Thoughts on Giant SCR 2.0

snookie

I've been a regular cyclist around the city for the last few years. I've tended to ride a range of decrepit 2nd hand wrecks but I'd like to buy an entry level road bike which would allow me do more leisure type cycling at the weekends. I've been looking at the Giant SCR 2.0. Has anyone any thoughts on it and where in Ireland is the best place to buy one or can you recommend alternatives. I'd prefer not to spend more than 600-700 max to be honest but might go more if there was a compelling reason.
Thanks in advance etc.

chris85

When you say city cycling do you mean commuting or for leisure. For commuting and a bit of leisure cycling I would not go for the SCR as it got the drop bars which arent great for commute.

Would recommend the Giant FCR 2. GOod overall bike with good parts and its got flatbars

http://www.wheelworxbikes.com/product_info.php?products_id=380

snookie

Thanks. That's probably much closer to what I was looking for in the first place! I want to do a lot more leisure cycling and had planned to keep my current wreck for commuting to work but having one bike to do the two makes far more sense.
How does it compare to the FC3? Is it worth paying the extra money for the FC2?
Can anyone also please tell me why all bike colour schemes now look like they're put together by the guy who was chucked out of the tubbercurry pimp my cycle school for offences against the tracksuit.

Ghost Rider

Hah. I quite agree. Most bike designs/colour schemes suck. As an alternative to a Giant FCR (I have an FCR3, by the way, and it rocks), check out the Genesis Day range. They're made by the British manufacturer Ridgeback. Cyclelogical stock them. They come in plain colours, I think.

snookie wrote: »

Thanks. That's probably much closer to what I was looking for in the first place! I want to do a lot more leisure cycling and had planned to keep my current wreck for commuting to work but having one bike to do the two makes far more sense.
How does it compare to the FC3? Is it worth paying the extra money for the FC2?
Can anyone also please tell me why all bike colour schemes now look like they're put together by the guy who was chucked out of the tubbercurry pimp my cycle school for offences against the tracksuit.

blorg

I disagree that you can't commute on drops, they are absolutely fine in traffic (hint: you aren't always down in the drops, you are up on the hoods much of the time.) Drops give you a much better range of hand positions and honestly are better (I converted after many years on a flat bar Specialized Sirrus.) They are a real boon when the weather is windy like at the moment.

snookie

Ghost Rider wrote: »

Hah. I quite agree. Most bike designs/colour schemes suck. As an alternative to a Giant FCR (I have an FCR3, by the way, and it rocks), check out the Genesis Day range. They're made by the British manufacturer Ridgeback. Cyclelogical stock them. They come in plain colours, I think.

Thanks for that. I dropped into cycelogical today and had a good look around. I'll go back mid-week and buy either it or the FCR. Is Wheelworx the only place that stocs them because I work in the IFSC and getting out there is going to be a hassle in the next week or so.

BTW, I love the shop. Its like Max Burns with bikes. I hope they refuse to sell things to people. I knew a guy who worked in a London record store that regularly refused to sell records to people because they didn't deserve to hear them. Despite sounding like a dick he had an absolute heart of gold. He'd also give records to kids for nothing and tell them to f off. Eventually went out of business mind but still.

chris85

blorg wrote: »

I disagree that you can't commute on drops, they are absolutely fine in traffic (hint: you aren't always down in the drops, you are up on the hoods much of the time.) Drops give you a much better range of hand positions and honestly are better (I converted after many years on a flat bar Specialized Sirrus.) They are a real boon when the weather is windy like at the moment.

Different strokes for different folks i guess

I just find in my experience that people prefer the flats for the commute. The wider flats give more control over the bike and its more manouverable which is great for city. The usual extra weight on the commute (bags, clothing, etc) does not help with stability of the bike.

But if thats what you feel more comfterable on blorg then thats whats right for you. Most people doing the commute dont like the drops.

