TanTan TT-X21 v Giant Propel Advanced Pro Disc

[FHS]

Hi All,

I rode my TT-X21 for about 8 months and put around 2000 miles on it. It's a 56cm frameset and the final build was all Shimano Ultegra r8070 with a Quarg PM and DUB Crankset. I run a set of Scribe Aero Wide + 60D wheels tubeless with Conti 5000s. I ran a 52/36 with an 11/28 cassette initially, then switched the cassette out for an 11/30 to do more climbing over the summer.

The TT-X21 is fast. If Strava results hold any weight for you, the bike got me enough KOMs, top 5s, and top 10s, over mostly short sprints, sprint climbs, shorter time trial segments, and a couple of descents, to confirm for me that the set up I had around a 56cm TT-X21 frame was fast. Compared to a mainstream Aero specific frame that retails for 3 times as much? Yeah, the TanTan TT-X21 is still a fast bike. That's the good news, and if you're perfectly happy with Chinese made carbon frames, you can stop reading here. Happy riding! =)

The Propel with same set-up, though, is quantitatively faster...so far. I'm way off my summer fitness peak and I haven't dialed the bike in yet, but for short sprints at top speed, yeah, markedly faster, anywhere from 1 to 3 mph faster. All in all, speed is up and wattage to achieve that same speed is down.

The direct qualitative comparison? The TT-X21 is fast, but it's a stiff and harsh ride. It's stiff, but not strategically so. That translates to good power transfer, but you really take a beating in exchange for speed. The bike doesn't exactly lumber, it gets to top end but it takes a lot of effort to hold speed.  At all out effort, on the other hand, the fork flexes and the rotors will grind. It's not a lot of flex, but the grinding is consistent when you're out of the saddle and putting the power down. It handles well enough though. Descending is rewarding. I'm not a very confident descender, but it's not because the TT-X-21 doesn't inspire. I have no complaints about the handling at speed.

The Propel accelerates really quickly in comparison. The speed comes easy, 0 flex anywhere that it matters, but it's not nearly as harsh a ride. Once it's going, it just keeps going and the handling is noticeably better. No drama, you can feel it lurch forward with every pedal stroke and you don't pay for it in ride quality. I'm not sure about the relationship between frame stiffness and power measurements at the spider, but my power readings are more consistent overall, not necessarily higher, just more consistent over the course of a ride. I wouldn't call these marginal gains. They smacked me in the ass the first time I really rode the Propel. That being said, I wouldn't call it a surprise for a frame that retails for 3 times as much.

In retrospect, would I still be happy riding the TT-X21? Absolutely! The bang for your buck is phenomenal compared to the Propel. The main reason I switched was because I felt like a 56 cm frame was a bit big for me, after all. I would have been fine trying out a 54cm TT-X21. On the other hand, I have no regrets after plopping down my hard earned cash for a mainstream frame either. As an older rider, I can appreciate the difference in ride quality without having to sacrifice the aero geometry.

[ogcsmith]

Really appreciate this post and the feedback. While I like a bargain ( and a lot of these frames seem that way) I have flipped a lot of bikes that were not quite there for me. I'm hoping to something that works as well as a commercial, name brand frame. Sounds like the propel vs tan tan does show the propel is quantantively better. Luckily I'm in a position that I can afford a more expensive frame if it warants (which it seems like it does in this case). Would love feedback from anyone else who has gone to a more expensive frame and if they noticed the improvement.

[Irideslowly]

You will always notice a difference between an unbranded Chinese frame and a mainstream carbon frame.

The question is, is the branded frame worth 3-4x the price?

Usually, the answer is no.

[ogcsmith]

I guess the cost of the frame is only part of the total price. If I'm spending $2k or more on a groupset then spending a bit more on a frame may be worth it, if as I'm hearing the traditional brands do have a tangible benefit (and you can afford the extra cost). I have found quite a few mainstream frames on sale so the difference is more like 2 or 2 1/2 times not 3 or 4 times (which is closer to retail prices)

I have not tipped my toe into open mold frames yet but have run light bicycle rims for years and I can't tell the difference between them and more expensive wheels and I'll happily use them for my next bike so in that area I'm sold. Are there any frames / manufacturers that make frames equivalent to mainstream frames? Happy to pay a little more if required. I guess it is not just the shape but also the resin and the effort on the layup?

[FHS]

To be sure, I can't speak for "Traditional brands v Open Mould". I can only speak for "my TT-X21 v my Giant Propel Advanced Pro Disc Frameset that I built from my mainstream components taken from my TT-X21".

If I had "make it or break it" complaints against the TT-X21, it would be the "comparably" harsh ride at speed and the effort it takes to maintain speed, now that I've ridden the Propel under the same circumstances. At that, if I weren't the type of rider who needed to go hard over shorter rides most of the time, I'd go back to my previous set-up - 28mm tubeless on Light Bicycle AR 46s, lower the pressure even more, throw some spacers back under my stem, and enjoy the ride on the TT-X21. To go even further, if I were to consider another frame, an endurance or even a lighter all arounder, I'd look at an open mould frame first, no doubt. The VB-r168 was at the top of my list for that.

Honestly, for me right now, looking to get as much speed as I can out of an Aero road bike, I'm content with my new purchase. That's about as niche as you can get and, certainly, the cost/benefit just might not be there for most other people, especially here on this forum I imagine. At the same time, though, I'm not kidding myself either. The price difference isn't there simply because "Giant" is written on the frame.