Trek 1400 for a first road bike?

I know nothing much at all about Trek 1400s or Giant OCR1s.

However, my advice is to buy a bike with minimum 105 10sp as you'll be better off in the long run for servicing and upgrades with 10sp.

As to which frame, go get yourself professionally fitted, then take your measurements and pick the bike and size that works with those measurements and that fits your budget.

Traditional frame style vs sloping/compact and all the construction material choices are largely just window dressing once you get the fit right.

thanks mate, i think that no matter what I choose ill get properly fitted above all. Cheers for that

Quoted post said:

Traditional Geometry - Get a better fit to the bike rather than vague sizes of S,M,L,XL of compact frames such as the giants. Do you guys agree? Im 6 foot 94kg and many ppl say traditional geometry will fit 'bigger' guys better (with the proper set up). Also my mates who ride a fair bit say the Trek frame will be faster and more responsive.. What are your thoughts??

I had an OCR1, now I have a Trek 5200. I was comfortable on both and couldn't really notice anything that told me one was compact and the other traditional... I test rode a 1500 and thought it was pretty similar to my OCR. I think it comes down to personal preference... I've never liked compact frames purely from an aesthetic point.

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Frame - This year the 1400 has the Aluminium SLR frame which is lighter and stiffer than previously and is comparable to many higher end Alu bikes with top of the line componentry. Seems as if I ever needed to i could upgrade parts to ultegra/DA if i ever wanted to as the frame would be good enough..

Didn't they use the same frame last year?

Quoted post said:

Componentry - All Shimano 105, hollowtech crank, gears, shifters and brakes. I dont know what it is but i cant help thinking that anything lesser than 105 I will only want to upgrade in the near future anyway. Also bontrager select wheels seem quite good? Do you guys like Bontrager?

You couldn't go wrong with 105. It works well. Bontrager Select wheels are entry level wheels... I've heard of a few people having problems with cracked rims... something you might want to look into.

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Price - $1999 down from $2199 last year. Not much else around that mark at the moment that takes my fancy.

I've seen 06 models going for $1799

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Taken into account all of these things, am I buying too good a bike for a relative road bike beginner??

Nope. Hell, I race against guys on Trek 1400's (and OCR 1's)

Like vette said, get fitted. Both are good bikes.

I'm 186cm tall or 6'1" when i upgraded from the hybrid i purchased a compact frame bike and it fits like a glove.

I wasnt even looking at upgrading at the time and went into a store looking for a bike jersey. It was love at first sight. Now she is parked permanently in the kitchen and some mornings when im lacking motivation i see her standing there and despite myself i get enthusiastic about taking her for a ride.

Buy your bike with your heart, its all about the passion 🙂

Gawd, I shouldn't post when I'm half asleep ^^^^
The main differences between an OCR1 and 1400 are that the 1400 is definitely more responsive and the OCR feels more laid back.

I meant to say that the frame was lighter and stiffer than the 1200 and 1000 frames. So its not just the component jump when stepping up to the 1400. I do still really like the look of both bikes. The store I would rather purchase from has the Giant, which makes it even harder to decide. There is also the fact i could get the Giant $300 or so cheaper than the trek...

Traditional vs traditional geometry has nothing to do with fit. Seat tube length does not matter, as very long seat posts are available. What is important, and unfixable if got wrong, is head tube length, head tube angle, effective/horizontal top tube length, and seat tube angle. Chainstay length/wheelbase affects ride quality but not fit.
Whether or not you think four size options is adequate is another question, and a good one.... 😕

Flavzz said:

Hi all,

I posted a little while ago stating that I was keen to get my hands on a giant OCR1 but after more research i'm considering a Trek 1400 due to a couple reasons..

Traditional Geometry - Get a better fit to the bike rather than vague sizes of S,M,L,XL of compact frames such as the giants. Do you guys agree? Im 6 foot 94kg and many ppl say traditional geometry will fit 'bigger' guys better (with the proper set up). Also my mates who ride a fair bit say the Trek frame will be faster and more responsive.. What are your thoughts??

Frame - This year the 1400 has the Aluminium SLR frame which is lighter and stiffer than previously and is comparable to many higher end Alu bikes with top of the line componentry. Seems as if I ever needed to i could upgrade parts to ultegra/DA if i ever wanted to as the frame would be good enough..

