lennon_68

So I've been bitten by the road bike bug. I just started to get into cycling last summer as an activity we could do together as a family (we've got 8 year old twins, a 3 year old, and a 1 year old) and something to help me get into better shape. I picked up an old Raleigh Technium 480 off CL and rode it all summer. Having gotten a taste I think this is an activity that I'm really going to stick with so I'm looking at spending some $ on a newer bike with something a bit more convenient than down tube shifting lol.

I've been watching the local CL for a while but not much comes up on there in the realm of used road bikes. I've also been watching the Minneapolis CL (about 3hr drive) and although there are quite a few more entries the reasonably priced ones get snatched up before I can even attempt to arrange a drive down there.

The guy that sold me the Technium is a local guy that's started a small bike repair business on the side. He also picks up and resells bikes/components/etc so I gave him a call to see if he had anything. As you likely already guessed he's got a 2003 Giant OCR 1 that he wants $600 for. Initially he told me it was 2-3 years old but after much searching (I went to bikepedia first but never clicked as far down as 2003!) I found out it's actually an '03 which bummed me out a bit. I have it here at my house and had already fallen in love with it by the time I figured it out

The question is, if I really like it should I be that concerned that it's only a 2003? Supposedly it has very few miles on it and from what I can see that appears to be reasonable (I talked to the LBS who told me some stuff to look for... the chain has no stretch and the cassettes don't appear to be worn at all, also it just looks brand new). Also I looked and it appears the component set on the 2003 might be better than what was on the 2008 (from what I can find the wheelset appears to be much nicer and it's full 105 - including crankset - instead of just 105 derailleurs/shifters).

I weighed it next to my Raleigh and it's about 2lbs lighter. The raleigh is just under 25lbs (but that's with some big clunky pedals, large saddle, and even a heavy metal kickstand) and the giant's just under 23lbs... I also rode it next to the Raleigh and, even down tube shifting aside, the Giant rides much nicer - I was able to consistently go faster with less effort on the Giant. We're going to try to take it on a 20 mile ride today - which is a long ride for us.

So what do you guys think? Am I being foolish to go for it? Another angle here is I have an '99 Giant Iguana that's too small for me. I picked it up last year for $100 and he'll give me $150 tradein on it as he's looking for something similar for his son. It's small enough that I just don't have the desire to ride it.

Any input would be greatly appreciated. I confronted the seller about the year and he said he understands but that's his price. He will be tuning it up before selling and paid $550 for it. Also he said with the lack of bikes available locally he thinks it will sell for that price, and frankly I believe him


Specs:
Component Group Shimano 105 Triple
Brakeset Shimano 105 Dual Pivot brakes, Shimano 105 STI Dual Control levers
Shift Levers Shimano 105 STI Dual Control
Front Derailleur Shimano 105, braze-on
Rear Derailleur Shimano 105 GS
Crankset Shimano 105 Triple, 30/42/52 teeth
Pedals Shimano PD-M505 SPD
Bottom Bracket Shimano BB-5500
BB Shell Width 68mm English
Rear Cogs 9-speed, 12 - 25 teeth
Chain 1/2 x 3/32"
Seatpost Aluminum micro-adjust, 27.2mm diameter
Saddle Giant OCR
Handlebar Anatomic drop bar
Handlebar Extensions Not included
Handlebar Stem Giant Adjustable alloy
Headset 1" Aheadset

Wheels
Hubs Shimano 105
Rims Mavic CXP 22, 32-hole
Tires 700 x 25c Michelin Dynamic
Spoke Brand Stainless steel
Spoke Nipples Brass nipples

lechat

No way it weighs in the 17lb range. Probably 21, 22 +. That said, if it's truly in mint condition it compares well with new Sora equipped entry level bikes. Resale value will be less though.

lennon_68

Thanks for the response. the 17lb business didn't see right but that's what I weighed it at. I went out again just now and found that the scale is a bit inconsistent right when it turns on. I stepped on, weighed myself, grabbed the Raleigh, weighed myself, then put down the raleigh and weighed again and found I'd lost 4 lbs since when I first stepped on lol. I eventually got it to give me the same weight consistently then redid the whole bit checking in between and after everything and found it's only about 2lbs lighter than the Raleigh... I edited the post above to state it's just under 23lbs (right where you though). Shoulda' known that was too good to be true!