OP, try get a spin on the bikes before if possible, try a few and see what you like.

pete4130

For about €25-€30 you can get a set or tri-cross levers fitted onto the flat sections on drop bars. They Come as standard on some womens road bikes like the Specialized Dolce (or did a year or 2 ago). No extra maintenence that regular levers on the drops (and they don't look like old school dual lever set ups!).
I ride every sort of bike pretty much, from fixed, road bike, city bike to BMX depending on whats not punctured at any one time. My road bike ('07 spec Allez Sport) is fine for commuting, I'm usually on the hoods (which I find more relaxed on the shoulders than on the flats for pedaling) and switch to the drops when freewheeling or ambling along when I wouldn't need the brakes in an instant.
I'd go with the drops. As someone said about going form a Sirrus to drops, the geometry on a flatbar bike is different to that of one with drops. Drops give you many more options with hand positions so you get less tired being in the one position all the time.

Thats just my experience from 10 years on the cities roads.

Raam

chris85 wrote: »

The wider flats give more control over the bike and its more manouverable which is great for city. The usual extra weight on the commute (bags, clothing, etc) does not help with stability of the bike.

I would agree with Blorg. Drops are much better for me. I've commuted for years using both flat (riser) bars and drops both with a bag on my back. Riding the hoods on the drops is the most comfortable position by far. I've never had a problem with control on the bike with drops. When I first started riding the drops I did find them awkward and strange after moving from the risers, but after putting in the time and getting used to them, I would always choose them over flats. But Chris is right, whatever works for you is best and may not be the same as someone else.

TinyExplosions

I personally find that I can't get on the brakes fast enough when cycling in town using drops.. I prefer the hand positions, but to me, it just doesn't feel as comfy as using flats -when on longer spins though, I much prefer drops!

petethedrummer

snookie wrote: »

I'll go back mid-week and buy either it or the FCR. Is Wheelworx the only place that stocs them because I work in the IFSC and getting out there is going to be a hassle in the next week or so.

Commuting solutions in Ranelagh have FCRs, well they did last time I was there, about 5 months ago. I'd imagine the smaller bike shops round town would order one in for you too.

Danbo!

^^ Yep i got an fcr3 in there a few months ago and at the time they had a couple in stock. a medium and a large i think. they can order it in for you too and itll be there fairly quick (i ordered a wheel on a sunday and it was there the monday morning)

snookie

petethedrummer wrote: »

Commuting solutions in Ranelagh have FCRs, well they did last time I was there, about 5 months ago. I'd imagine the smaller bike shops round town would order one in for you too.

Where abouts in Ranelagh? I live in Milltown and I can drop in on the way to work.
Just did a quick search online and the only reference i can find is to a shop located in Rathmines Town Centre.

Danbo!

its not in ranelagh, its in rathmines (beside subway) and opens at 8am if you want to head in before work, and opens til 6 or 7pm (i think) mon-thurs

blorg

That's the one, it's in Rathmines. The bike shop in Ranelagh doesn't have FCRs.

petethedrummer

yeah it is Rathmines. dunno why I wrote Ranelagh. Its on the main street. On the left hand side as you head out from town.

DirkVoodoo

I agree with Blorg, its very easy to commute on drops since you are on the hoods for much of it. It can be difficult to carry large amounts of gear on the racer, and I would be more inclined to go for the FCR.

I have an SCR 2.0 if you want to have a go on it some day. I got mine at a really good price (Around 680) in the UCD bike shop last year. Of course, thats when Rob and Rob were still there. I don't like the new guys as much.

blorg

You can carry as much as you like if you fit a rack. Issues with how workable this is will depend on whether there are rackmounts and the frame geometry. I see enough people with racks on entry-level racers or cross bikes.

Having toured on the same bike both with flat bars and subsequently with drops, it felt a hell of a lot more stable loaded after I put the drops on.

Having once carried 20kg or so in a backpack on a racer I can confirm this is indeed not a good idea.

