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Dolan Ares 3.0 vs Giant Propel Advanced
Pick up to 4 bikes. Rows line up component by component. Highlighted rows differ, and green marks the best value where lower or higher is clearly better.
Key differences
- The Giant Propel Advanced starts £1 cheaper (£2,499 vs £2,500 for the Dolan Ares 3.0).
- Our verdict scores the Giant Propel Advanced higher overall: 79/100 vs 76/100.
- The Dolan Ares 3.0 comes in 5 sizes, the Giant Propel Advanced in 6.
Dolan Ares 3.0
Giant Propel Advanced
| DolanAres 3.0 | GiantPropel Advanced | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Brand | Dolan | Giant |
| Build | Ares 3.0 Shimano 105 R7170 Di2 | Propel Advanced 0 |
| Build notes | Configurable build: the listed price is the default spec (no power meter, Mavic Ksyrium 30 Disc alloy wheels, Deda Zero2 alloy bar and Superbox stem, stock Pearl White paint). Custom single (+£199.98) or multi-colour (+£399.98) paint, carbon cockpits, deeper wheels and other saddles and tyres cost extra. A 4iiii Precision 3+ power meter is a +£269.99 option. | Azurite Blue. EUR price from Giant Germany. Not listed on Giant's US site. |
| Price (MSRP) | £2,500£2,500£2,500 | €4,800€4,800£4,199 |
| Model year | 2026 | 2027 |
| Generation | — | Fourth-generation Propel (2026) |
| Launched | — | 2026-03 |
| Discipline | Aero road | Aero road |
| UCI legal | Yes | Not stated |
| Verdict (out of 100) | ||
| Overall score | 76 | 79 |
| Aero | 70 | 80 |
| Frame | 66 | 80 |
| Components | 64 | 64 |
| Fit | 76 | 78 |
| Practicality | 82 | 72 |
| Price | 100 | 100 |
| Frame & fork | ||
| Frame material | Carbon fibre | Carbon (Advanced-grade composite, one-piece front triangle) |
| Fork material | Carbon (New Ares carbon fork) | Carbon (Advanced-grade composite, full-composite D-shaped OverDrive Aero steerer) |
| Frame weight | 1,100 g2.43 lb | 863 g30.4 oz |
| Fork weight | — | 410 g14.5 oz |
| Frameset weight | — | 1,619 g3.57 lb |
| Weight measured on | Approximate frame-only weight from Dolan's FAQ (size not stated) | Giant's figures for a size M unpainted production frame and fork; the frameset total adds the seatpost and clamp, derailleur hangers, expander, top cap, spacers and headset bearings |
| Max system weight | 120 kg264.6 lb | — |
| Frame sizes | XS, S, M, L, XL | XS, S, M, M/L, L, XL |
| Colours | Pearl White (stock); custom single or multi-colour paint from Dolan's in-house range (Power Red, Sky Blue, Royal Blue, Night Black, Army Green, Cosmic Orange, Hot Pink, Ice White, Speed Yellow, Amethyst Purple and candy/chameleon finishes) | Azurite Blue (Advanced 0), Carbon/Stealth Chrome and Meteor Storm (Advanced 1), White and Mach Blue (Advanced 2) |
| Also available as | — | Propel Advanced Pro: the same frame with an Advanced SL-grade fork and a one-piece bar and stem; Propel Advanced SL: Advanced SL-grade frame with an integrated seatpost |
| UCI frame approval | Dolan states the frame and fork are UCI approved | — |
| Compatibility & standards | ||
| Brake type | Hydraulic disc, flat mount | Hydraulic disc |
| Wheel size | 700c | 700c |
| Max tire width | 32 mm | 32 mm |
| Bottom bracket standard | T47 threaded (68mm, external) | Press-fit |
| Front axle | 12 mm thru-axle (flush) | 12x100 thru-axle |
| Rear axle | 12 mm thru-axle (flush) | 12x142 thru-axle |
| Drivetrain compatibility | Mechanical and electronic groupsets; sold with Shimano 105/Ultegra/Dura-Ace Di2 or SRAM Rival/Force/Red AXS E1 | — |
| Mechanical shifting possible | Yes | — |
| Cable routing | Fully internal | Fully internal through the bar and stem, the D-shaped steerer and the frame |
| Hydration & storage | ||
| Bottle mounts | 2 | — |
| Bottle mount locations | — | Down tube and seat tube, with Giant's tube-specific aero bottle cages |
| Fit & adjustability | ||
| Cockpit | Cables routed internally through a standard two-piece Deda bar and Superbox stem; Alpina one-piece carbon bar optional | Two-piece aero bar and stem (Giant Contact SL Aero), internally routed |
| Standard stem and bar possible | Yes | — |
| Seatpost type | Ares carbon aero seatpost (supplied) | Giant Vector composite aero seatpost, -5/+15 mm offset |
| Saddle position range | — | -5 to +15 mm offset |
| Aerodynamics | ||
| Manufacturer aero claims | Dolan describes the frame as aero-profiled and wind-defying but publishes no drag figures | — |
| Testing method | None published | AeroSystem Shaping tube profiles developed with CFD modelling and wind-tunnel testing across a range of yaw angles |
