TCR Advanced 3 Vs Specialized Tarmac Comp

arc123chief
arc123chief Posts: 28
edited April 2009 in Road buying advice
Hi There

I've been looking at various road bikes for tri, Sportives and other general fast/long rides, and think that I have narrowed it down to the following:

Giant TCR Advanced 3 (£1600)
or
Specialized Tarmac Comp (£1550 for 09, £1350 for 08 )

Anybody own either that could provide me with opinions???

I have ridden various Giants at the LBS last Sat, from the Defy 4, to the TCR Advanced 2. The TCR was amazing, quick, exciting to ride, I simply loved it. The chap in the shop was very helpful providing me with many options (including trying to sell me far cheaper bikes!!).

He set me out on a defy 2.5 & 4 with race wheels/tyres also, which also seems a good option. Anybody with advice on this?? It seems that the wheels make a huge difference in speed, as the £600 bike with £350 quid wheels tyres felt about as quick as the £1600 TCR........ So this has also got me thinking......... Anybody with any advice on this option??

I have also got rides booked on the Specialized this Sat with another LBS, so will hopefully know more then :-) I was wondering if the 08 bike for £1350 looks like a good deal??

But if anybody has any advice info on these bikes then please let me know :-) Or wants to throw any other bikes into the mix!! I think I would prefer to buy from a LBS really, but have considered Ribble/Focus etc......

Cheers

Andy

Comments

  • guilliano
    guilliano Posts: 5,495
    I can only say good luck if you want the TCR advanced..... unless your LBS has one in your size you will really struggle now as Giant are sold out. The only one left is the TCR advanced Rabobank at £1750 and these are selling out quick too. I haven't ridden either bike but have not seen a bad review.....
  • Thanks Gulliano, I have just been thinking the same thing myself!! They didn't have my size in the Advanced 3, but did in the Advanced 2......... I am stretching my budget already on the Advanced 3 tho!!

    Hopefully i'll like the Specialized as much when I ride that on Saturday......... :-)
  • Any more views on comparisons between thses two bikes?? Or the option of going for a cheaper frame i.e. Defy bikes, and going for the lighter wheels??

    Cheers

    Andy
  • dboden
    dboden Posts: 349
    I came across this bike shop the other day, have a look at his special offers.
    I hope this will help you make your mind up!
  • dboden
    dboden Posts: 349
    ooooops....

    http://www.chrisbikes.co.uk/

    there you go
  • guilliano
    guilliano Posts: 5,495
    If you opt for a Defy you may as well go for the advanced option.... it's just a slightly more relaxed version of the TCR. Sturdy, stiff yet comfortable frame and a compact chainset instead of the double of the TCR
  • I have opted for the TCR :-) Got one in my size, not from LBS but from the shop linked a couple of posts above (thanks for that dboden) :-) Altho at the price of the TCR Advanced 1, I almost went for that one but managed to restrain myself!!!

    Going to pick it up tomorrow, as its only about an hour away......... So i'll know more about it then.......

    Cheers

    Andy
  • Was in my LBS yesterday and they have 4 or 5 Tcr Advanced 3 bikes in stock. Think they bought a load the day the cycling Plus edition came out. Decent shop with decent staff so if anyone wants a TCR they are probably worth a try.

    www.cpcycles.com

    Hope that helps!

    Ed
  • COVEC
    COVEC Posts: 213
    Now then dboden,

    You have just cost me £1950!!!!
    Just off the phone with Chris's Bikes and will be picking up my new TCR Adv 1 on Tuesday :D:D:D

    They have the absolute best prices I have found.

    WELL DONE SIR on a great find.

    COVEC
  • Covec - I was soooooo tempted by this myself, but opted for the advanced 3, which is still a great price. Hope you enjoy it, I knew it wouldn't be around for very long..........
  • mrsmissy
    mrsmissy Posts: 4
    I've got a Giant TCR C3 from a few years back, which is what the TCR Advanced is descended from. I love it! I even had the option to buy a newer bike after this one got in an accident, but I decided to fix it up instead. You will love the bike!
  • Bengdogg
    Bengdogg Posts: 383
    One thing I will say for the full carbon bikes is after riding my new un yesterday for the 1st time it is very comfy on the road when it comes to soaking up vibrations and buzz
    You just gotta peddle
  • HonestAl
    HonestAl Posts: 406
    If you haven't bought it yet... just do it. I've got a TCR Advanced 2 and it's ace. You won't regret it.
    "The only absolute statement is that everything is relative" - anon
  • COVEC
    COVEC Posts: 213
    Well,

    What a disappointment, I have been left with a very unsavoury taste after my dealings with

    www.chrisbikes.co.uk

    I phoned him on Friday of last week and we agreed a price for the TCR Adv 1, it was at this point when he asked for my card details to take full payment that my suspicions were aroused, as he had to phone the suppliers to see when the bike would be with him. He tells me that the bike would be available in his shop on Tuesday (this morning) and that I should phone back to check all was OK on Tue morning.

    When I phoned him this morning, he now tells me very curtly that he can no longer honour the deal that we had agreed upon on Friday and more cash would need to be put up if I wanted the bike. When I heard this, I decided that there was no way I wanted to deal with such a devious and unreliable retailer. Reneging on an agreed sale is very poor form. I will not be held to ransom by some shady, dishonest and unscrupulous bike retailer.

