Publication-Mountain Bike

Date-April 2007

Title-Giant TCX

Findings:

• "The TCX is built around a butted aluminum frame with compact geometry-a concept the company embraced years ago with its road line. Most alloy frames, especially lower cost ones, are known to be stiff at the expense at some comfort, but the TCX exhibits a pleasant ride. Giant's formulaOne carbon fork adds to the forgiving nature of the bike with a smooth feel over the rough with minimal fore and aft flex or braking chatter."
• "The bike's cockpit is both functional and comfortable. It comes with a tall head tube and generous 35.5 mm stack of stem spacers that should satisfy those who like to ride in an unpright position, but some riders will want to remove a few spacers, trim the steerer and bring the handlebar back to earth."
• Brakes are accessible by both the standard Shimano Tiagra STI shift and brake levers and the bar-top-mounted levers."
• "Fi'zi:k's Aliante saddle is a standout for its comfort even when taking the leap of faith after a dismount, the carbon post is a nice touch, and the tire spec is solid. Pilots not tearing up the race course will find the two bottle mounts and compact chainring gearing valuable assets. Giant's TCX can be an incredibly versatile tool in anyone's quiver of bicycles-'cross racing, commuting, road, and even light trail riding are all possible with only a modest outlay of cash."
• "HIGHS: Great value and ride quality."
• "LOWS: Michelin's Cross Mud 2 tires grip well, even in dry conditions, but feel sluggish on hardpack."