The Giant Propel officially launched at the 2013 Tour Down Under in Adelaide, Australia, amidst claims of being "world’s fastest road bike". Since then, BikeRadar has reported that the Giant-Shimano team (Blanco in 2013) has been using a ‘team-issue’ brake instead of the stock semi-integrated mini-V carbon-fibre version. We first spotted it on with Mark Renshaw’s bike, and then on Marcel Kittel’s.
The brakes in question are the new BR-DX005 brakes from Swiss brand Fouriers. These rather simple looking brakes are CNC machined from a block of AL6061-T6 aluminium into a thin, elegant looking design. The key feature is a dual position setting that can cope with varying rim widths between race and training wheels, simply by moving the brake noodle.
![](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/39/2019/03/1400040088033-7iehmhp478oy-9d6dc02.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
Two cable positions make these brakes the perfect upgrade for people who often switch between wide race-day and standard training wheels
Our sample weighs 219g for the pair (with brake pads), and 246g including the mounting hardware and brake noodles.
They are sold as a complete set including Swissstop pads (your choice of either alloy or carbon specific versions), and they are priced at US$324.45 / €247.45 / AU$399.99 / £TBC.
Currently the main market for these brakes is Giant Propel owners, but we suspect there will be greater compatibility in future as more brands move to semi-integrated brake designs for aerodynamic benefits.
These aren’t to be confused with Marcel Kittel's well-known ‘break’ however:
Kittel bike throw
Video: Marcel Kittel throws bike