# Need a Oppinion on these bikes (TOMMASO)



## jimlmackjr (May 17, 2010)

I been looking for a bike in the $1000 price range i dont ride more than like 50mile in a week and i been looking for somthing that will with stand normal road abuse with out spending weeks in the shop 

Is tommaso a good brand also i seem them in the magzine 

i searched and found a Tommaso Velocita Sram Rival and the Tommaso Corvo with Tiagra / 105 (carbom frame) 

should i go with the carbon frame with the 105 that is upgradeable or a aluminum frame with the Rival compontens

is the Sram Rival better then the shamino 105


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## LOUISSSSS (Dec 14, 2009)

not familiar with the frames, but i've ridden both 105, rival, and ultegra. The ultegra was buttery smooth (but needs to be taken care of since its of lower weight and more $$.) The 105 was good and good enough for 99% of the riders on this forum. The rival was the best IMO. I liked the way they shifted. The rivals are lighter than the 105s and ultegras. and has a nice brake lever feeling (and it also looks nice-they're carbon fiber) Check out the SRAM forum and you'll see many people that have ridden both SRAM and shimano will prefer SRAM (like me)


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## csfitz (Jul 13, 2011)

*Tommaso Velocita Force just purchased and ridden...*

For what it's worth (you probably already made up your mind on Tommasos or not). I just bought a Tommaso Velocita Force from GiantNerd and am still amazed at the deal and the overall component package it came with. I had some shipping damage and a few issues with a sloppy build, but the GiantNerd guys were quick to respond, take responsibility and make up for any mistakes. 

I will say this though. The bike frame itself, while light and strong, has some of the sloppiest welds i've ever seen. It's a beautiful paint job but it became clear as i got a real close look that this thing was thrown together in China. But hey, i really couldn't find anything of this caliber with SRAM Force components at the $1050 price i bought this thing for. I figure i can always replace the frame at some later point, either for another simple aluminum steed or upgrade to carbon. But first, get out and work this Tommy!


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## sigiris (Apr 15, 2011)

*tommaso*

from what i've seen on the net, tommaso seems like a fairly good deal, but i've been skeptical especially charging for the "genius build" as on the giant nerd site, another reason is that the prices of the bikes have been increasing


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## Vee (Jun 17, 2010)

I helped my father put together a Tommasso that he purchased from GiantNerd. It seemed like a decent quality bike, but they aren't very light at all in comparison to branded bikes in the same range. Still, it has held up well for my father and he enjoys his.


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## saldarji (Aug 1, 2011)

I agree with Vee that the Tommaso bikes are not very light. I purchased a Tommaso Monza and a Motobecane (bikesdirect) Cafe bike (same size) for my wife at the same time, and hers is actually a two pounds lighter. I think the difference in weight comes from the cheap wheels (joytech hubs and Alex rims) and the alu frame. 

Pluses:
- It is built like a tank
- Value
- Decent componentry
- Looks good

Minuses:
- Heavy
- Some poor engineering. e.g., on my bike the positioning of the water cages in the compact frame makes it impossible to have two cages on at same time. 
- Have to build it yourself or take to your LBS
- Can't size it before riding
- They skimp in some interesting places (SunRace cassette, Tires, Hubs...)

You can buy a cheaper bike but make it better by doing some upgrades. I bought myself a set of Neuvation wheels that significantly upgraded the ride quality. A new stem improved the fit of the bike. I also upgraded the cassette, which resulted in better shifting.

I do credit the bike in getting me back into the sport. Going with the Tomasso means that you are getting decent componentry at a reasonable price. I'm averaging about a 1000 miles a year on the Monza at the moment, which isn't that bad for a desk jockey. For others, it may not make sense. You may stick with the sport if you buy a 2k bicycle that fits you like a glove and has buttery Shimano Dura-Ace di2 shifting.

After reading the generic chinese carbon thread, I am considering a home-build for my next bike. Yes, I'm a cheapskate looking for value.


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## bigbriinpgh (Sep 1, 2011)

