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Road Test/Bike Review (1990) Giant 980C

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Road Test/Bike Review (1990) Giant 980C

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Old 12-24-23, 11:12 AM
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Road Test/Bike Review (1990) Giant 980C





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Old 12-24-23, 01:54 PM
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Those bikes were beautiful with the visible carbon weave under a clear coat.
I remember drooling over CF bikes like this and the Specialized equivalent on dealer's display rooms as it looked so tech forward at that time.
it is interesting though thst they could not get the weight down as most people expected from a CF bike. It pretty much weighs the same as top of the line steel bikes.
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Old 12-25-23, 02:16 PM
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They were a very good quality price ratio bike , the 105SC was a very liked groupset back then.
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Old 12-25-23, 04:53 PM
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I have one of those. Picked it up as a trade-in from my LBS. Gave him a low-ball offer, thinking it was too small for me, which he accepted. Turned out the top tube has a slight forward slope, and the bike is actually bigger than it looks.

In hindsight one of the best deals I ever did:



When a friend wanted a "fast bike" and asked me to find her one, I got her this one. It looks even better than mine, without the tacky multi-color decals:

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Old 12-25-23, 08:10 PM
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Old 12-26-23, 08:03 AM
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I love the article mentioning fiberglass and galvanic corrosion prevention back in 1990. It is funny that they say the Epics got this treatment, though. Maybe some later ones did.

Interesting information about ride on the Cadex being stiffer than typical. I'd like to get one, just because the price is right for this kind of construction, and they seem to be very reliable.


The anti-compact forward sloped TTs are kinda hilarious.

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Old 12-26-23, 08:12 AM
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Given the surprisingly high frame weight, does anyone here know for sure that the frame tubes were carbon versus carbon-wrapped aluminum? The slightly later Raleigh USA "carbon" bikes were the latter, according to our shop's sales rep back then. Maybe the Alan or Vitus carbon bikes, too, per my unreliably faint recollection.
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Old 12-26-23, 08:19 AM
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Originally Posted by Chombi1
Those bikes were beautiful with the visible carbon weave under a clear coat.
I remember drooling over CF bikes like this and the Specialized equivalent on dealer's display rooms as it looked so tech forward at that time.
it is interesting though thst they could not get the weight down as most people expected from a CF bike. It pretty much weighs the same as top of the line steel bikes.
Which top-of-the-line steel bikes had frames that weighed under 4 pounds back then? Reynolds 753, probably. Columbus "record attempt" tube sets (KL?), too, I guess.

All I remember was that the frame of my 1995 Schwinn Peloton, whose frame was built with 853 in the main tubes, was supposed to be around 3.75 pounds.
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Old 12-26-23, 12:35 PM
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These are likely thick walled tubes and the test bike is large. The 56 was probably the same weight as a Klein
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Old 12-27-23, 11:07 AM
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Originally Posted by Kontact

Interesting information about ride on the Cadex being stiffer than typical.
My guess is the aluminum fork is responsible for the stiff ride. In later years they changed to a carbon fork.
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Old 12-27-23, 12:29 PM
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Originally Posted by Trakhak
Given the surprisingly high frame weight, does anyone here know for sure that the frame tubes were carbon versus carbon-wrapped aluminum? The slightly later Raleigh USA "carbon" bikes were the latter, according to our shop's sales rep back then. Maybe the Alan or Vitus carbon bikes, too, per my unreliably faint recollection.
100% carbon tubed. Had seen a frame after being hit by a car. The NDS seat and chainstay were fully through cracked. Fairly robust and thick. Was able to force most of it back to original mated pieces and I suppose one could've repaired without difficulty.
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Old 12-27-23, 08:22 PM
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Originally Posted by icemilkcoffee
My guess is the aluminum fork is responsible for the stiff ride. In later years they changed to a carbon fork.
Aluminum forks of that style are soft riding. They were a major step forward in both comfort and weight before carbon forks showed up.

I think they just didn't want to make noodles like the TVTs and made the tubes thick walled.
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