Elybazza61
Guru
Couple of guys in our club have got them and are well chuffed with them as is the guy with a new Dura-Ace/Mavic Cosmic equipped Canyon aeroad.
Carbon, Sporty, £1500 ish, Propel advanced?
- Thread starter *Dusty*
- Start date
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Hi all,
Looking to tap into the collective knowledge if you don't mind.
I have a Cannondale Alu Synapse which I love, how and ever, I do realise it's a bit of a compromise between speed and comfort over distance.
I would like a bike which can be used as a more racy option for shorter rides up to 30 miles or thereabouts. I like the look of the Giant Propel Advanced
http://www.pedalon.co.uk/acatalog/giant-propel-advanced-1.html?gclid=CO7bmpz4l80CFYEy0wodxawE4g
I can live with the orange.......
What are the competitors to the Giant and should I consider any of them for any particular reason.
And yes, I know I don't NEED the bike and theres a bit of magpie syndrome coming into it but hey, we only live once.
thanks in advance
I bought the defy advance one although it's not a propel it sits my riding style better and also good for long distance riding which I tend to do a lot. Very light and fast comfortable and competitively priced
Oldbloke
Guru
- Location
- Mayenne, France
A fair assessment, do you mind me asking what you replaced it with if anything?
thanks for chipping in
I didn't bother for a while as still have my Roubaix Expert. However, one is never enough so bought a Pinarello Rokh 2 weeks ago as it was a cracking deal. Nothing much like the Propel of course....
Oldbloke
Guru
- Location
- Mayenne, France
Hi all,
Looking to tap into the collective knowledge if you don't mind.
I have a Cannondale Alu Synapse which I love, how and ever, I do realise it's a bit of a compromise between speed and comfort over distance.
I would like a bike which can be used as a more racy option for shorter rides up to 30 miles or thereabouts. I like the look of the Giant Propel Advanced
http://www.pedalon.co.uk/acatalog/giant-propel-advanced-1.html?gclid=CO7bmpz4l80CFYEy0wodxawE4g
I can live with the orange.......
What are the competitors to the Giant and should I consider any of them for any particular reason.
And yes, I know I don't NEED the bike and theres a bit of magpie syndrome coming into it but hey, we only live once.
thanks in advance
ps I saw an interesting deal when I was in the UK 2 weeks ago, the S-Works Allez (Alu Smartweld) with 105, Aksiums, good spec £1,699..
Light as anything and fast as.....
vickster
Legendary Member
The rider riding it
Racing roadkill
Guru
Overpriced though.
mythste
Veteran
- Location
- Manchester
I'm in a similar Market at the moment. I want Carbon because It's well cool, innit (
) and the rest i've been open to ideas for.
I like the Giant but something about the brand just doesnt speak to me. The Trek Emonda S5 is coming up under budget and seems well equipped. I dont think I'll ever ride fast enough to get the most out of the aero benefits on the Propel either so something a bit lighter/more comfortable up the hills is pushing me that way.
) and the rest i've been open to ideas for.I like the Giant but something about the brand just doesnt speak to me. The Trek Emonda S5 is coming up under budget and seems well equipped. I dont think I'll ever ride fast enough to get the most out of the aero benefits on the Propel either so something a bit lighter/more comfortable up the hills is pushing me that way.
I'm in a similar Market at the moment. I want Carbon because It's well cool, innit (
I like the Giant but something about the brand just doesnt speak to me. The Trek Emonda S5 is coming up under budget and seems well equipped. I dont think I'll ever ride fast enough to get the most out of the aero benefits on the Propel either so something a bit lighter/more comfortable up the hills is pushing me that way.
You've just eloquently put what I'm feeling. I was hoping someone would throw me something different and the Merida came up which is nice but the more I think of it, the more I'm inclined to think I'm looking in the wrong direction with the Propel.....
mythste
Veteran
- Location
- Manchester
I'm not going to be wearing a TT suit anytime soon, nor buying tri bars! I prefer long distance (which I can use my genesis Steely for) and belting it up hills for 3 hours which is the void I want to fill.
What void do you want to fill?
Nor am I. I guess the synapse I have is more for longer days out in the saddle whereas I'm often time limited and only can squeeze in an hour or two. I'd like to maximise the time I have and cover as far as I can as quickly as I can. The bike will certainly outperform me but equally will drive me to get the most I can out of it. The synapse covers miles well enough but wouldn't do well in a sprint....
It's not a void as such, n+1, because I'm lucky enough to have the option of a second, shiny toy syndrome, call it what you will.
