another cycling thread: felt F5 vs. giant tcr composite

hey dudes....i've been doing a lot of research on which bike to get and i'm considering these two bikes. i'm wanting to ride for the exercise, but also to compete and race at some point. so, i'm looking for a bike that will last me for a good while.

felt F5: http://www.feltbicycles.com/USA/2013/Road/F-Series/F5.aspx

and the

giant tcr composite: http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/tcr.composite.2/11490/55800/

both seem great so i'm having a tough time trying to decide. do you guys have any first-hand experience or have any input and opinions about either of these two? any other bikes you would suggest?

thanks. i really appreciate it.

 

First...both of those brands are solid and make great bikes and the value level on those two models seems pretty high. Couple of questions... Have you spent any time in the saddle of either? I didn't look at the geometry numbers but there may be differences that suit your body type better. All things being equal do you have a preferance for the shop that sell/services a particular brand, as this could be a tie-breaker.

You said that you want to eventually race, right? Buy a bike you can live with and enjoy evey day and make it work on race day...not the other way around because you'll most likely regret it sooner than later if you're putting much time in the saddle.

I know carbon is all the rage and it's made its way into very modestly priced bikes but.....I just recently switched from a full carbon bike (Kona Zing Supreme) to a steel bike, a Breezer Venturi (full Ultegra incl tubeless ready wheels). I've got over 700 miles in on the Breezer and at this juncture I can say that I made a very good purchasing choice for my needs. The steel combined with tubeless tires offers a ride that is incredible and that no aluminium and very few carbon bikes can match. Tubless tires are the bomb. Tires are a little spendy (MSRP around $80 each) but the ride quality is worth it.

Lastly buy a saddle that fits you and quality shorts or bibs..your ass will thank you.

Good luck!

 

get a bike that fits first....

i am on that mistake of buying a bike that probably is a little too aggressive for me and my body is in pain for it.

 

Geometry looks similar, what component package do you prefer? Sram, Shimano?

If you aren't going to be riding over 50 miles having an aggressive bike is fine, and you will want something more aggressive when you start racing. Just from looking at the frame specs the Felt looks a tad more aggressive, but both are very similar and can probably be made to fit very similar.

I would buy the Giant

 

thanks guys! i really appreciate it.

i have spent some time on the giant (size large. i'm 6' and usually ride a size 56 or so) it felt great to me. stiff, went exactly where i wanted it to go, good feedback. can't complain basically......as for the felt, never been on it. seen it in person, but not ridden it. the one shop around me that sells felt seems cool and the people are always happy. i haven't been to the giant dealer around me (i rode the tcr when i was away on vacation), but from what i can gather they seem alright as well.

i was considering an aluminum frame (specialized allez), but i tend to gravitate towards carbon. would the allez be a better bike than either the felt or giant? i'm thinking not, but thought i'd ask.

i do want to get into local races and possibly go beyond that, but for now local is where i'm at.

as for components, i don't mind either shimano or sram, but i do lean a little more towards sram. but i'm not opposed to shimano.

thanks guys. this helps me out a lot.

 

Carbon is going to be a better bike all around. Lighter, less road noise/vibration, and it's carbon fiber so it's way cooler than aluminum.

 

The Allez triple is the bike that I have, and it has a similar geometry to the Tarmacs, which is race aggressive. The lower Specialized I believe is more akin to the Kawasaki of cycling. Good product, ok resale.

If I was doing it over, I would probably get the Sectaur,if I was going Specialized, Felt or a CAAD.

I think aluminum is fine for my needs. racing, probably not.

 

My mountain-biking buddy bought the giant.

He loves it.

 

I have ridden both and went with the Giant TCR Advanced. Both are great bikes but you get a little better bike with the Giant since they make all their own parts. I love my Giant TCR.

 

The carbon bike will make you appear to be wealthy. If you can't ride it fast people will think you are stupid.

 

I'm in the market for a road bike as well..... just for exercise. Something in the $500-$750 range....if even that!

From what I've been reading/researching.... if buying an aluminum framed bike get it with carbon fiber forks (for reduced vibration & better ride). Is there that big of a difference compared to aluminum frame with aluminum forks?

I'm 5'9" w/31" inseam, so would a 54 or 56 fit best?

 

In that price range buy used for sure.

 

There's are fred's of all shapes and sizes on all kinds of bikes. If your slow on a carbon bike you're cool in my book as long as you don't rock a full team kit or ride like an idiot.

Go test ride some bikes and see what you like/what fits.

 

I got a specialized Secteur for $800 and i've very much enjoyed it.... its not cramped like a full blown race bike. Go to your local bike shop and get fitted to be sure on the size, they should get you set up right!

 

What wheels and tires are you using? Stan's? I bought a set of American Classic Road Tubeless wheels, but have been running regular tubes and tires. I run tubeless on the mtn bike and really like it. The road tubeless tires were all significantly heavier than a regular setup. Is the ride really that good?

 

The Shimano Ultegra. I weighed the tubeless and regular w/tubes and the difference is a few grams per wheel. The ride quality is absolutely worth it IMO

 

What tires are you running? Are you running stan's or similar? When I bought my wheels a few months back the tire choices were slim.

 

I don't know about those two frames but I can tell you that I upgrades to a full kit of SRAM force a while back and after 3000 miles on them I can say they are absolutely incredible. I rarely need to adjust. Perfect instant shifts every time, never ever drop a chain, can cross from large sprocket to large sprocket with no issues. Super quiet. My local bike shop persuaded me to make the switch and I couldn't be happier.

 

Why would you want to do this?

 

Bontrager. They have totally upped their game in MTB and road tires. 30 day no questions asked gurantee as well. I use a custom mix of some Stans (seal) and a bit of slime (for the fibers). Use the same in MTB, CX and Road.