Giant OCR-2...Anyone Have One???



Gimpdiggity

New Member
Dec 20, 2006
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Hello again everyone.

I'm in the market for a new bicycle. My search has taken me across several different styles of bikes. I initially was interested in a high-end hybrid such as the Giant Cypress SX. I then even thought of possibly looking into a recumbent, but the price is keeping me away from those.

I went to the local shop today to look at bikes, and I told the owner what I was looking for:
1. Road bike smoothness when riding
2. Slightly more comfortable than a typical road bike
3. 99% of the riding will be done on pavement
4. Don't like grip-shift style shifters
5. Want it to cost less than $1000

He said he thought that the best bike for me would probably be the Giant OCR-2. He showed me the bike and said that it fit best with my 5 buying requirements. He told me that it fit my needs in the following ways:
1. It has road bike smoothness because it effectively IS a roadbike. Roadbike components and frame.
2. It was more comfortable than a typical roadbike because it has an adjustable stem and a slightly higher bar height than a typical roadbike...yet it still has the drops if you want to get in them.
3. It's a roadbike, so obviously it will excel at my 99% of the time on the road
4. Has the shifters built into the brake system
5. Costs $850, plus $90 for an optional 5 year Giant Warranty through the Giant company.

He also told me that there is an optional brake upgrade setup that makes it so that the brakes can be pulled while in the drops or while holding onto the flat top par of the bike...and that these cost $20 installed.

All in all, I would probably get the warranty and the brake kit, which means the bike would cost $960 plus tax out the door.

Does anyone have any experience with this bike?? If so, what are your impressions?? Do you like it, hate it, would you suggest it to someone that is looking to replace a 30 year old Fuji SP-12S roadbike??

Thanks,
Jeff
 
Stacks of people have this bike (or another version of the OCR) and I haven't heard any major complaints. I've test ridden one, and personally didn't like the feel...but that's just me. Everyone is different and I wanted more of a racey feel. The OCR is set up to ride more comfortably (as opposed to it's cousin the TCR which is more "racey" I found).

To me it sounds like a reasonable suggestion given your requirements. I would try to get the price down though.
 
I had an OCR 2 a few years back - it was an excellent bike, light enough for me, sturdy, reliable. good all round.

The new ones look really nice as well and very modern. they don't look cheap like some other bikes in that price range can.

They are very popular in Australia (all types) but the OCR seem to be a strong choice with rather new riders.

I don't think you could go wrong with the five year warranty and the lever upgrade - is that from Sora to Tiagra - I imagine.

good luck and happy riding.

JJ
 
I am new to biking, but I have an 2007 OCR1. I like it alot. I rode several bikes but this one had a good fit for me. My LBS tried to fit me to a Trek 1500, but it just didn't "feel" right to me.

The Giant bikes are alot of value for the price, IMO. If it feels right, go for it.
 
I think I got my 2004.5 OCR 1 for $850 from a Performance Bike year end clearance. Bike is awesome and has about 1488 miles on it. Very comfy ride, but the only bad thing is the rims wear out after 1000 miles and I had to replace the OEM Xero Lite wheels. The hubs needed regreasing after that many miles but it was not worth it rebuilding so I got Performance Titan wheels and they've been good. I use this bike with 2 panniers (29.6 lbs) and hit a top speed of 29.8 mph flats no wind. Did 32.9 on my Cervelo Soloist Team for comparison, but that was when I was in top form.

But I admit the Trek Pilot s.p.a bikes are my commuter bike dream. More $$$ though.
 
I've had a Giant OCR2 for almost 2 years now. I started off with they alum frame, and put about 1500 mi on it. I then upgraded to the OCR2 Carbon frame, and have put another 1500mi on it. I did upgrade the rims from the Xero's to Shimano's, and I'm running a full Ultegra setup. I've had no problems and as my handle suggests I'm a larger guy. It's a very comfortable bike, I've ridden 4 centuries on it. It's sporty as well though. I've hit over 60mph on a big downhill and had no issues.
Good luck on deciding what to get.