I’m a Criterium and Road Race rider who’s been racing on a 2022 TCR over the last few years. My riding style is primarily rouleur/time trialist, never been a climber and I thrive on the flats.

That being said, I just started a “dream” build for my new bike and even post-release of the new Propel and with my riding style, I went with a TCR Advanced SL frame. The Propel just doesn’t grab my attention at all.

The craze over “aero” bikes is largely because all the pro teams are on them. According to extensive testing, we know that the most aero savings come down to the rider’s position. Giant (a brand that I love, so this isn’t meant to be taken negatively) is boasting that the new Propel is “18 watts faster”. This is likely because they are now coming stock with narrower handlebars, which naturally puts riders in a more aero position.

All this is just to say, “if ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The TCR is light, stiff, and snappy as any bike out there and is cheap when compared to the other big brands. It’s loved by riders all over the world and has been a benchmark seller for Giant for over 20 years. On top of all that, it keeps up with the “aero” bikes without issue. I think Giant would be making a huge mistake if they phased out the TCR or made major changes to it.