Giant 2005 OCR Zero Upgrades

MarkC77

Hi guys, I am new to the road bike scene and have recently bought an '05 Giant OCR Zero. Now i will be honest and say that this bike is much more than I need and is too good for my current fitness but it went for a great price and was in the market for my first road bike so what the heck!

However I am interested to know what are the weak parts of the bike that should be upgraded early. Eg I notice that the brakes are not Ultegra, would putting ultegra brakes on make much difference?

What are the best bang for buck upgrades in my case?

Thanks.

gclark8

Mark,

The bike as it comes should be OK. Peraonal taste in saddles, only if uncomfortable, can be indulged. Just enjoy the ride on a nice reliable bike..

__________________
Cheers,
George.

roshea

It's a very good bike already (well, by my standards!), and, depending on your usage, there may be nothing that *SHOULD* be upgraded! The saddle is something that may not suit you, but there is no need to change it if it is already comfortable. You could pay a lot of money to get different wheels, since the Shimano's use proprietary spokes which may be difficult to replace in an emergency. I don't think that Ultegra brakes would make it stop much better, though they may be slightly lighter (don't know for sure).

MarkC77

Ok thanks guys, I think I will leave it the way it is. The wheels issue is a bit of a worry. i saw some some wheels when i was at the LBS and was quite shocked at the prices $1000+??? Is this the norm for good wheels?

If I was to change my wheels which ones have spokes that are relatively easy to obtain (and don't cost $1000 for a pair) and a worthwhile upgrade from the Shimany R550?

artemidorus

For most people, broken rear spokes are unusual and broken front spokes never occur. The R550 wheels suit the bike well and should not need to be upgraded. Think again if you start breaking a lot of spokes.

thomas_cho

The R550 are pretty good wheels, light and strong. You really dont need to "upgrade", perhaps consider upgrading when parts just age and is ready for replacing.

Upgradetitis is a disease! When you get it, you dont really need any reasons to purchase upgrades!

AzzaC

I was just in this situation, tossing up between an 06 OCR Zero, and an 06 TCR 1. Besides the difference in frame geometry and handling, the TCR won hands down in the braking department.

There is a HUGE difference in the performance and feel of the two brakes. The Ultegra is much smoother, 'snappier' at the lever, and provides better feedback, whereas the Tektro ones just feel dead and spongey There would be a number of reasons for this such as design, brake pad material etc.

However, if you're happy with the braking performance, then there is no need to change. FWIW, I also priced the OCR with an Ultegra caliper upgrade, and it came out to the same cost as the stock TCR.

I wouldn't upgrade anything straight away, except for things that are uncomfortable, e.g. saddle, handlebar width not right, stem length. Even though the Shimano wheelset is on the heavier side, they still have good ride characteristics, are pretty stiff, and as a result, have pretty decent acceleration. Save the money and upgrade things when they wear out or break.

My 2c

Cheers.

__________________
07 Giant Anthem 0 - lots of mods! XTR, Juicy Ultimates, Mavic Crossmax SLRs and more
05 Specialized Stumpjumper Marathon with Juicy 7's and X0
Surly 1x1 singlespeed
06 Giant TCR1

roshea

If the Tektro brakes are a problem, merely upgrading the brake pads could improve matters.

Aramis7

I test rode both 05 OCR Zero and TCR 1 and the difference in stopping power is huge. That's one of the reasons I got the TCR1 instead.

Brakes would be my 1st upgrade choice if I had an OCR 0.

Having said this....remember that upgradeitis only gets worse if not stopped early! (I know what I'm talking about!!)

MarkC77

I don't understand how anything but the brake pads would make such a huge difference.

Could somebody explain it in simple terms?

Thanks.

AzzaC

I'm no engineer, so someone with that background can make a more systematic and technical explanation, but things such as:

the actual design (or I guess geometry) of the brake caliper
material used in the caliper body
weight
quality of construction
quality of parts used e.g. springs, bushes, pivots etc

It could even be a case of Shimano lever/caliper compared to shimano lever/tektro caliper compatibility. All these little things can add up to make the large difference.

HTH

__________________
07 Giant Anthem 0 - lots of mods! XTR, Juicy Ultimates, Mavic Crossmax SLRs and more
05 Specialized Stumpjumper Marathon with Juicy 7's and X0
Surly 1x1 singlespeed
06 Giant TCR1

MarkC77

Seems like there are two model of Ultegra calipers, 6500 and 6600. Anybody know what the difference is?

WRT my brakes, I will leave them for now and when my first service is due (3 months) I will decide whether or not the current brakes are good enough.

artemidorus

The most important design feature of the brake calipers is the mechanical advantage. Basically, the smaller the distance that the pad moves for a given travel of the cable, the better the mechanical advantage, which is the ratio of the force applied to the cable over the force with which the calipers "crush" the rim.
The generic brakes may have a lower mechanical advantage than the ultegra ones. I am not certain of the extent to which the pads make a difference in dry conditions.

gclark8

6500 = 9 speed
6600 = 10 speed

It seems to be just the finish..

__________________
Cheers,
George.