# Giant 2005 OCR 1 alum input needed



## joey_the_thinker (Feb 23, 2005)

I'm looking for a new road bike and the specs and price of the 2005 Giant OCR 1 alum is pretty attractive. I rode 1000 miles last year and expect to do about 2000 this year. I couldnt find much input about the Xero xsr3 wheelset, and will probably swap out the 105 front derailer and brakes for ultegra's, and change the 25c tires for 23c. I was originally looking at the OCR comp 2 which i have the budget for, but i really think its overkill for me, as i do mostly training/pleasure rides.....have no interest in racing, but i do want to improve my overall avg speed. I've looked at comparable bikes in Cannondale, Trek, Specialized, and the Giant is " bang for the buck " the winner, but would like some " real world " input before taking the time to do the real shopping trip,,,,,i work 6 days a week and have precious little time to waste so any input would really be appreciated.


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## deastin (Jun 24, 2004)

Test ride it before you buy always the first piece of advice. If it rides well then buy it up. I have a TCR composite (full carbon fiber) and totaly LOVE it. The OCRs look like nice bikes for the type of riding they are made for and as always you get a ton of value with the Giant name. I would suggest still looking at a OCR comp and riding it against the Alum frame just to compare. Even though you ve ruled it out already if you DO ride that many miles you will welcome the rode dampening effects the you gain with the carbon. Obviously you dont want to spend a ton of money, you mentioned you had a budget but getting a bike you can spend an entire day on and not feel like you ve ridden a 3 legged horse across a cobble stone street for three hours is a wonderfull feeling. You dont have to spend anything to test ride the OCR comp, and will prolly pick up a better wheel set too. FYI if you do get the OCR alum dont swap out the entire brake assembly first just get some Kool Stop brake pads everyone swears by them here and it will save you some cash. Hope this is of some use to you, let me know if I can be of anymore service. Good Luck and keep us posted.
Deastin


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## BaadDawg (Mar 27, 2003)

I would go carbon over alu any day. The frame will last you forever or until you want a better one. With the OCR carbon now out I would get that if I wanted an OCR, regardless of the mileage you do. A comfortable bike will add miles to your annual total like you wouldn't believe. You won't want to get off.


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## joey_the_thinker (Feb 23, 2005)

I havent ruled out the the ocr comp 2 at all.....it is within my budget, and the fit above all will be the dominate factor in my final decision, followed closely by ride quality. I was mainly wanting input on the ocr alum version as i have read that for an alum bike its pretty smooth, obviously not as smooth as carbon . My rides are of the 20-40 mile variety,as thats all i can get in with the time i have, on decent roads, with lots of hills. I am coming from an old Schwinn Super Le Tour steel cro-moly bike that i never really put that many miles on because it never really fit me that well.  Last year was my first year riding in about 25 years and i managed to get in 1000, mostly on a mountain bike on bike paths, but as soon as i got on the road i knew the mountain bike would be collecting dust this year, lol, so I dont know if I really want to take the plunge of over 2k on a carbon road bike yet, as the ocr 1 alum can be had for under 1K here and it leaves me plenty of room for shoes, shorts, pedals.....etc., but for sure i will do a side by side ride comparison. Actually the carbon bike was my first choice until i read that some of the newer alum frames arent nearly as harsh as they used to be due to better design i guess... just trying to get some real world input to seperate the hog from the hogwash......lol... and i guess to some degree carbon kind of makes me nervous having read about people who have scruffed it up and dug into the carbon which kinda compromises the frame.....anywho.....any input is most welcome as i consider myself a newbie......


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## theboywonder (Apr 13, 2004)

I was in a similar situation last year: first road bike, and not completely sure of what I wanted/needed. I did end up buying a 2004 OCR1, which is virtually identical to the 2005 model, and I am extremely happy with it. The 6061 frame is really quite smooth on the rough stuff while still being sufficiently rigid, and the rest of the bike has worked flawlessly. As for the Xero wheels, they aren't the lightest, quickest race wheels, but they aren't supposed to be. What they are is a very good sturdy everyday set of wheels. In the end your decision should hinge on the fit of the bike...so test ride, test ride, test ride!

