TCR Advanced 3 Vs Specialized Tarmac Comp

arc123chief · April 2009

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

guilliano · April 2009

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.....

arc123chief · April 2009

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......... :-)

arc123chief · April 2009

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 · April 2009

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 · April 2009

ooooops....

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

there you go

guilliano · April 2009

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

arc123chief · April 2009

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

gumball3000 · April 2009

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 · April 2009

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

They have the absolute best prices I have found.

WELL DONE SIR on a great find.

COVEC

arc123chief · April 2009

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 · April 2009

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 · April 2009

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

HonestAl · April 2009

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.

COVEC · April 2009

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 · April 2009

[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 · April 2009

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!

inseine · April 2009

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 · April 2009

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

inseine · April 2009

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 · April 2009

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.

gabriel959 · April 2009

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

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.

Bengdogg · April 2009

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

gabriel959 · April 2009

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.

TCR Advanced 3 Vs Specialized Tarmac Comp

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