New Giant TCR has an impressive price!

The podcast today features the new for 2024 Giant TCR. We can't believe how expensive it is, and what else you could get for less, and more astonishing is that you can get a premium bike for like a TIME ADH or a LOOK 785 for cheaper if you custom build.
We discuss that Giro Helmet being used by the Jumbo Lease a Bike team
FInally we take a first look at the new Power Meter Pedals from Look and what advantages they bring.

[@felixmuller1568]

I bought the last gen tcr advanced pro 1 with full mechanical ultegra, carbon hoops, and a powermeter for 3100€ - paying more than double for essentially the same bike with electronic shifting is absolutely mental!

[@matejzima8210]

One of the issues I have is that I don't have that much time to shop around and hence why I don't see the pricing in a proper context, before I watched this, I'd just shrug about the Giant and moved on, but thanks to Jake and guys, I know better now. Thanks! Love it, more of this please!

[@byc1013]

the best value is definitely in custom builds, but people aren't patient. The delayed gratification of a solid home build is amazing. With so much parts discounting in the UK, it's very easy to build a high end bike for less.

[@steppings5645]

The Advanced Pro frameset is £1999, an Ultegra 12spd Di2 groupset can be had for £1399 (Merlin Cycles) which leaves £3100 for wheels and finishing kit. I could build a nice one for under £5000. Where the hell Giant get to £6500 is quite literally a Rip Off.

[@nomadcarpenter8549]

Nobody has mentioned that you can build the giant for £1500 less for similar spec

[@Timinime-pw4gs]

I just bought the new generation TCR Pro 0 in Singapore for SGD$7,200 (£4,100), which was the launch price. Carbon SLR bars, SLR wheels, 7.4kg etc. There is no other bike I can match for the specs & price in this market. Not sure why it’s almost double the price in the UK - perhaps if you’re in the Uk, fly to Singapore for the weekend and bonus - claim the 10% tax back.

[@johnrodgers6049]

In the US Time ADHX with Zipp 303s, SRAM Force, D1/red force 1x power meter spider $6440

[@Mapdec]

Awesome.

[@thejonesy01]

Bought a TCR Advanced Pro MY24 (non-integrated cables - phew!) frameset just before Christmas from an authorised dealer for less than £1500 and built it up myself for a significant saving on the complete bike cost. Great if you are handy with spanners, but even if you aren't and get a LBS to do it for you, there are still significant savings to be had. Not sure the direct comparison with Canyon is an entirely fair one because Giant do have stores and use authorised sellers as well as having an online presence.

[@n22pdf]

Great show guys.. prices are unreal.. 😢.. love my steel and titanium bikes 😊❤ rim brakes and mechanical, tubes to works for me. Pete 🚴🏻👍

[@super8hell]

downtube shifters too? :D

[@scottwatson7844]

I respect both Look and Time as brands. My only real issue with them both is they’re so hard to get hold of and dealers are few and far between.

[@Mapdec]

Yes. That is true. They really don’t produce in volume.

[@scottwatson7844]

@@MapdecI was debating the Look 765 but can’t find a dealer anywhere close to me that I’d trust enough to build me a bike. This is where brands such as Giant have such a large share on the market.

[@albertosantangelo6872]

On top of that it is not even clear the launch dates for new models …was waiting for the new fluidity this year but heard Time CEO saying it is still under development only one month ago 😕

[@trwilliams22]

I just got my Time ADH with Force (with power meter), King wheels, Enve seatpost, and Zipp aero handlebars for the price of that Giant with Ultegra.

[@Mapdec]

Oh wow. 😮

[@kevinfrost1579]

Giant TCR pricing issue simple point made clearly, nicely done. Exactly why anyone involved or interested in bikes should watch the channel. Often the traditional position of the TCR has been a first bike and I suspect those often unknowing folk are those Giant seeks to target 🤔

[@n_cortex1319]

The UK are getting fleeced. The Tcr Advanced Pro 0 is the equivalent of £4250 in Australia ($8199AUD).

[@chris_gb_]

Alex Dowsett is running an excellent wind tunnel testing series on his channel, very much worth watching if you're interested in the gains and losses from position, helmets, shoes, clothes etc. and how those differences translate into real world power and time, vs how much weight you would have to lose to see the same performance benefits.

[@Mapdec]

Yeah. Its really interesting

[@salvatoremannino3389]

My opinion on the Giant is that they believe that they have built up a big enough fun base to the point that they have moved up several notches in appeal as to justify the price tag. Maybe they have, maybe they have not, it's a bit of a gamble. It's interesting to see what will happen

[@ariffau]

I do 90 minutes to 4 hour long indoor rides on Trainer Road. Please keep pumping out more podcast style contents like this as it really helps me go through my endurance indoor rides. ❤

[@Mapdec]

Every Wednesday is the plan.

