Zwift’s latest release includes an update to the Propel, Giant’s flagship aero racing bike. The new bike, named the “Propel Advanced SL Team”, is the latest 2026 version. It effectively replaces the Propel Advanced SL Disc in Zwift’s Drop Shop, which was based on Giant’s 2018 model. The Zwift colorway matches the IRL frameset available from Giant:
On Zwift, you’ll need to be updated to game version 1.116+ to see this bike in the Drop Shop. You’ll also need to be at level 40+ with 1,700,000 Drops to buy it. Here’s how it’s described in the Drop Shop:
From breakaways to the final sprint. On flat roads, climbs or descents. The reengineered Propel Advanced SL cuts through wind and maximizes watts, optimizing your energy through every dimension of speed. It’s a bike with pro pedigree and undeniable aerodynamic data, but the all-new Propel isn’t built only for the wind tunnel or the Tour de France. It’s engineered to deliver ultimate speed for all riders.
See our master list of all frames in Zwift >
It’s rated 3 stars for aero and 4 stars for weight, like other top all-arounders on Zwift. But that’s actually a sizeable group of bikes at this point. So how does it actually perform? Since Zwift’s 4-star system isn’t the most granular performance metric, we ran this frame through our precise tests to measure performance in nerd-level detail. Let’s dive in!
Note: test results below are from a 75kg, 183cm rider holding 300W steady using Zwift’s stock 32mm Carbon wheelset on the un-upgraded version of the frame, unless otherwise noted. Test results have an error margin of approximately 1 second.
Aero (Flat/Rolling) Performance
The new Propel is a solid performer on the flats, reflecting its IRL aero performance. It puts ~5 seconds into the older Propel across an hour of flat riding.
The frame’s time puts it 61.7 seconds ahead of our baseline frame across an hour of riding. That’s just behind the handful of leading aero frames in Zwift, which are led by the new Cervelo S5 at 63.5 seconds.
Climb Performance
The latest Propel Advanced SL is lighter than previous versions, and this shows in how much its climb time improved over the previous Propel, trimming ~18 seconds off across an hour of climbing.
The frame’s climb test time puts it 43.5 seconds ahead of the baseline frame after an hour, which is ~14 seconds behind the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8.
Upgrading Your Giant Propel Advanced SL Team Frame on Zwift
Like all frames in Zwift, the Propel Advanced SL Team can be upgraded in five stages. It uses the Distance, High-End upgrading scheme, giving it the following characteristics:
Performance At Each Upgrade Stage
This chart shows how many seconds this frame will save across 1 hour of riding compared to our stage 0 baseline frames (Zwift Carbon or TT). This is based on a 75kg rider, 183cm tall, at 300 watts, riding on tarmac.
Upgrade Stages (Distance, High-End)
- 200km: Aero Upgrade for 100k Drops
- 260km: Weight Upgrade for 200k Drops
- 320km: Drivetrain Upgrade for 350k Drops
- 380km: Aero Upgrade for 500k Drops
- 440km: Weight Upgrade for 750k Drops
Conclusions
The new Propel Advanced SL from Giant is a strong all-arounder, and the best-performing bike Giant has had in game thus far. That’s notable in itself.
It holds its own in terms of aero performance, and while it loses a bit to the category-leading Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 and Cannondale SuperSix EVO LAB71 Team superbikes on the climbs, it’s in the second group just behind along with the Canyon Aeroad 2024 and Wilier Filante SLR ID2. (The Pinarello Dogma F 2024 is somewhere between those two groups.)
It’s a strong improvement over the previous generation of the Propel Advanced SL, so if you’re a fan of Giant, this is the bike you’ll want to race on Zwift.
We’ll be adding this bike to the following posts soon:
- Zwift Shopping Guide: What To Buy from the Drop Shop at Each Level
- The Top 10 Road Bikes in Zwift
- Zwift Speed Tests: Frame Ranking Charts
- A Complete List of Zwift Bike Frames (added)
Questions or comments?
What do you think of Giant’s updated Propel in Zwift? Share below…
Important note: this post contains speed test results for Zwift frames or wheels. These results may change over time, and a bike's performance relative to others may also change. We don't always revise posts when performance rankings change, but we do keep current, master versions of our speed test results which are always available. See the frame charts, wheel charts, and Tron vs Top Performers for current performance data.
