Hey all, been reading some reviews for my first carbon bike purchase. would like to get some of you more experienced rider’s opinions. i have narrowed the choice down to two bikes. 2011 giant TCR advanced 2 or a scott foil 40. i know they are really not in the same class but… i like them. i will be riding 2-3 tri’s (sprint) a year and some group rides / week. need a utilitarian bike. what are you guys opinions of the two? how would the TCR handle in the tri’s?
For racing triathlons, the Foil is probably a better bike. For being a badass road bike group rider, the TCR trumps. Both bikes can equally handle clip-on aerobars. But for tri, I’d give the advantage to the foil as it was designed with aero in mind.
thanks. i was leaning the way of the FOIL, but i can get the TCR 2011 model at a better price, of course. as far as long term would the TCR handle tri’s pretty well?
would the TCR handle tri’s pretty well?
What does this mean? Do you think the 2 road bikes will be different for tris?
sorry let me rephrase. can a tcr perform deciently in a tri
sorry let me rephrase. can a tcr perform deciently in a tri
Yes. Equally as the Scott will.
ok thanks for the info.
If you are looking for a bike to do double duty, I would get the foil. The foil is hands down one of the best bikes I have ever ridden. The only negative is that many people( myself included during two test rides) have had the seat post slip over bumps in the road.
That plus the cervelo discount led me to get an s5 rival instead. More aero, and a very good ride but it does give up some undescribable magic road quality to the foil.
wow really? the seat post was slipping, not good! how is ride comfort on the foil, compared to say an alum frame?
Do you mind me asking what you paid for the S5? I am looking at the same bike right now and want to compare my local bike shop quote. Thx
Outside of the seatpost issue, which some people have suffered and other haven’t The foil’s ride is stellar compared to my caad9 which is also very good.
I rode the foil30, and found it to be slightly more comfortable than the s5 and did not notice the harshness that other testers have found.
As far as my s5’s price. It helps to have a good report with the local cycling community. Establish that, don’t be a one and done customer, be respectful, and you will rarely pay retail.
Scott Foil is really an amazing bike. I wasn’t too impressed with the TCR advanced and I’m not sure what the guy below meant when he said the TCR would be better for a badass road group rider. The Foil is a better bike altogether and if I had to choose either a solely road bike or a bike for road/tri, it would be the Foil.
great advice thank you! i will probably test the foil out then. can’t test the 2011 tcr but LBS can order one if i wanted to purchase it. only thing is i don’t like the color of component group on the 40, which is only one in my budget range. petty i know, but for 2k+ i guess i can be. thanks again for the input.
What size are you? I know of a 1 yr old Scott Foil for sale…
well not sure in scott’s sizing but im 6’2" and usually range from 58-60 or a large.
My Scott Foil 40 commutes 30km a day and races on weekends.
Absolute best of both worlds. With a set of clip ons (and a shorter stem), I’m totally set for some duathlon / triathlon action.
Here’s how I set my bike up. There’s a bit of upgrading from the base Foil 40, but this just shows what this frame can do!
http://supergosam.blogspot.ca/2012/08/ttf-race-ride-bike-review.html