Giant’s TCR Advanced Bike Is Almost Lighter Than Air, Meant to Win All Races

This is what we're going to be talking about today. The bike you see in the cover photo and gallery is the TCR Advanced SL 0 Disc. If you think that's a whole lot of name, trust me, it’s a whole lot of bike.

If you've never heard of the TCR, note that it's a bicycle that carries with it over three decades of racing history. Just so you understand what we're talking about here, this bike comes in with a whopping price tag of $11,300. Why so much? Continue reading, and you'll find out (or click here for the official website).

Now, this isn’t the kind of bicycle meant for people who need assistance to overcome whatever their journey throws at them. No, this is the kind of bike for people who rely on nothing else but themselves and their two legs to get them across the finish line.

Whenever you seek to buy and use a bike like this for the purpose that it is made for, you need to understand exactly what belongs where and why. That said, if you take a close look at the frame, it may surprise you that it is fairly thin, includes absolutely no welds whatsoever, and yes, is composed of carbon - Advanced SL-Grade Composite to be exact.

If you’re wondering what that is, it's professional-grade raw carbon with the highest stiffness to weight ratio available on the market today. On top of it all, there's also a specific resin and fusion process in which Giant is able to produce frames that are much lighter and significantly stronger than their predecessors.

The front fork (as a suspension does not exist) is also composed from the same carbon composite as the frame. If you think that's all the carbon you'll find on this bike, you'd be wrong. Everything from the handlebars to stem and even the base of the saddle is made from carbon composite.

Since no motor is available on such a bike, your legs are going to need all the help they can get. To help you get the most push out of the energy, expert SRAM is called the upon. Personally, I'm not sure if you've heard of this class of SRAM components, but it's named the Red eTap AXS.

Everything from the shifters, front derailleur, rear derailleur, brakes, and brake levers, are all eTap AXS. Now, the system differs from all other drivetrains in that it is wireless. If you look closely at the handlebars, the only cable or lines you will see are those of the brakes, nothing else.

Other very important components for a bike like this are the wheels. In this case, CADEX supplies the bike with its carbon Disc WheelSystem. Oh, and the spokes are composite, too, of course. After all, you're paying nearly 12 grand for a road racing machine that’s basically meant to win Le Tour de France.

If you think you've got the pockets and the legs to tame one of these carbon fiber Giants, click that link we mentioned earlier for more details.