    I guess the moral of the story is “if it looks to good to be true then it probably is”



    COVEC
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    [quote="COVEC"]Well,

    What a disappointment, I have been left with a very unsavoury taste after my dealings with

    www.chrisbikes.co.uk

    I phoned him on Friday of last week and we agreed a price for the TCR Adv 1, it was at this point when he asked for my card details to take full payment that my suspicions were aroused, as he had to phone the suppliers to see when the bike would be with him. He tells me that the bike would be available in his shop on Tuesday (this morning) and that I should phone back to check all was OK on Tue morning.

    When I phoned him this morning, he now tells me very curtly that he can no longer honour the deal that we had agreed upon on Friday and more cash would need to be put up if I wanted the bike. When I heard this, I decided that there was no way I wanted to deal with such a devious and unreliable retailer. Reneging on an agreed sale is very poor form. I will not be held to ransom by some shady, dishonest and unscrupulous bike retailer.

    I guess the moral of the story is “if it looks to good to be true then it probably is”



    COVEC[/quote]

    And I don't blame you, nor would I. They're obviously cheap for a reason.
  • gabriel959
    gabriel959 Posts: 4,227
    He has got good prices, bought my bike from him, but he is a one-man band (almost) and it shows, he has barely got any time to address people when in the shop and he is always very busy. I paid 430 for my SCR2 last year, and although that was a great price and he was pleasant to deal with the bike wasn't very well set up, had to adjust the seat post and some other things myself.

    But again, he is got cheap prices and he is a decent guy, he probably had to raise his prices because the supplier changed the prices over the weekend. He is always keen to pass on a deal!
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  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    the bike wasn't very well set up, had to adjust the seat post

    gabriel, that's unbelievable. You had adjust the seat yourself!! I would never buy off someone selling bikes so badly prepared.
  • gabriel959
    gabriel959 Posts: 4,227
    inseine wrote:
    the bike wasn't very well set up, had to adjust the seat post

    gabriel, that's unbelievable. You had adjust the seat yourself!! I would never buy off someone selling bikes so badly prepared.

    LOL - no need for that I think :shock: . I didn't have any tools to be honest (and I was a complete noob at the time!!!) so I had to go and buy that specific Allen tool, may be it is me but I expect to have something completely ready when you are spending some good money in something. Some other things I had to tweak were the gears, well I didn't do it a colleague did it because he knows his stuff.

    He has always been very helpful though, bet he just forgot or probably was busy doing something else - he always is if you go to the shop :)
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  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    I was half joking, but it did sound a bit like you were knocking the guy and really you expect to have to adjust the saddle, bars etc a bit yourself until you get comfortable. The guy doesn't know how you want your bike and he's not going to pop round and pump your tyres up afterall.
  • incog24
    incog24 Posts: 549
    gabriel959 wrote:
    He has got good prices, bought my bike from him, but he is a one-man band (almost) and it shows, he has barely got any time to address people when in the shop and he is always very busy. I paid 430 for my SCR2 last year, and although that was a great price and he was pleasant to deal with the bike wasn't very well set up, had to adjust the seat post and some other things myself.

    But again, he is got cheap prices and he is a decent guy, he probably had to raise his prices because the supplier changed the prices over the weekend. He is always keen to pass on a deal!

    I doubt Giant changed their prices over the weekend randomly. They changed in January and part prices haven't really changed since then.
    Racing for Fluid Fin Race Team in 2012 - www.fluidfin.co.uk
  • gabriel959
    gabriel959 Posts: 4,227
    inseine wrote:
    I was half joking, but it did sound a bit like you were knocking the guy and really you expect to have to adjust the saddle, bars etc a bit yourself until you get comfortable. The guy doesn't know how you want your bike and he's not going to pop round and pump your tyres up afterall.

    I wasn't :D I can understand what you are saying and now that I know more I can do it myself no problems but last year was slighlty different and when being a noob any help (even if not requested!) is really appreciated.

    I am surprised about this price change though.
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  • Bengdogg
    Bengdogg Posts: 383
    I take it you've had a full refund based on this? Re the bike set up before I left Swinnertons with my new bike I was fitted on the bike I took my shoes with me and wore some shorts so i was fitted to the bike as it would be ridden with cleats on and stuff ,and basically if I wanted to I could of gone off and raced it right out of the shop, It's only needed minor gear tweaking on the 1st ride which was done at the front cable adjusters on the fly. This is the kind of service that gets remembered for the right reasons
    You just gotta peddle
  • gabriel959
    gabriel959 Posts: 4,227
    Bengdogg wrote:
    I take it you've had a full refund based on this? Re the bike set up before I left Swinnertons with my new bike I was fitted on the bike I took my shoes with me and wore some shorts so i was fitted to the bike as it would be ridden with cleats on and stuff ,and basically if I wanted to I could of gone off and raced it right out of the shop, It's only needed minor gear tweaking on the 1st ride which was done at the front cable adjusters on the fly. This is the kind of service that gets remembered for the right reasons
    That is what I mean - it is not necessary but goes a long way. He is one of the best in Cambridge though, really surprised with this price change malarkey.
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