# TCR comp 2 = flexy flier?



## boroef (Jun 18, 2005)

i've just gotten a tcr composite bike a few days ago...since then i've put 100kms on it, so i've been able to get fully accustomed to the bike.

does anyone experience flex with the bike? when i am pounding out of the saddle, the flex is pretty minimal, it doesnt bother me. what bothers me is the flex i get when i climb! when i'm holding onto the top of the hoods while seated, and pulling back on them to exert more power on my strokes, the bike flexes quite a bit( flex kind of goes from left to right??)

that is what bugs me, and i didnt realise that it'd flex so much. does anyone else have this issue? and is there any way to remedy this?


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## bots21 (Jun 1, 2005)

Can you pin point where the bike is flexing? It may be the stem/bar combination you are using. That is often a flexy point on some bike. I'd assume that the headtube and fork are not flexing, but I could be wrong.


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## boroef (Jun 18, 2005)

bots21 said:


> Can you pin point where the bike is flexing? It may be the stem/bar combination you are using. That is often a flexy point on some bike. I'd assume that the headtube and fork are not flexing, but I could be wrong.


it's the frontal area of my bike, and i have a strong feeling that it's the frame flexing. my bike is easton EA50 stem/bar combo...so that cant be it. either my frame flexes, or my fork, or a combination of both. *shrug*


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## sbindra (Oct 18, 2004)

*What Size?*

The flexiness is a well known problem of the TCR Composite bikes. I am 6'1" and 205 lbs. and a powerful rider. I ride the XL frame. The bike flexes when I climb or most noticably, when I am out of the saddle really pounding trying to maintain speed on slight uphills. The front end flex is the main reason that I am looking at the TCR Advanced, which is supposed to be much stiffer in the front end.

The lack of stiffness is supposedly what makes the bike so comfortable to ride.


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## boroef (Jun 18, 2005)

sbindra said:


> The flexiness is a well known problem of the TCR Composite bikes. I am 6'1" and 205 lbs. and a powerful rider. I ride the XL frame. The bike flexes when I climb or most noticably, when I am out of the saddle really pounding trying to maintain speed on slight uphills. The front end flex is the main reason that I am looking at the TCR Advanced, which is supposed to be much stiffer in the front end.
> 
> The lack of stiffness is supposedly what makes the bike so comfortable to ride.


comfy it may be, but that flex is terrible--and i'm not even a heavy rider. i'm only 130lbs and it flexes quite a lot when i'm wanting to fly up those climbs. 

i can live with it for now. i definately love the geometry, and i cant complain about the price. just...holy flexy.


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## sbindra (Oct 18, 2004)

*Surprising*

That's really surprising that at your weight, you would have so much flex. Even if you are an incredibly strong rider, the sense of so much flex at your weight is surprising.


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## chorus88 (Sep 10, 2003)

*What Flex??*



boroef said:


> i've just gotten a tcr composite bike a few days ago...since then i've put 100kms on it, so i've been able to get fully accustomed to the bike.
> 
> does anyone experience flex with the bike? when i am pounding out of the saddle, the flex is pretty minimal, it doesnt bother me. what bothers me is the flex i get when i climb! when i'm holding onto the top of the hoods while seated, and pulling back on them to exert more power on my strokes, the bike flexes quite a bit( flex kind of goes from left to right??)
> 
> that is what bugs me, and i didnt realise that it'd flex so much. does anyone else have this issue? and is there any way to remedy this?


*I'm 5'-6" & 130 lbs,*
I have a (SMALL) 05'TCR Comp with Deda Magic Bar/Stem (11cm) and I experience no flex whenever I climb (out of the saddle). 
BTW...What year is your frame & the frame size?


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## Xyzzy (Mar 22, 2004)

I just sold my 04 TCR1... It was a large and it had the carbon steerer and a carbon stem... I found the front end flex to be a bit much, so Itried a Ritchey WCS OS stem which helped some but it still felt whippy... I never had a chance to try a TCR2 which has an aluminum steerer, but I imagine it is stiffer...

I figure the larger sizes just have a longer section to support... While I loved my TCR and I put over 8000mi on it in less than 9 months, I got a killer deal on a 05 613 Team Replica soI switched... The 613 has a much stiffer front end... Other than that they pretty much feel the same to me...

