Race day ready

Giant TCR Advanced SL0 Disc

£9499 Future superbike

The 2021 Giant TCR is the ninth iteration of the compact-framed race machine that debuted two decades ago, back in 1997. There is, however, nothing ‘nineties’ about this superbike.

At the heart of all the Advanced SL models is a new way of manufacturing carbon-fibre frames (as outlined in issue 368, One Giant Leap), which in summary involves Giant weaving its own carbon-fibre sheets in-house to exacting specifications, and cutting each piece used in the frame with highly accurate, laser-cutting tools. That means over 500 precisely cut pieces make up the frame (compared to the previous model’s 380).

There is also a new method used to bind it all together in the form of a carbon-nanotube infused resin that