| Tube profile | — | Truncated ellipse tubing (AeroSystem Shaping) |
| Travel, maintenance & warranty | ||
| Derailleur hanger | — | UDH |
| Proprietary parts | — | D-shaped steerer and spacers, Contact SL Aero stem, Vector aero seatpost |
| Frame warranty | Lifetime warranty on Dolan frames and forks bought after 1 January 2024 | — |
| Sold via | Direct from Dolan (online and its showroom) | — |
| Drivetrain | ||
| Groupset | Shimano 105 Di2 R7100 | Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8100 |
| Launched | 2022 · current generation | 2021 · current generation |
| Speeds | 12-speed | 12-speed |
| Electronic | Yes | Yes |
| Drivetrain | 2x12 | 2x |
| Shifters | Shimano 105 Di2 ST-R7170 | Shimano Ultegra Di2 ST-R8170 |
| Crankset | Shimano 105 R7100 | Shimano Ultegra R8100 |
| Chainrings | 50/34 or 52/36 | 52/36 |
| Crank length | — | 165 (XS, S) / 170 (M, M/L) / 172.5 (L, XL) |
| Crank lengths available | 165-175 mm | — |
| Bottom bracket | Sugino T47 EX-IDS24 68mm | Shimano Press-fit |
| Standard | T47 threaded (68mm) | Press-fit |
| Front derailleur | Shimano 105 Di2 R7150 | Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8150 |
| Rear derailleur | Shimano 105 Di2 R7150 | Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8150 |
| Cassette | Shimano 105 R7100 | Shimano Ultegra R8100 |
| Range | 11-36 or 11-34 | 11-34 |
| Speeds | 12-speed | 12-speed |
| Chain | Shimano CN-M6100 | Shimano CN-M8100 |
| Brakes | ||
| Brake levers | — | Shimano Ultegra Di2 ST-R8170 |
| Brake calipers | Shimano 105 BR-R7170 | Shimano Ultegra |
| Type | Hydraulic disc | Hydraulic disc |
| Rotors | Shimano SM-RT70 | Shimano RT-CL700 |
| Front rotor | 160 mm | 160 mm |
| Rear rotor | 140 mm | 140 mm |
| Mount | Center Lock | — |
| Wheels & tires | ||
| Wheelset | Mavic Ksyrium 30 Disc | Giant SLR 2 50 WheelSystem |
| Front rim depth | — | 50 mm |
| Rear rim depth | — | 50 mm |
| Material | Aluminium | Carbon |
| Hubs | — | Giant Aero Hub (front), Giant Aero Hub with 3-pawl driver (rear), Center Lock, 12 mm thru-axles |
| Spokes | — | Sapim |
| Notes | Upgrades include Mavic Cosmic S 42 / SL 45 / SL 65, Zipp 404-S, Alpina A5D 50 mm and Zipp 404 Firecrest | — |
| Tires | Vittoria Zaffiro Pro V | Giant Gavia Course |
| Tire width | 25 mm | 28 mm |
| Set up tubeless | — | Yes |
| Widths available | 25, 28 or 32 mm | — |
| Cockpit | ||
| Handlebar | Deda Zero2 DCR | Giant Contact SL Aero |
| Type | — | Two-piece aero bar and stem |
| Integrated stem | — | No |
| Widths available | 40, 42, 44 or 46 cm (outside to outside), set by frame size | 380/360 mm (XS, S), 400/370 mm (M, M/L), 420/390 mm (L, XL), drops/hoods |
| Tops | — | Aero (flat tops) |
| Cable routing | — | Internal |
| Material | Aluminium | — |
| Notes | Upgrades: Deda SuperZero RS DCR carbon bar (+£249.98) or a one-piece Alpina carbon bar and stem (+£249.98, 38-44 cm centre to centre, 90-140 mm) | — |
| Stem | Deda Superbox | Giant Contact SL Aero |
| Stem length | 60-140 mm (80-120 mm by frame size as standard) | 80 (XS) / 90 (S) / 100 (M) / 110 (M/L, L) / 120 (XL) |
| Headset | Alpina 1-1/8" | — |
| Saddle & seatpost | ||
| Saddle | Selle Italia X3 Boost Flow | Giant Fleet SL |
| Seatpost | Dolan Ares carbon aero seatpost | Giant Vector |
| Offset / setback | — | -5/+15 mm |
| Material | Carbon | Carbon |
| Bar tape | — | Giant Stratus Lite 2.0 |
| Geometry (smallest – largest size) | ||
| Sizes | XS, S, M, L, XL | XS, S, M, M/L, L, XL |
| Rider height min | 152–188 cm5′0″–6′2″ | 157–189 cm5–6′2″ |
| Rider height max | 160–196 cm5′3″–6′5″ | 169–199 cm5′7″–6′6″ |
| Stack | 514–592 mm20.2–23.3″ | 515–596 mm20.3–23.5″ |
| Reach | 373–404 mm14.7–15.9″ | 377–412 mm14.8–16.2″ |
| Seat tube angle | 73–75° | 72.5–74.5° |
| Head tube angle | 71.5–73.5° | 71.5–73° |
| Head tube length | 105–180 mm4.1–7.1″ | 115–200 mm4.5–7.9″ |
| Effective top tube | 511–585 mm20.1–23″ | 520–600 mm20.5–23.6″ |
| Seat tube length | 460–540 mm18.1–21.3″ | 484–595 mm19.1–23.4″ |
| Chainstay | — | 405 mm15.9″ |
| Wheelbase | 968–1,009 mm38.1–39.7″ | 971–1,020 mm38.2–40.2″ |
| BB drop | — | 67–72 mm2.6–2.8″ |
| Fork offset | — | 45 mm1.8″ |
| Trail | — | 58.3–67.8 mm2.3–2.7″ |
| Standover | — | 746–847 mm29.4–33.3″ |
| Wheel size | 700c | 700c |
| Crank length | 170–175 mm6.7–6.9″ | 165–172.5 mm6.5–6.8″ |
| Stem length | 80–120 mm3.1–4.7″ | 80–120 mm3.1–4.7″ |
| Handlebar width | 400–460 mm15.7–18.1″ | 380–420 mm15–16.5″ |
Geometry overlay
Pick a size for each bike to see frames and arm-pad ranges on top of each other.
Drawn to scale (how to read it).