Well, I'd like a dedicated fast road bike which will climb relatively well. Is the Propel/Merida/Alternative aero style the wrong thing? Perhaps a Supersix Evo/TCR Advanced style bike would be more suited?
I'm still relatively new to road biking. Fitness isn't a massive issue, i can always get fitter obviously but I'm not massively unfit either.
People here are full of alternative views and suggestions so I'm hoping to take advantage of that as opposed to going to the LBS Giant dealer who will realistically only want to sell me something off his shop floor to clear space.........
All fair points.
I've only been riding a few years in this guise (ie not up and down the road as a kid). Started with a 2012 Wilier Izoard XP. Thought it was a great bike and suited me for everything I needed; carbon, compact Ultegra, looked great, slightly leftfield etc Had previously borrowed an alu Spesh Allez with Tiagra so was def a move up in my book.
End of last year I got the chance to buy the frame of a Cento1 SL - the one in the avatar. Built it up by buying all the components myself. Ended up as 7.6kg so light but not a complete featherweight. BUT. Pick that up with the old one, makes it feel like it's made out of pig iron. Stunned at the difference but there we go, lack of experience.
I rode them on consecutive days thinking the new one would be like riding air and the old one like pushing a Lorry up a hill; but having done so, I don't think its the weight that really makes THE difference for me, I think it's flex around the bottom bracket. When you're on the move, motoring along, I don't really see a difference; the new one is more spritely to respond to upping the pace, but where I really noticed was getting out of the seat and putting power down - either sprinting or climbing.
So, without rambling on too much, the point is, just because these models have some aero design doesn't make me think they're going to feel like lead on anything over 4%. You're only going to know if you either try to borrow something for a ride or get something for a test ride.
Oh, yeah, out with a mate the other day - he had a Canyon aero thing; aluminium, not carbon. I half expected to need 2 hands. Felt about as heavy as the Izoard but I bet the BB was decent. In fact, it made me think that if I needed to replace the frame, as a direct replacement wouldn't be available, I'd go for a Cento1Air to have a tad more aero.
Some other slightly off-radar brands that tickle my tastebuds - Look and Orbea; not sure what they have frame/price wise but just something else to window shop for.
Problem is, with the more random brands, you're just going to struggle a little more on finding places to stock them in a shop.
Ok, I'll shut up now
I've only been riding a few years in this guise (ie not up and down the road as a kid). Started with a 2012 Wilier Izoard XP. Thought it was a great bike and suited me for everything I needed; carbon, compact Ultegra, looked great, slightly leftfield etc Had previously borrowed an alu Spesh Allez with Tiagra so was def a move up in my book.
End of last year I got the chance to buy the frame of a Cento1 SL - the one in the avatar. Built it up by buying all the components myself. Ended up as 7.6kg so light but not a complete featherweight. BUT. Pick that up with the old one, makes it feel like it's made out of pig iron. Stunned at the difference but there we go, lack of experience.
I rode them on consecutive days thinking the new one would be like riding air and the old one like pushing a Lorry up a hill; but having done so, I don't think its the weight that really makes THE difference for me, I think it's flex around the bottom bracket. When you're on the move, motoring along, I don't really see a difference; the new one is more spritely to respond to upping the pace, but where I really noticed was getting out of the seat and putting power down - either sprinting or climbing.
So, without rambling on too much, the point is, just because these models have some aero design doesn't make me think they're going to feel like lead on anything over 4%. You're only going to know if you either try to borrow something for a ride or get something for a test ride.
Oh, yeah, out with a mate the other day - he had a Canyon aero thing; aluminium, not carbon. I half expected to need 2 hands. Felt about as heavy as the Izoard but I bet the BB was decent. In fact, it made me think that if I needed to replace the frame, as a direct replacement wouldn't be available, I'd go for a Cento1Air to have a tad more aero.
Some other slightly off-radar brands that tickle my tastebuds - Look and Orbea; not sure what they have frame/price wise but just something else to window shop for.
Problem is, with the more random brands, you're just going to struggle a little more on finding places to stock them in a shop.
Ok, I'll shut up now
Tenacious Sloth
Guru
- Location
- Huntingdon, UK
I think the Merida is a good shout.
I have their endurance/sportive framed bike and the finish quality is superb.
Not quite as aero as the Reacto but a sporty frame nevertheless, check out their Scultura range.
Graham
I have their endurance/sportive framed bike and the finish quality is superb.
Not quite as aero as the Reacto but a sporty frame nevertheless, check out their Scultura range.
Graham
