I love my Giant TCR but sometimes on a really high speed descend it gets the “death wobbles” with the fork shaking like crazy. It’s easy to fix by gripping the top tube with my knees and unweighting my seat a bit, but it’s a bit scarey still the same. I like every aspect of the TCR except for this and have noted others have reported the same thing happening on their TCR’s.
My next road bike will have to descend like butter as a major consideration for purchase. I assume a longer more relaxed geometry is better on downhills?
My road bike is the 2002 Merckx Team SC. I’m a pretty timid descender, but on this bike I have done many long descents without fear.
I would probably recommend this bike as the answer to almost any question (i.e. which bike descends the best, which bike climbs the best, which bike corners the best, etc, etc.).
The best-descending bike I’ve ridden was a Serotta Legend ti. Very solid.
My Calfee goes up the hills better, but not as well coming down on the other side. My P2K actually does pretty well on the descents, but I’d rather descend technical downhills on a road bike only because I prefer drop bars for serious downhills.
Is the TCR a short wheelbase? Some time what your doing with you knees and the top tube are all you can do.
We have a TT series here in Oregon with some big rollers in it, one of them is good for a 35+mph run down hill on the Aero bars! Now that’s fun!!! I think some times my TT bike goes down hill better on the aero bars then on the out riggers.
so for your next road bike get a Seven Ti, I have one and it goes down hill like a rocket!
That said, I know another who is not fond of his team issue Giant for descending and he is a fearless rider.
Longer geometry isn’t the fix in of itself. What I mean is that simply getting a longer wheelbase may not be the answer for all bikes.
Construction quality, tube diameter/wall thickness, material selection and rider position all play along with tire/wheel balance, tire pressure and temp.
“The TCR decends perfectly…Just relax a bit. It is more to do with tension.”
I hear you. I’ve read that a tense grip is one of the causes of the “death wobble” but I’m not alone in my complaint of the TCR. A few other people just on this forum have brought it up besides myself. Otherwise I absolutely love the bike. Climbs like a billy goat. It is a very short wheelbase bike. Perhaps it’s my riding style or body proportions or weight distribution vs frame design. Who knows. But the TCR does seem to be a problem for some riders when descending. Others don’t seem to have the same problem.
My Rivendell is superb on high speed downhills; a true partner in crime. My Softride Rocket TT sucked downhill; I replaced it with a custom Yaqui Carbo; don’t know about it yet as I leery of taking it out on the currently icy roads.
True Euro race bikes, set up properly, descend the best. Those that say the TCR is a good descender, probably have never ridden a truly good bike on the descents. The Giant, if it happens to fit you, is an average handling and descending bike. No better.
The best I’ve ridden … Colnago MXL, Heavy, but decended like an Olympic sled. Pegoretti Fina Estampa, one of the best handling bikes I’ve ever ridden. Merckx Team Sc, very fast down hill and absolutely rock steady. The Merckx is so fast downhill it tricks you into riding faster than your handling skills.
The worst … a whippy Raleigh Team 753. Truly scare going down hill over 40. Shook me like a Polaroid picture (wait … that’s a song … sorry).
If you want a good descending bike, look at true Euro race bikes and build it with a long stem.
One last thing … the fastest bescending bike was anyting raced by Sean Yates. That guy was wicked fast downhill.
Litespeed Vortex (same bike used by many Teams in the tour) or the equally as expensive Litespeed Ghisallo. Both are superlight, superstrong 6/4 titanium with proven race geometry. BUT - you 'gotta pay for this - cost as much if not more than a nice, sexy Colnago or Pinarello.
I like Tom D’s review of the Vortex - I’ve put probably 10K on mine, and I must say I feel like I’m driving an indestructible Ferrari with her. I will never sell her. I’m already eyeing some sexy new tri bike and my Guru (that I really like) is only 3 seasons old!
This might help answer my own questions. I’ve always found my TCR to be a pig on descending. It handles well but I have to make a point of unloading my weight on the saddle or the death wobbles begins.
Pluto’s got a point. A whole bunch of things will affect handling - weight distribution, geometry, bike handling skills etc. To give you an example I recently rode a Cervelo Soloist with which I descended Mt Palomar . It was an absolutely blast especially on the switchback sections, rock solid. Loved it. I also ride a Trek which is a little shorter in the top tube (to give you an idea I run a 14cm stem on the Trek!), correspondingly I have a little bit moe weight up front , on similar descents in the past I have had to make more corrections and also braked a bit more. But I suspect I would be equally happy with a Trek in the larger size.
Litespeed Vortex (same bike used by many Teams in the tour) or the equally as expensive Litespeed Ghisallo. Both are superlight, superstrong 6/4 titanium with proven race geometry. BUT - you 'gotta pay for this - cost as much if not more than a nice, sexy Colnago or Pinarello.
I like Tom D’s review of the Vortex - I’ve put probably 10K on mine, and I must say I feel like I’m driving an indestructible Ferrari with her. I will never sell her. I’m already eyeing some sexy new tri bike and my Guru (that I really like) is only 3 seasons old!
Interesting. I had “heard” for the most part titanium bikes feel like spaghetti at 50mph. Certainly it’s a generalization, and one the Vortex doesn’t fall under. The important question for me, as I’m in the market for mountain specific frame, is whether or not it feels as good ascending as it does descending. I would think a Ferrari is a Ferrari is a Ferrari no matter if you are going uphill or down, but I thought I’d ask. “BUT - you (does this apostrophe before “gotta” stand for “have”?) 'gotta pay for this” Could you be a little more specific on that price point?
I agree completely with the Merckx Team SC fans in all areas, including descents. Not much call for descending here in Perth, Western Australia, but it’s truly at home up and down in the Alps. My favourite on it so far is coming down off Col de la Croix de Fer, which is big enough to get in to a rhythm, but gentle enough to get up some real speed between switchbacks.
By way of supporting info, I normally ride in a medium sized groups around Perth with a mixed roadie/triathlete split. The triathletes that can actually ride don’t seem to descend too well. This is possibly due to the stability of the bikes, as some of theirs should be more aero than the road frames and probably heavier and with more aero wheels. Nonetheless, the only bikes that I’ve regulalrly seen at the front are the roadies, particluarly the Merckx (not just mine), the Colnago C40 and the Pinarello Prince. This is admittedly a very small sample set.
I guess the short answer is, get a set of Record hubs on your bike and see if it helps
1.) Good descenders go fast because they are relaxed.
2.) Superlight (sub 1000 gram frames) mated to superlight forks, can be a handful regardless of who is riding them. Carbon Scotts and Giant TCR carbon were designed as climbing bikes, not downhill bombers. I venture to say that both of those bikes would go better downhill if you put an Ouzo Pro integrated fork on them, but you would gain at least 100 grams over the stock fork. BTW- the Specialized S-works tarmac carbon is about 1200 gram and goes downhill like mad!
