{"id":551039,"date":"2026-07-15T13:52:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T13:52:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/551039\/"},"modified":"2026-07-15T13:52:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T13:52:19","slug":"luke-plapps-giant-propel-advanced-sl-weighs-only-7-1kg-ready-to-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/551039\/","title":{"rendered":"Luke Plapp’s Giant Propel Advanced SL weighs only 7.1kg ready to race"},"content":{"rendered":"

Luke Plapp has been riding in support of Jayco-AlUla team leader Ben O\u2019Connor in the 2026 Tour de France. <\/p>\n

That has meant he\u2019s finished in the peloton in every stage of the Tour so far, with his highest placing 42nd on stage 1. He finished fifth overall at this year\u2019s Tour of Romandie in early May.<\/p>\n

Plapp and the Jayco-AlUla team ride a Giant-heavy bike configuration, with Plapp\u2019s Propel Advanced SL<\/a> aero bike equipped with wheels and components from Giant\u2019s Cadex<\/a> performance brand.<\/p>\n

7.1kg weight
\n\"LukeThe 7.1kg weight is impressively low for an aero bike. Our Media<\/p>\n

Giant is one of the few brands to still use a seat mast rather than a separate seatpost, although this is confined to its highest-spec Propel and TCR Advanced SL<\/a> framesets; the Advanced Pro and standard Advanced framesets of both bikes have a separate seatpost.<\/p>\n

\"LukeAdvanced SL-grade Propel and TCR framesets have a seat mast rather than a seatpost. Our Media<\/p>\n

The seat mast helps to lower weight and, Giant claims, increases compliance. <\/p>\n

When the latest-generation Propel was launched in March, Giant quoted a 6.56kg weight for the top-spec Advanced SL 0 in size M. That\u2019s borne out by Plapp\u2019s bike, which we measured at 7.1kg \u2013 impressively light for an aero bike<\/a> that\u2019s ready to race and, with Plapp\u2019s 1.81m height, in a larger size. It weighs only 100g more than Remco Evenepoel’s Specialized Tarmac SL9<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"LukeGiant’s one-piece cockpit helps lower weight and improve aerodynamics in the 2026 Propel Advanced SL. Our Media<\/p>\n

At the same time, Giant claims the new Propel is 18.4 watts faster. It has reduced the 2026 Propel\u2019s frontal area, swapped to a one-piece cockpit and developed the more aero Cadex Max 50<\/a> wheel\/tyre system to achieve this.<\/p>\n

30mm tyres
\n\"LukeThe Cadex Max 50 wheels on Plapp’s Propel have spokes bonded to the hubshell. Our Media<\/p>\n

The Max 50 wheels also help keep Plapp\u2019s bike\u2019s weight down, to a claimed 1,290g. They include carbon spokes that are fused to the hub flanges, which Cadex claims helps increase stiffness. Internal nipples enable them to be trued.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Plapp is running 30mm Cadex Aero tyres. Simon von Bromley \/ Our Media
\n\"LukeThe rear tyre measured even wider at 31mm. Our Media<\/p>\n

The 22.4mm internal-width hookless rim is paired with Cadex Aero tyres<\/a>. Plapp is riding these in 30mm nominal width, following the pro trend for fitting wider tyres<\/a>, although the consumer bikes are fitted with 28s. They measure a little wider still at 30.5mm front and 31mm rear. The frame has clearance to go even wider at 32mm.<\/p>\n

\"LukePlapp’s hoods measure just outside the UCI minimum width. Our Media<\/p>\n

Plapp has also gone with the pros\u2019 preference for a narrower bar. His bike\u2019s is 360mm across the tops and 395mm across the drops with a 130mm equivalent stem length. <\/p>\n

The narrow tops and slightly in-turned levers place the hoods 285mm between their inside edges, just outside the 280mm minimum<\/a> set by the UCI. There\u2019s a neat aero mount for Plapp\u2019s Garmin.<\/p>\n

\"LukePlapp’s crankset has seen some wear. Our Media
\n\"LukeIt’s paired with an 11-34t cassette and a newer-looking derailleur. Our Media<\/p>\n

Jayco-AlUla\u2019s bikes are fitted with Shimano Dura-Ace groupsets. Plapp\u2019s 54-40t power meter crankset looks well-worn and he also has Dura-Ace pedals fitted. Out-back, there\u2019s an 11-34t Dura-Ace cassette and Plapp is running a waxed chain<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"LukePlapp’s Propel is fitted with a Cadex Amp 3D-printed saddle. Our Media<\/p>\n

Finishing parts include a Cadex Amp 3D-printed saddle with a 147g claimed weight. <\/p>\n

Plapp\u2019s 13g Elite Leggero Carbon bottle cages are, along with the groupset, the only non-Giant parts on his bike.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Luke Plapp has been riding in support of Jayco-AlUla team leader Ben O\u2019Connor in the 2026 Tour de…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":551040,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[61,60,82],"class_list":["post-551039","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-science","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-science"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/551039","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=551039"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/551039\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/551040"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=551039"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=551039"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=551039"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}