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Giant FCR-3 or OCR-3

Old 06-20-07, 06:22 AM
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Giant FCR-3 or OCR-3

Hey folks
I'm about to go car free and become a commuter all at once. I'm looking to buy either a Giant FCR-3 or OCR-3. I'll be putting a rack and panniers on the back to haul groceries and probably a gym bag of sorts to and from work. It.s a 3.8 mile one way but if I want to go on more 'adventures' the ride will be much longer...upwards of 10-15 miles one way.
Thanks

Last edited by mwhindy; 06-22-07 at 06:01 AM.
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Old 06-20-07, 10:29 AM
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I've commuted a ton on my OCR-3 in NYC, and it is unfortunately sitting in NYC right now without me

I don't have it with me to look at but I strongly doubt it has any mounts for panniers anywhere. I have seen some posts on BF regarding adapter mounts that will do the trick however.

EDIT: I'll add that I dislike the adjustable stem on the OCR-3 and I'd recommend replacing it with an non-adjustable type as soon as you figure out what size you prefer.

Last edited by wheezl; 06-20-07 at 10:34 AM.
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Old 06-20-07, 10:35 AM
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Get something with rack mounts that can take the abuse of commuting.
Commuting is a lot like touring, seems to put a lot of wear and tear on a bike.
I'd go with steel, in fact I did go with steel. And I've put some dings in it, but it's steel, so no worries.
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Old 06-20-07, 12:25 PM
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The OCR-3 is a hybrid correct? It may be more comfortable on your adventures than a drop handle bike.
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Old 06-20-07, 12:46 PM
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Originally Posted by Winter76
The OCR-3 is a hybrid correct? It may be more comfortable on your adventures than a drop handle bike.

OCR-3 is a road bike. It gots the drops.
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Old 06-20-07, 01:34 PM
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OCR-3 has rack mounts, if I remember correctly (check this at the dealer). OCR-3 all the way.
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Old 06-20-07, 02:39 PM
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Originally Posted by Phantoj
OCR-3 has rack mounts, if I remember correctly (check this at the dealer). OCR-3 all the way.
I just put a rack on my OCR-2, and it was straightforward. There were little rubber nubs that were plugging the holes - just pulled those out, and the screws went right in.
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Old 06-20-07, 03:17 PM
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Oh, whoops, I was thinking the FCR was the racer's road bike. But that's the TCR.

The FCR is just like the OCR, but with a flat bar, right? So this just comes down to flat bar vs. drops. I think drop bar is better than flat bar for all riding except singletrack (off-road).
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Old 06-20-07, 05:58 PM
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I have an OCR3. A regular rack doesn't fit easily. The rear brake gets in the way (at least on my large size). As a Multi-purpose bike I think there are better choices. The Surly Cross-Check is a great choice as a multi-purpose/utility bike. Since Surly is a QBP company most bike shops can order them.
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Old 06-20-07, 06:39 PM
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Originally Posted by jimcross
I have an OCR3. A regular rack doesn't fit easily. The rear brake gets in the way (at least on my large size). As a Multi-purpose bike I think there are better choices. The Surly Cross-Check is a great choice as a multi-purpose/utility bike. Since Surly is a QBP company most bike shops can order them.
It must depend on the brand of rack then. When I did my OCR2, the brake really wasn't in the way (it was kind of close, but I got the supports screwed in without any trouble.

I am out of town visiting family right now, so I cannot say for sure what it was that I put in. I tried browsing the web and looking at pictures, and I am pretty sure that this is the one (Blackburn Expedition):

https://spokesetc.com/itemdetails.cfm...gId=39&id=1984

The flexible metal strips needed to be bent down to line up with the screw holes on the bike, but I gather that this was normal and to be expected.

Last edited by ericy; 06-20-07 at 06:51 PM.
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Old 06-20-07, 06:45 PM
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I would get the OCR-3, it's just as sturdy but offers more hand positions and gets you more aerodynamic for those times when you need it. And you can kick some ass in cat 1-2-3 races on it if you have to.
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Old 06-20-07, 07:24 PM
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I've been commuting on the FCR3 for the last year. 20 mile round trip with plenty of hills. I'm happy with it. It does have brazed on attachment points for racks and fenders. I have a rear rack on mine and use a trunk bag, no fenders.

