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Submitted by
trapreo
a Recreational Rider
from Date Reviewed: May 5, 2011
Strengths: Great frame. Better components. Balance of preformance and comfort.Weaknesses: Double would be better for those in good physical shape.Bottom Line: This is a 2004 but the option only let me put 05. Bought on craigslist and previous owner seemed axious to dump so I talked him down to 300. Right tiagra shifter ended up being broke so I had to put a few hundred into new tiagra shifters and tune up.He could have been honest and I still would have bought it. Bike came with upgraded stem and shimano wheel set so that kind of made up for that. I am a marathoner and wanted to get into road biking to cross train. After a few weeks of riding I think I am getting addicted. This bike is light, fast, and components are much better than you find on other entry level road bikes. Like other reviews have said the gem of this bike is the frame. Stiff and light for speed but comfortable to stay on for long rides. I would recommend this bike based on the frame alone. If you find one that needs some work to the components buy it right and head to the LBS. I would have prefered a double but have to admit that I have used the granny a couple of times when no one was looking. Frame shape does allow you to stay in the saddle more on steep hills. New version of this bike is the Giant Defy 2. I wouldn't put the money up for the Defy 1 because most reviews will tell you there is almost no differance between 105 and Tiagra components for wear or preformance.
Favorite Ride: Long, Hilly, Rural
Price Paid:
$300.00
Purchased At: Craigslist
Similar Products Used: Road Specialized Allez(Great frame too but lesser components on entry level)
Bike Setup: 2011 Tiagra STI, Tiagra front, 105 rear, Truvati crank(triple), Shimano Rims, Forgie stem, Specialized saddle, Hutchison tires.
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
MCB
a Commuter
from Date Reviewed: December 10, 2010
Strengths: Comfort, quickness, agility.Weaknesses: Seat, Wheels.Bottom Line: Fantastic beginner bike for the money. Good for commuting. Even used it in a few races.
Bought this bike to commute around 30 miles 3 days a week. Completely comfortable, fast and agile in the streets. Good for the money.
I never received a proper fitting from my LBS but after a few adjustments I was comfortable on my 45 minute commute. I recommend upgrading the seat if you do rides any longer than a couple of hours. Bike was surprisingly fast too. I have nothing to compare it to but other bikes that I demo'd or tested did not have the same quickness. Bike is also nimble. Necessary when riding though the city. Stable at all times, even on steep hills at 35mph+. Wheels after two years of urban abuse and 190 lbs started to crack, but I can't blame the bike for that. Slowly upgrading components now that I know how to care for them. Slowly stepping up to 105s as the needs arise and prices drop.
Favorite Ride: Canada
Price Paid:
$700.00
Purchased At: LBS
Bike Setup: Started with stock and after heavy commuting and a few races slowly upgrading to 105s: crank, drive, bb, calipers, hubs, wheels.
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
wiggles
a Commuter
from Date Reviewed: September 30, 2009
Strengths: 105 Rear Derailleur
Rear bosses for attachment of rack/fenders
great entry level bike for commuting/touring
decent 'stock' brake pads
My bike when stock had brake levers on the bars (similar to cyclocross) nice feature when your coming from 11years of mountain ridingWeaknesses: Saddle (selle royal viper) this was the most uncomfortable seat i have ever used - quickly upgraded to selle san marco.
Stock Michelin Tires - very prone to flats
Tiagra Shifters - after i took a hard spill the right side shifter wouldn't shift properly (no shift and ghost shift on accelerating)
Bottom Line: This review is for a 2004 Giant OCR2. I purchased it new in 3/2004 from the LBS, tested a few other bikes an '03 Raleigh, 04 specialized allez, trek 1200. Of this group the OCR felt the best. The OCR felt more responsive in steering, braking, and accelerating. I have used this bike for many local centuries, hill climbs, fun runs with friends, pub crawls, commuting, amateur racing, and grocery getting.
One of the greatest things about the frame is it has bosses on the back of the triangle for a Rack, and fenders so it can be ridden in all types of weather.