[@super8hell]

I don't know how 4h of trainer is even possible :P I'd rather ride 8h outside :P

[@ariffau]

@@super8hell just finished one a few minutes ago. It’s on my Strava mate 😁 I mean, if it’s not on Strava, it didn’t happen right 🤣

[@daveyboytunes]

Well Jake you are building me a phenomenal bike, roll on next week. So glad to have gone Time rather than Giant (Defy).. Can you throw in that Garmin mount 😂

[@alistairmacfadyen9365]

Great stuff gents, love the market comparisons

[@Mapdec]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@jimwilliams2239]

I have the Assioma Duo road pedals, and they are really good. So easy to swap between bikes, simply charging, easy to replace bearings when needed, and good selection of spares - I had to replace the body after damaging one in a crash. The Look pedals do look cool, and are light, but I would only consider purchasing them if I had a road and gravel setup, as you can buy just the bodies for one, and swap them onto the spindle of the other. Otherwise, I couldn't justify spending over £1k on a set. I did look at a Giant TCR just before Christmas, but instead opted for a Tarmac SL7 that was on sale, and much cheaper than the equivalent Giant. They really need to look again at their range, which is, to my mind, far too confusing. Plus, if you want Ultegra or similar, it's coming with a power meter, whether you want one or not - obviously I don't. Plus hookless rims... I'd choose Canyon over Giant now, or better still spec and build custom. Great content, by the way - Jake's a natural.

[@madduckuk]

Wouldn't be surprised if we see layoffs at Giant shortly. They are still chasing the "line goes up" and when increasing prices stops working they will move on to improving the margin in other ways.

[@Gnomer1865]

Since the reveal of the 25MY (no idea why Giant has +1’ed it), the old TCRs have been discounted heavily. I picked up the 2024 TCR Advanced Pro 1 Disc with 105 Di2, carbon wheels and a power meter for £3150. On the cycle to work scheme as well. Final cost to me is ~1800. The RRP is £4600.

[@chris_gb_]

The Giro Aerohead 2.0 makes so much sense now that the helmet dimension rules have have been talked about and explained, I'm surprised nobody did something like this before i.e. extending the front of the helmet. For coefficient of drag at the crudest level, long and narrow is better than short and wide. Making the rider + helmet system longer is 'obvious,' so well done to the Giro engineers who recognised that it was within the rules!

[@pierremaggi8661]

Within the rules *for now*

[@paulhshudson]

My young lad thinks the helmet looks"sick". So it just shows looks are down to personal opinions, and youngsters actually think it looks cool. I don't think things should be banned because a few old French blokes think it looks uncool. Good point on the visibility. Froome is asking if TT should be banned because of the lack of visibility.

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

Looking forward to the Look Keo style power meter pedals.

[@universe-juice]

Have been back and forth with new bike. Many problems goin on but am very close to pulling the trigger. Still want you to do it for me. How would you build up the adhx 45? Never mind, want it to be a surprise. Am curious about fast forward rims though?

[@fredericpressel1611]

You maybe go the way and compare the new TCR Ultegra more with the Ultimate CF SLX 8 Di2 Ultegra (better and lighter Carbon layup, Powermeter, DT Swiss ARC 1400 Dicut db, etc.) for about 5600 GBP

[@alvaroodeh4794]

This is all assuming you are paying full retail price, which is only the case online/ uk distributors, theres a lot that is not discussed on this talk.

[@Mapdec]

For sure. We have to keep it somewhat entertaining

[@Countrystock]

These podcasts are just brilliant, honest and straight to the point. I'm after a endurance based bike max of £3k, I've already got carbon wheels what would you suggest??? Vielo R+1 is tempting as a custom build

[@Mapdec]

I think that frameset alone busts your budget. The Geo looks good, never seen one in real life. The Look 765 or BMC Road machine would get closer to your budget.

[@robertwhyte3435]

I'd be worried about my neck in case of a fall with that helmet.

[@barneyklingenberg4078]

An similar specced Taiwanese competitor is 5500 pounds after conversion (Scultura 8000) I can and have sold a 105 DI2 with the same hoops (Reynolds AR46 Carbon) for €4500,- and that left enough margin for me to cover proper end user service. And the the customer got a spare set of original hoops in that deal that he is using in the winter. Honestly 6500 is way too much

[@soulksk]

Great stuff ✌️ I’m between tenth gen tcr sl vs 2023 model teammachine slr01 mod. I usually climb 1500 m per 100k, and living in a windy city… which one would you choose?

[@Mapdec]

TCR SL, based purely on business stability.

[@global_nomad.]

Find it odd that you are pitching the TCR as expensive for a consumer brand, while the Nero show are saying its cheap compared to the higher end competition. brand or model positioning is clearly more subtle and hard to imagine that Giant don't know the price elasticity of their market. Equally odd to think that frame plus kit is becoming cheaper than off the shelf. A few years back it was almost cheaper to buy a complete bike just for the groupset.

