Giant TCR Advanced 2 or TCR Advanced 1

sunjhoon
sunjhoon Posts: 12
edited April 2013 in Road buying advice
So I have been looking around and narrowed down my new bike option to a Giant TCR Advanced 2 but was wondering if it is worth the extra £500 to purchase the advanced 1?

From looking at the specs the only difference is that it is ultegra instead of 105.I've ridden both (105 and ultegra) and also from read the threads I dont think that there is much major difference (not sure about robustness) but I just wanted some thoughts of the bike and whether it is worth the extra £500 when i could spend that kind of money on wheels or accessories such as better pedals/shoes/ etc.

I was thinking of possibly convincing my lbs to upgrade crankset to something slightly more stiffer from 105 to ultegra (for me it felt a lot stiffer but then again that my opinion and other people may beg to differ) ?

I tried last years TCR advanced 2 (ultegra groupset) and I loved the bike (frame, geometry and everything about it). I would have bought it but the size was just a smidgen too big :( which was a shame as it was retailing at a great price and they had it in a smaller size a fews weeks back but it now been sold . I get to try the new tcr advanced 2 next week. My heart is set on buying a giant tcr advanced and the ride felt great but which one? As it is a bike I plan to keep for a long time I want to make sure I pick right.

Any thoughts or opinions would be most appreciated :)

Comments

  • Camcycle1974
    Camcycle1974 Posts: 1,356
    Don't know what size you are but my local Giant specialist in Cambridge has a TCR Advanced 3 2012 in large for £1299 which is a 2k bike and was a bike of the year contender last year. Google Chris's Bikes. He is worth a call as he can probably get the 1 for a similar price for what you can get the 2 for elsewhere. My mate just bought a Defy Advanced 1 from him for £1950 (this year's model)
  • sunjhoon
    sunjhoon Posts: 12
    Camcycle1974 wrote:
    Don't know what size you are but my local Giant specialist in Cambridge has a TCR Advanced 3 2012 in large for £1299 which is a 2k bike and was a bike of the year contender last year. Google Chris's Bikes. He is worth a call as he can probably get the 1 for a similar price for what you can get the 2 for elsewhere. My mate just bought a Defy Advanced 1 from him for £1950 (this year's model)

    I am a med/large so that is a shame.

    I spoke to chris a few weeks back and he was able to quote me a really good deal and was extremely helpful. Unfortunately the only reason I didnt go with him was because he does not offer a finance option. I do have a few friends in cambridge I would be happy to point my friends in his direction should they feel the urge to change their bikes (thanks for that CamCycle).

    Then TCR Advanced 2 came in and I tried it out and really loved it. The colour of the frame did it for me too. I have a specialized allez sport (white frame) and I did not really want another white frame. I ended up negotiating with my LBS and they dropped the price slightly and then I got some freebies included (continental GP4000s tyres, Specialized expert road shoes and ultegra carbon pedals :D ). So all in all I opted for the TCR Advanced 2. To be honest I wanted a good frame with a good groupset and then upgrade (wheels first) and with TCR advanced I have that.

    The only bugger is I have now moved moved jobs and it means my LBS is no longer my LBS and due to work,family and gf commitments I won't be able to pick up the bike until mid-may! :(

    Once i get it I will upload pictures.
  • Camcycle1974
    Camcycle1974 Posts: 1,356
    Glad to hear you got what you wanted. Sounds like a good deal with the feebies thrown in. Shame you have now moved. I would be too impatient to wait that long to collect a new toy!
  • sunjhoon
    sunjhoon Posts: 12
    Camcycle1974 wrote:
    Glad to hear you got what you wanted. Sounds like a good deal with the feebies thrown in. Shame you have now moved. I would be too impatient to wait that long to collect a new toy!

    The wait is killing me. I had to drop in my specialized in for a general service and saw the bike (sitting up on a shelf so nobody can touch it :mrgreen: ) It was like there was a mini christmas tree developing underneath it. It has a new pump (lezyne), Shoes, Tyres, Q rings, Chain Catcher, Bottle Cages, cassette (12-27) all sitting underneath the bike. They told me they were waiting for the chainset to come in (traded in the 105 for a Rotor 3D and negotiated a price drop) and the pedals and then its good to go. Though the bummer is now I will have to waiting longer (further commitments) to have it either last week of May or first week of June :(
  • Camcycle1974
    Camcycle1974 Posts: 1,356
    Wow, not sure I would have that level of patience! Was thinking of buying a Canyon when I got my Giant. Glad I didn't seeing some of the lead times for delivery. At least you know it is there, just awaiting it's chain set.
  • sunjhoon
    sunjhoon Posts: 12
    I dont have the patience to be honest. It feels really hard knowing that the bike is there and within a 1 or 2 weeks I will get a call saying that everything is ready. Then I will have to say see you at the end of May! lol.

    Canyon was another bike i was really contemplating. But to be honest another part of me getting this part was down to the customer service I got/get from my LBS.

    You read about bikes and the reviews they get and from reading them I know that the Canyon bike is great but not being able to try one out would really deter me (maybe that will change over time) and after seeing the delays for the Canyon it makes me glad. 4 weeks and counting.

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