I think the value is in the giant. I have been in the market like yourself and have opted to order the advanced pro 0 and get di2. The Tarmac May have cable integration but the wheels are sub par and comes without power.

In any event I came across the following:


I will defer to others to dissect his argument against the Tarmac. He is a fan of the venge however, just not the price.
Either way the Tarmac paint alone looks better !

The thing to keep in the back of your mind about a bike is that it is merely a collection of components packaged together and branded by the frame maker. But, the frame is just another one of the components. Some brands are premium priced just because of the name, but the frame performance may not be not materially different from others. That is super hard to judge, but realistically, there is probably little difference between the Specialized and Giant frames that you would ever notice. So, the value leans heavily in favor of the Giant.

That said, I freakin' love the Tarmac. And, if I were buying a bike right now, the Tarmac SL7 would be on my very short list and I would happily pay the brand premium for that look.

Another consideration... the Giant Pro power meter is dual sided. That means it measures total power and is probably much better than any power meter you could get for $350.

The Giant wheels sell for about the same price as Zipp 303s (see https://www.giant-bicycles.com/...ock-disc-road-wheels), and the powermeter is a dual sided one. I don't know of a $350 dual sided power meter (closer to double).

The Giant’s dual sided power meter is on Shimano cranks, right?

Shane (GP Lama) outlines accuracy issues in dual sided power meters using Shimano cranks due to to the design of the crank arms:

https://www.google.com/...et-power-meters/amp/

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Matt

I would not conclude that for all consumers. I think GP Lama has shown that the Giant Power Meter has has some issues when you are cranking very quick high watts (sprinting) but overall it gives materially consistent measurements. For most consumers I would say these differences are completely negligible and the power meter is more than sufficient. I have one on my Trinity and it has been functionally consistent with the readings I get from my Wahoo Kickr. That's more than good enough for my training purposes.

I say that Giant's value proposition is among the best when it comes to road bikes. Although if it was me I would buy the top of the line Defy instead of the TCR. The Defy is probably the most comfortable road bike I have been on.

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The first question is can you even find either of these bikes in stock any where? I was eyeing the SL7 expert also and they sold out within a day or two online, and none of my LBS have them, except for the uber expensive models.

That's not really a true statement. Different frames will feel and handle differently. Even within the same brand. I haven't ridden the Giant TCR, but between the Tarmac and the Venge I absolutely can tell the difference and did not like the way the Venge felt climbing. The frame is the heart of your bike and I would not say they are all interchangeable to the point that it's hard to judge which one works better for you.

My comment was targeted at like frames; the Tarmac and Venge are different for different purposes and optimizations. Frames in the same class (Tarmac/TCR/Ultimate CF/Addict/R5/SuperSix EVO/Emonda/etc.) will largely feel the same to most people because their dimensions and designs are so similar. Pros can tell the difference, but even between a lot of the bikes, they might still be "meh" and perfectly happy with any of the major race brands.

Edit: What most people are likely to perceive as performance or handling differences between similar bikes are the tires, tire pressure, and wheels. Those have a massive difference in how people think a bike handles.

When you say you liked how both bikes rode, do you think that you rode them long enough over varied terrain to really form a good enough opinion?
The reviews I have read on the SL7 seem to be really positive, have not really looked at the Giant reviews.
If you like the Giant and it costs less then those are good reasons to consider it.
I have always thought as Giant as a tier below other brands and hence the lower price, but this maybe completely unfair as I have never ridden a Giant or known anybody who has.
I have always thought of Specialized as being perhaps overpriced. Used to have a Tarmac SL3 and did not like the way it rode, but the SL7 seems like it was well thought out.
For that kind of money I would also consider other other brands like Cannondale and BMC or perhaps something more custom and build it up.
Personally I hate Trek but that is another option.
In the end there are a lot fantastic bikes and differences are relatively small, so it comes down to price, features, looks, road handling, fit and comfort.
Disclaimer: I own a Cannondale EVO.

Giant is one of the biggest manufacturers and make frames for several other brands, which is why they have lower prices. They are truly fantastic, very high quality bikes. I’ve owned 2 giant mountain bikes, and rode a few road bikes over the years. Wouldn’t hesitate to get another one.

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Feel free to try our superbike matching spreadsheet in google sheets on our new website: https://www.cyclingapps.net/...uperbike-calculator/ . The sheet is embedded but there is a link to an open version which is unlocked.

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No matter how I change the numbers, the Tarmac SL7 (typically multiple variations) is on the top 10. This makes me suspect.

I usually shop the used market, but any time I am looking at new bikes, I am unable to find better value than Giant or worse value than Spesh. I get that the frame makes a big difference, and I ride a Spesh saddle so some of their components are solid, but the overall packages that Giant is able to put together are almost unbeatable.

Oh, and on the used bike market, there is almost nothing more consistently overpriced for the package than Spesh. I have no idea if people get anything near what they ask for those bikes, but if resale is a consideration for you keep that in mind.

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Prioritize "comfort" or "value" and the TarmacSL7 is not in the top 20; otherwise it scores high in other categories

I have been looking at similar buying options but replacing the S7 with an Emonda SL6 Pro. I like the Specialized's but there aren't many local dealers and I am less keen on the colour options for those in my price range. Love the red/black S work colour which would match my clubs Red kit but £10k on a bike is just unrealistic for me.

The Giant does seem to win hands down on value given the powermeter and wheelset (though I have heard the recommended tyre options for the Giant wheels is slightly limiting). The external cable routing looks less pretty and may have an aero cost but then it presents less packing problems when travelling. Also for me the Emonda's running standard stems lose a bit in appearance without the hidden underbar cable routing of the integrated bar/stem - not sure if this us the same with the S7 Expert or of that gets the stem with hidden routing and this is purely an aesthetic thing.
Sizing wise I find it interesting that Giant recommend a size S/52 for me while Trek and Specialized a size M/54. To me this is another plus for the Giant as this size comes with the crank size I use. I find that the longish narrow position I prefer requires a stem and bar change, so if one if the brands components create a good fit without extra expense that might be worth taking into account. Some shops will change parts for free but increasingly not particularly for bikes with expensive integrated solutions - I guess they don't want to end up with a load of stock length parts they cannot shift.