Giant propel advance & sl????

sigorman85
sigorman85 Posts: 2,536
edited February 2016 in Road general
Are these the same bike other than the seat post???

If so what's the reason for this?
When i die I just hope the wife doesn't sell my stuff for what I told her I paid for it other wise someone will be getting a mega deal!!!


De rosa superking 888 di2

Comments

  • bristolpete
    bristolpete Posts: 2,255
    Both stiff, light and strong, though I think the SL moniker stands for super light, thus shaving a some weight and using a higher grade of carbon. The SL is a cut and shut ISP which is cut to size and can be fettled with spacers. The advanced is a stock up and down seat post which can be adjusted via the seat clamp etc. An ISP is suggested to be more compliant at the back, but can affect resale value if you move it on.

    I had a Propel Advanced for three months last year and bought a frame with a mark on it for £350, but I found it otherworldly stiff, too stiff for my liking - especially in the head tube. The BB area was super rigid however, but I found it very unforgiving in the head tube area over 50 miles, but others love it. You can have a debate about tyres, volume, PSI and so on but I could only fit 23mm in mine and the brakes were occasionally annoying.

    I see it as a sprinters weapon or a crit bike now. I moved it on as the only bike that has made me want to get off after 50 miles.

    Hope that helps ! worth nothing that to my mind, the Propel, along with the Specialized Venge are the most bought and moved on bikes I have seen in the last few years....
  • davep1
    davep1 Posts: 837
    It's hard to explain the Propel range, and I have one! You've missed an intermediate layer out, Propel Advanced Pro. I think there are three versions of each layer so 9 bikes in all.

    I have a Propel Advanced with Ultegra, so lowest level but mid spec. You could get this frame with 105 or Di2.

    I demo'd a Propel Advanced Pro 1, which had the more aero wheels and 105 (last year, looks like it is Ultegra now).

    I think the frame geometry is the same, but the materials are different between each layer. There's differences in other components too, headets and steerers.

    I love mine, done over 5000 km on it. I have never had a carbon bike before, but I don't find it harsh, as a 27 hour Everesting day should atest to. It has 25 mm tyres on it too, it's a Propel Advanced 1.
  • bristolpete
    bristolpete Posts: 2,255
    DaveP1 wrote:
    It's hard to explain the Propel range, and I have one! You've missed an intermediate layer out, Propel Advanced Pro. I think there are three versions of each layer so 9 bikes in all.

    I have a Propel Advanced with Ultegra, so lowest level but mid spec. You could get this frame with 105 or Di2.

    I demo'd a Propel Advanced Pro 1, which had the more aero wheels and 105 (last year, looks like it is Ultegra now).

    I think the frame geometry is the same, but the materials are different between each layer. There's differences in other components too, headets and steerers.

    I love mine, done over 5000 km on it. I have never had a carbon bike before, but I don't find it harsh, as a 27 hour Everesting day should atest to. It has 25 mm tyres on it too, it's a Propel Advanced 1.

    Good shout !

    Advance is 'lower' grade carbon, over drive headset. Advance Pro is 'stiffer carbon' and OD2 so bigger head set bearings top and bottom, thus stiffer according to Giant.
  • Dan Walton
    Dan Walton Posts: 147
    DaveP1 wrote:
    It's hard to explain the Propel range, and I have one! You've missed an intermediate layer out, Propel Advanced Pro. I think there are three versions of each layer so 9 bikes in all.

    I have a Propel Advanced with Ultegra, so lowest level but mid spec. You could get this frame with 105 or Di2.

    I demo'd a Propel Advanced Pro 1, which had the more aero wheels and 105 (last year, looks like it is Ultegra now).

    I think the frame geometry is the same, but the materials are different between each layer. There's differences in other components too, headets and steerers.

    I love mine, done over 5000 km on it. I have never had a carbon bike before, but I don't find it harsh, as a 27 hour Everesting day should atest to. It has 25 mm tyres on it too, it's a Propel Advanced 1.

    Advanced 1/Advanced Pro 1 should both be Ultegra, the 2's are 105 level.
  • olake92
    olake92 Posts: 182
    The SL is the top of the range, then the Advanced Pro, then the Advanced. The obvious differences have been mentioned - the ISP and componentry. The SL is a completely different lay up with a different grade of carbon/resin. Generally, it's lighter and stiffer. I weighed my medium/large Propel SL 1 the other day (so Giant 55mm SLR 0 wheelset, 11spd dura ace mechanical) with no pedals and it was just under 6.8kg. That's a frickin' aero bike at sub 6.8kg! It's also the stiffest bike I've ridden against a 2010 Giant TCR SL, 2013 Focus Izalco Pro, 2014 Trek Madone 7 and 2015 Trek Emonda SL. It's also lighter than all of them.

    I can't speak for the Advanced/Advanced Pro but hopefully that's some more tangible info re the SL.
    I'm on Twitter! Follow @olake92 for updates on my racing, my team's performance and some generic tweets.
  • davep1
    davep1 Posts: 837
    I've weighed mine with pedals cage and a pump and it was 8.5kg, which I was more than happy with.
  • sigorman85
    sigorman85 Posts: 2,536
    Cheers guys very helpful brilliant answers
    When i die I just hope the wife doesn't sell my stuff for what I told her I paid for it other wise someone will be getting a mega deal!!!


    De rosa superking 888 di2
  • DavidJB
    DavidJB Posts: 2,019
    olake92 wrote:
    The SL is the top of the range, then the Advanced Pro, then the Advanced. The obvious differences have been mentioned - the ISP and componentry. The SL is a completely different lay up with a different grade of carbon/resin. Generally, it's lighter and stiffer. I weighed my medium/large Propel SL 1 the other day (so Giant 55mm SLR 0 wheelset, 11spd dura ace mechanical) with no pedals and it was just under 6.8kg. That's a frickin' aero bike at sub 6.8kg! It's also the stiffest bike I've ridden against a 2010 Giant TCR SL, 2013 Focus Izalco Pro, 2014 Trek Madone 7 and 2015 Trek Emonda SL. It's also lighter than all of them.

    I can't speak for the Advanced/Advanced Pro but hopefully that's some more tangible info re the SL.

    My Venge last year was 6.7kg ;)
  • olake92
    olake92 Posts: 182
    DavidJB wrote:
    My Venge last year was 6.7kg ;)

    Nice. I've never had the pleasure of riding the Venge but I'd guess it would be similar to my Propel. A friend of mine is getting one soon but he's so much taller than me that a sneaky ride is out of the question! It does rather refute the idea of needing a 'climbing bike' when your aero one can weigh the same.
    I'm on Twitter! Follow @olake92 for updates on my racing, my team's performance and some generic tweets.
  • DavidJB
    DavidJB Posts: 2,019
    olake92 wrote:
    DavidJB wrote:
    My Venge last year was 6.7kg ;)

    Nice. I've never had the pleasure of riding the Venge but I'd guess it would be similar to my Propel. A friend of mine is getting one soon but he's so much taller than me that a sneaky ride is out of the question! It does rather refute the idea of needing a 'climbing bike' when your aero one can weigh the same.

    I've got the TCR Advanced SL this year...it's an absolute beast on the hills but notice the lack of speed on the flat compared with an aero machine!

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