Giant TCX SLR 2

nice bike, but is it fit for purpose? – 6 months old , loved the bike geometry and ride,however riding down a rough dirt road I hit a big lump. I heard a loud bang and when i stopped to look there was a crease in the top tube. Back to the shop who tells me giant is declining warranty , stating that it is a ding not a failure. So a cyclocross that is good for smooth tracks.

Very good! (A few problems) – Lets start off with saying, this is a good bike. Over the 4 months I have had it though, I have notice some major problems. International website: http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-in/bikes/model/tcx.slr.2/19120/76924/ Sizes: XS, S, M, M/L, L, XL Cons: Brakes TRP Spyre: Starting with the brakes... I have had the front pads replaced… Read more

once already and am going back in again after noticing that the brakes are again making a really unreassuring noise while having inconsistent braking performance. Another brake problem I noticed was that both brake callipers were actually rubbing against the spokes on hard left turning which was really unreassuring and clanged as it hit every spoke. It was sent back to the dealer (again) to get the brake adjusted.

The bar tape at this point is also becoming loose towards the brake levers which is annoying to redo.

Shimano 105:

My most frustrating aspect of this bike is the front and rear derailleurs. The Shimano 105's don't really like to shift and have 11 gears. which is annoying at around 40km/h where the ratio's feel really far apart. Back to the shifting... Well... Very disappointing. I have tried to adjust both derailleurs independently and no good so far. I have had to ride home with the front derailleur stuck on the small cog which means that high speeds are useless.

Rims/tyres Giant S-X2:

I have also noticed that the wheels are extremely heavy compared to my dads $900 Merida (1/2 price AUD). This shows where giant has saved some money on this bike.

Pros (and a few cons):

Pros... Lets just list:

Saddle: Giant Performance Men's

Comfortable good adjustment but lacks cushioning. looks good.

Brakes: TRP Spyre

Strong performance.

Cables: Internal. Almost mud proof.

Brake levers: Brake levers good quality (levers a bit far from me).

Frame: ALUXX SLR-Grade Aluminum with hidden rack mounts

Flexible and strong. Looks better than the photos.

Tyres: Schwalbe Super Swan, 35-622

Very good tyres for off/road.

I give this bike a ⭐⭐⭐ because it has major flaws but for the price is a very well sorted piece of kit. I would recommend to anyone wanting a lightweight cyclocross bike for a little under $2K (AUD). Maybe it was just me who got all the problems...