propel advanced / pro

chatlow
chatlow Posts: 848
edited May 2017 in Road buying advice
Looking to get shouted at by the wife and go for the propel advanced or advanced pro. Been after these or a Focus for months and my budget has shot up from the advanced 2 at 1600 to the advanced 0 or advanced pro 1 at 2800.

Before I bite using cycle to work as a bit of a shield, does anyone have super bad feedback on these bikes?

I would really like di2 but also want decent wheels and hard to get both without going for the top ranges.

Any recommendations on these models?

Thanks!

Comments

  • WhiteSocks90
    WhiteSocks90 Posts: 17
    The main difference between the Advanced and the Pro range is that the Pro has an oversized headtube and steerer, with a more responsive and stiffer front end. Nicer finishing kit, too.

    So your question is, sacrifice frame for a higher spec group set, or sacrifice groupset for a top end frame and higher spec wheels and upgrade to Di2 in the future. I took the latter option, though I ride a TCR and there wasn't a Di2 option available at the Advanced range, so didn't really face the same dilemma...
  • chatlow
    chatlow Posts: 848
    thanks so yeah my next dilemma then is do i buy the advanced 0 and upgrade the steerer/wheels/fork to get the weight down and make it stiffer or go for the advanced pro1/2 and upgrade to di2?

    What would be cheaper?

    di2 group around 900 when back in stock, or upgrade kit around 700.
    upgrading sl1 wheels to slr1, only around 200 each in them i think.
    upgrading steerer/fork - no idea.
  • WhiteSocks90
    WhiteSocks90 Posts: 17
    You can't upgrade the Advanced frame to an Advanced Pro. The frame set is the frame set. The carbon lay up of the frame however is the same, as are the forks.

    I'd go with the Advanced Pro, make the investment in the frame, that is where you will feel a difference in performance. Do you really need di2, or can it wait? Higher spec wheels on the Pro too

    If you have a Giant dealer near you, try and compare the two.
  • chatlow
    chatlow Posts: 848
    WhiteSocks90 wrote:
    You can't upgrade the Advanced frame to an Advanced Pro. The frame set is the frame set. The carbon lay up of the frame however is the same, as are the forks.

    I'd go with the Advanced Pro, make the investment in the frame, that is where you will feel a difference in performance. Do you really need di2, or can it wait? Higher spec wheels on the Pro too

    If you have a Giant dealer near you, try and compare the two.

    From what I've read the frames are almost identical, with same grade of carbon.. it's just the fork and steerer which are upgraded on the pro?

    "The Propel Advanced is made from same grade of carbon-fibre as the Propel Advanced Pro but the fork comes with an alloy steerer rather than being a full-carbon design."

    And obviously the SLR1 wheels are better too.

    Be interesting to know how much lighter the pro 1 is compared the advanced 1 if it's just this fork/steerer which is improved
  • chatlow
    chatlow Posts: 848
    any more thoughts on whether propel advanced frame/fork can be upgraded to an advanced pro ? if not possible then I will go with the pro and upgrade to di2 in future.

    thanks
  • fat daddy
    fat daddy Posts: 2,605
    electronics change quickly ... go with the pro ... by the time you are ready to change to di2, there will probably be a better quicker version of it available
  • WhiteSocks90
    WhiteSocks90 Posts: 17
    chatlow wrote:
    any more thoughts on whether propel advanced frame/fork can be upgraded to an advanced pro ? if not possible then I will go with the pro and upgrade to di2 in future.

    thanks
    No, you can't upgrade the Advanced to the Pro. No thoughts on it, it's fact :wink:
  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    I doubt you'd be able to tell the difference in performance between the two.

    Save the £1200 and spend it on something you will notice - like 2 weeks in the sun for you both (and the bike)
  • chatlow
    chatlow Posts: 848
    Fenix wrote:
    I doubt you'd be able to tell the difference in performance between the two.

