I'm in favor of test rides. Get the one that feels the best.

I know speed was one reason you were leaning toward the OCR and it's probably going to be a tad faster than a cross bike, but I like the versatility that a cross bike offers.

If your commute is on good roads with some hills, the OCR or a Trek might be the one to go with. If you're thinking about commuting in the winter, a cross bike will accept studded tires.

Yea your totally right about the test rides, I am going to take my time and really get a feal for each

speed is what I want, plus touring capable is a major plus. I have my converted mountian bike commuter for winter time which is still a serious possibility for keeping a road bike on the road for close to 7 months of the year, which is excellent for around here.

Our weather is just like bostons, changing every 2 min, wet/cold in the winter, roads are awful 80% of the time, esp this time of the year. Yet with a rodie commuter 7 or 8 months of the year is a very real possibility.

I'd be really interested to see how much clearance there is between the tire and fender once it's mounted. Mine's a 2003 model, so maybe things have changed, but it doesn't look to me like something I'd want to try, especially on the front wheel.

How'd you attach it at the top? Does the OCR1 come with eyelets on the upper part of the seatstay (which the OCR2 doesn't), or did you attach it to the seatpost as I mentioned the first time? I realize it has eyelets on the dropout, but that alone isn't sufficiently to mount a rack to a bike.

I have had an OCR2 for two years. It's been great for me. I have had a rack on it and that works fine. I do not have fenders, but there is wheel clearance if you are running 25mm tires and I bet you could jury rig fenders. There little holes at the top and bottom for the rack, but they put little rubber things in them when they sell it. Maybe this has changed in the last couple years.

Mine also came with pedals. This is 50-100 bucks right there.

The only things I did not like that I would changed:
Mine had an adjustable stem, this creaked and obviously once you find where you like the bars you don't adjust it. So I got a new stem.
Also, I hated the stock seat.

Also, if you want a road bike to commute, you can safely ignore the MTB advocates. I have ridden road bikes over gravel roads, potholed streets, up and down curbs. Just get 28mm tires and inflate them to 80-90psi.

I have a 2006 Ocr 2 it has eyelets for fenders and a rack. There are places on seat stays to connect a rack. I just put a trek interchange rack on my Ocr. Fenders may fit with very close tolerance. I use my OCR for commuting 1-2 days per week 42 miles round trip. It works well for this purpose. Though if I had known I would only use this bike for commuting then I may have bought a bike that could fit wider tires and fenders more easily. I find the OCR to be a very comfortable fairly fast ride. I lke the compact frame geometry it makes it easier to mount and dismount than my traditional steel framed road bike.

hmmm thanks for the comments guys

I am going to go into my giant dealer to talk specifics about fender clearance, which seems to grow in importance for me. Not to mention my options with tires/sizes

If you're worried about these issues, why not get a cyclocross bike? It's not like you're racing and worried about every last ounce of weight. In fact, many CX bikes are fairly light and the benefits for a commuter rig are easily apparent: more fender clearance, sturdier build (frame & wheels), and often come with rack mounts.

that was discussed earlier in the thread

I noted I was going to test out the Kona Jake. Which is still very much an option. the only thing I have against a cx is that I was to do some small level touring, so if I could find a bike that has that possibility then im set

If that's the case and you want to tour, then a traditional road bike is ill-suited for the task. Commuting is one thing, traveling under a heavy load is entirely another. The tubing of a road racing bike like an OCR2 (to say nothing of the chain stay length, fork rake & trail) is designed to be light (although the OC2 is an admittedly stable bike) -- that thing will turn into a slinky if you put weight on it. A CX bike is designed with sturdier tubing and therefore is better suited to carrying a load. Neither are ideal for touring but a CX bike is far better than a road racing bike.

Don't take my word for, go post over in the Touring forum about the possibility of touring on an OCR2 and see what they say. Most people will tell you that you'd be better off with another bike or a trailer, don't expect to carry anything more than 20 lbs. or so. In other words, good for small tours, far less than ideal:

https://www.bikeforums.net/touring/298328-buy-new-touring-bike-use-my-ocr2-road-bike.html

While I haven't test ridden a cyclocross bike yet, if I had was going to spend $1000 - $1500 again on a commuter/get-around/have-fun bicycle, I very well might go with a cyclocross or touring bicycle for the reasons you state. At the time I had just gotten tired of my old clunker, had a new job that paid considerably more than my previous line of work (Kinko's!), and basically decided one morning "it's time to spend $1000 on a new bicycle."

If I had been more careful in my considerations I might have ended up with something else, or maybe not. I pretty much fell in love with the way the OCR feels in the drop position almost immediately. Well, immediately after I convinced myself it was possible to steer with drop bars without killing myself.

I've been riding an OCR2 for about 4 years now and use it primarily for commuting. Depending on the route I take, my commute is 28-37 miles round trip (25% MUT, 75% neighborhood streets). I probably have 5-6k miles on it so far. It has its positive and negatives but over all I've been pretty happy with it. However, knowing what I know now (i.e. i don't really like road biking all that much) I probably would have gotten something different, probably a cyclocross bike.

The positives: At the time it was a pretty good value. Similarly spec'd bikes from other companies were $50-100 more. It's been pretty durable. The only things that have needed to be replaced were tires, brake pads, and the chain. Normal wear and tear stuff. It's a fairly stiff frame. When you mash on the pedals it goes. It has eyelets for fenders and/or racks (mine only has them on the rear but I think the current models have fork eyelets too). I use a rear rack and have used panniers in the past without any heel clearance issues. Handling is pretty stable. It rides like a bike.

The negatives: fender and tire clearance can be an issue. I'm running 28mm Pasela TGs with full fenders and there's just barely enough clearance. In fact, I probably shouldn't run anything bigger than 25mm tires, but i like the way the 28's ride. Ride quality with the stock tires was a bit rough but different tires and playing around with tire pressures made a big difference in comfort.

Overall it has been a good commuter for me. I'm not sure if the current model has more frame and fork clearance than mine, but if you don't plan on running anything bigger than a 25mm tire with fenders or 28mm tire without, you should be fine.

hmmmm thanks for the heads up

thanks a ton mate

I have a high mileage OCR that has turned out to be great. You get really good tire choices for a road bike due to the long reach brakes and the rear rack capabilities rock!
Rear fender installation is easy on this bike however the front is problematic with no eyelets. I clip a Zefal fender to the down tube when it's rainy which only works well if I'm going in a straight line. This bike makes a great commuter or credit card tourer though I agree that 20 or so pounds on the rack is the reasonable limit. As far as 'speed', if you can get low on the OCR then you'll find it's a very fast bike!

thanks man!

Yeah, I mean they are all nice bikes. Especially if you love to ride. I actually plan on going cross country with mine. Leaving in just a month or so. Westbound. Should be a fun trip. Can learn more about the trip on my website/forums. Link is in my sig.