My friend has a 04 TCR1 in large, just like I had, and he has shimmy problems at speeds higher than 40mph... I don't know if this is due to the front end not being stiff enough or not, but he does have a pile of spacers and a hi-rise stem which I think contributes to flexiness... My stem was slammed down with no spacers and I never had a shimmy problem, although if I was real cold and shivering I could get the bike to get a bit nervous...


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## light_monkey (Apr 27, 2005)

*my 2 cents*

Since I'm a newbie, I may not be fully aware of my bike, yet. 

Pertinent information? I have TCR 3. I'm short @ 5'5", but weighed 180 lbs when I started riding. I'm down to 165-170 lbs. range. Most of the weight is on top as I have relatively thick torso.

I have not notice any flex during climb. Maybe I'm not pounding hard enough? I felt very comfortable at 40mph. Since I've not been able to build speed past 40 mph, I can't say beyond that.


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## boroef (Jun 18, 2005)

i dont know guys, i find it odd that some of you dont detect flex even out of the saddle! i doubt my frame is defective (or at least, i hope not? there is nothing else wrong with it).

and yes, as someone said, it is surprising for a person of my weight to find anything to be flexible. for the record, i'm 5'10, 130lbs. so as you can tell, i'm pretty small!

riding a 05 TCR 2 (with alu steerer, of course).

usually, flex is a non issue when i ride. it's really only when i want to climb quickly. it's weird. heck, even if u hold the bike stationary on the ground, put ur foot up to the crank and push, u will see the front flex. the chain stay/bb area stays relatively the same. it's the front.


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## rick222 (May 29, 2005)

boroef said:


> i've just gotten a tcr composite bike a few days ago...since then i've put 100kms on it, so i've been able to get fully accustomed to the bike.
> 
> does anyone experience flex with the bike? when i am pounding out of the saddle, the flex is pretty minimal, it doesnt bother me. what bothers me is the flex i get when i climb! when i'm holding onto the top of the hoods while seated, and pulling back on them to exert more power on my strokes, the bike flexes quite a bit( flex kind of goes from left to right??)
> 
> that is what bugs me, and i didnt realise that it'd flex so much. does anyone else have this issue? and is there any way to remedy this?


I have a TCR composite 3 my weight is 197 height 6'0. I'm a very aggressive power rider and notice a little flex on climbs but nothing abnormal. I've ridden other carbon bikes with the same characteristics but all carbon does have flex. Handling above 40 is precise and stable. Bike is very responsive especially in corners.


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## SSWE5 (Aug 4, 2004)

Im 5' 8", weigh 207 lbs. My TCR Composite 2 is a medium sized frame. Uncut Aluminum Steerer with 2 inches of spacers, Easton EA-70 Stem with 46cm Bontrager Race Bars. Wheels are Velomax Circuit shod with Conti Grabnd Prix 3000's.

No front end flex whatsoever. Solid.

Any high speed (35mph +) front wheel vibration or shuddering is strictly a result of poor road surface condition.


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## rcnute (Dec 21, 2004)

Has anyone had success fixing the "wobble" when descending on a carbon TCR? Or is this just a design defect?


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## boroef (Jun 18, 2005)

rcnute said:


> Has anyone had success fixing the "wobble" when descending on a carbon TCR? Or is this just a design defect?


i havent detected any wobble on decents on my 05 tcr... then again, i wasnt going that fast. how fast are you guys going when u get that wobble? so far, i've decended at speeds around 70kmph and no issues!


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## rcnute (Dec 21, 2004)

Very noticeable above 40 mph. Perhaps the Mavic Ksyrium Elites wheels contribute.


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## germplayer (Jan 6, 2005)

*Not an Issue*



rcnute said:


> Very noticeable above 40 mph. Perhaps the Mavic Ksyrium Elites wheels contribute.


I went aroung 48 mph on three different assents this weekend (Triple Bypass in Colorado) My bike was solid. I weigh 190 and ride an 04 comp. I think the other poster who cited that it might be the bad roads is right.


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## temoore (Mar 9, 2004)

rcnute said:


> Very noticeable above 40 mph. Perhaps the Mavic Ksyrium Elites wheels contribute.


Same w/ my bike, same wheels. Maybe that is one of the factors.


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