Among professional riders and cycling magazine reviewers, the Propel, which retails in the U.S. for $2,200-$9,000 depending on the model, is more than a high-performance racing bicycle. It’s an engineering marvel.
It’s so light you can lift it with one hand. It’s so fast, promising to shave 12 to 36 seconds off race time over 40 kilometers (25 miles), that it was picked by German rider John Degenkolb for a final sprint in this year’s Tour de France.
The Propel, named Cycling Plus Magazine’s "Bike of the Year" both this year and last, isn’t the handiwork of prestige Italian or North American brands such as Cannodale, Colnago, Pinarello or Cervélo. It’s made by Taiwan’s Giant Manufacturing Co., the biggest bike manufacturer in the world better known until recently as a contract manufacturer for Trek, Scott and other bikes—not for its high-end, carbon-fiber racing bicycles.
"I think Giant’s technical prowess and abilities are amongst the very best in the whole industry," said Warren Rossiter, senior technical editor for road for the London-based magazine group that publishes Cycling Plus and Bikeradar, and whose team tests more than 200 bikes a year. "Giant may lack the cachet of historic Italian or American innovators like Cannondale, but for those in the know, the Giant brand represents truly cutting-edge design and technology."
But while serious enthusiasts now recognize Giant’s engineering and design chops, casual riders haven’t always—some even spray paint away Giant’s logo on the frame. So to improve its image overseas, Giant is planning an expansion in the U.S., from the 125 bike shops now offering Giant bikes as at least half of their inventory to 155 by the end of next near, adding to the almost 1,000 stores that carry Giant bikes in lesser proportions with other models.
Still, Giant wants consumers to know that its selling strategy is based on quality, not flash. "Tony" Lo Hsiang-an, the chief executive officer of three decades, said he realizes Giant is "not as sexy as some of the brands." He said in a 90-minute interview in a bike workroom at headquarters in Taiwan’s west coast city of Taichung that the brand’s image is improving, because innovation speaks for itself.
"Strategy wise, we have no intention to become just a very fancy brand," he said. "Our root is still technology and quality. Everything we do, we must have very good reasons why we do that. I think some brands, they are more marketing, more talk, but I believe ours should be real."
by Sheridan Prasso and Cindy Wang, Bloomberg | Read more:
Image: Maurice Tsui
It’s so light you can lift it with one hand. It’s so fast, promising to shave 12 to 36 seconds off race time over 40 kilometers (25 miles), that it was picked by German rider John Degenkolb for a final sprint in this year’s Tour de France.
The Propel, named Cycling Plus Magazine’s "Bike of the Year" both this year and last, isn’t the handiwork of prestige Italian or North American brands such as Cannodale, Colnago, Pinarello or Cervélo. It’s made by Taiwan’s Giant Manufacturing Co., the biggest bike manufacturer in the world better known until recently as a contract manufacturer for Trek, Scott and other bikes—not for its high-end, carbon-fiber racing bicycles. "I think Giant’s technical prowess and abilities are amongst the very best in the whole industry," said Warren Rossiter, senior technical editor for road for the London-based magazine group that publishes Cycling Plus and Bikeradar, and whose team tests more than 200 bikes a year. "Giant may lack the cachet of historic Italian or American innovators like Cannondale, but for those in the know, the Giant brand represents truly cutting-edge design and technology."
But while serious enthusiasts now recognize Giant’s engineering and design chops, casual riders haven’t always—some even spray paint away Giant’s logo on the frame. So to improve its image overseas, Giant is planning an expansion in the U.S., from the 125 bike shops now offering Giant bikes as at least half of their inventory to 155 by the end of next near, adding to the almost 1,000 stores that carry Giant bikes in lesser proportions with other models.
Still, Giant wants consumers to know that its selling strategy is based on quality, not flash. "Tony" Lo Hsiang-an, the chief executive officer of three decades, said he realizes Giant is "not as sexy as some of the brands." He said in a 90-minute interview in a bike workroom at headquarters in Taiwan’s west coast city of Taichung that the brand’s image is improving, because innovation speaks for itself.
"Strategy wise, we have no intention to become just a very fancy brand," he said. "Our root is still technology and quality. Everything we do, we must have very good reasons why we do that. I think some brands, they are more marketing, more talk, but I believe ours should be real."
by Sheridan Prasso and Cindy Wang, Bloomberg | Read more:
Image: Maurice Tsui
