What’s your height and what size frame are you on? Use it for RR or tri’s?
Also, how aggressive is your position - number of spacers (if any), length of seatpost etc?
I’m 5’ 8 1/2" and I ride a medium. I really felt like I was between a small and medium. I went with the medium and I have a 100mm stem and use 3 spacers.
I have raced both RR and tris although primarily tri. Probably not as comfortable for tri as my QR was, but I love the carbon and the versatility for racing either RR or tri.
I’m just under 6feet. Ride a med and long seatpost w/ 2 small spacers under the 120mm stem. road riding only as the top tube is too long to TT on.
I’m around 6’1"/ 6’2". The medium frame (according to the geometry on the website) would have a top tube just right for my TT position, but I’d need to run about 30cm of seatpost which may look a bit too BMX.
I had a ride on a friends large frame yesterday but, like yourself with the Med, felt that the top tube was too long to TT on - even with a short stem. I’ll need to wait and grab a ride on a med frame. What’re your thoughts on someone my height fitting one?
I’ve done a lot of looking at this bike. One observations I’ve made is that most riders that are on it do have the wrong size.
Specifically, their top tube is too long. I measured a small, a medium and a large and, in my opinion, Giant needs the equivalent of a “Small and a half”. That is the size that is missing. Something with a top tube slightly shorter than the medium but with a touch more seat tube than a small. That would fit most of the riders who are on mediums (that I have seen) much better.
Of the riders in the area that are on them, the ones that are cognizant of their fit have had to go to absurdly short stems to get reach measurement correct, at the cost of good steering. The rest seem to be on mediums with too much reach measurement by about 2-3 cms in general.
Also, although it is a very nice looking and well made bike, I did notice a comparable Cannondale at the same price point had a stiffer bottom bracket (at least in my opinion/impression) and was a good bit lighter- maybe more than a pound or more lighter.
I would really like to see Giant step up to the plate and build more sizes- they need at least seven sizes to do an adequate job of covering the spread in my opinion, FWIW.
Also, look at the “Giants” used in the Tour de France. Look very, very closely. I mean very closely… Hmmmmm. Do you see what I see? Look at Zabel’s bike… Interesting.
Hmmmmmm… no, I don’t see. What is it ?
Come on dude, look closer. I am not “allowed” to say what is going on. Compare the bike you buy with the bikes they are on. Hint: look at the “lug” area on Zabel’s bike.
See it yet???
I’m 6’ 1/2" w/31" inseam (i.e. long trunk, short legs). I have a Large frame. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT. It fits like a dream. I replaced my Zurich with it. I’m going to ride the Giant instead of my Tequilo on both IMFL and IMAZ (God willing and I make it to the starting line).
Woohoo! I completely agree. I feel I’m in between the S and M, especially being proportionally more legs than torso. And I certainly am not as flexible as the “pros” so I would need a boatload of spacers in front. Do the sponsored riders have different sizes?
So what up with Zabel’s bike?
ot: yesterday while riding, a shaggy cat darted across the street in front of me, attacked (got up on his hind legs and started batting) a parked car, saw me, and just STAAARED as I passed him/her. weirdo. man I couldn’t stop laughing for a while…
Mr D, I’m not looking at a complete bike from Giant. Just the composite frame to stick a groupo on for a light RR and TT/UCI legal oly race bike. What say you to showing 25-30cm of seatpost? Excessive?
Diabolo/Deechee - the T-Mobile Giant’s aren’t Giants - I don’t know what they are though. I’m sure someone on the forum can chime in though.
But they SAYYYY Giant…
Oh yeah…I saw a Ford Fiesta with a Ferrari sticker on it earlier today.
What about the 30cm seatpost - over the top?
Do you mean a Ferrari with a Ford sticker on it?
Could it be a ‘W_____’ with a ‘G____’ sticker on it?
When you are looking so closely at Zabel’s bike, note how he hates the Shimano STI cables, and how he dealt with them.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2004/tour04/tech/?id=jul13/zabel_bars
I really feel sorry for the T Mobile guys, after riding for years on the sweetest, 100% Italian bikes in the peleton (Pinarello with Campagnolo Record) moving to some 100% Asian…bikes.
Could it be a ‘W_____’ with a ‘G____’ sticker on it?
Except that the ‘W(ilier?)’ is a ‘S____’… Scott
First of all, thanks for wasting my time. I’ve been surfing for hours, trying to figure this out.
The Giant TCR frame on Giant’s web site looks nothing like the Team Frame on the same site - just check the head tube.
I don’t think that it’s a Scott either. Compare the pics of Jan’s bike to those of Rebellin’s at cyclingnews.com - one has a sharp bend in the chainstays, the other one doesn’t.
Sticking with Zabel, he went on record last year saying how much he liked his Dogma. Also, I wouldn’t want an 850-g (Scott) frame if I had his guns…
Finally, he did the Peace Race on a “custom Aluminium job” according to cyclingnews. I’m inclined to believe he stuck w/ that. Somebody figure this out! Back to work now.
While this is certainly not the case with Giant bicycles and team T-Mobile, since we all fully know they are riding absolutely stock Giant bikes in Tour de France identical to what is on the sales floor of every bike shop…
Many top professionals have a frame builder who they work with. The builder stays with them as they go from team to team. The graphics and sometimes the “look” of the bike do change to mimic the products the team’s bike sponsor is offering. I think there is even some UCI rule that stipulates (if I recall correctly) that a bike must be “commercially available” to be legal for UCI race use.
The builder works with the athlete to build a custom frame using materials sometimes provided by the bike sponsor or acquired elsewhere. They put the sponsor’s graphics on it and off they go…
Remember all the bikes Litespeed made for other teams? Richard Virenque and Lance Armstrong both rode re-branded Litespeeds that had labels that read “Trek” and “Peugeot” among others.
Of course, we all know none of this goes on with Giant, since the four sizes they offer their bikes in fit every rider in Tour de France.
Most of the T-Mobile guys are riding the new TCR Advanced. It doesn’t look the same as the standard TCR composite. Here are a couple of stories about it. I haven’t seen a good picture of Zabel’s bike so I don’t know what he is riding.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=tech/2004/news/jun25
http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2004/tour04/tech/?id=ullrich-bike
BTW I am 6’2.5" and ride a large TCR1. I am lucky though. The large has the exact top tube length that I need.
Here is a picture of Zabel’s bike. It sure looks like the TCR advanced to me.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour04.php?id=photos/2004/tour04/stage8/DSC_0794tmobilemechanic
Me too… 