Approximately one year ago, I purchased a 2008 Giant Trinity Alliance triathlon bike from Bikesmiths bike shop in Bloomington, IN. I’ve since put over 4000 miles on the bike.
I’ve noticed that not many people own Giant Trinity Alliance tri bikes. I’ve gotten many comments–through email, forums, facebook, the like–from perspective buyers asking me what I think of my bike, if I’d recommend it, etc. While I don’t mind answering these sorts of questions (please feel free to continue to ask me questions if you’re interested in the bike!), I’d like to put my thoughts on the bike together into one detailed review, in the hopes that this post will reach prospective Trinity Alliance bike buyers.
Bike fit: I ride a size Small, at 5′8″ 145lbs. The bike has a 78 degree seat angle, which is awesome. I ride at a virtual seat angle of about 82-83 degrees by tipping the end of my Tri Stryke saddle with the tip of the saddle 1cm in front of the BB.
The bike is an oddball in terms of fit–long and somewhat tall. Most bikes tend either to be “long and low” (like Cervelo’s bikes) or “short and tall” (like Scott’s bikes). The “long and low” bikes tend to fit men who like to ride in a steep position, and the “tall and short” bikes tend to fit men who like to ride more slack, and long-legged morphologies such as women and some tall men.
The “reach” (horizontal distance between BB and head tube top) of the bike is 41.0cm, which is very long for a bike of its size–comparable to a size M or 54 in many other bike brands. It has a “stack” (vertical distance between BB and head tube top) of 51.7cm, which is on the tall side for a bike of its size. For reference, it’s not as low as a 51cm P2/P3, but it’s a bit longer. It has about the same stack as a Scott Plasma in a size S (commonly considered a “tall” bike), but it’s a lot longer. In fact, you have to go to the Plasma size L to get a Plasma with the same reach as the Trinity Alliance in a size S! So, the Trinity Alliance is a very long bike in a size S, though the larger sizes correspond a bit better with the larger sizes in some other brands. (source: Slowtwitch.com)
In summary, the stack/reach, combined with the variable angle seat clamp, provides a wide fit range that should allow a large number of people to get a decent fit on the bike, provided that you can handle the length of the bike in the smaller sizes. However, if you like to ride very long/low, or very short/tall, you’ll probably find a better bike fit on a bike specifically designed for that purpose, which is *not* the Giant.
As an aside, in my case, due to my long forearms and aggressive riding position, I ride so long and low that I’d be using a slammed adjustable stem even on a Cervelo, so the extra stack on this bike ended up not being a huge factor for me. I am, however, personally very happy with the extra length that this bike provides.
Handling: The handling of the bike is one of its greatest features. The 72 degree head tube angle and ample trail on the fork provides a very stable ride in the aero position. I have no bike-related concerns barreling down the Bloomington rollers at 45mph. I have never had a speed wobble on this bike. The carbon fiber frame tubes (seat tube, top tube, chain stay) seem to do a good job of providing comfort on long rides. I’m not strong enough to make any statements about frame stiffness.
Other frame considerations: These, in my opinion, are generally where the bike’s weaknesses are. The aero-style tubing seems to do a good job, but it’s not as aero as some of the wind-tunnel tested frames for other manufacturers. The bike does look aero, though, and there is definitely something to be said for the “placebo” affect of a bike that looks fast. The seat tube is definitely more aero than a round tube, and the down tube is decently sharp and streamlined.
The head tube is not particularly aero, so I use a Jetstream aerobottle to (possibly) help with the front end aerodynamics. There are water bottle bosses on the down tube and seat tube, though on the size S I have difficulty making large-size water bottles fit–it’s a really tight squeeze. The dropouts are rearward and semi-horizontal, which is a pain in the ass. I don’t think that the derailleur hanger is replaceable–another pain in the ass. The seat clamp requires an open-ended wrench to manipulate–yet another pain in the ass. The seatpost clamp is a standard 5mm hex key bolt, with the proper torque printed clearly on the seatpost, and since it’s a carbon fiber-on-carbon fiber clamp, it’s very important to torque this bolt correctly. The top tube has a nice flat portion on top near the tt/ht junction, which I use to velcro pepper spray (training) or Vittoria Pit Stop (races) to the frame. The internal cable routing is good, though I haven’t personally worked on the cables yet (I’m replacing the cables next week).
Other thoughts: The wheels are heavy, but pretty good. No major problems with them in 4000 miles. They are not aero in the slightest. I replaced many stock components (Sora rear derailleur, cockpit, and others) almost immediately, and some (crankset, Sora front derailleur) over time. The stock components I rode on were fine. My current component set up is much better though! Ultegra 9spd is a great compromise for me right now, as it’s a lot cheaper than even 105 10spd, and I’m not any slower because I don’t have that extra gear in the back.
Overall recommendation: If you are the type of rider who needs a long bike, this should definitely be a bike on your list. If you need a shorter bike, you may find yourself using a lot of headset spacers on a smaller size bike in the Giant line, which is not ideal. In terms of price, the Giant is very competitive, and their new 2009 all-Aluminum Trinity (not Trinity Alliance) seems to be an excellent value. Handling is excellent, out-of-box components are good, attention to detail seems to be a weakness. For me personally, I would give this bike a very strong 8.5/10, with the bike losing points due to its slightly unusual sizing and some poor frame details, but gaining points for its incredible value and brilliant handling.
Appendix 1: Bike specs.
Frame: 2008 Giant Trinity Alliance (A2 paint scheme), still using.
Fork: 2008 Giant Trinity Alliance (A2 paint scheme), still using.
Headset: Giant, still using.
Wheels: Xero XSR-1, still using.
Training tires: Maxxis Re-Fuse with butyl tubes.
Race wheels: Vuelta Carbon Tubular, 50mm rim depth. Purchased in April, have put about 400 miles on them, mostly races.
Race tires: Vittoria Evo Corsa CX Tubular, blue color. Latex tubes.
Cassette: SRAM PG950 9spd 11-26 cassette (stock).
Handlebars: Nashbar base bar, Oval single bend extensions. Replaced stock handlebars (Vision) at 0 miles.
Shifters: Shimano Dura-Ace 9spd shifters. Replaced stock shifters (Shimano Dura-Ace 9spd) at 0 miles.
Brake levers: Tektro. Replaced stock brake levers (Dia Compe 188 ) at 0 miles.
Stem: Dimension Adjustable 115mm, slammed to -40 degrees. Replaced stock stem at 0 miles.
Saddle: Profile Tri Stryke. Replaced stock saddle (Giant stock) at 0 miles.
Crankset: Shimano Tiagra Compact 50-34. Replaced stock crankset (FSA Gossamer 53-39) at about 2500 miles.
Pedals: Shimano R540.
Chain: SRAM 9spd chain.
Bottom Bracket: Shimano Octalink. Replaced stock bottom bracket (?) at about 2500 miles.
Front Derailleur: Shimano Ultegra 9spd. Replaced stock FD (Sora 9spd) at about 3000 miles.
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Ultegra 9spd. Replaced stock RD (Sora 9spd) at 0 miles.
Brake Calipers: Stock calipers. Replaced brake pads at 4000 miles. Use carbon brake pads when using race wheels.
