Road Cycling - [noob question]Giant OCR 1-2 or 3 ?

Hi there !

First post, first question, first road bike for me... :D

So, i'm about to buy a brand new road bike and i'm hesitating between the different numbers of Giant's OCR. Money-wise, the OCR1 is just ok for my budget, but maybe i should get a "lower" version of OCR' and this is where i need some advices from you guys.

I'm 5'8", 162lbs, i'm well proportioned(which means, i don't have long arms, or short legs, etc...) and i've never been on a road bike. I always had mountain bikes(all of them were pretty sh*ty), but i could always do 5-6 hours ride(on the road) with them anyway, so i'm ready to get converted to road bike.

Now, considering the above facts, what version of OCR should i get ? Is the OCR 1 really that different from the OCR 2 ? What size should i get ? Small, medium... ? Anything else i should consider ?

Also, about those clippy-thing pedals, if i want to wear my normal running shoes and go for a ride, there's "normal" pedals for that, right ?

What else... oh yeah, i live in Montréal, Canada(well, on the south shore). Does someone know some good places besides Sport Experts where i can buy those bikes ? I have nothing against Sport Experts, but a good old fashioned bike shop seems like a better spot to buy a "real" bike.

Thx in advance ! :D

dstg_11
I won't go into the differnces in quality between the three different OCRs, other than they all utilize the same frame, it's just the grupos and wheels that are different. I would choose the OCR1 over the others because I believe that the ultegra and 105 mix are better than the lower end shimano groupos, however the cost may not be worth it for you. I'll let others help explain differences in the groupos.

As for stores... I'm not really sure how far your willing to travel, however McWhinnies on Sherbrooke Street West sells Giant and Canondale roadbikes as does Gianella on Sources boul. N (West Island) which also sells Marinoni bikes. There are several excellent stores (far better than Sports Experts) and many other brands for you to consider, unless you've already test ridden the giants and have made up your mind on that subject.

Whichever bike you choose, I'm sure you'll find a big difference between your mountain bike and a road cycle.

Good luck.
Richard

Your bike store will be able to fit you better, but for what its worth here are Giant's sizing charts http://www.giant-bicycle.com/us/050.000.000/050.600.100.asp?sPageID=050.600.100

dstg_11
many other brands for you to consider, unless you've already test ridden the giants and have made up your mind on that subject.


Well, i've "tried" a couple of brands and Giant seems like the best bang for the bucks. Also, i felt like the Giant bike was a part of me and i felt confident on it. If anyone have a good suggestion for another brand, fire away. :)



Your bike store will be able to fit you better, but for what its worth here are Giant's sizing charts http://www.giant-bicycle.com/us/050.000.000/050.600.100.asp?sPageID=050.600.100

Interesting link. Thx.
*gets measuring tape*

Personally, I started out with the ocr 3. It was an absolutely great bike! After riding 6 months I started upgrading things on it, which if I had purchased the OCR 1, I would not have needed to. I would personally go with the OCR 1. It will hold you for a longer period of time. That's my opinion.

I purchased the OCR2, medium frame. (I'm 5'9 about 158 lbs). As mentioned, the only differences are in the components. The OCR1 comes with Sora, which will be a bit more difficult to upgrade. The OCR2 is a Tiagra/105. For me, a non-racer just going out for some weekend rides, the jump to OCR1 (105/Ultegra) wasn't worth the extra $$ and would not have paid off and I used the money to get a few goodies.

I put toe clips on that bike so that I could ride in whatever shoes I wanted. Not as efficient, etc. but convenient although I just bought a MTB shoe to wear if my rides are going to be longer than 30 miles because I get hot spots.

I have no complaints at all. It rides great and was a good purchase.

Sheldon

Thx for the replies guys... but i didn't followed any of your advices... :D

I bought a Guru FLite 2003 with the Ultegra kit on it. It was worth 2100$CAN(that's like, 1600$US) and i got it for 1000$CAN(755$US)... Yé ! And it's a local brand too, so i thought i should support my locals first. :D

I know you've already bought the Guru (a very fine bike and good job on supporting the local brand) but for others in the same position looking to resolve the OCR dilema, I personally would suggest the OCR2 since as a previous poster said, it's more easily upgradable and the parts that come with it should hold out longer as you develop. The OCR2 also seems to be the "sweetspot" in the OCR lineup as one might expect.