Giant TCR Advanced 1 2017: SL Fork Update & Longterm Review

 Giant TCR Advanced 1 KOM Edition is one of the bike that you wont regret to ride it.

It is a rigid bike in correct places such as bottom bracket and head tube area.

Front of the bike also presents compliance in a degree while rear of the bike has springy feel.

Thanks to its exposed seat post, you will have some comfort too.

It is a bike that can be considered as one of the best in terms of value and performance ratio.

As it might be known, there are different grading in frames and forks when we talk about Giant race bikes.

In advanced series, Toray 700 carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composite materials form the whole frame and fork blades.

However, dropouts of the bike and shaft tube of fork are made by aluminum alloy.

That fork is also called as hybrid fork.

I had started to think to update my race bike eventually after 3 years passed of its purchase.

I was loving my bike but also wanted to uptade it to higher tier race bike category.

Full Ultegra 6800 groupset and Quark power meter were all fine but for frame-fork set, there had been still development potential.

The potential was the full carbon fiber reinforced (including dropout) composite fork from highest tier TCR SL.

Yes, you heard right. You only need OD2 (overdrive 2) headset to fit TCR Advanced SL or PRO carbon forks.

So my bike become a model in the middle of Pro version (Same frame with Pro) and SL version (fork from SL version).

Ooh, I just remember those days first couple of days of this update; it was blistering, and initially I had forgetten to change my TCR with another model. It was true love in first sight.

What did this change bring to my fellow 2017 TCR?

There are two important rigidity properties at head tube/front area which are;

- Torsional rigidity which determines how much sharpness that bike has espacially in returns; corners; you will instantly feel this property while descending having lots of corners.

- Other one is bending rigidity of fork where you feel the most of this property while sprinting or climbing out of saddle. The resistance of the fork/head tube region against bending type of loading generated from the input of the rider on hoods or drops of the handlebar. Of course, in order to feel full of this rigidity, you have to have rigid cockpit; handlebar and stem combo.

These properties/characteristics of bike instantly felt different compared to hybrid fork.

You initially understood the rigidity direction in both sides.

Other surprising effect of full carbon fork was the compliance that it brought to TCR.

Now, you have more comfort at front region. It is really interesting and fun to have increased rigidty and compliance at same time.

So I actually forgot to sell my fellow TCR and continued the pleasure.

Then, I got couple of carbon clinchers from Winspace company. 

There was significant difference in terms of lateral rigidity on wheels compared to my old Trimax 30's.

Currently, if I find out Wilier Trestina Cento10 Air/Pro/SL, BMC Teammachine or Trek Emonda SL6, I might go for a new bike to seek new knowledge and experience. 

Until then, TCR will come with me as my beautiful and strong friend.

All in all, even if you dont update its forks or wheels, it is still one of the best performance/price bikes out there.

Ride in safe!