Giant Bicycle Inc. OCR 2

Price Paid:  $750.00 at locomotion

Favorite Ride:
long & flat

Bike Setup:
Stock except pedals upgraded to 6500 Ultegra road pedals to match my other bike (TCR1).

Summary:
I bought this bike 3 yrs ago as a way to get some exercise & I knew nothing about road bikes. 2 yrs later, I'm a cycling fanatic. Giant offers you a lot of bike for the money, but skip the OCR series & go to their TCR series. The OCR2 in an over weight slug by comparison. Frame tubes are fatter & welds are sloppy on the OCR series. If you end up upgrading a few items , you'll have matched the price point of a TCR. Everything on the bike is still operating properly & is quite durable. The ride is very stable, even on high speed descents & it corners well also. The bike has a harsh ride as there is no carbon fiber seat post or fork and no curved seat stays.

Strengths:
Durable. Hansome paint scheme. Long lasting components. Fits well. Great entry level bike. Very stable ride.

Weaknesses:
High rotational weight, especially the wheel/tire combo. HEAVY. Harsh ride. Stock pedals are really for MTB use.

Similar Products Used:
Giant TCR 1

Price Paid:  $800.00 at Bike Trip

Favorite Ride:
Felton -> Watsonville

Summary:
Great bike. I went from riding a $300 Trek 4300 to a Giant OCR 2. I used to ride my Trek every day about 30 miles and when I bought my Giant I just flew. I have a 60 mile route that used to take me 5 hours and it now takes 3.5. This bike fits me well and (I am 6'1", 145 pounds) tears through the roade. My only problem with it was fixed when I got it adjusted by a bike shop. Its a great bike for recreational riders.

Strengths:
stiff frame.
fast.
good parts.
good value.

Weaknesses:
The frame or some part around the seat squeaks. The bike also has kind of crappy brakes.

Similar Products Used:
Trek 4300
and a bunch of others

Price Paid:  $699.00 at Century Cycles

Favorite Ride:
Giant ocr2 2001 Model

Bike Setup:
All stock, except for a sigma sport speedometer.

Summary:
Awesome bike. My friend got me into doing mostly recreational rides, but I new that I would get into the sport so I wanted a bike I could get into some small races with. I have been on it for just 4 weeks now. I have taken it into terrential rains and some pretty nasty snow, and am overall very pleased with the bike. This, as far as I know, was the greatest value for what you get (most other bikes in this class only include shimano sora, or other cheaper components)

I have had a little bit of trouble with the back wheel, I think it needs to get trued. The front gears work like a dream, although sometimes the rear derailler is a little off, and won't pop into place until you put alot of torque on the pedals. This comes as an inconvenience, but with a little tuning (and more precise riding) it is no problem at all. The bike comes with nice pedals, which is perfect for someone who doesn't know the sport enough to choose what kind of clipless pedals they want in the beginning.

The 3rd crank is a life saver up hills, as I still am learning and getting in greater shape to tackle the valleys and hills of western massachuesetts.

Strengths:
VERY durable, long lasting and sturdy ride
Great grip on the road
Comfortable anatomic seat
Adjustable stem on the handlebars
Nice components for the money
The ideal entry level bike

Weaknesses:
Rear derailler isn't perfect, but who is
Back wheel needs a bit of tuning

Similar Products Used:
My first bike

Price Paid:  $750.00

Summary:
Purchased as a winter trainer/hack. Fitted slimline mudguards which work well.
I find the seat very comfortable for my butt. I love the multi adjustable stem. Tiagra gears work well. If I closed my eyes I would hardly notice the difference from Dura Ace. I like the triple chainring which is perfect for the steep hills in North Kent/Surrey especially considering my post Xmas lardy condition. The tyres seem pretty puncture proof but don't offer much grip in the wet. The rear wheel has needed to be trued three times now in just over 600 miles so I will replace it.

Strengths:
Excellent value for money.

Weaknesses:
Crap wheels so only 4 stars

Similar Products Used:
Lemond Zurich
Ambrosia Alu/carbon with Dura Ace etc

Price Paid:  $0.00 at LBS

Favorite Ride:
None

Bike Setup:
- Stock

Summary:
Looking to upgrade from my Giant MTB to a road bike. Very happy with my choice, Improved my times dramatically, and I've now been exposed to a totally different kind of road race. For the price paid, I could not be happier. The frame is stiff, responsive and (after the MTB) accelerates and climbs like a homesick angel. All the components have held out well after 2600km's, despite the Tiagra (and Sora hubs) being considered more of a "budget" groupset. Only problem I had was with persished tyres after about 1300 km's and 4 months (probably due to the long storage and transport times). Hutchinson replaced them with their premium tyre (from the entry level tyre) at no charge to me, despite the 1300km's I'd already put on the bike. Seat felt uncomfortable initially, but now I wouldn't change it for anything. MTB seat feels uncomfortable now (too much padding). Also love the adjustable stem, for a first bike, it's a great idea as I don't have to go back to my LBS every time I want to change my position slightly, IMHO invaluable on your first road bike.

Strengths:
- Price /Value (for performance)
- Looks (I stil love the paint job)
- Durability, no problems yet. (Haven't even had to true the wheels despite the combination of African roads and my penchant for bunny hopping)
- Adjustable stem

Weaknesses:
- Plastic bolts on the wheel skewers look and feel cheap, but they have held out.
- Creaks every now and then, but I gather this is par for the course on Aluminium framed bikes.

Similar Products Used:
- Giant Rincon MTB