Compact Road

Having been on the road for twelve years, Giant’s Compact Road philosophy continues to affirm itself as the premier road frame design. When Mike Burrows, the father of Compact Road, sat down to create this revolutionary design, his goals were simple: build the lightest, stiffest and most responsive frame—period. Burrows’ goals were first accomplished in the Giant TCR alloy framesets and, later, the design expanded to include all of Giant TCR, Trinity, OCR, SCR and FCR models.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND COMPACT GEOMETRY

By effectively sloping the top tube downward toward the seatstays, Burrows was able to reduce the overall size of the front and rear frame triangles, resulting in the now-distinctive compact layout. Functionally, the compact configuration reduces weight and increases lateral rigidity. As a result, the frame accelerates faster thanks to less energy loss through unwanted flex. Stiffer is more efficient, but it doesn’t always offer the most comfortable ride. To address this, Giant engineers are careful to include just the right amount of vertical compliance (a good thing) into each Compact Road Design for increased forgiveness and control.

A full range of sizes (up to seven in some series) assures that riders of every size can find their ideal fit. Compact Road is a race-proven design that’s won both multiple Tour stages and countless weeknight crits, but is still perfect for the everyday rider who thrives on exploring their local back roads. In fact, Compact Road has proven itself so successful that just about every other manufacturer has adopted its benefits. The Compact Road revolution has only just begun…