Why the original Giant TCR from 1997 is one of the most influential road bikes ever

When Giant introduced the TCR way back in 1997, few would have predicted that it would still be influencing road bike design over a quarter of a century later, but that’s exactly what has happened. It’s hard to overstate the influence of this bike.

The 1997 TCR might not look radical by today’s standards, but that’s because so many other bikes have taken inspiration from aspects of its design and made them mainstream. That first TCR, the invention of the late British designer Mike Burrows – best known for his collaborative work on the Lotus 108 bike made by Lotus for Chris Boardman and used to win the 4,000m individual pursuit at the Barcelona Olympics – was unlike any other bike in professional racing at the time.

How come? TCR stands for Total Compact Road, and that’s a clue to what this bike is all about. Previously, the vast majority of road bikes were designed with horizontal top tubes and short seatposts, and the basic silhouette had remained essentially unaltered for decades.

However, the first-generation TCR changed all that. Its most striking feature was its top tube, which sloped downward from the head tube to the seat tube. This design made the bike look very different from all others in the pro peloton.

Mike Burrows and Giant argued that the Compact Road geometry offered a number of benefits. For a start, the sloping top tube led to a shorter seat tube and a smaller front triangle. The idea was that this resulted in a lighter and stiffer frame.

The shorter seat tube also meant that the rear triangle was smaller. This saved more frame weight and also, Giant said, improved power transfer and efficiency.

Granted, the TCR had a longer seatpost than rivals of the time so a little weight was added back in there, but that’s a relatively light component. Plus, longer seatposts could be aero-shaped to reduce drag or made from carbon fibre to add a little give. 

(The Bike Station Ltd)

Like most of its era, the original TCR, created for the pro racers of the Spanish Team ONCE, was made from aluminium alloy. Carbon-fibre bikes certainly existed at that time, but alu was still the frame material of choice for most.

TCR was also unusual in terms of fit. One of the ideas behind Compact Road geometry was that the low standover height meant a wide range of rider heights could be accommodated by the same frame. You would fine-tune your position by adjusting seatpost and stem lengths. The first TCR was available in just three frame sizes (small, medium, and large) and had an angle-adjustable quill stem that also came in three lengths (105mm, 120mm, and 135mm). This also meant that Giant could reduce the cost of developing different frame sizes.

Of course, the Giant TCR wasn’t the first bike ever to feature a sloping top tube, not by a long way, but it was probably the most influential, with loads of brands following suit with their high-end – and not so high-end – models in the years since 1997. Glance through our guide to the bikes of the 2024 Tour de France and you’ll see sloping top tubes all over the place and even more small rear triangles, which brands say leads to improved comfort and reduced drag.

Naturally, the Giant TCR has evolved massively over the years. The second-generation TCR (above), introduced in 2002, was the first with a full-composite frameset; Giant’s 2005 fourth-generation model was the first to be available in five sizes (the same as today); integrated cable routing came with the 5th generation (2008); and disc brakes were introduced on the eighth generation in 2016. 

Giant unveiled what it calls the “lightest, most efficient TCR ever” earlier this year. We’re up to the 10th generation now and although a lot has changed, it’s still recognisably a descendant of that original TCR with a focus on lightweight and stiffness. We’ll have a review of the £6,699 TCR Advanced Pro 0 AXS (above) on road.cc soon. 

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