, may have solved it - Look at Defy 0 page - look at the features tab you get "Advanced-Grade Composite fork with Hybrid OverDrive Steerer", look at the Full Specs tab and you get "Advanced-Grade Composite, ALUXX OverDrive Steerer". Does that mean Hybrid = Aluxx steerer in Giant 2015 marketing speak?
  • dj58
    dj58 Posts: 2,217
    Well yes, I always thought that (hybrid) indicated alloy steerer and crown/dropouts with carbon legs and the (full) everything was carbon. I asked this question when I bought my Defy 0 and that's what the shop told me, might have changed for 2015 though. Is there anyone on here who works in a Giant Store that can give a definitive answer?
  • ElliottDavo
    ElliottDavo Posts: 151
    Hybrid Steerer is 1 1/8, and the full overdrove 1 1/4 steerer at the top.

    The Hybrid could be from two carbon moulds joined, though I'm speculating at that point. It's definitely carbon at the top, it used an expander plug and not an A-head star nut.

    I was curious about the steering tube width in my store, so I pulled one out
  • dj58
    dj58 Posts: 2,217
    ElliottDavo wrote:
    Hybrid Steerer is 1 1/8, and the full overdrove 1 1/4 steerer at the top.

    The Hybrid could be from two carbon moulds joined, though I'm speculating at that point. It's definitely carbon at the top, it used an expander plug and not an A-head star nut.

    I was curious about the steering tube width in my store, so I pulled one out

    Was that the TCR Advanced you mentioned earlier or the Defy Advanced?
  • ElliottDavo
    ElliottDavo Posts: 151
    Yeh, the TCR Advanced 3, the £1099 model
  • mcvw
    mcvw Posts: 270
    Is it me, or does the 2015 TCR Advanced 3 look almost the same (frame/geometry wise) as the 2014 Defy Composite 1?

    2015 TCR Advanced 3
    http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bik ... 191/77282/

    2014 Defy Composite 1
    http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bik ... 976/66539/
    2016 Handsling Bikes A1R0
    2014 Giant Defy Composite 1
    On One 4560b
  • dj58
    dj58 Posts: 2,217
    Mike, similar but not the same, taking the Medium (50.0) frame as an example,

    2015 TCR Adv. 3 is performance race geo. shorter wheel base, longer top tube and shorter head tube
    TT 55.5
    HT 15.0
    CS 40.5
    WB 98.0
    HA 73 deg.
    SA 73 deg.

    2014 Defy Comp 1 performance endurance geo. longer wheel base, shorter top tube and longer head tube
    TT 54.5
    HT 16.5
    CS 42.0
    WB 99.5
    HA 72.5 deg.
    SA 73.5 deg.

    Look at the difference in the seat stays, on the TCR they appear to intersect the seat tube and flow into the top tube and seem thicker. Also the head tube, top tube and down tube intersection moulding is more substantial.
  • mcvw
    mcvw Posts: 270
    So the 2014 Defy Comp has a 1.5 longer HT than the 2015 TCR Adv - and this difference in HT length appears to be consistent across the TT, CS and WB.

    I understand that a shorter wheelbase (and chainstays) can make for more agile/livelier handling bike - which can make a frame 'racier', but from what I can see of the differences between the geometries - would it be correct to assume that the head-tube length is a (or the) determining factor?
    2016 Handsling Bikes A1R0
    2014 Giant Defy Composite 1
    On One 4560b
  • ElliottDavo
    ElliottDavo Posts: 151
    Headtube and Toptube together. A shorter top tube means with a longer headtube puts you more upright
  • dj58
    dj58 Posts: 2,217
    Plus the TCR has parallel seat tube and steeper head tube angle of 73deg. which will give quicker steering.
    Tighter frame clearances can sometimes mean the bike is limited to 23mm tyres.

    http://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/117 ... road-bikes

    The Defy also has a stack more spacers under the stem to play with.
  • rc856
    rc856 Posts: 1,144
    I have no problem using 25mm tyres on my TCR Advanced SL :)
  • Chris87
    Chris87 Posts: 224
    I just put a deposit down on the TCR Advanced Pro they're not in the country (australia) for another 2 weeks! its killing me!
  • dj58
    dj58 Posts: 2,217
    RC856 wrote:
    I have no problem using 25mm tyres on my TCR Advanced SL :)

    That is good to know, what wheel and tyre combo. are you using, I assume your bike has rim caliper brakes?
  • rc856
    rc856 Posts: 1,144
    Yes, rim caliper Campag brakes.

    I was using Campag Shamal clinchers with Conti GP4000S tyres but have recently gone to Wheelsmith tubulars with Vittoria tyres.
  • gaffer_slow
    gaffer_slow Posts: 417
    edited August 2015
    :D:D
  • dj58
    dj58 Posts: 2,217
    Interesting to see that their version of the Defy 0 Aluxx SL bike has full 11sp Ultegra, apart from the 105 5800 cassette. http://www.giant-bicycles.com/de-de/bik ... ifications

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