We're going to go log some miles on it now...

Beaker

So with your trade in it's really going to be $450 - sounds reasonable to me. In reply to your question about whether to be concerned about it being a 2003: I don't see any reason to be concerned. If it rides well, you've checked the frame for wear and defects and you clearly like the bike, then it would seem that you're good to go.

rhoadrhat

That's 3 years younger than my 2000 Giant TCR1 (w/Ultegra), and I'm still riding it with mostly original components (changed wheels for preference, not need), and I've ridden a lot. I wouldn't worry about the age of the OCR--it probably has 9 speed components, but there's still a lot of that around.

lennon_68

Thanks a lot for taking the time to respond guys. As you could tell I pretty much had my mind made up but was hoping for a little justification I was afraid I would get some replies saying "that's way too much for a 2003" but it sounds like the price isn't out of line. I'm still going to see if he'll knock off another $25 or maybe throw in some free tuneups but at least I know I'm not getting ripped off.

We just went 23 miles on it (which is the furthest we've gone) and I feel like I could go another 20... I think that's a good sign

lennon_68

Pics or it didn't happen

Elvo

I'd say it's worth about $400-500

lennon_68

Ya, the guy's just not going anywhere on the price though and there's literally nothing else available locally (the closest thing is a Motobecane Record that the guy wants $400 for and I'd have to drive over 50 miles to get ).

I was pretty set on ordering a BD bike (the Mercier Corvus link) then trying to upgrade the frame eventually if it bothered me that it said "Mercier" but I think I'd rather have this 2003 OCR 1... Any thoughts on this? I don't see any full 105 equipped bikes in the $600 range new.

Maybe I'm missing something though, is there something in the under $800 range new that compares to this? I'm a newb so don't really know what I'm looking at other than component sets (which I've read isn't actually that important - part of why I'm leaning toward this instead of the BD bike with ultegra)

Elvo

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...our_legacy.htm

Definitely look into that.

lennon_68

Really? I guess I really don't know what the heck I'm looking at/for. I was thinking schwinn had sold out completely (doesn't Walmart sell some Schwinn road bikes?) but it looks like there are still some that are decent. Also I kinda' ruled out steel frames but maybe I shouldn't have done so arbitrarily. I've never ridden a steel frame but do hear some people love them. So I could get the steel framed Schwinn for $100 which is mostly 105. Is the difference in crank/BB/etc a big deal? I *REALLY* don't know what I'm looking at when it comes to that stuff.

Thanks for the response by the way

MegaTom

I think his price is about $200 too much. For not much more than his asking price you can get a brand new Defy 3 (or similar level Allez, etc.) with full warranty and full/free support from your LBS. Sure, they won't come with the 105 name on the drivetrain, but the lower end groups have pretty much caught up to the 5+ year old one you're looking at anyway.

longbeachgary

That looks like a small bike. Does it fit you?

lennon_68

Interesting... This I did not know! Well that pretty much settles it, I thought I was getting a decent deal since I can't get 105 for $600 (except the cheapest 105's on BD). I didn't realize the groups have changed that much. If that's the case would the Corvus I was looking at be a big upgrade over this? Maybe the Comp 30 or Pro 30 (I'm looking for a triple... legs aren't very strong yet and there are lots of hills where we ride). I had been wondering if that's what was meant by the first response but didn't think that was the case:
It's a medium, I believe I had it fitting alright but don't know for sure... I really should ride some bikes at the LBS to get an idea for what a nice fitting bike feels like Some reasons I think it's a good fit: Before this last weekend the furthest we'd gone was 19 miles and I was dead + sore the next day. This last weekend I did trips of 10, 23, and 16 miles - just today I was finally getting sore. I'm not sure if that really means anything though as my current bike is definitely too large for me so even though this is a "better" fit it's not necessarily a good fit.

trek330

It was $1100 new so I don't thinbk it's a bad price if it's in like new condition.However,why not try e-bay for bargains?I just bought a classic 85' trek for 300 dollars.Steel of course.

nesdog

That's the same year as my OCR2. The OCR1 was about 1K new as mentioned above and weighs, as you found, about 23 lbs. ( I knocked off weight on mine with some Williams' 30's). It's not a bad price...it's not a great price. If it's clean and not worn out, then why not? The 105 is an excellent group so no worries. Hey, I'm still running my rear 105 and Tiagra FD just fine.