[@Mapdec]

Who do you think is right?

[@global_nomad.]

@@Mapdec aaargh...both of you..i guess. depends which way you are looking, does the higher model compete against a different groups compared to the mid tier you looked at

[@manueldeubler1127]

All the advanced pro and up models of the TCR come with an powermeter. The Ultegra speced have Giants Ultegra-based Power Pro and the Dura-Ace versions comes with Shimano's powermeter. Something that has been overlocked in the discussion.

[@matthewmckechnie7308]

Shimano power meter is not a selling point haha

[@Mapdec]

An included own brand power meter really shouldn’t influence a buy decision. The canyon has one too though.

[@mister_ray]

A nearly US$2K price for the TCR - Shimano Di2 105 with carbon wheels.

[@andreemurray7039]

The big cycle manufacturer are taking the customer for a ride a good frame then build your own cheaper and personal

[@Mapdec]

Hell yeah.

[@Pmor75]

I see that the UK prices are a bit high when compared with prices in other markets. In the video you said that TCR ADV Pro 0 Di2 retails for 6.499 Pounds in the UK, In Portugal the exact same bike will cost you 5 699 Euros!! Thst's a massive difference. Way better price when compared with the Canyon.

[@gpurkeljc]

I think JV were watching Spaceballs during the offseason.

[@zieluch]

tcr advances sl on duraace di2 is 50% cheaper in Australia than Europe. Not sure who is fu***king who but something is wrong.

[@Mapdec]

Wow. 2024/5 model and everything!?

[@zieluch]

@@Mapdec 13800 AUD vs 12300 EUR and EUR/AUD = 1.65 as of today

[@highfived]

I love the tcr but I don’t feel the colours are desirable . But technically it’s good a bike . Great video thanks guys

[@shus5787]

Ridiculous prices

[@FGIRAFFE]

For the pedals, the rk200 garmin batteries are really improved compared to the previous one, they say. I found them easy to change. I also see that Look is still using these f*cking micro USB. It will be a mess to crawl on the floor and try to plug them, and try again. Arf. Nice talk Thanks

[@Mapdec]

I am praying the micro usb is just on the pre production samples out there. They have been in development for over 3 years.

[@user-ug4qy7ch9f]

Nice subway intros

[@grahambleach]

I think it would be good if the UCI rethought how it does rule changes otherwise it will discourage innovation and investment. Banning the Specialized head sock mid season means two World Tour teams have basically wasted a large amount of cash optimising their aero setup with that helmet. Their approach at the moment seems to be to react if people complain. They will surely have seen the Giro helmet months ago and had no problem with approving it.

[@nationsnumber1chump]

Giant had to have something to sell in department stores

[@jonpoon3896]

In terms of the helmet inspiring aspiring time trialists, those who are into time trialing love nerding out on tech. It’s like the weird and wacky world of hill climbing. The main thing amateur time trialists need to remember is that you’re not as strong of an athlete as the pros. I’d consider if my neck was able to hold that helmet with weight towards the front

[@Mapdec]

Good point.

[@PeakTorque]

Does jake get OT pay for podcasts or is this filmed in work hours 🎉😅

[@KennyVeltre]

was not expecting the sent to the shadow realm yugioh reference

[@ltsw06]

Re Giant bikes, it's just the pricing in the UK and I assume opinions expressed in this podcast are only within the UK. In Asia and Australia, they present a far better value proposition. Take, for example, the TCR SL 0 - in Singapore it is 65% of the price in UK 😯

[@Mapdec]

I assume all the other brads you have are cheaper too.

[@ltsw06]

@@Mapdec Other brands perhaps marginally. Giant is noticeably significant.

[@Notmyfruit]

Primary brands gone nuts now, prices are going and going up. In my country we can no longer get thing from another countries now but i assume you guys dont have kind of problems. There are lots of chinese wheels and frames at your disposal, just buy that.

[@froggy0162]

Cables through the headset 😢 I wish that stupid fad would die, it’s just so dumb. Sad to see Giant succumb to this nonsense - a great thing about the TCR and Defy was that they were nice clean designs free of gimmicks.

[@Chris-iv2ud]

Because thats how market react. Lets say Giant might actually change their decision and maintain the external cable version if you orders 10 thousand tcr last year that has external cable.

[@Quizmate1]

Totally agree. When the trend first emerged, I thought it's so stupid it would never catch on. Now even metal fabricators like Litespeed, Moots and Riley are at it. All for the sake of fashion with the promise of saving 1 Watt? Like press fit BBs there will be a bewildering amount of proprietary applications and maintenance issues waiting to catch customers out over the coming years, not to mention bike fitting headaches. It's turning me off carbon full stop and I reckon my next bike will be custom steel, or something from a brand that holds out from adopting this infuriating trend.

