Giant TCR Composite w/triple crank?

[ducatidemon]

I'm looking at buying the Giant TCR Composite frame/fork, and then building the whole bike up. However, some Giant dealers have expressed reservations when I told them I was looking to put a triple crank. They said their Giant rep did not reccommend them specing it with a triple. However, they've seen it done, and they would try to do it only if I really wanted them to.

I got the impression that they were saying "all bets are off" if I were to go ahead with a triple.

Giant does not have any "out-of-the-box" TCR Composite bikes with triple cranks, so I was wondering if anyone here has made an attempt to put triple cranks on their frame. If so, was it successful?

All info and help appreciated!

Cheers!

 

[boudreaux]

Originally posted by ducatidemon
I'm looking at buying the Giant TCR Composite frame/fork, and then building the whole bike up. However, some Giant dealers have expressed reservations when I told them I was looking to put a triple crank. They said their Giant rep did not reccommend them specing it with a triple. However, they've seen it done, and they would try to do it only if I really wanted them to.

I got the impression that they were saying "all bets are off" if I were to go ahead with a triple.

Giant does not have any "out-of-the-box" TCR Composite bikes with triple cranks, so I was wondering if anyone here has made an attempt to put triple cranks on their frame. If so, was it successful?

All info and help appreciated!

Cheers!

It's been done successfully by indivudals. Depending on the components and FD used, there may be a need to use a spacer on the drive side of the BB to get adequate inward FD travel,to shift to the granny ring.The short stays make chain angle more critical,so there mayb be fewer cog options when in the big and granny rings. Maybe you could get by with a compact crank and 50/34 chainrings?

 

[dhk]

I don't see any reason triple cranks wouldn't work, unless Giant uses some weird BB that only comes in a double axle length.

I have a custom race-style frame, and spec'd an FSA triple crank for it. I use an Oversize BB, with ISIS axle...all common stuff.

If Giant doesn't recommend it, and says "all bets are off"...whatever that means, I'd take my business elsewhere. Lots of people will be happy to build up a frame with a triple for you.

 

[ducatidemon]

Originally posted by boudreaux
.. Maybe you could get by with a compact crank and 50/34 chainrings?

I've already thought of that. Swapping the rear cassette to an XTR 11-32 is another option I've considered.

Since I've always had a triple, I'm trying to explore all avenues of getting a triple before I start looking at compact cranks and XTR casettes.

 

[boudreaux]

Originally posted by dhk
I don't see any reason triple cranks wouldn't work, unless Giant uses some weird BB that only comes in a double axle length.

I have a custom race-style frame, and spec'd an FSA triple crank for it. I use an Oversize BB, with ISIS axle...all common stuff.

If Giant doesn't recommend it, and says "all bets are off"...whatever that means, I'd take my business elsewhere. Lots of people will be happy to build up a frame with a triple for you.

The really is a bit of a problem and a reason they don't do it on factory built bikes.The aluminum downtubes have a releif groove in then for FD clearance which the composites don't,and the short stays are another issue,but not a deal killer.Any Giant dealer that does it is on their own with no factory support.Part of it is also Giant CYA....Giant doesn't use an off spec BB type either.

 

[boudreaux]

Originally posted by ducatidemon
I've already thought of that. Swapping the rear cassette to an XTR 11-32 is another option I've considered.

Since I've always had a triple, I'm trying to explore all avenues of getting a triple before I start looking at compact cranks and XTR casettes.

A campy setup with a 50/34 and a 13x29 rear gives you the same low gear inches as a Shimano triple with a 30 granny and a 25 big cog. But you loose some on the high end with the 50x13.All depedns on what you can live with. MTb casettes aren't ideal for the road either.

 

[dhk]

Originally posted by boudreaux
It's been done successfully by indivudals. Depending on the components and FD used, there may be a need to use a spacer on the drive side of the BB to get adequate inward FD travel,to shift to the granny ring.The short stays make chain angle more critical,so there mayb be fewer cog options when in the big and granny rings. Maybe you could get by with a compact crank and 50/34 chainrings?

Didn't see your response before I posted. Is there some special geometry on this frame that would limit the inward travel on the FD...can you explain?

I thought any frame would accomodate a triple with the correct BB axle.....not so?

 

[boudreaux]

Originally posted by dhk
Didn't see your response before I posted. Is there some special geometry on this frame that would limit the inward travel on the FD...can you explain?

I thought any frame would accomodate a triple with the correct BB axle.....not so?

I did explain...see above. There are frames that are not 'recommended' for triples by the maker.That does not mean it cannot be done,but may require some work arounds like BB spacers or different spindle length other than what is common fare. I had a shop guy tell me early on in my out of the box endeavours that a triple on a frame I was building was' impossible', yet it worked perfectly for years.

 

[p55mac]

Fellow forum member temoore tried to fit a triple........here's
the thread: http://www.cyclingforums.com/t112398.html

 

[dhk]

Originally posted by boudreaux
I did explain...see above. There are frames that are not 'recommended' for triples by the maker.That does not mean it cannot be done,but may require some work arounds like BB spacers or different spindle length other than what is common fare. I had a shop guy tell me early on in my out of the box endeavours that a triple on a frame I was building was' impossible', yet it worked perfectly for years.

Got it now, thanks, either me or the web connection is slow today....

 

[ian-m]

I've done this - Giant TCR Composite with a 10 speed Centaur groupset. I had one problem though - with the std Campag triple BB length, the chain kept dropping off the inner ring on downchanges. Maybe something to do with the short chain stays and therefore less sideways flex in the chain? Anyway, a shorter BB fixed it (can't tell you the length though, sorry, I didn't fit it) and it now works perfectly. Let me know if you need the BB length and I'll ask the LBS

 

[amdzim]

There have been a number of posts about this on a number of forums. I started one around January as I was getting different advice from different dealers. I finally ended up writing Giant and they promptly sent me the following response:

"Hi Richard,
Got your message regarding the TCR Composite 1.
The honest answer is that you cannot install a triple chainring on the bike because the rear center distance is too short (400mm, needs to be a minimum of 407mm). If you did shifting performance would be constrained. For the future we will address this issue.
In the meantime, my recommendation would be to run a FSA compact crankset (50/34T-plenty of gearing for most riding conditions) as option #1 or to take a serious look at the OCR Elite model which provides triple chainring along with a nice modified geometry (1 degree slacker head angle for more relaxed riding, 25c tires for smoother ride, longer wheelbase for more stability) that might suit you better than the TCR racing geometry.
I hope this helps"

People have done it as you can see but I would stay away from something the manuf. doesn't endorse, especially with a very simple work-a-round. The problems was solved for me when I test road the Giant and found out that it didn't fit. So, I bought an Orbea Orca with a tripple. More expensive, probably not a better bike, except that it fits me perfectly so for me it is a much better bike.