    Save the £1200 and spend it on something you will notice - like 2 weeks in the sun for you both (and the bike)

    they are both about the same price. dilemma is advanced pro 1/2 with no di2 or advanced 0, both about 2800

    the wife may have to wait for the holiday :-D
  • Dan Walton
    Dan Walton Posts: 147
    I had the same dilemma, I went Pro... the horrendous colour scheme of the Advanced 1 the year i bought mine helped my decision, but I always regretted buying a better groupset on my old bike over better frame, so didn't want to make the same mistake twice.
  • chatlow
    chatlow Posts: 848
    Dan Walton wrote:
    I had the same dilemma, I went Pro... the horrendous colour scheme of the Advanced 1 the year i bought mine helped my decision, but I always regretted buying a better groupset on my old bike over better frame, so didn't want to make the same mistake twice.

    yeah i swaying that way too. preferring the colour of the adv pro2 which is 2500 then I could plan to swap the 105 with di2 for a grand in future. best go check out the adv pro2 vs the adv 0
  • Semantik
    Semantik Posts: 537
    chatlow wrote:
    Dan Walton wrote:
    I had the same dilemma, I went Pro... the horrendous colour scheme of the Advanced 1 the year i bought mine helped my decision, but I always regretted buying a better groupset on my old bike over better frame, so didn't want to make the same mistake twice.

    yeah i swaying that way too. preferring the colour of the adv pro2 which is 2500 then I could plan to swap the 105 with di2 for a grand in future. best go check out the adv pro2 vs the adv 0

    Pretty sure ,as stated, that the frames are the same between the Advanced and the Advanced Pro- just the fork is slightly heavier on the Advanced. Seems a heck of a big price jump between and Advanced 2 and a Pro 2 to justify the extra outlay. as an Advanced 2 owner the only ting I've wanted to upgrade is the wheels. Sure, the Pro models come with Giant's own brand deep section wheels and they are no doubt worthy enough. Just not sure they would be top of anyone's list when shopping for 'fast' wheels.
    And because they are the same frame they are both Di2 compatible.
  • WhiteSocks90
    WhiteSocks90 Posts: 17
    Larger headtube diameter = stiffer front end. Will he notice it? Who knows. But there is more difference than "just a heavier fork"
  • Semantik
    Semantik Posts: 537
    WhiteSocks90 wrote:
    Larger headtube diameter = stiffer front end. Will he notice it? Who knows. But there is more difference than "just a heavier fork"

    No. there isn't.

    It doesn't have a larger headtube diameter, bro'.

    It's the same frame. The cheaper Advanced merely has a reducer around the lower headset bearing.

    This quoted from Giant's own blurb:

    Previous years have seen Giant use a T600, T700 and T800 fibre to produce 3 ranges of carbon bikes. For 2017 however, Giant have produced the Propel Advanced and Advanced Pro with the same T700 fibre and the distinctions between the ranges come down to the finishing kit, steerer tube material on the fork (Aluminium on the Advanced and Carbon on the Advanced Pro / SL) and wheels. Fundamentally then, the Propel Advanced range offers serious value for money for those looking to get the most for their money or wish to take a longer upgrade path.
  • chatlow
    chatlow Posts: 848
    interesting, so after a few disagreements it does look like the only differences really are slightly better SLR1 wheelset (over the SL 1's) and lighter/stiffer headset and fork. Only other thing I could find was type of BB used on both models.

    I looked at both yesterday and the adv pro 2 M did feel lighter than the adv 0 in S, so might be a worthy upgrade, if even possible, in future.

    weight wise they are listed as 8.1 (advanced 0 size S) and 7.8 for the advanced pro 2 in M (105) or 7.4 for the pro 0 in M.
  • chatlow
    chatlow Posts: 848
    after asking if the standard propel advanced could have the upgraded fork of the pro to half a dozen shops (they all said no), Giant came back saying that it would work, so sematik, you were right.

    That said, it's not really an option due to the paint anyway.

    Going to go for the pro model, probably the 2 and will consider di2 group in future. Also love the 1, but hard to come by plus buying the di2 group is only 200-250 quid more that the di2 upgrade kit.

    thanks for the input on here. Needed some re-assurance as it's not a cheap buy
  • Semantik
    Semantik Posts: 537
    chatlow wrote:
    after asking if the standard propel advanced could have the upgraded fork of the pro to half a dozen shops (they all said no), Giant came back saying that it would work, so sematik, you were right.

    That said, it's not really an option due to the paint anyway.

    Going to go for the pro model, probably the 2 and will consider di2 group in future. Also love the 1, but hard to come by plus buying the di2 group is only 200-250 quid more that the di2 upgrade kit.

    thanks for the input on here. Needed some re-assurance as it's not a cheap buy

    Great choice of bike. It's a fast ride.Have fun!

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