[@lintutu1]

I am in the market for a new bike and Giant is on my short list. After watching this show, I looked up Canyon and it's significantly heavier. What am I missing?

[@Mapdec]

Are you comparing the exact same thing? Frame vs frameset. Sizes, spec level. I would be surprised if there was more than about 100g in it. Meaningless really.

[@Antoine_Frs]

The Giro helmet makes complete sense to me, as it hides the shoulders making the rider look more like a bullet on a TT position. It does look ridiculous, so do lycra and clunky sounding shoes.

[@petersouthernboy6327]

The Giant US website has the 2024 TCR Advanced Pro frameset listed at $2100. That's my jam.

[@MirzaPlavcic]

@Mapdec your thoughts on Giant Defy Pro 1 2024, €3800 asking price... Yay or nay? I'm in market for endurance bike, budget €4000

[@Mapdec]

Do you want an endurance bike or a relaxed race bike.

[@MirzaPlavcic]

@@Mapdec hmm you got me there... Plan is to get something bit relaxed compared to SL4 Tarmac that I'm currently own

[@Mapdec]

@@MirzaPlavcic everything will likely feel relaxed compared to an SL4. It would be worth going to a big shop and trying a few things.

[@celestialemissary4934]

is 3000 euro for 105 di2 advanced pro good price ? (not the new tcr)

[@Mapdec]

It’s ok. The TCR pro is good value in the sales.

[@basvanleeuwen4502]

I build a custom Titanium roadbike with Ultegra DI2 and FFWD Ryot wheels for less then the new TCR with Ultegra.

[@Mapdec]

Incredible

[@basvanleeuwen4502]

The frame was made by Waltly, for +/-1600 USD. The groupset on sale was 1500 EUR, the wheels where second hand 800 EUR, Deda Vinci finishing kit, for 400 EUR, and a Selle Italia SLR Ti for 160 EUR. All the other bits cost about 500 EUR. I honestly think Giant has outpriced themselves. If you look at what I consider their peers, Cube, Canyon and Merida they are about 20% more expensive for an often worse speced bike.

[@5amba]

I'm not really in the TT game... for me it looks like a normal aero helmet.

[@borano2031]

Obviously, Giant never wants to push their incoming invoices away for 90 days ever again.... Rgr

[@danielbarkworth6337]

Thought on the tcr advanced 105 di2 selling for like £2200 seems good for electronic gears and a carbon frame 🤷‍♂️

[@Mapdec]

The advanced was always a very disappointing ride. I wonder if they have made the new one stiff enough.

[@danielbarkworth6337]

@Mapdec ok thanks for the reply is if it were your money what would you consider around that price range I like the idea of stepping into di2 but what are your thoughts?

[@marvinkamei7007]

all bikes equal, It comes come to the RIDER!! and EPO??

[@AK-je7ns]

The prices stink!

[@chriscross5689]

Seen their TIAGRA speccd tcr. £2299.. wtaf. 😮

[@Mapdec]

That should be a £1500 bike.

[@floam11]

Next level shilling

[@Mapdec]

Defo. It’s what we do best 😂😂

[@floam11]

@@Mapdec I know, it’s kind of obvious

[@Mapdec]

@@floam11 lol. If only that were true. I might actually make some money out of this.

[@scottwatson7844]

Yeah id agree these guys are always pushing Look and Time yet neglect to mention they are distributors for them.

[@Mapdec]

@@scottwatson7844 neglect to mention. It’s at the end of most videos, all over our website, it’s hardly a secret 😂

[@dafyddoasis]

Why is Joe Jordan talking about bikes?

[@Mapdec]

Who?

[@nosamsemaj]

The video preview reads like a Viagra advert.

[@Mapdec]

😳

[@HarishChouhan]

Chinese, Taiwanese brands are increasing their prices because of other big western brands

[@Mapdec]

Yeah. They may as well.

[@matthewlewis2072]

Time trials are boring and stupid, the bikes are vile so why not wear a dorky helmet? Finishes the look.

[@tednruth453]

TCR prices....another Brexit benefit

[@EAksar]

Riding a '21 tcr adv pro for two years. Mechanic ultegra and ffwd ryot 44 with dt350 hubs. Got a New gorupset di2 ultegra for a very good deal. So now planning to buy a New frame. Will use ffwd and ult di2 with it. But not sure to buy a propel or wait for tcr? @mapdec

[@Mapdec]

does it have to be a Giant?

[@EAksar]

No. What else can i look at? Generally riding in hilly routes 1300/1400m elv for 100k). That's why i am looking at a climbing bike

[@Mapdec]

@@EAksar spech Atheos, Look 785 Huez, supersix, TeamMachine, so much choice.

[@EAksar]

Thank you ✌️