RIDING THE PROPEL DISC
I tested the Propel Advanced SL 0 Disc over the course of two days in central France. The first ride was spent lapping the Magny-Cours motorsports race track where ACE is based. And though it was fun to make engine noises and zip around the traffic free-circuit, the perfect tarmac and its wide, sticky, turns, with mild elevation changes didn’t reveal much about the new bike.
However, the second ride in the hilly countryside of central France was quite eye-opening. What most struck me was how the Propel felt like a normal race bike. Aero frames, disc brakes, aero wheels, aero-shaped handlebars — these things usually work against a bike’s handling. But the Propel felt like a good modern race bike. It was lively, compliant, precise, and fast. That it also has (claimed) class-leading aerodynamics and disc brakes is some sweet, delicious, cream on top.
Punching hard up a rise, the frame’s bottom bracket stiffness and power transfer felt excellent. Giving everything in a flat sprint, the bar and stem yielded little, the front wheel tracked true, and there was little discernible wind up in the front triangle. Handling was sharp and fast – never darty or unpredictable – and the Propel Disc was not unsettled by rougher corners. Neither ride was particularly windy, so I wasn’t able to evaluate the bike’s cross-wind stability.
The frame did an admirable job of both dulling normal vibrations and sucking up bigger impacts, but enough rumble and grit filtered through to prevent a flat feeling, and remind you that, yes, the Propel Disc is a race bike.
The only complaint I can muster about the Propel is that it lacks jump. Though very stiff and reactive – this bike certainly goes – it doesn’t telegraph the feeling of explosive quickness, that fiery crackle and pop, that I associate with the very best race bikes. To be fair, no aero road bike (and very few disc-equipped race bikes) have this trait either. That the Propel Disc comes close is noteworthy.
Though I’ll say the Propel Disc is the most impressive disc equipped, aerodynamic road race bike I’ve ridden, there’s still a gap between it and the top race bikes. Giant’s non-aero TCR Advanced with rim brakes, for example, is one of the best race bikes available, and is smoother, lighter, quicker, and more lively than the Propel Disc.
But the Propel Disc is within striking distance of those leading race bikes – many of which are still non disc, and not fully aerodynamic – and it offers the control of disc brakes, and the efficiency of a fully aerodynamic frame. It’s almost game changing, and definitely class leading. – Matt Phillips