Hi
Looking to buy a new frame and I’m looking best value / budget option.
Found the giant trinity that come with power meter and seems very good value for price (it’s pretty easy to get 15 or 20% discount for this brand on my country)
Don’t see lot of information about this model on this forum, any reason?
Did someone have some feedback or some reason to not buy this bike?
Thanks
You should use the search bar again. There is a fair amount of dialogue on that topic.
General consensus is that it is a good option. Not the sexiest brand, and nothing that really stands out about them design-wise, but they are respectable. I have their top end road bike. Main justification for buying it was value, but also the belief that as the manufacturer of many other brands’ frames, their quality control is very high.
It’s not the most popular among US triathletes, but among aero-obsessed British time-trialists, it is the go-to frame. It’s definitely very good. No reason not to get it if it fits.
Had a 2011 Giant Trinity until last year, also have a P2, Specialized Transition and an Argon E117. Honestly, it was the fastest time trial bike I have ever owned. It is very stiff, so not the most comfortable bike on rough roads, but it does go fast, done all my best bike splits and time trials on that bike on a similar 70.3 flat bike course, it went 38.1 kph while at the same wattage on same course another TT bike (don’t want to give bad propaganda to any of the other brands as it could be a slight body position change that I did not reckon) only went 37.6 kph, on a standalone out and back 15k TT, the difference for the same wattage was 40.7 to 39.5 kph. Perhaps the new models aerobars are more adjustable, but the older ones were limited on fore-aft and angle movement, so take a lot of measurements to ensure the geometry works for you.
Anyway, I think it is one of the most underrated bikes out there.
From what I’ve read the fit envelope is pretty limited, so make sure it can actually fit you, but other than that looks like a solid ride
.
Giant is the biggest manufacturer in the bike business. They extend well beyond frames which is a blessing and a curse.
To bring down the cost of their builds they have a long history of using proprietary parts. When these work well they provide great value for money. When they don’t work well it becomes a big headache to change things around. For example they went through a number of iterations of the front hydration system because the original ones just didn’t work well. Similarly the brake cable routing on the original models was a hot mess which they addressed with time. I am not sure which model you are referring to but the current Advanced Pro frame relies on a proprietary front end. If their are gremlins in the design it may be difficult to find a replacement.
The general criticism I would lay against Giant is that appear to spend a ton of effort re-inventing the wheel in overly complicated ways in an attempt to save some money. Their ‘connect’ hydraulic brake system is a good example. It saves Giant money on bike builds but is a visual catastrophe and is overly complex to bleed. Historically their front ends have been similar but with every generation they appear to be getting better. I just wonder what they could have done if they would have focused their efforts elsewhere.
Giant is the biggest manufacturer in the bike business. They extend well beyond frames which is a blessing and a curse.
I can’t comment on the TT frame, but I have one of their cyclocross bikes and, although I love the ride, the proprietary components are no joke. I broke the front fork a few years ago and replacing it was a massive pain in the ass because of their Overdrive fork. Only they produce it, so it was way more expensive to replace since I couldn’t buy an off the shelf carbon fork.
Dan has an article posted that shows the stack and reach charts for some of the popular tri bikes, including Giant. As someone mentioned, the stack/reach range for the giant is a bit more limited than others, so careful when comparing your numbers.
I have a couple of buddies that have them and like them a lot.
Things I personally don’t like, which is strictly personal preference:
I’ve got a 2012 Giant Trinity, with Ultegra & Dura-Ace setup. It’s been a great bike, a massive upgrade from the entry-level Fuji I previously rode. I’ve upgraded the Trinity’s stock saddle, wheels, and arm pads, but all the other original gear works fine. It was a bargain.
I have a 2019 Giant Trinity Advanced Pro 1 and it is awesome. I have HED wheels, and a Fizik saddle on it but other than that all the other components are original. The thing is super comfortable and I absolutely love how it looks. I love having the integrated power meter and I am loving Di2 (which is new to me). I think the Trinity is one of the best deals around if it fits you.
I own this frame and it has been great through the 1st year. Love the built in hydration and storage! Wish it was easier to get some angle on the aero bars but otherwise the fit has been really good.
I have a Giant Trinity, the base model from 2014, and I really like the bike even if the components are not the best. The reason: it is the most stable bike I own in the wind at any speed.
I have been in windy races and watched bike get blown right off the road. My Trinity just keeps cruising along and I don’t even have to get off the aerobars. I used to ride a road bike with add on aerobars and it was work just to keep the bike on a straight line. I bought my Trinity after a few years of competition and I would never go back to my old system. Getting off the Trinity after a 70.3 I am ready to run, off the road bike setup I was pretty tired before my first stride out of transition.
This is just my experience, I imagine adding different components might affect the stability. How much I don’t know.
I also like the aero features for the Trinity, with the brake assemblies out of the wind and the complimentary behind the seat bottle holder. Not sure if they still offer the latter, but I am still using the one that came with my bike.