The hand positions are limited and on longer trips I do sometimes get some hand fatigue. I'm thinking of adding bar ends.
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Old 06-20-07, 09:25 PM
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My wife has an FCR-3. She got some nice 28c Contintentals slick tires for it. Even though I don't like the handlebars, I was quite impressed with its lightness and speed. And compared to other bikes in its price range, Giant did a really nice job on the aluminum welds.
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Old 06-21-07, 09:26 PM
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I only commute 1-mile each way, so I'm probably not the best person to ask. But I just bought the 06 FCR3 for my birthday earlier this month and am just loving it. It's less than half the weight of the 13yo cheapo Huffy mountain bike I was riding to work. I like the 28C tires it came with (I think the 07s will have 26C tires on them) for giving me a good compromise on speed and comfort. I'm able to start and end in the 2/6 gearing for the whole trip, where before I would poop out going up a hill on the old bike unless I shifted a few times to make it easier. I'm not 40 yet, but I sure don't bike like I did when I was a teenager.

I also don't mind the flatbar. I'm not on the bike long enough to hate it, but it does give me a nice upright ride. I tried some of the true road bikes that my co-workers have (they bike longer distances) and those skinnier tires were not for me.

I think the FCR is designed for up to 30-mile trips, which more than satisfies your range.

Either way, I don't think you'll go wrong with either bike - go try them both out at a Giant dealer. My friend is the state's Giant rep, and he thought the Sedona was the one for me based on what I told him. Nice bike, but I hopped on an FCR just for grins and giggles and thought it had way more 'pick-up and go' and my mind was pretty much made up! Now I can go on lunch rides with the co-workers and have a decent chance of keeping up.
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Old 06-22-07, 06:00 AM
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Thank you all for your comments. Right now I'm leaning toward the FCR3 and using the extra money I save to get all the extras I need. You know, lights, a lock, helmet....etc..
thanks again
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Old 06-24-07, 05:03 AM
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I have been looking at both bikes myself - and have yet to try them out. However, I did find that just getting sized up in the shop that the OCR3 'felt' better (and I was afraid of the lean on the drop bars). The seat on the FCR3 hurt from the second I got on it, and I felt that there was too much pressure on my shoulders causing a pinched feeling in my neck. None of this on the OCR3. Trying to justify the $300 CDN delta right now. I haven't ridden for at least 5 years - and used to commute on a steel Costco special (which I still own, but needs to be replaced). So - I am still fussing with the decision myself.

Looking forward to following this thread closely.

jww
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Old 06-24-07, 07:30 AM
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I have virtually the same bike from 2004, the Giant Cypress SX. They renamed it in 2005 to the FCR series to market it more as a flat bar road bike instead of hybrid, but that's it for changes. I think the SX is one step up from the FCR 3, because the msrp was $600.

It's been a helluva commuter, 18.5 miles RT. I've put close to 4k miles on it with not a single problem. As you can see, it fits rack, fenders and panniers. and I added bar ends. It's an extremely solid bike. I've got other bikes, so I never used it for anything else. Once you get all the accessories on it, it's not the speedster it is on the showroom floor due to the added weight. But it is an excellent, rock solid commuter/town bike.

Adventures? I guess it depends on what your idea of adventure is. I have a road bike and definitely prefer it for long rides. It's a lot lighter. But I wouldn't want to ride the road bike around town, groceries, commuting. Many people do, but hybrids & mtbs are far more popular for the task.

That being said, I've recently decided that it's a little big for me. I bought a 19 and should have bought the 17. 18 would have been perfect. Plus, I've ridden it 4k miles and am ready for a change. I also wanted disc brakes and a steel frame. So I bought a Jamis Coda Elite. Only ridden it once and have yet to add the rack & panniers. Time will tell. Here's the Giant.

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Old 06-24-07, 10:02 AM
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I bought an FCR 3 a few weeks ago to start commuting to school this summer. My commute starts tomorrow and is 30 miles RT. I've been out riding a lot to get ready for it and I am really happy with this bike so far. Before I took it out of the shop I had fenders and a back rack put on it. I can't say how hard it is to install as the shop did it,but it looks like the bike was built for the stuff to be put on.

Since I need to carry around a backpack I did what a lot of students on campus seem to do....instead of getting panniers or a basket that hangs down off of the side of my rack, I bought a "front" basket and zip tied it to the top of my back rack. It holds everything I need to get around and keeps the weight on the center line of the bike. Panniers would be a pain to lug around campus and I was thinking of getting one of the hanging rear baskets but I didn't want all the weight of my books to be hanging off of one side of my bike. I thought it might be harder to handle that way.

I tried a couple of different bikes and the FCR3 just seemed faster to me in my test rides.
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