The History Of Giant TCR

Very, very few bikes have made the impact that the Giant TCR has made, for so many different reasons. Ever since it was introduced, the TCR has been the pinnacle of road bike technology and performance, it’s a bike which has not only pushed the boundaries of performance, but it’s a bike which has also set industry leading standards and designs for other manufacturers to follow. In this post, we look at the Giant TCR in greater detail, and also look back at the history of the bike and how it managed to make such a dramatic impact on the world.

The Birth of the TCR

The 1990s was a fantastic decade, and the TCR made it an even better decade. The TCR was developed in the early 1990s and disrupted the standard road bike design of the time, which is a traditional bicycle design including a horizontal top tube. Giant employed the talent of Mike Burrows to create an all new concept in the world of road bikes - the compact geometry concept.

This new design provided multiple advantages over more traditionally designed road bikes. The first of all, was a large reduction in weight. The compact geometry concept reduced the size of the bike frame, in turn saving weight - meaning riders can enjoy all of the well known benefits of riding a lighter than ever road bike.

The design also improved and increased stiffness, meaning riders could enjoy better power transfer and a more efficient ride. The top tube, which was now sloped instead of horizontal, provided a more aerodynamic profile - again helping the bike ride quicker.

1998 – On the World Stage

The first time we all saw the TCR on the world stage, was when it made its debut with Team ONCE. a pro cycling team. The bike not surprisingly enjoyed a mass of attention, because of its innovative design VS the competition. The TCR proved itself in numerous road races.

Early 2000s – The Carbon Fiber Revolution

It’s not surprising that the TCR was one of the earliest adopters of carbon fibre. The TCR enjoyed this material and the TCR composite series was born - allowing Giant to push the boundaries of this weight saving material when it came to shaving weight off the bike, and creating new designs.

2008 – TCR Advanced SL

In 2008, Giant introduced the TCR Advanced SL, for many people this is the landmark TCR bike and it’s the bike which again, set a whole new standard in the world of road bikes. This bike featured innovative technologies such as an integrated seatpost - which not only improved ride quality, but helped shave important weight off the bike. This model also had an overdrive steerer tube, which made the bike stiffer, more precise and batter handling. This model also had the mega drive down tube, which is a large rectangle shaped down tube which again improved stiffness and power transfer.

2017 – TCR Disc

Recognising the growing role and popularity of disc brakes in road cycling, Giant launched the TCR Disc series in 2017. This version combined the proven performance of the TCR platform with the increased braking power and control of disc brakes, making the TCR range better performing across all weather conditions.

Giant TCR Online

The TCR remains the flagship road bike from the Giant range. It’s a bike which continues to push the boundaries of what is capable from a road bike package, and today the TCR retains all of it’s pedigree and history, but has been updated to be incredibly technologically advanced, and we are proud to offer this bike for sale online.