kopek

I just signed up to this forum, and due to time constraint, I have not been able yet to do a thorough search to find an answer to my question. So if this has been asked before, I apologize.

I have been road cycling for 3 years now, and I enjoy it tremendously. My bike is a 2013 Giant Defy 1, with some wheel and component upgrades. It's been a grate bike, setup all dialed in, and I wasn't planning on getting a new one as long as the limiting factor to improve as a cyclist is my fitness level, and not the bike.
But now I have what I consider a great opportunity to upgrade, and to obey the rule that the correct number of bikes to own is n+1
A friend of mine is selling his 2014 Giant TCR SL frame, with brand new mechanical Ultegra groupset, new Ultegra 6800 wheels, Look Keo Max 2 carbon pedals. The bike was ridden for one season only, and I know it's been very well taken care of.
My friend is the same height as me, but his riding position is lower then mine. Given that the TCR has an ISP, the seat post was cut to fit him, and it seems to be about 2-3 cm too short for my liking. I have not been to a bike fitter yet with the bike, this is based only on measurement I took from my Defy and the TCR. I know that I can purchase spacers to increase the seat post height.

My questions are:
1. is $1900 a fair price for this bike?
2. How effective is to use spacers to increase seat height? I am afraid that the whole assembly will loose it's firmness, it will have too much wobble, and altogether less safe.

Thank you all for your input.

gsindela

What was the price of the bike when it was new?

kopek

I don't exactly know, but I do know that he purchased the frame only, and had it built up with mechanical Dura-ace groupset.
To break it down:
- frameset when new $3,350
- ultegra groupset as of right now $560
- ultegra wheelset $300

gsindela

Price seems fair, but I don't know anything about the seat post.

OldTryGuy

With my frame came 20mm worth of spacers. There is no issue using them otherwise Giant would not include them since the SL version frames are the top of the line. I have a Propel Advanced SL and would not have an issue using the spacers.

Elvo

Too expensive. I'd go with $1500

ARPRINCE

^^ As he said. Frameset at excellent condition is $1524 - $1568. Can't say the same for the SP either.

Morghulis

Related question as I've been looking at purchasing an older 2009 Giant Advanced SL... how would this compare to a 2011 Supersix - not really worth the upgrade even if it works out to be a straight trade?

https://www.bicyclebluebook.com/sear....aspx?id=15983

Dean V

If he got the frame new he should have spacers for the seat post unless he lost them. There is a mark on the seat clamp that shows the max allowable height.
You may also be able to get a bit more height by using a saddle that is taller from the rails to the top.

kopek

Thanks everyone for your input.
On my way home from work today, I stopped by the lbs where the frame was purchased from. Believe it or not, they still have the spacers from 3 years ago!
I schedule with them a bike fitting for next Tuesday, with the spacers put in. According to my measurements I need somewhere between 20-30mm, witch kind of puts me close to the limit of how much the seat can be raised.

OldTryGuy

Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES would I want more than the Giant supplied 20mm worth to be used. I am 66yo @ 140lbs so not really heavy BUT still would not go more. JMO

I am 5' 8.5" with 31" inseam on medium frame as a reference

kopek

Thank you all again for sharing your thoughts. Reading your comments definitely made me more wary about the purchasing of this bike. Therefore, I went to the bike fitting session at the lbs with a very critical mindset. Upon fitting the spacers (20mm) and doing other minor adjustments for saddle position (ramp angle), it turns out that the bike is a grate fit. With the 20mm spacers, I am still 9mm away from the indicator limit of how much the post can be extended. I do feel a little stretched out compared to the position of my previous bike. The stem is 10mm longer, and the bars are 2 cm wider then what I am used to. Of course, the litmus test will be to actually go out and ride it for a more extended period of time, which I am planning on doing on Sunday.

rpenmanparker 

You can set that bike up to be your preferred fit. You don't need to use the long stem and wide bars. For a price.

kopek

You are right. I was thinking to transfer the stem and bar from my old bike. But first I want to give this setup a try. The whole bike geometry is different, so my position on it will be completely different as well. One variable at the time, and I'll get there (I hope)

rpenmanparker 

I'm not sure what you mean. If you were properly fit on your old bike; and the intended riding type is the same, then you should be in the same three point contact position on the new bike. Its geometry is not the final issue. If you can't easily adapt it to your standard contact position, it isn't the right size.

kopek

The weather hasn't been very kind for riding, but I still managed to get two short (1 hour) rides in.
WOW! I love this bike. It feels light, agile, shifts well, etc. etc. Now all my positive impressions might be due to the bike itself being so much better then my previous one. It might be due to the fact that I have not ridden since the end of September, and I don't really remember how riding my old bike felt, or being the beginning of the cycling season (for me), I am jut play enthusiastic to be back in the saddle. Either way I really enjoyed my two rides on the TCR.
In terms of fit, it is surprisingly comfortable (so far). I am relatively new to road cycling (4 years), and I remember that it took me quite a while on my Defy to realize what needed to be changed for a better fit (saddle, handle bar). So it might be the case that over time I will feel the need for some changes on the TCR as well.
For me personally it is a big step up. I think the price I payed was fair, so overall I am a happy camper.
In the future I will probably upgrade the wheels. For now I am using the Giant SL1 Alloy Climbing wheels, and I am quite happy with them.

Thank you all for your comments, I definitely took them into account during this process.

San Pedro

Those wheels actually seem fairly nice, around 1500 grams... Enjoy your bike. I totally dig the color schemes on the Giant bike, and am very pleased with my own.