Giant OCR 1 gear reviews

The bike I used in my first tri season was one that I had been borrowing from a friend. It was a heavy department store hybrid and not made for racing. I am grateful to have even had a bike, but have been looking forward to the purchase of a road bike.

I had been researching bikes and Giant's OCR series, in particular the OCR3, was something I was considering. As it turns out, 2008 was the last year Giant would be making this series and it has been replaced by Avail.

My LBS had a couple 2008 OCR1s (a more expensive bike than the OCR3) and one of them ended up being my size (Small). So, I got a clearance deal on a higher-end model for around the same money I was planning on paying for the lower-end.

Finding a bargain is always a great deal, but it should not come at the expense - if you will - of a bike that doesn't work for you. Luckily, for me, that was not the case.

I purchased a OCR3 as my first race bike. I am not a hard rider and have never crashed but the frame cracked within 6 months. The company was very difficult to work with and it took over 2 months to get a replacement frame (OCR1 frame in a different color). Very frustrating for a beginner to deal with. I heard from some store owners this was not an isolated experience

Being I am new to riding I can't offer a great detailed review of the bike compared to others. I can tell you that I really enjoy riding this bike. It has lived up to the expectations and reviews I have read about the bike.

Great bike for the $$$$$

good for now

You get a lot of bike for your money with Giant - and the OCR1 is a great way to start off. You get good components, clipless pedals, and right now Giants are on sale because they are releasing their new Alliance frames.

Great bike and a great value. Very happy with my decision.

Overall, an excellent entry level bike that I don't regret buying for a second. The Ultegra and 105 groupo mix has been solid and required only a few adjustments here and there. The triple crankset is nice for when I was just starting out, but I am finding that I don't use the granny-gear anymore so it is just unnecessary weight at this point.