My Tommaso experience; I just bought a Tommaso CORVO (2.0) SRAM APEX Road Bike from Giantnerd. 
From what I can tell; Giantnerd, Randall Scott are ether the same company or closely related. It also looks like they own or have exclusive rights to the Tommaso Bike Brand. The reason this is important is at the end of the day the warranty is only as good as the business that is providing it. So if Giantnerd goes out of business and my frame cracks I am SOL. Knowing the above risk I still decided to purchase my bike from Giantnerd. Another point in Giantnerd’s favor was that they also sold through Amazon which I thought that to sell through Amazon you have to pass some sort of business viability test or something. 
I ordered my bike on a Sunday and it arrived at my house on a Thursday, I was able to track online. I did get the Genius Build so all I had to do was install the front wheel and the seat post and install my own peddles. There is a set of Allen wrenches that are taped to the inside of the box.
There was no instructions in the box and the reflectors that were provided do not fit anywhere on the bike. The manual that came with the bike is a generic bike manual that could be used for any bike made, I found it worthless. The manual did say that the saddle height should be adjusted so that when the down peddle is aligned with the seat post your leg should be fully extended which is not what is recommended in the many online bike fitting websites. Another issue is there are two Corvo frames, 1.0 and 2.0, I was to supposed to get the 2.0; when you look at the specs on the Giantnerd website its says that the 1.0 comes with a white seat post and white stem which my bike has, so I thought I got a 1.0 frame by mistake. I did call Giantnerd and they did answer under a minute and they told me that the 2.0 frames now come with white seat post and white stems and that how you can tell a 2.0 frame is that the head tube is wider at the bottom which mine is.
For what it matters I am no bike expert by any means so take my bike review with a grain of salt but so far the bikes seems perfect. I took my bike on the paved bike trails around the great city of Pittsburgh Pa and had no issues. The bike feels very light and is very fast. I do chuckle when I see comments about a few grams of weight on a bike when I can lose up to 4 pounds of water weight after a 2 hour ride.
About Me: I am 50 years old , 6’5” 245lb and my occupation is a Sales Engineer.
For those of you still agonizing over going online or to a local bike shop; I wanted to provide my personal experience of buying a road bike online instead of a local bike shop (LBS). First of all I am a DIY type of person and don’t think bike maintenance is rocket science. There seems to a plethora of web sites that provide ether videos or how to instructions on how to fix or adjust bike components. 
All these factors weighed on my decision to buy online instead of a LBS. I do see a lot of comments about you should always ride a bike first before you buy it but from what I can tell if you get the correct frame size then you can adjust things such as saddle up and down and front and back and if that does not do the trick you can get a adjustable handlebar stem that provides even more options for a comfortable fit.


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## eggsd (Mar 6, 2011)

*Caution on buying a Tommaso bike from Giantnerd*

I bought a Tommaso Corvo road bike in April 2011 to replace my 11 year old Cannondale. And to say the least it has not been a good experience. I did not pay for the pro build as I was planning on taking it to my LBS and having it completely tuned up. The bike arrived 99% assembled in pretty rough shape. The derailleurs needed adjusting, the brakes needed adjusting, the wheels were not true. And on top of all that, the bike was dirty. It had clearly been ridden around outside and not wiped off. 
I spent about $60 dollars getting the bike in riding shape. 

All was fairly well until the front SRAM Apex shifter went out after about 700 miles. I called Giantnerd several times just to be put on hold. After holding for over thirty minutes each time I hung up. I wrote detailed emails explaining the problem. I finally got a response asking me to fax my receipt for the repair and the phone number of the bike shop that did the repairs. I thought that just maybe they would do the right thing. Well that was 3 months ago. I have given up on Giantnerd standing behind their product. Since then the bike has also started making an awful rattle noise (my LBS has adjusted, tightened, greased everything they can think of to no avail). 

If I would have bought this bike form my LBS, it would have been repaired for free under warrenty. I will never buy another bike online again. I have since sold the Tommaso (at a big loss) and have replaced it with a Giant Defy Composite 2. The difference is night and day. Smooth, no death rattle and under a real warranty.


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## Vee (Jun 17, 2010)

eggsd said:


> I bought a Tommaso Corvo road bike in April 2011 to replace my 11 year old Cannondale. And to say the least it has not been a good experience. I did not pay for the pro build as I was planning on taking it to my LBS and having it completely tuned up. The bike arrived 99% assembled in pretty rough shape. The derailleurs needed adjusting, the brakes needed adjusting, the wheels were not true. And on top of all that, the bike was dirty. It had clearly been ridden around outside and not wiped off.
> I spent about $60 dollars getting the bike in riding shape.
> 
> All was fairly well until the front SRAM Apex shifter went out after about 700 miles. I called Giantnerd several times just to be put on hold. After holding for over thirty minutes each time I hung up. I wrote detailed emails explaining the problem. I finally got a response asking me to fax my receipt for the repair and the phone number of the bike shop that did the repairs. I thought that just maybe they would do the right thing. Well that was 3 months ago. I have given up on Giantnerd standing behind their product. Since then the bike has also started making an awful rattle noise (my LBS has adjusted, tightened, greased everything they can think of to no avail).
> ...


I would say this is a good testament to how giant nerd might be, but a rattle is the reason you would never buy a Tommaso again? Seriously, noises happen. I can understand how annoying they might be, but they can be fixed...


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

Not a fan.


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## eggsd (Mar 6, 2011)

*Tommaso giantnerd fail*



Vee said:


> I would say this is a good testament to how giant nerd might be, but a rattle is the reason you would never buy a Tommaso again? Seriously, noises happen. I can understand how annoying they might be, but they can be fixed...


The main reason I would never buy a Tommaso again is because of $270 I had to pay for a shifter that should have been under warranty. The constant creaks, rough ride and shotty build are other reasons but not the main reason.


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## MunkeeHucker (Oct 31, 2005)

eggsd said:


> The main reason I would never buy a Tommaso again is because of $270 I had to pay for a shifter that should have been under warranty. The constant creaks, rough ride and shotty build are other reasons but not the main reason.


The excellent service and warranty you get from your LBS is part of the reason why their bikes cost more, you pay less, you get less. Nuff Said.


