First a little background. I bought this bike thinking I wanted something new. I went from a Univega Tour-something to the OCR3. The bike seemed like a good machine for the small amount of time I could spend upon it. But it could coast with a tailwind, more quickly than my two children could pedal on their first bicycles beside me.

Fast forward and a Raleigh Superbe became a rider with the family. Great bike for short rides, or so it appears. Now I want something of a blended machine of the two. I'm not talking long rides. I think thirty miles if I had the time would likely be the limit. But I'm wishing this aluminum frame/carbon fork bike simply had fenders. A Jamis Aurora, maybe a Fuji Touring (can get the second locally) seem like very good candidates although the Fuji would need my adding fenders. I'm a fair weather rider but would like to get out there if the rain has quit but the roads are still wet.

Am I putting the horse before the cart? Is there a reason to keep the OCR3 or just sell it for one of the aforementioned?

Thanks in advance
Harv

If you are sure that you want something else, then the most logical thing to do is to sell the OCR3.

However, as an addict to the N+1 drug, I probably couldn't do it.

I'm not quite clear on what the problem is with the Giant? Just that it doesn't have fenders? If that's the case, you can get clip-on fenders for it- one brand I've heard of is "Race Blades"- and there are others.

For leisurely =/<30-mile rides, the particular bike you have isn't going to make a huge difference. You should be able to make the Giant work fine for whatever you want to do with it.

If I'm missing something, please give more details.

Thank you both for your replies. Little Darwin, yah, that's a problem I don't need to encourage haha. I end up with more than I need of too many... things. Stucky, that's what I didn't know; that such fenders can be had. I'm going to look those up. Many thanks.

I see what you're saying. If I were coming from a much longer distance rider's perspective the distance I ride would be pretty much just warming into rhythm. How can one tell how good or right a frame/set up is without a bit of endurance under stress. I think I see what you're saying. Marginal at best. Well, this looks to be my starting line.

Harv

Harv, your Giant is a perfectly capable bike (as are the older ones you mentioned)- You could do 100 miles on it just as well as you could on a $10K bike. As long as you have it set up to fit halfway well, the biggest difference between most bikes is aesthetics. What makes more of a difference is just getting our bodies used to riding.

I bonked on my first 34 mile ride! But after a few times, I could do it like nothing.

Stucky, I have to agree with you. I can see it. To put in perspective:

I live not far off the Lake Wobegon Trail. A branch of it runs within a mile of my farm too. Although the farm is for sale even though I 'd as much like to keep it as sell it. Torn. But the trail, well that's still there. (if any of this seems incoherent, I'm sitting at my inlaws' drinking my sister in laws excellent mixed drinks and partaking with family as we all multi task our media tools while instigating... things... amongs each other. haha one brother il is texting with the other brother I,l,-so apologies for, um, yeah)

My brothger oin law Dan has a Surley Ice Cream Truck ops so naturally we're talking bikes. While imbibing. I should stop now haha

Harv