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About Giant
Giant Manufacturing was founded in 1972 in Dajia, Taichung County, Taiwan by King Liu and a small group of partners. Liu was 38 and starting over: an eel farm he had run had been wiped out by flooding. The new venture was a contract bicycle factory. In 1977, chief executive Tony Lo signed an OEM deal with Schwinn that would put Giant on the map. When the Schwinn workforce in Chicago struck in 1980, Giant filled the gap, and by the mid-1980s was building two-thirds of Schwinn’s bikes and counting Schwinn for 75% of its own sales.
The brand pivoted to selling under its own name in 1981. The TCR (Total Compact Road) frame, introduced in 1997 with sloping top tube geometry, was a structural departure from the parallel-top-tube convention of the era and became the template every major brand later copied. ONCE-Eroski raced the TCR to multiple Vuelta a España wins. T-Mobile and Rabobank rode Giant. CCC-Liv-Plantur, Sunweb, and Visma raced the Propel and TCR through the 2010s. Giant developed and patents its own carbon layup process and aluminum hydroforming techniques in-house, and most major brands’ carbon frames are built in Giant’s Taiwan and China factories under contract.
King Liu died on 16 February 2026 at age 93. Giant produces an estimated 6.6 million bicycles per year — more than any other manufacturer in the world — across road, MTB, gravel, e-bike, and urban platforms. Headquarters remain in Taichung, with US distribution through Giant Bicycles USA based in Newbury Park, California. The company also owns Liv Cycling, the women’s-specific bicycle brand, and Cadex, its premium components arm.
Most popular Giant models
Giant’s lineup spans every drop-bar and flat-bar discipline at every price tier, anchored by the same compact-geometry road platform that introduced the TCR silhouette in 1997. The road family runs from the TCR race bike through the Defy endurance platform and the Propel aero race bike; the gravel side is the Revolt; the MTB lineup spans Anthem XC, Trance trail, and Reign enduro; the e-bike side spans Trance E+ trail, Reign E+ enduro, and the Explore E+ urban platform.
The TCR is Giant’s WorldTour race bike, raced by Team Visma–Lease a Bike and built around the brand’s Advanced and Advanced SL carbon tiers. The Defy adds longer reach geometry and 35mm tire clearance for endurance and Paris-Roubaix style rides. The Propel is the integrated aero race bike. The Revolt is the gravel platform with up to 53mm tire clearance and the brand’s Flux suspension seatpost option. The Trance is the 140-150mm trail bike that anchors the MTB family, and the Trance E+ adds a Yamaha-designed SyncDrive motor for e-MTB riders. Bikes in this tier carry replacement values that homeowner’s policies frequently cap below, which is where stand-alone e-bike insurance fills the gap.
Giant's WorldTour race bike, raced by Team Visma-Lease a Bike. The 1997 Total Compact Road frame introduced sloping top tube geometry to the peloton, and the current Advanced and Advanced SL carbon tiers carry the same silhouette in T800/T1000 layups.
Giant's endurance road platform with longer reach geometry, D-Fuse seatpost vibration damping, and clearance for 35mm tires. Built for Paris-Roubaix style rides, gran fondos, and all-day comfort without giving up climbing-grade weight.
The integrated aero race bike with a fully-internal cockpit, deep-section carbon wheels, and a frame shape optimized for high-speed pack riding. Geometry mirrors the TCR with a more aggressive aero position.
The gravel platform with clearance for up to 53mm tires, D-Fuse seatpost and handlebar for vibration damping, and the option of a Flux compact suspension seatpost on Advanced trims. Built for gravel racing and bikepacking.
The 140mm front / 135mm rear trail bike that anchors Giant's MTB lineup. Maestro suspension linkage, mixed 29er and 27.5 wheel options, and a balanced geometry that climbs efficiently and descends harder than its travel numbers suggest.
The e-MTB version of the Trance with a Yamaha-developed SyncDrive Pro2 motor producing 85Nm of torque and a 800Wh EnergyPak battery integrated into the down tube. Same Maestro trail geometry, plus the climb and shuttle range that motor assist unlocks.
The enduro full-suspension platform — 170mm rear / 180mm front travel, Maestro suspension linkage, 29-inch wheels or mixed wheel configurations. Built for World Cup enduro racing and bike-park duty.
The XC race full-suspension platform — 100mm rear / 100mm front travel, ALUXX SLR aluminum or Advanced-Grade composite frame. Designed for marathon and short-track XC competition.
The entry-level full-suspension trail platform — FlexPoint Pro single-pivot rear linkage with 120mm rear / 130mm front travel, ALUXX aluminum frame. The sub-$2,000 introduction to full-suspension MTB.
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