# Yet another TCR Composite 1... But it really is a good bike so....



## Trevor! (Feb 28, 2004)

Here is a cut and paste of my comments made over on MTBR.com on save some weight, the board I moderate....

This bike truly is good...

This was a birthday present from my parents for my 21st birthday last weekend. I only got it built up 2 days ago as it was a little slow getting to me.

I have done 2 rides on it now. Prior to this road bike I was on, for a short time, a compact Giant OCR with 8 year old 105 components on it, and a dead heavy wheelset.

For anyone looking for a good value road bike, I think this gets the prize. Great price, good mix of parts and all carbon.










The first thing I noticed with this bike, was obviously it light weight. I cant recall its weight but frame and fork and headset come in at 1070g I think. I can only imagine Nino's new Scott is super light feeling, like a couple of heavy legal text books or something. For me this bike is perfect, light, stiff, comfortable and smooth over stuttery bumps on the road and the little cracks and things that you come across on the road.










Being a bit of a climber over anything else I headed off for a few climbs, the first thing I noticed is that this bike likes to climbs, I was spinning easier and pushing 2 gears more in the rear. Very nice feeling indeed.

For some, Giants are not a great bike, becuase they are too common or not exotic enough. I am a bit of a snob but really appreicate the standard of finish and technology Giant produce, I can understand why ONCE were so powerful in the TdF and the Vuelta a España for years on end. This carbon stem is really nice:










The wheelset sure isn't superlight but the tyres make up for it a bit. Further, for training rides for an endurance racer I think this is a good wheelset for training on the trainer or the road. I always have a habit of running tyres around 120psi, I think I will have to reduce this a little. Performance in corners is top notch.










Clearance or lack there of. I think 700C x 23 would be the biggest you'll fit in, not that you'd really want anything bigger.










One thing I liked about this bike when I hinted to my parents was the FSA Cranks. I have them on my MTB and was really impressed with weight, shifting and the finish. Again the same results on this bike, nice shifting and great looks. Notice the SPD-SL pedals, dirt cheap and only 50g heavier than the Dura Ace model - Cant go wrong IMHO.










I am so impressed with this bike. I think it climbs like nothing else, and accelerates really smoothly, it just seems to roll effortlessly. I find the handling fast, as said in reviews probably not twitchy but I think it is close enough to it, and I like that, really nimble and sharp on the corners. The bars are a little wide on the bike I think 2" wider than my last bike I used, but being a MTBer at heart I do like the added width, it just seems more comfortable for me.

This is my first all carbon bike, and I like the feel it provides. At full speed you really don't notice the bumps, at slower speed you notice bumps but the impact is soft rather than harsh like. No issus of flex and the frame is not super stiff like some of the frames coming out these days.

Finally, shoes, who cares about shoes? Just thought I would share my .02 cents - I wear SIDIS on the MTB as they run a little on the small side and provide stiffness and comfort like no other that I have tried (2x Shimano pairs). I picked up a pair of these Ergo1s which sell for too much both here in Australia and the US, but being the resourceful type looked hard and found a killer deal on them in the UK. Again comfort is like no other, stiffness really apparent. The fit is almost better becuase of the three buckles in particular the center one.











Well I hope you like my mini review and I hope I haven't bored you will all the pics and detail etc 

Cheers
Trevor!


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## BroCycler (Feb 17, 2004)

*TCR Comp*

Dude,
Great looking bike. The TCR Comp is a bike I'm seriously considering and I appreciate your write up. How tall are you and what size frame are you riding?

Thanks,
Bro


Trevor! said:


> Here is a cut and paste of my comments made over on MTBR.com on save some weight, the board I moderate....
> 
> This bike truly is good...
> 
> ...


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## Trevor! (Feb 28, 2004)

Hey,
The bike rides really well, and I have found that the carbon provides some additional comfort over your traditional Alloy or Aluminum frame.

I weigh around 70kg or so, and have a height of 5'11", with longer legs and a shorter torso. I ride a 50Cm or medium frame and would strongly suggest this frame size, and not a large which would be too big for me. The pictures taken were of the bike right out of the box. I have dropped the stem a few spacers and find it really comfortable.

