Life after Giant SCR 2

bornagaincycler

I've had my Giant SCR 2 for well over a year now. It's been a great bike (thoroughly recommended) & I've done so much cycling on it since my knee reconstruction last August. I have lost 3 stone in weight this year & am so fit now. I did a sponsored ride to Belgium & tons of long rides at weekends. Looking ahead, I feel like I'm starting to outgrow it. I never use the small ring, even on tough hills, & often find I'm yearning for more speed than the SCR can give me.

Have any others SCR riders had similar thoughts, & what did you move onto next? Does anyone have any recommendations for my next bike? I'm finding this to be a very tough choice.

Next year, I'm looking at entering some of the sportive type rides, as well as doing some time trialling with my new club. I'm still a relative novice to cycling, indeed I still use strap pedals, as I'm nervous to advance to clips following the knee surgery.

Any advice & ideas gratefully received.

wors

Change to a double chainset, thats what i did ( on my ocr) and never looked back.

redddraggon

bornagaincycler wrote:

I'm still a relative novice to cycling, indeed I still use strap pedals, as I'm nervous to advance to clips following the knee surgery.

If you anything like me you'll have multiple clipless falls. My knees seem to be resistant to impacts with the ground, they just don't like any sort of running. So if your a bit scared of doing further damage to your knees I'd keep away from clipless. I love my clipless pedals and I'm a relative newbie to cycling of only 3 months.

TomF

I liked my SCR 2 so much, I bought the composite version (well, bought the frame cheap and had it built at the LBS).

It's light, comfortable and fast. It's clearly more bike than I really need. The "2" is now the winter bike and commuter.

While not having had to have any surgery on my knees, nearly 20 years of playing hockey on astroturf has generally knackered my knees. Cycling has not caused any problems and, in fact, I think has strengthened them. I have been using clipless pedals on all my bikes for the last few years (including commuting daily) and have had no problems (except the inevitable toppling on a couple of occasions when first using them (on an MTB, I might add).

I use double sided Time ATAC cliless pedals on my MTBs and my SCR 2. On the SCR composite I use single-sided Ultegra SPD SLs. The former have stacksw of float, which you may wish to seek out (their single sided road pedals have float, too). The Shimano pedals also have some float, but I think it pays to get them set up carefully so that you don't place any awkward loads on your knees. A decent LBS (especially if they have a bikefitting or similar jig) would be a good place to start.

Go for it and enjoy!

bornagaincycler

Still thinking about this one. Definately want to upgrade to a bike with a compact chainset 34/50, & at least Shimano 105 all over. Have been thinking of a Scott Speedster S30 2008, or even the CR1 versions but can't find anywhere that has them in a 58 size yet. I definately want to test ride one first. Have also thought seriously of upgrading to a Giant SCR C4 2008. this has the same geometry as the SCR2 but with full carbon frame & 105 spec. This is really tempting me at the moment. Any more thoughts?

wors

I have an OCR 2 and had the same dilemma, The bike fits me really well so i bought 105 groupset and a Mavic Aksium wheelset, not looked back since.

PhilofCas

Keep your bike, you've hardly had it 2 minutes, i doubt you're any where near it's potential, go clipless (just be extra careful), shed the triple (surplus to requirements by the sound of it) and if you haven't got them already, buy new high performance tyres.

Sorry can't recommend a new bike as on the face of it there's not much wrong with your existing one and you seem to have done more than most on that (Belgium!!)

gkerr4

bornagaincycler wrote:

Still thinking about this one. Definately want to upgrade to a bike with a compact chainset 34/50, & at least Shimano 105 all over. Have been thinking of a Scott Speedster S30 2008, or even the CR1 versions but can't find anywhere that has them in a 58 size yet. I definately want to test ride one first. Have also thought seriously of upgrading to a Giant SCR C4 2008. this has the same geometry as the SCR2 but with full carbon frame & 105 spec. This is really tempting me at the moment. Any more thoughts?

If I had an SCR and I loved it and it fitted me well and i wanted to upgrade - then the SCR composite would be my first choice.

I think you should get it - you know you want to and losing 3stone this year you have earned it - it might not make you faster, but you will enjoy being out on the better bike and if you can afford it, well, you only live once - go and order it now.

otherwise, you don't say what your budget is, but you do say it's for sportives etc so others to consider are the specialized roubaix, trek pilot carbon or a specific build? A nice kinesis carbon frame (from wiggle at £844 at the moment) built up with 105 and lightweight wheels would be a nice build. or a titanium frame like the sunday silk road?

bornagaincycler

Decision made. Went into my LBS this morning & sitting right there was a newly made up Giant SCR C4 2008. I am trying out a L & an XL on friday. I do feel slightly in between these two sizes so they're going to work with me to get the best fit. Really happy to have made the choice & hoping to get out on the new bike this weekend.

The SCR2 is going to a good friend of mine. It's been a great starter bike, but I have moved on very rapidly & can afford a new one (just), & as the previous post says, you only live once, & at the moment I certainly live for my cycling at weekends.

PhilofCas

well, i tried, would like to know how it compares, all the best

emaichael

i have a scr 2 and its brilliant... sloping cross bar to toptube designed for climbing.
scr bikes are dirt cheap... the difference in weight from alloy to carbon is like... 6pounds.
all that money just to shed 6 pounds. (an extra thousand pounds spent for that?!)
scr are brilliant, recommend to anyone. last you for years and years.
i use these exact pedals http://www.coolbiking.com/blog/images/p ... himano.jpg

and they work fine... i admit the surface area on the pedal isn't big at all... so you don't get the same leverage as you do with proper road cycling pedals/trainers, but these are so easy to un-clip out of and to adjust... highly recommend them.
admittidly on my first go with clipless pedals i fell sideways onto a barbed wire fence... its worse than you can imagine.
but since then I've not fallen over once with them... and that was 3months ago, and i cycle every day 30-90miles. (1month of which was on my old steel MTbike with a half broken crank)

scr2 is brilliant. and i can't imagine how good life will be after it.... heaven? a bicycle which doesn't weigh more than a 2p coin. lol