Riding a bicycle, someone wants to be a warrior and storm steep peaks, as if they were fortress walls. Someone wants to be a pirate, breaking through the peloton and speeding down the slope, cutting through it like Douglas Fairbanks cut through a sail in The Black Pirate.

And me? I love being a ninja. And for that, I sit on the black Giant TCR Advanced SL 1.

It’s not just about its dark color (in fact, the most serious racers would even ride a bright pink bike if it allowed them to go faster). No, the true essence of a ninja is in its behavior on the track – smooth and silent.

The imposing head tube is compensated by almost rectangular top and down tubes, giving the bike a resemblance to a stealth bomber and providing amazing stability. In the past, many complained about the unpleasant vibration inherent in the Advanced SL range, but I flew over the gravel almost as smoothly as on flat asphalt.

The Dura-Ace groupset is rightly considered a gem of Shimano, and it performs excellently, even compared to more expensive high-end components. The chain never drops, the gears never jam.

There is one controversial point: the integrated seatpost, which can be a sore subject among cyclists. Giant is one of the few companies that still offer a version with a carbon seatpost, which needs to be cut to the desired length and secured with a telescopic mast and a clamping bolt. This design is much lighter than the usual one, but it eliminates any possibility of adjustment “on the go”. In the ML assembly (53.5 mm), I was satisfied with reducing the seatpost by 2-3 centimeters, but variability is still important to me, and if I were buying the bike myself, I would choose a model with a standard adjustable seatpost.

I’m not entirely clear on how a bicycle with such speed and functionality can cost less than $7000. Partly, this is explained by the mechanical gear shifting of the Dura-Ace instead of the electronic Di2, as well as Giant’s own P-SLR1 wheels. Partly, it’s because Giant has its own composite manufacturing plant (only Time can boast of a similar feature among major bike manufacturers).

In general, yes: it is cheaper than many bikes I have tested, but if you consider that it allows you to compete with riders who have spent twice as much on their bicycles, then it’s just spare change. Don’t believe me? Ask the professionals. Luis León Sánchez won one of the stages of last year’s Tour de France on a Rabobank special edition Advanced SL, and Robert Gesink won the Tour of California 2012 on the same bike. Of course, I won’t come close to beating their time, but I can easily understand how they achieved victory on such a bicycle.

• Pros:A black-black bike will make you the main ninja in the neighborhood. Performance and quality that have no analogues at such a price.
• Cons:The seatpost cannot be freely adjusted. People and passing cars like to catch ninjas and knock them off their saddles.