Mostly, if you like the bike and it fits well, then I say go for it. Try not to get too caught up in chasing other stuff down. Besides you get a little deal with the trade in which is unusual....most shops aren't going to do that for you. And you won't get that with a private party so in a sense, that's free money.

lennon_68

Thanks for all the input guys, I'm really quite confused now though (not because of you guys just my internal nagging) The trade in is one way that I was falsely justifying it but the guy ruined that by saying he'd also buy the Mtn bike outright for $150 cash.........

I think I'm going to try to go back to my Raleigh for my ride to work tomorrow and see how much of a difference I notice going back.

lennon_68

Oh, I forgot about one other local option, a 2007 Fuji Roubaix Pro (105/Ultegra) for $800, I haven't tried to negotiate the price on this one and it's about 50 miles away. Any thoughts on this one?

https://bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeS...0Pro&Type=bike

oldbobcat

The 10-speed 105 drivetrain on the Fuji is slick, but the bike is overpriced ($600 would be more like it), and I think you'd like the ride and handling of the Giant frame better, but I still wouldn't pay a penny more than $500 for it.

I just went over to ebay to try to find you some decent buys. There always seemed to be a few Felt F5s and Giant TCR C3s around for under $1000. Not so right now. Of course, most of these auctions have only few hours left with 0 bids or "reserve not met." Too many sellers are vastly overestimating the value of their used bikes.

murpes

This says it all right here. It may be a tad overpriced, not grossly so, but if it's a bike you enjoy riding it's worth the few dollars, especially with that trade-in.

I ride an 06 OCR1; it's a very comfortable bike with geometry similar to their current Defy series. It's a fantastic day-to-day, club, or century bike. You won't go tearing up any crits with it. Shimano has improved their 105 line up since then, but the older stuff is still good, quality componentry. Apparently, somewhere in between 03 and 06 Giant stopped putting 105 cranks and brakes on there, so that's a plus.

It's a reasonable price and you seem to like it. I say go for it, and start putting the miles on!

lennon_68

Thanks for the input. I'm going to see if they'll take $600 before I drive over to check it out. That's part of my conflict, I know it's at least $100 overpriced but to get anything else I'll have to deal with driving a long distance or shipping. Both of these scenarios require I pretty much commit to buying the bike sight unseen. I have been watching eBay but like you I haven't been finding much, especially in the $600 range. There was a carbon fiber BD bike go for $560 yesterday (windsor falkirk) but I'm very wary of buying a used CF bike off eBay, especially a BD one that had been purchased at a pawn shop lol.


I think I should really just go for it. I can't decide if agonizing over it means I should bite the bullet and go for it or just let it go and search for something else. I did fall in love with it but I'm not sure if that's because I really love it or if it's just because it's the first road bike newer than 1984 that I've ridden lol. Fortunately the seller's not in a rush so I've got plenty of time to agonize. I've gone back and forth several times, it's almost like I've got pre-purchase buyers' remorse

Beaker

Can't answer that last one for you, but if you really are unsure if this is the right bike, why not try seeing if your lbs has any trade-ins that might be worth you taking for a test ride? Honestly though, I suspect you should buy the bike and not look back.

lennon_68

I did check for anything at the LBS but it's a pretty small city, no tradeins at all and they only have about 6 road bikes I could test ride.

I think I'm ready to just go for it. The seller is a really nice guy and will support me like a LBS. I rode to work last week for the first time ever (8mi commute) on the Raleigh and it was giving me trouble, he works right across the street (literally) from me though so I brought it over and he had it fixed up before the work day was over. Next day I rode to work - not at all prepared for what biking in 40 degree weather into a 15mph wind was like. When I chickened out on riding home he gave me a ride (he also happens to live right by me). If I'm serious about spending $600 on a bike I should be serious about making it my bike for a long time = I shouldn't be soooo concerned about potentially overpaying by $100


Again I really appreciate all the input guys. I know you guys get lots of noobs in here like me asking this exact question (and I know it has to get old) so I really appreciate it