Componentry - All Shimano 105, hollowtech crank, gears, shifters and brakes. I dont know what it is but i cant help thinking that anything lesser than 105 I will only want to upgrade in the near future anyway. Also bontrager select wheels seem quite good? Do you guys like Bontrager?

Price - $1999 down from $2199 last year. Not much else around that mark at the moment that takes my fancy.

Look - I love the blue and black colour scheme! So sexy with the 105 stuff too

Taken into account all of these things, am I buying too good a bike for a relative road bike beginner?? I just dont want to get into it and then realise I should have spent an extra 500 for a better equiped bike..

Your thoughts are appreciated.. and also how much room is there to move on the recommended retail prices. The place I want to get it from wont budge on the RRP but they offer a very complete fitting service. thanks again guys and gals..

In my (stupidly large) fleet of bikes, I have 4 Treks. I think they are all brilliant bikes and I wouldn't hesitate for a heartbeat in telling someone to spend their money on a Trek. I have Bianchi, Specialized and some specials as well. But for a low risk bike purchase Trek is 10 out of 10, I can't see you being disappointed. The SLR frames are excellent.

Recently went through similar pains with a Trek 1500 and TCR Alliance - ended up going with the Trek - Love it - not dissapointed with my choice despite a couple of cycling mates suggenting the Giant due to more carbon in the frame (only the down tube is Alu in the TCR) - wasnt convinced with compact geom either (felt a bit small) but without having ridden alot of other quality road bikes the Trek is hot, looks good and is not a Giant (everyone on the road seems to have a Giant). But its all about feel and what your gut tells you with these bikes they come from the same factories with similar componetry and quality.

My heart says go with the Trek. Its definately the one I find more visually exciting. My wallet says go with the giant, but I'm sure I will regret saving a couple hundred bucks at the end of the day when I could have had the Trek. I just have to bite the bullet and get it now. Thanks for your help guys, all your opinions are appreciated..

I liked my OCR1... but I love my 5200 🙂

Hi mate,

Have you test ridden either bike? Or any others for that matter? After a few months of test riding different bikes; riding an old cro-mo slightly too small frame, and participating in my first tri, I put down a deposit today on my first new roadie... The TREK 1400. I'm 6'3'' (about), 80kg, and I've gone for the 60cm frame size (the old frame I'm riding is 57cm, just slightly too small).

Now, as I mentioned, I have test ridden several other bikes in the same price range: the Giant OCR1 (missing something? better second time round...), the Giant TCR1 (not too bad - just too expensive at the time, and under equipped), the Felt F75 (loved it!) an Avanti Giro(so stiff I almost died - all the bumps straight into my butt). After a bit more riding, I eventually went to Cecil Walker Cycles... and wow! Very friendly, very helpful. Seemed a bit too busy to help me straight away, but very warm once they started. It helped also that I knew what I wanted to test ride.

And test I did; I took the 1400 out for a fair spin, up through Melbourne, towards the western suburbs, and it was divine. Particularly in comparison to my old steel steed. It was buttery smooth, striking the fine balance that good cars seem to, between responsiveness and ride quality. I took corners much faster than I'm used to; the handling was just phenomenal. (Possibly also due to good tires and tire pressures - my oldie can't be over inflated (80psi+) or I'm walking home). But this was not a trade off for a stiff ride; instead it seemed that the bike didn't notice the bumps, even those I intentionally took to test it. They were rapidly dispatched without the slightest worry.

My only worry was that when I got out of the saddle, the bike seemed to have a slight flex - perhaps this is unavoidable in this large frame size. I was also worried about the monster sized handlebar - I've asked for a 44cm instead of the 46cm it came with. Despite these flaws it was a bike that I would be happy chewing up the tarmac on for hours on end.

I recommend the TREK 1400, but would advise you to test ride as many as you can to see what you like. That's the best test. As people have mentioned, fit is paramount to happiness with riding.

Good luck with it and happy riding when you find something.

