Giant Bicycle Inc. TCR Composite Team

Price Paid:  $0.00

Favorite Ride:
Skyline

Bike Setup:
full dura ace except FSA carbon crank

Summary:
Wonderful frame. I had been riding steel for 20 years. This bike makes my old steel bike feel like a boat anchor! The handling is quick and tight and the large compact fits my 6' 2" frame perfectly.

Strengths:
Light, forgiving (for race geometry), responsive, a great value, and garners lots of "nice bike" compliments. The large size has a nice long top tube for my long torso.

Weaknesses:
The integrated headset sucks! I don't know if it is the design or the particular headset (FSA) but it comes loose every 200 miles or so. A frame this good should have a better headset. Frankly, I wish it had traditional press-in cups so I could use a dura-ace or chris king.

Similar Products Used:
vintage steel

Price Paid:  $1300.00 at Mc Cully Bikeshop

Favorite Ride:
Tantalus Drive, Diamond Head to Kailua

Bike Setup:
TCR frame and fork, dura-ace, KSYRIUM SSC SL, specialized carbon post, easton EC 90 bar, Ritchey WCS stem

Summary:
I bought this farme to replace my TREK 5500. Nothing was wrong with the TREK. I just happen to need a slightly shorter top tube and a 72' degree head angle on the frame to provide me comfort on my long training ride. The combination weight of this frame and fork is around 3 lbs which is significantly lighter than my TREK(2.48+1.1 lb frame and fork.) Comparing between the two of them, the ride quality is pretty much the same. But the giant is more agile and more of a quick-handling bike. Climbing prowess is equally excellent in both giant and trek 5500. I think I can descend better with the giant geometry. Stiffness is pretty much the same in both brands. Personally it is easier for me to fit myself on Giant with 100 mm stem. Vibration bsorption is superior for the giant. When I stand up and swing the bike from side to side, it is very responsive.

Strengths:
The frame is stiff, light, agile, responsive and most importantly comfortable. The price is not too expensive.Ssurprisingly I have now become a Gaint fan beacuse of this frame. If they continue to produce the frame of this caliber in the future, I will always be their fan. Forget about those made-in-europe snobberry, this made-in-Taiwan frame really kicks ass !!!

Weaknesses:
The warranty is only 5 years down the road. But those euro frames offer only 1-3 years !!! For other cyclists, this frame comes in only limited sizing, you have to adjust the stem liength to fit yourself on the bike. If you can the right size that fits you, the bike is incredible.

Similar Products Used:
Seven Alaris with full ultegra, ouzo pro for long training ride and Tri race.
TREK 5500(soon to be ebayed)

Price Paid:  $3000.00 at hong kong

Bike Setup:
kysilium elite wheels,use aero post,utegra components with dura-ace 2004 crank, selle italia sphere saddle(really crap piece of work and i am getting the selle san marco aspide soon)

Summary:
this bike rules. it is so fast and agile you would think you are riding a leopard. carbon is defintely the material for road cause it sucks bumps like nothing else.and for this price you cannot go wrong. all in all the rock bike of the decade.

Strengths:
strong,agile,lightweight,stiff,speed.........or is that me?!!!

Weaknesses:
none

Similar Products Used:
colnago c40..very nice but then not as good and you pay so much more

Price Paid:  $3100.00 at LocoMotion

Favorite Ride:
Tail wind

Bike Setup:
Dura Ace 10
2004 Kysrium SL wheelset
FSA Kwing carbon handle bar

Summary:
I highly recommend this TCR Composite frame. Guides up rolling hills effortlessly, and sprints like a Cheetah. Extremely comfortable ride. I dumped my 5200 Trek for this ride, and I don't regret it one bit.

Strengths:
Very light weight.
Very fast.
Sprints quick like an aluminum frame
Corners outstandingly

Weaknesses:
Absolutely none

Similar Products Used:
1999 5200 OCLV Trek
2002 2300 ZR-Aluminum Trek

Price Paid:  $0.00

Bike Setup:
TCR Team Once Composite with full carbon Campy Record, Campy Nuetron Wheels (great wheels!), Cinelli bar & stem, Giant composite aero seatpost, Selle Italia SLR saddle, Michelin Pro Race tyres plus Sigma cordless computer

Summary:
This is an awesome bike. I am 6"2' and ride a large frame and the fit is perfect. I previously rode an aluminium Trek and, when I bought this bike, it was like going from a 4 cylinder hatch to a Porsche. The Giant is wonderfully stiff, transmitting all my poower to the road, yet somehow maintains a nice comfy ride too. It sprints really well,and climbs like a demon. Climbing out of the saddle is great fun, I never used to enjoy climbing so much before this bike. There really isn't anything this bike can't do. In fact, its abilities are way beyond my own. On my previous bike, I used to feel like the bike was holding me back, but not with the carbon Giant. I don't have a harsh word to say, every single ride is a blast, I've never had so much fun on a bike. I hear that T-Mobile and Jan Ullrich are riding these in 2004, cant wait to see them rack up the race wins! Buy one if yiu can afford it!!!

Strengths:
Stiff, light, handles beautifully and with precision, comfy ride, love the raw carbon appearance (why spoil it with paint!), awesome Record gruppo, Neutron wheelset...

Weaknesses:
Absolutely none

Similar Products Used:
Trek 2300