Short of taking a hard spill and damaging the right side shifter the bike is a great value and a perfect introduction into the world of road biking. I would highly recommend this bike to anyone looking for there first road bike or to a person who is looking for a dedicated commuter, with the giant ocr series you can't go wrong!
Price Paid:
$850.00
Purchased At: Taylors Bike Shop
Similar Products Used: first road bike but demoed the above bikes before purchasing this one
Bike Setup: The bike is no longer stock has the following changes:
Dura Ace Shifters/Brakes
FSA K-WING Bar
FSA Stem
LOOK keo pedals
Maxxis Xenith Hors Categorie for racing
Maxxis Detonator for commuting / training
Planet Bike Hardcore Freddy Fenders
Toppeak Explorer MTX Rack
Dinotte 200lumen head lamp and 140 tail light
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
alister207
a Commuter
from Date Reviewed: September 8, 2009
Strengths: Well specced for the money. Stiff frame. Has done a lot of kms on country roads. Comfortable ride and still fast.Weaknesses: Stock Alex rims. The back only lasted for about a 1000ks. I took it back to the shop so many times they got fed up with me and gave me a near new mavic Aksium which was a big improvement. Would have prefered a one tone paint job. The battleship grey makes it look a little dull.Bottom Line: Have so far ridden 9000Kms on this 2008 ocr2 stock model I got from new. I think its a great bike for the money and would definatley recommend one. The ally frame seems stiff - the only flex seems to come from the wheels. Its stable and corners well downhill and at speed. I've been up to 85km/h on a smooth downhill road and the bike felt secure and safe with no vibration at all. On the other hand at 60km/h on a rough county road surface the bike vibrated so much I thought it was going to fall apart (but it didn't). But that is probably as much to do with the road surface as the frame. The combo carbon ally forks do a good job in reducing road vibration and you can see them twitching away over rough surfaces. Also there is a carbon seat post which must also go some way to take the harshness out of an ally frame. I actually found the stock saddle the most comfortable one I have had and get no numbness or chafing. I have had to have the shimano bottom bracket replaced every 4000kms but believe this is normal wear and tear? I will aslo need to replace the chain and cassette within the next 1000kms but again I think this is normal wear and tear. I have no problems with the triple chain ring - Sometimes I adjust it every 1000kms or so when the cable has stretched and it seems fairly straightforward. Although the 3rd ring won't get used much it is useful on big hill climbs when you want to stay seated and keep your cadence up, although now I am cycling fit I would go with 2 rings. There are even lugs on the back for my rack and pannier for commuting. Spoils the look a bit but I still overtake other people on "racing" road bikes. Even the brakes work well and progressivley.
Favorite Ride: Montville Hill
Price Paid:
$999.00
Purchased At: Spin City, Mooloolab
Bike Setup: stock apart from tyres and a mavic aksium back wheel because I am 90kg and tear up back tyres and wheels.
Overall Rating: Value Rating:
Submitted by
nate
a Recreational Rider
from Date Reviewed: August 13, 2009
Strengths: Compact Road frame fits & handles well
Triple set up helps with climbing
Weaknesses: TiresBottom Line: This is my first road bike and has been great overall. The triple setup has been really helpful with climbing on the hills around here in the Texas Hill Country. The compact frame also has provided great handling. I ended up on the OCR2 because it fit me so well after looking at a couple other bikes.
The main drawback of the bike has been the original tires: they suck. The roads around here are not that bad (though there are a lot of chip seal surfaces). I've had frequent problems with punctured tubes as they've worn and ended up getting new Vittoria Diamante Pro tires after putting about 2000 miles on the original Kendas. If you want more wear out of the original tires, I highly recommend getting a kevlar insert like a Mr. Tuffy if you don't like fixing flats on a regular basis.
I definitely recommend the bike as a starter bike if you're looking to start riding a road bike. I'll definitely consider another Giant for my next ride.
Favorite Ride: Giant OCR2
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At: University Cyclery -
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