The saddle is position a little far back then how I have it now...

Otherwise it has been really good. I have done some long road rides, plenty of climbing and alot of sessions on the trainer and thus far I cannot find a problem.

Probably the only thing I will change in the near future is the Saddle to my favorite, SLR, as that is what I use on MTB. Later on perhaps I will change the wheelset but the current one works really great.

Trevor!


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## benInMA (Jan 22, 2004)

Man you've got some great parents!

Ben


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## Tig (Feb 9, 2004)

*Hey, it's a great bike...*

I've always like high end, sometimes rare bikes, but the ride the Giant provides is like magic. I see hundreds of Trek OCLV's, but just a few TCR Comp's at large events. I just built up mine (bought just the frame and fork and moved my components over to it) a few weeks ago and absolutley love it. I ride a small size so there is very little bottom bracket flex, yet it rides so smooth. The medium is also a solid yet comfortable ride, but it was too big for me. Maybe the large size would flex too much under a big rider. 

I like the road feedback much better than what a Trek OCLV provides. I spent far too many miles on too many aluminum frames in the past, so this change is a positive one. It has everything I want in a bike: all day comfort, quick yet not twitchy handling, and excellent acceleration. All I need now is a lighter set of wheels than my old heavyweight Rolf's and the package will be complete.

Oh, for some reason I don't see any pictures of your bike.


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## jammer (Apr 8, 2004)

Trevor, how do you like the Tacx cages. I was thinking about putting the black ones on my TCR and want to know what you think.


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## Trevor! (Feb 28, 2004)

jammer said:


> Trevor, how do you like the Tacx cages. I was thinking about putting the black ones on my TCR and want to know what you think.


TACX are my favorite bottle cages. They are made of light aluminium weigh in at like 37g and are sturdy too. They look good and function fine too. I like those 2 so much I am going to pick one up for my MTB.

Cheers


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## kdnce (May 7, 2004)

*TCR Composite vs. Trek or Ti Bikes*



Trevor! said:


> TACX are my favorite bottle cages. They are made of light aluminium weigh in at like 37g and are sturdy too. They look good and function fine too. I like those 2 so much I am going to pick one up for my MTB.
> 
> Cheers


Trevor- your bike looks great and it sounds like it's an awesome ride. I'm trying to figure out what to get when I upgrade from my current bike, a DeRosa Giro d'Italia. I've talked to a couple of dealers and, as you'd expect, get conflicting advice depending on what they sell in their shop.... one says go Ti, another is a huge fan of the Giant, and of course the third is all about the Trek OCLV. 

I'm 6'1", 160lbs, I do some weekend racing and my biggest issue right now is getting dropped in the final sprint. I'm not a natural sprinter, so when I upgrade I'm looking for anything that can give me a leg up in the last 1/4 mile at a reasonable price.

Did you consider any of the Titanium bikes like Litespeed or Seven, before you bought the Giant? How about Trek OCLV vs Giant? Any light you can shed on this is really appreciated. 

TB


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## Ernie8746 (Dec 9, 2004)

HI Trevor, I love those pictures of your bike, 

I picked mine up in Jan 04 and rode approx 3500 km this spring/summer.

Whats your opinion of the saddle, I have been reading various reviews and the common theme seems to be that it's really uncomfortable. I just thought one needs some time to get used to. At the begining of the year I was in some pain, by the end of the fall , I managed to cope.

Are you still using the stock saddle or have you changed it?


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## Trevor! (Feb 28, 2004)

Ernie8746 said:


> HI Trevor, I love those pictures of your bike,
> 
> I picked mine up in Jan 04 and rode approx 3500 km this spring/summer.
> 
> ...


I use the Selle Italia SLR which I have been using for a few years now. I find the Flite to be uncomfortable to use particularly for the 8/12/24 hour races I did. The SLR is very comfortable and I have not found a saddle that comes near the comfort the SLR provides.


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