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## Tranzition (Jul 31, 2012)

My story is very similar to saldarji's. I too bought a Tomasso Monza about a year and a half ago, and love it!

It was my first road bike, so i was very much looking for the right combination of price and value, just in case I decided I decided biking wasn't for me. A buddy of mine actually purchased the same bike two months prior, so it was nice to have a first-hand recommendation. 

To this day (especially as i learn more about componentry) I'm still shocked at how much of a great value my tomosso is compared to my friends' bikes at twice the price. I did however upgrade the wheels to some Titans right off the bat (and a big part of that was for looks :blush2: ). I also upgraded the stem to a shorter, steeper one because the stock 110mm on my 58cm frame made me feel a bit too stretched out.

I did not pay for the genius build, but assembly was quick and very straight-forward. Attach the bars to the stem, front wheel, back wheel, make sure no derailleur chatter, done.

I've taken it on 3 centuries so far, and regularly go on 50 mile rides through the mountain roads with no issue.

Now that i'm more into cycling, i'm starting to get the itch to upgrade to Carbon, and the Tomasso Superlaggera is very tempting... Though i have to admit, the chinese build threads are making me lean towards building my own bike (even though they come out a bit more expensive than the tommasso +upgrades).

Anyway, my experience with GiantNerd was great, no issues. I definitely recommend keeping an eye on their site for sales, because the prices go up and down a lot, and if you're patient, you can catch things when they're super cheap. :thumbsup:


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## QuattroCreep (Nov 30, 2009)

eggsd said:


> The main reason I would never buy a Tommaso again is because of $270 I had to pay for a shifter that should have been under warranty. The constant creaks, rough ride and shotty build are other reasons but not the main reason.


Just an FYI GiantNerd does not handle the Sram warranty, Sram does. You can go to any bike shop that is registered as a sram dealer with a recept/proof of when and where you bought the bike and have that shop handle the claim. As long as you meet Sram's warranty guild lines you should be good to go.


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## eggsd (Mar 6, 2011)

QuattroCreep said:


> Just an FYI GiantNerd does not handle the Sram warranty, Sram does. You can go to any bike shop that is registered as a sram dealer with a recept/proof of when and where you bought the bike and have that shop handle the claim. As long as you meet Sram's warranty guild lines you should be good to go.


Giant nerd does not handle any warranty. Buyer beware.


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## Chris Teifke (Aug 11, 2012)

They're ok...you can do better for the money. I'd hesitate to recommend one.


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## bigbriinpgh (Sep 1, 2011)

*Updated review after 1 year and 2000 miles (Tommaso Corvo)*

So after about 2000 miles would I recommend Giant Nerd? Yes. The bike is not perfect but I still think its worth the money. I did replace the rear wheel after about 700 miles because the original wheel was not true. I also replaced both tires with Gator Skins. The SRAM APEX gears takes some adjustments but works fine. I have also had issues the the FSA BB4000 that seems to make a popping noise under torque if the pre-load bolt is not tight.
Over all I have happy with the bike and the limited service I have needed from Giant Nerd. 
Like the video overview says, this is a excellent climbing bike, very light but more importunately the big gear ratios of the SRAM APEX.


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## Jay Sandford (Mar 2, 2016)

Just had a chat online with Chris at Tomasso website.
I have an older Tomasso road bike (used, from a bike shop) and the inner carbon seat post tube (housed by a carbon outer tube) cracked and the post pulls out. 
I am a senior and ride very infrequently. Sadly, they would not supply their "lifetime warranty" or customer goodwill though the bike was still on the original tires (which I just replaced). Nor would Chris refer my situation to a superior, nor provide Tomasso's CEO contact information, as requested twice. 
As a result, I would not refer, would not purchase another Tomasso bike, and definitely would not recommend them.


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## cobra_kai (Jul 22, 2014)

They say right on the website that their lifetime warranty only applies to the original owner. That is a very common practice with 'lifetime' warranties.


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## Jay Sandford (Mar 2, 2016)

That is true as a disclaimer if needed. My experience is that reputable manufacturers and dealers stand behind their products and also offer good will to support products.


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## Steve B. (Jun 26, 2004)

Jay Sandford said:


> That is true as a disclaimer if needed. My experience is that reputable manufacturers and dealers stand behind their products and also offer good will to support products.


OK, but does Good Will extend a warranty to a 2nd or 3rd owner ?. I'm not expecting that and understand the original owner concept. 

And FWIW, Trek might be considered a "reputable" manufacturer, yet I got zero satisfaction from them with a Lemond titanium frame they sold me as a warranty replacement. Crappy paint job from the get go, they warrantied once, but when the 2nd paint job failed, they were done with me. I'll never support Trek as a result, I got zero Good Will out of them.


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## Jay Sandford (Mar 2, 2016)

Sounds like they gave sold you a TREK factory "second".
I believe the warranty should be with the product, not the owner.
Thanks for your input.


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## crit_boy (Aug 6, 2013)

I donate stuff to Goodwill a few times each year. Never given them a carbon seat post.


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