The world's first Compact Road frame is introduced and ridden by the ONCE ProTour team. With a dramatically sloping toptube and a compact rear triangle, the new design increases rigidity, improves handling and reduces weight. ONCE rider Joseba Beloki will ride the Giant TCR (Total Compact Road) to two Tour de France podiums.
The History of Giant's Revolutionary Compact Road Design
In the late 1990s Giant pioneered a radical new frame shape to give its professional road racers a competitive edge. Driven by a desire to create lighter and faster bikes, Giant's Compact Road Design changed the look—and the performance capabilities—of competitive road bikes forever.
Now, over two decades later, Compact Road Design is still the standard in high-performance bikes. The concept is simple: A toptube that slopes downward from the headtube to the seattube reduces the size of the front and rear triangles. Smaller triangles create a lighter, stiffer bike.
Whatever the frame material, aluminum or composite, Compact Road Design improves the ride. Here's how:
LIGHTER
Compact Road’s most distinctive feature, the downward-sloping toptube, results in smaller front and rear triangles on the frame. Because the triangles are smaller, less material is needed. Less material equals less weight.
STIFFER
Picture two triangles made from equal diameter tubing. The smaller, more compact triangle uses shorter tubes. The larger triangle requires longer tubes. It’s easy to see which is more structurally sound—the smaller triangle is stiffer, less susceptible to flexing and twisting. And on a performance road frame, stiffer is faster.
SMOOTHER
With traditional geometry, builders increase stiffness by using stiffer material. That might help you sprint faster but it also makes for a less comfortable ride. With Compact Road, Giant engineers are able to design frames with just the right amount of vertical compliance. You get a smoother, more comfortable ride.
BETTER FIT
Because of the sloping toptube and lower standover height, it’s easier for riders of all sizes to get the perfect fit. With greater adjustability and up to six sizes per series, even Giant’s most demanding pro athletes, women and men of all different heights, always have a perfect fit with stock-size frames.
| CONVENTIONAL FRAME SIZING (CM) | RIDER HEIGHT | COMPACT ROAD FRAME SIZE | SEATTUBE / TOPTUBE LENGTH (CM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 49-51 | 5'2" - 5'4" | XS | 42/52 |
| 51-54 | 5'4" - 5'7" | S | 44/53.5 |
| 55-57 | 5'7" - 5'10" | M | 50/55.5 |
| 57-59 | 5'10" - 6'0" | M/L | 53.5/57 |
| 58-60 | 6'0" - 6'3" | L | 55.5/58.5 |
| 61-63 | 6'3" - 6'6" | XL | 58.5/61 |
