Power. Precision. Propel.Inside Giant’s Newest Aero Weapon Just in Time for Le Tour

As we head into the biggest road bike race of all, Le Tour de France, we can’t help frothing over the incredible technology the teams are riding. High end road racing bikes are lighter, more compliant and more aerodynamic than ever - road bikes are the pinnacle of the purist form of bicycle racing.  

One such bike we love is the Giant Propel Advanced – a bike that offers speed and efficiency with every pedal stroke through every model in the range, from the entry point Giant Propel Adv 2 to the range-topping Giant Propel Advanced SL.

A world leader in cycling technology, Giant recently reinvigorated its range of Propel aero

road bikes with models built on a composite frameset to make this range more

versatile and highly capable choice for performance-minded road riders. 

The range includes three series of bikes: Propel Advanced SL, Propel Advanced Pro and Propel Advanced. Each bike within the range offering incredible value at its respective price point.

Proven through multiple past stage wins at the Tour de France, this updated Propel was created to deliver even greater aero gains and efficiency, plus often not considered but as important, user-friendly adjustability and service.  Let’s take a deep dive into how and why each of these key factors contribute to a real difference to your training and racing experience:

Aerodynamics, weight and compliance rarely combine well, this is the real challenge for bike manufacturers. Following years of development and testing, both in the wind tunnel and on the road, the flagship model of the new range, the Propel Advanced SL, was introduced to the world when Team BikeExchange-Jayco sprinter Dylan Groenewegen won Stage 3 of the 2022 Tour de France. Thirteen days later, Groenewegen’s teammate Michael Matthews proved that the new Propel can do more than just sprint when he launched a solo attack and powered his aero machine to a dramatic win on the gruelling, hilly Stage 14. For fast finishers like Groenewegen and Matthews, winning or not winning often comes

down to decisive moves. Positioning, chasing, attacking. Bumping elbows, leaning hard through technical corners, blasting ahead of the field. This is where the new Propel excels most. It’s measurably faster in aerodynamic testing than the previous generation, and the frameset is significantly lighter and stiffer than its predecessor.

Beyond its race-winning stiffness-to-weight ratio, the Propel is also designed to deliver a dynamic ride quality with greater control in a variety of situations. From smooth tarmac to rougher roads, punchy climbs to barn-burner descents. 

Beyond its aero gains, other modifications to improve ride quality include slimmed down seatstays and a new Vector seatpost design. There are two versions: the integrated Vector seatpost on the Propel Advanced SL, and standard adjustable Vector seatposts on the Propel Advanced Pro and Propel Advanced.

Integrated Aerodynamics:

The guiding design principle behind the new Propel is its AeroSystem Shaping Technology. The engineering team started with airflow simulation software called computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to develop the tubing shapes, angles and junctions. This led to the use of truncated ellipse airfoil shapes in key areas of the frameset including the head tube, down

tube and seat tube.

From there, the development team created the physical shapes. Working with renowned

aerodynamicists at the GST wind tunnel in Immenstaad, Germany, to accurately simulate real-world riding conditions, engineers used a dynamic mannequin to analyze not just the bike, but rider and bike together. This is a process that Giant pioneered over a decade ago with the first generation Propel. While most bike manufacturers typically use a static mannequin, Giant’s team determined that only a dynamic one can most accurately replicate the effects of a rider against various wind speeds and angles. Unlike a human rider, the mannequin can maintain a precise, repeatable position and leg movements.

The frontal sections, where aerodynamics matter most, feature sculpted lines and that

truncated ellipse shape to minimize drag. As part of this holistic approach, there are two

different aero-optimized bottle cages, one for the down tube and one for the seat tube, to further minimize drag. When it comes to aero gains, the frame itself is part of the story, but not the whole story. The new Contact SLR Aero handlebar and stem, on the higher tier models within the range, also reduce drag, as do new aero WheelSystems with 50mm rim depth. When comparing the complete new Propel Advanced SL bike to the previous generation, the new model testing shows an improvement in aerodynamic drag by 6.21 watts. This equates to a savings of 27 seconds over 40 kilometers at 40 kph.

Race winning efficiency:

For competitive racers, nothing matters more than power-to-weight. Making the Propel both stiffer, for better power transfer, and lighter was essential. Again, testing of the Propel Advanced SL reveals that the new frame has 9.9 percent greater frame stiffness than the previous generation. Pedalling stiffness gets a 7.5 percent boost. The overall stiffness of the frameset, including the frame and fork, is 9.2 percent higher.  When you combine those figures with the overall weight of the frameset, you get the magic number that reveals overall efficiency, or stiffness-to-weight. In the case of the new Propel Advanced SL, the reduced weight and increased stiffness works out to a gain of 26.4 percent in overall efficiency.

Most of the gains in stiffness come from modified sections of the head tube, down tube and bottom bracket area. But just making a frameset ultra-stiff doesn’t necessarily make it faster. To optimize all-around performance in real-world conditions, compliance and control also

play a role. For that reason, the rear half of the Propel has been reengineered to provide a smoother ride quality, which helps make it a more capable all-rounder.

The seat tube, chainstays and seatpost have all been slimmed down compared to the

previous generation. This new design helps reduce weight, and it also gives the Propel improved road handling. Compared to the outgoing Propel Advanced SL, the new flagship model, which features the Vector integrated seatpost, has 85 percent added rear-end compliance. This makes it more capable for long, hard days in the saddle, when its road-smoothing properties help minimize fatigue. It also has added frame and fork clearance, allowing riders to choose larger tires up to 30mm for an even plusher ride quality.

EASIER ADJUSTABILITY

A new two-piece proprietary Contact SLR Aero handlebar and stem setup on the higher tier models makes it easier to change components and dial in a precise fit. Both keep the cables and hoses hidden from the wind while avoiding the complexities associated with fully integrated handlebar/stem designs that are common with many of today’s aero road bikes.

The carbon handlebar has flattened tops for aero efficiency and hand comfort, along with a deeper drop for added control while sprinting, cornering and descending. The entire Propel range also features Giant’s new OverDrive Aero system, which features a D-shaped fork steerer tube and corresponding spacers for an extremely aerodynamic, easier to service system of internally routed brake and derailleur cables.  While the previous Propel cockpit had cables that routed above the stem and into the frame

behind the steerer tube, the new design routes the cables through the bars, underneath the channeled stem, and into the frame in front of the steerer. This keeps the cables more hidden from the wind and allows for easier adjustability.

From the fast finishers of Team BikeExchange-Jayco to world-class triathletes like Olympic gold medalist Kristian Blummenfelt and two-time Ironman 70.3 world champion Gustav

Iden— who both use this bike for Olympic and sprint-distance events—the Propel delivers a winning advantage. Sprints, solo breaks, or chasing your next PR, it’s fuel for the pursuit of ultimate speed. 

Starting at R54 990, for the Giant Propel Advanced 2, the Giant Propel Range could be your ticket to faster races, quicker coffee rolls, and a whole lot of bragging rights on every group ride.

For more information on the new Propel range, including all the details on features and technologies, go to https://giant-bicycles.co.za/pages/propel-advanced

Images are of the Giant Propel Advanced Pro 0 Di2 and Giant Propel Advanced1 (2025 models)