DavyD_83

If your going For an FCR, Hollingsworth cycles in Kilmacud were doing them with 10% off (think on all Giants, but definitely on FCR's)
which works out as:

FCR3 €559, for €503
FCR2 €769, for €692.

If thats out of the way, mention it in any shop your looking at them and see if they'll matchit.:cool:

Well, they were last month when i got my FCR2, so far very happy with it.:D:D

lee_baby_simms

DavyD_83 wrote: »

If your going For an FCR, Hollingsworth cycles in Kilmacud were doing them with 10% off (think on all Giants, but definitely on FCR's)
which works out as:

FCR3 €559, for €503
FCR2 €769, for €692.

If thats out of the way, mention it in any shop your looking at them and see if they'll matchit.:cool:

Well, they were last month when i got my FCR2, so far very happy with it.:D:D

Thats a good price alright.

Do you think the FCR2 is suitable primarily as a commuter bike? I was looking at one recently but i wasn't sure about the amount of clearance at the back for attaching mudguards and a carrier.

DavyD_83

lee_baby_simms wrote: »

Do you think the FCR2 is suitable primarily as a commuter bike? I was looking at one recently but i wasn't sure about the amount of clearance at the back for attaching mudguards and a carrier.

Hmm.. valid points.
I use a courier style shoulder bag for all my carrying needs. I've never really bothered with mudguards, I might give in and put on one of those saddle post jobbies on in a while, but i'll honestly get by grand without.
There's definitely no clearance front or rear for guards between wheel and frame though, so if its important to you, perhaps look at other options.

Ghost Rider

I have an FCR3 with front and rear mudguards as well as pannier rack. Maybe the FCR2 is different, but I doubt it...

DavyD_83 wrote: »

Hmm.. valid points.
I use a courier style shoulder bag for all my carrying needs. I've never really bothered with mudguards, I might give in and put on one of those saddle post jobbies on in a while, but i'll honestly get by grand without.
There's definitely no clearance front or rear for guards between wheel and frame though, so if its important to you, perhaps look at other options.

petethedrummer

Ghost Rider wrote: »

I have an FCR3 with front and rear mudguards as well as pannier rack. Maybe the FCR2 is different, but I doubt it...

me also. there are some mudguards that will fit and some that won't.

blorg

If you cycle all year round and don't want to get completely filthy, you want some form of mudgard. Having said that you can fit something to anything, including race blades to road bikes without clearance for traditional mudguards. I suspect (don't know) the FCR would have clearance for traditional though.

snookie

noblestee wrote: »

its not in ranelagh, its in rathmines (beside subway) and opens at 8am if you want to head in before work, and opens til 6 or 7pm (i think) mon-thurs

Thanks. I know exactly where it is!

snookie

DavyD_83 wrote: »

If your going For an FCR, Hollingsworth cycles in Kilmacud

I bought every bike I ever had as a kid in their Templeogue store. Based on what others are saying about problems with mudguards I'm might have to try something else but I'll check them out either way. I'm not a huge fan of having to change every time i want to go somewhere.

snookie

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I ended up buying a Ridgeback Supernova from Cycological and even though I've only been on one 30k cycle so far I absolutely love it. Well apart from the saddle which feels like an English public school boys idea of a sex aid. Not that I have any experience in that area... but anyway ... thanks everyone. I'm sure I'll be back to annoy ye again

blorg

Saddles are easily fixable. Are you using cycling shorts?

snookie

blorg wrote: »

Saddles are easily fixable. Are you using cycling shorts?

Cycling shorts are like pyjamas. Fine in the bedroom but not suitable for day wear.

Prezatch

How much was it? The Ridgeback Supernova that is

snookie

JoeyD wrote: »

How much was it? The Ridgeback Supernova that is

675 i think. I got a few other things with it so I'm not exactly certain but it was definitely somewhere around there.