The Giant Propel officially launched at the 2013 Tour Down Under in Adelaide, Australia, amidst claims of being "world’s fastest road bike". Since then, BikeRadar has reported that the Giant-Shimano team (Blanco in 2013) has been using a ‘team-issue’ brake instead of the stock semi-integrated mini-V carbon-fibre version. We first spotted it on with Mark Renshaw’s bike, and then on Marcel Kittel’s.
The brakes in question are the new BR-DX005 brakes from Swiss brand Fouriers. These rather simple looking brakes are CNC machined from a block of AL6061-T6 aluminium into a thin, elegant looking design. The key feature is a dual position setting that can cope with varying rim widths between race and training wheels, simply by moving the brake noodle.
Two cable positions make these brakes the perfect upgrade for people who often switch between wide race-day and standard training wheels
Our sample weighs 219g for the pair (with brake pads), and 246g including the mounting hardware and brake noodles.
They are sold as a complete set including Swissstop pads (your choice of either alloy or carbon specific versions), and they are priced at US$324.45 / €247.45 / AU$399.99 / £TBC.
Currently the main market for these brakes is Giant Propel owners, but we suspect there will be greater compatibility in future as more brands move to semi-integrated brake designs for aerodynamic benefits.
These aren’t to be confused with Marcel Kittel's well-known ‘break’ however:
Kittel bike throw
Video: Marcel Kittel throws bike