Happy trails..


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## joey_the_thinker (Feb 23, 2005)

*They finally are here ....*

LBS called me and said they had a couple of ocr 1's come in so I guess this Sunday I will be going to check them out.....i did look at a Specialized Allez Elite a couple of weeks ago, and it was nice but i couldnt test ride it due to the weather......anyhow....i will post the outcome soon......i wonder....it comes with 25c tires.....does anyone think i should have them swapped out for 23c if i decide to buy the bike ? ...and i will definately go with the Kool Stop brake pads asap., also.....any tire suggestions would be welcome too...I'ts getting excitin now


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## joey_the_thinker (Feb 23, 2005)

Did a test ride on the ocr 1 alum last Sunday, and have to say the bike was relally nice, and the finish was superb...really, really nice....ride was fine as far as i can tell, but i couldnt pull the trigger on the bike because they only had a medium and without
having a small to compare it with i just couldnt get myself to buy it, since the main reason i'm wanting a new ride is because my old bike dosent fit me well...... i had the seat all the way forward on the giant and the sales person was starting to talk about shorter stem ... etc........ so....i had to pass on it for now  They did say that getting more in may be a very long wait.....maybe not even possible....kind of frustrating.


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## KayDub (Oct 23, 2004)

*Been there and would do it again*

I bought a new 2004 OCR 1 last May. It's my first road bike and I'm lovin it. I shopped hard before buying it and have looked at competitive brand price tags and component groups ever since. I have yet to find a comparable bike for anywhere near what I paid. In fact, I could have easily spent twice as much just to buy an equivalent bike. If you're expecting a 15-18 lbs rig, the OCR 1 would be a poor choice because it's a tad over 20. The price tag will tell you that without weighing it. However, if you want a great deal on a solid, well equipped, comfortable bike that will keep pace with the most expensive names, the Giant OCR 1 is the best thing going. If there is a better deal out there, I haven't found it.


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## Takashi (Jul 27, 2005)

this is an old thread, but i just stopped into one of my local shops and the owner directed me towards the ocr1. it seems to be a great deal, the only thing i would change would be the the triple to a double. 

anyhow, just seeing if there's been any update on this, and if there's anyone else who owns the bike who would like to add anything.


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## joey_the_thinker (Feb 23, 2005)

*I finally bought it*

I finally bought it 2 weeks ago and i must say that after approximately 200 miles riding i agree with all that has been said....the bike is VERY, VERY smooth on the road....handles VERY, VERY nicely.....i couldnt be more pleased with it and everyone who see's it just loves the cobalt blue color ( 2005 model ) ...the only thing i may change besides the stock brake pads to the koolstops might be the wheels, which arent a problem at all, actually kinda of a cool spoke pattern, but i really am not a fan of black wheels , so i might do a set of shimano r550's , but not this year. Anyhow, i love the bike, i have the stem flipped to a most upright position and it really is comfortable,,,,,my first 40 mile ride of the year i came back feeling fresher than i ever have. The handelbars are much wider than my old rig had, and i gotta say i like them that way, topped off with ultegra brifters and rear derailer, all for the 965.00 i paid for it....all i can say is......ABSOLUTELY ZERO BUYERS REMORSE .....  Thank you all who responded to this thread, your input was greatly appreciated and very helpful.


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## plmn (Feb 21, 2005)

I bought an OCR 1 a month ago, I posted a review yesterday. 

It's my first real road bike, so I don't have much to compare it too, but so far after about 200 miles I have few complaints. My butt doesn't seem to like the seat much, but other than that it seems to be a nice ride. I like the bigger tires and more comfortable geometry, I wanted a bike to put miles on rather than pure speed. Plus it came with decent pedals that work well with my MTB shoes.

I looked around quite a bit but could not find a better deal. I'm happy with my choice.


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