Giant’s Trinity is a fully equipped speed machine that's perfect for focused riders who want to fulfil their potential at a bargain price. It's a focused clock-beater, with a low ride position, uncompromising power delivery and a spec chosen for maximum speed.
Ride & handling: Blisteringly quick and superbly accurate
As soon as you climb onto the Trinity it’s very obvious this is a genuinely performance-focused bike with no tall head tube or high-rise aero bar concession to bad backs or ample age-grouper bellies. The very long, slightly kinked extensions are mounted underneath the wing bar and the pads very close to the top of the wing bar too. That means body position is low and aggressive in feel.
If you've got the flexibility to get down there and still pedal efficiently then you can obviously drop the spacers and get even flatter. The forward-set seating geometry is spot-on too, reducing the amount of shuffling around dramatically even when we were on the rivet trying to stay aero over shallow rises into the wind or winding a gear up to max on extended interval sessions.
That said, the broad-nosed time trial saddle does take a bit of adjusting to if you’re used to something less boxy between your legs. You definitely don’t have to worry about power delivery though, as the big FSA cranks and chunky stays feed all your hard-earned effort straight through to the rear wheel. There’s very little loss in twist between bars and back end when you’re out of the saddle either, and the lack of yaw helps keep the bike straighter and more efficient on the road when you’re chewing a big gear round.
The tip shifters and low bars mean it’s definitely more suited to Holland than the Himalayas. The heavier deep section alloy wheels take a bit longer to accelerate than standard rims too. Once you’ve got on top of the gear and speeds are into the high teens and beyond, the effort is obviously worth it. The extra momentum from their weight gives you an easy speed sustain on rolling terrain and the clean aerodynamics are obvious when speeds are high or headwinds strong.
The slipperiness of the whole bike and riding position in terms of aero drag is also noticeable on freewheeling descent tests. The real surprise is that all this speed doesn’t come at the expense of crippling discomfort. It's definitely a firm feeling bike through the saddle and the pedals, and you’ll know all about any rough sections you can’t avoid, but it's not as harsh as some other aero machines.
A lot of this is due to the impressive comfort levels of the shapely carbon fork which lets you stay tucked and trim through bad tarmac trauma without disturbing your rhythm. Despite the deep-section wheels being more prone to getting grabbed by gusts, the handling is assured and confident too. After a few minutes even novice aero bike riders were nonchalantly staying in full tuck on swirling crosswind descents, while experienced riders were happy carving flat-out kerb to kerb apex lines on quiet country roads.
Frame & equipment: Low-drag, high-power-transfer aero chassis plus race-ready kit
The short rounded head tube plus a deep, thin down tube and similarly shaped seat tube with half depth wheelhugger cutout and deep aero seatpost certainly create a very wind slippery front end. Chunky chainstays, very fat triangular seatstays and horizontal wheel slots for tuning tyre clearance keep it fast at the back, while cables are cleanly routed inside the mainframe. It’s not that heavy for an aero bike, and while the carbon-legged aero fork is weighty it’s still a very purposeful performance chassis.
Giant has certainly ticked all the equipment boxes for a serious attack on the clock. The carbon extensions of the Contact aero bars are low and long, and tip shifters help maintain aerodynamics on flatter, longer courses. While 42mm alloy rims add weight, they give the wheelset a tangible aerodynamic and momentum-retaining edge that’s more obvious at higher speeds.
The deep-armed, 53/42-toothed FSA chainset is heavy but rock solid under power and means you’re in no danger of running out of gear ratios either. The Shimano Ultegra/105 transmission is par for the price, the Tektro brakes are okay and the broad nosed Giant tri saddle helps make longer stints in a tuck less taxing on your tackle.
