Giant TCR vs Cervelo S2

Triathlon Forum
1

I have been researching and test riding all different bikes and it has come down to these two.
both are excellent rides, comfort, fits, etc. Both are $2500.

  1. Cervelo - 2nd hand 6 months with Sram rival (new components), all carbon.
  2. Giant TCR - new from store with Ultegra, all carbon.

provide feedback on which one has better performance, etc for riding group rides 30-40 miles (at 25 mph) with occasional road race, circuit race.

thanks

Kerry

2

I’ve not ridden the TCR. But, over the winter I got a Carbon Soloist…now the S2. I can say, after riding a variety of road bikes, you won’t be disappointed if you get the S2.

3

performance is gonna be, to a close approximationo, “The same”

maybe you save a few watts with the soloist aero tubes

but get the bike you think is coolest looking/feeling
.

4

In agreement w/ Mott here. Which one will look best in your garage?

Also, who is putting on these group rides? Is it your LBS? Do they sell Giant or Cervelo? I’d factor that in if LBS organizes the rides…

5

best looking was cervelo but local bike store just called and lowered Madone 5.2 with Durace to within $400 of the other two.
damn it.

6

best looking was cervelo but local bike store just called and lowered Madone 5.2 with Durace to within $400 of the other two.
damn it.

I’d go Soloist just because of the aero tubes and the SRAM drivetrain…but, maybe that’s just me :wink:

7

if any of the bikes have ‘integrated seat posts’ that you have to cut

don’t buy them because that is lame

haha

best looking was cervelo but local bike store just called and lowered Madone 5.2 with Durace to within $400 of the other two.
damn it.

8

If the Giant from the store will includes fitting and maintenance, and you aren’t such a good wrench, it may be the better deal.

Ken

9

The TCR is a great bike, but I simply wasn’t wowed by it. It’s everything you need in a bike, and you would not be disappointed by it.

However, a Soloist will retain its resell a lot better.

10

I have been researching and test riding all different bikes and it has come down to these two.
both are excellent rides, comfort, fits, etc. Both are $2500.

  1. Cervelo - 2nd hand 6 months with Sram rival (new components), all carbon.
  2. Giant TCR - new from store with Ultegra, all carbon.

provide feedback on which one has better performance, etc for riding group rides 30-40 miles (at 25 mph) with occasional road race, circuit race.

thanks

Kerry

I’ve ridden a SLC-SL quite a bit and find it a super fast bike. On the down side it is not a comfortable bike. I found it almost jarring during my fast group rides. The steering is also a tad twitchy and requires getting used to IMO. You really need to be a better handler on this bike than the Giant. The Giant on the other hand is not as aero but has some excellent design characteristics. It handles great with precision steering and is stiffer than the Cervelo. These two bike are pretty different so your riding style and needs should easily tell you which one is best for you. The geometry and sizes of these bikes are different so I suspect one will fit you better than the other as well. For example, the 56cm S2 has a 56.5cm effective TT and the Giant size M is 55cm and the ML is 57cm. The ML has a slightly slacker ST angle as well than the M or any of the Cervelos.

I basically chose between the Giant TCR Advanced SL over the SLC-SL in addition to 4 other bikes(Specialized, Scott, Cervelo R3, Trek 6.9 and Litespeed Archon). The Giant was a slightly better fit for me and I felt that I would be intact after a century ride plus the Giant’s steering instills in me a confidence no other bike did.

I think the best advise to give is to ride as many bikes as you can to see which one works for you.