thefinestfuji

what is it? Is the giant tcr 3 a good choice for an entry level carbon bike?

msheron

From what I see I would say yes. Giant makes a great bike. If you are looking for carbon only and if a mix I suggest the Lemond Zurich which is a sweet ride. I have a friend that just bought one and loves it.

kleng

Hi

I ride a Giant TCR Advanced Team, if your used to a normal road bike frame, the compact frame takes a bit of getting use to, visually the bike looks smaller and with the view from the top it looks like it disappears. The tight front triangle makes it difficult to get a couple of large water bottles in, but this depends on the size your getting. From a performance point of view I think the smaller rear triange makes it stiffer and better for sprinting or climbing. If you can get over the visual aspect of it, these are good frames to start with, component and wheels can be upgraded later.

Here is a review
https://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?...cr_composite_1

nocondorfx

i think they're ugly and they suck

operator

Compact geometry is ugly. I grant you that. Suck? Probably not.

kleng

Depends how you define ugly, this is more favourable than the other picture.

StanSeven

Two reasons exist for compact. One is bike manufacturers like it because dealers stock fewer size frames. You'll find most only come in four or five sizes - S, M,L and XL. The other is the sloping top tube and the shorter seat tube makes for a stiffer rear. Many sprinters and climbers like the feel. Also most people like having more leg room when stopping. This is more than a passing trend. I noticed that 19 out of 23 team bikes in the TdF have sloping top tubes.

msheron

I have noticed the same thing! Alot of pro's have gone to compact geometry. The bike companies must know something because if it didn't work the pro's would be getting traditional design over new so called sloping top tube bikes.

Jinker

Stiffness/weight considerations aside (these being majorly tunable by construction) I don't see what the big deal is about compact frames.

My butt, feet and hands are the only things touching the bike. If the seat, handlebars and pedals are in the same location, the shape of the frame between them doesn't matter one whit. Obviously the handling of the bike is affected by wheelbase, location of the steering axis and steering angle, but these are sort of independant of the compact/standard geometry question.

How much room do you want for bottles in your triangle? How does the frame ride?

It seems to me like the 'aluminum is harsh, steel is real' sort of debate. Anything you say about how compact vs. standard geometry bikes actually RIDE, is just an overly broad generalization.

About all you can really say for sure about a compact frame, is that the toptube will be lower. Imagine that!

That being said, it seems evident that it offers some construction advantages. All else being equal, a smaller frame will be stiffer, and possibly lighter weight. The extra seat post can weigh less than longer seat tube/seat stays.

Point

Quite honestly, pro's ride what their sponsers give them. In all actuality, the bike frame design will have little effect on who wins the TdF or any other race. Any difference in weight, stiffness or geometry is minimal.

Remember Lance A won on a traditional 58 cm frame.