~MoDCoN~ said:

Hi mate,

Have you test ridden either bike? Or any others for that matter? After a few months of test riding different bikes; riding an old cro-mo slightly too small frame, and participating in my first tri, I put down a deposit today on my first new roadie... The TREK 1400. I'm 6'3'' (about), 80kg, and I've gone for the 60cm frame size (the old frame I'm riding is 57cm, just slightly too small).

Now, as I mentioned, I have test ridden several other bikes in the same price range: the Giant OCR1 (missing something? better second time round...), the Giant TCR1 (not too bad - just too expensive at the time, and under equipped), the Felt F75 (loved it!) an Avanti Giro(so stiff I almost died - all the bumps straight into my butt). After a bit more riding, I eventually went to Cecil Walker Cycles... and wow! Very friendly, very helpful. Seemed a bit too busy to help me straight away, but very warm once they started. It helped also that I knew what I wanted to test ride.

And test I did; I took the 1400 out for a fair spin, up through Melbourne, towards the western suburbs, and it was divine. Particularly in comparison to my old steel steed. It was buttery smooth, striking the fine balance that good cars seem to, between responsiveness and ride quality. I took corners much faster than I'm used to; the handling was just phenomenal. (Possibly also due to good tires and tire pressures - my oldie can't be over inflated (80psi+) or I'm walking home). But this was not a trade off for a stiff ride; instead it seemed that the bike didn't notice the bumps, even those I intentionally took to test it. They were rapidly dispatched without the slightest worry.

My only worry was that when I got out of the saddle, the bike seemed to have a slight flex - perhaps this is unavoidable in this large frame size. I was also worried about the monster sized handlebar - I've asked for a 44cm instead of the 46cm it came with. Despite these flaws it was a bike that I would be happy chewing up the tarmac on for hours on end.

I recommend the TREK 1400, but would advise you to test ride as many as you can to see what you like. That's the best test. As people have mentioned, fit is paramount to happiness with riding.

Good luck with it and happy riding when you find something.

thanks for the detail mate, So far nowhere i have been has offered me a test ride at all!! I have pretty much been to every dealer in Adelaide. Or do you need to ask to get one?? As I havent owned a road bike before, I am not supremely confident on them and pretty much everything is new to me, which means I dont know how much a test ride will help me....

ANyway good to hear someone likes the 1400. Also did you get the free jersey and shorts??

Flavzz said:

thanks for the detail mate, So far nowhere i have been has offered me a test ride at all!! I have pretty much been to every dealer in Adelaide. Or do you need to ask to get one?? As I havent owned a road bike before, I am not supremely confident on them and pretty much everything is new to me, which means I dont know how much a test ride will help me....

ANyway good to hear someone likes the 1400. Also did you get the free jersey and shorts??

Yeah, you do need to ask for a test ride... They don't know what you want to ride after all...
A test ride will help, as you will start to see what you like. As for feeling confident... Practice makes perfect. Give it a shot! I pick up the jersey and shorts after picking up the bikes, I have to mail something in. I'll let you know how it goes!

Nick

You may want to consider a 2007 OCR C2 with the 105 groupset. I've seen shops clearing it out for $1999. Looks quite nice in black and red.

JeremyP said:

You may want to consider a 2007 OCR C2 with the 105 groupset. I've seen shops clearing it out for $1999. Looks quite nice in black and red.

Yeah I am yet to see one in the flesh but I almost bought an OCR C3 a couple months ago. they sure are a nice looking ride, i just wasnt sure about an OCR frame. if you can get one for 2 grand tho that would be a good option.

How would it compare to a trek 1400??

I looked at the Trek 1400 myself for a first bike. But I have decided On the Avanti Giro. I much prefer the look of the Avanti plus it has extra carbon so seemed like better value being over $100 cheaper with more stuff. Thoughts..

yeah i have seen the giro and my mate has one also. they are a nice bike. from some peoples opinions the trek still rides softer than the avanti even tho it has no carbon rear stay. I guess its personal preferance tho considering all bikes around this price are extremely similar..

Mav said:

I looked at the Trek 1400 myself for a first bike. But I have decided On the Avanti Giro. I much prefer the look of the Avanti plus it has extra carbon so seemed like better value being over $100 cheaper with more stuff. Thoughts..

Yeah I spose it comes down to personal prefference. Most with a similar price will have similar components and value.