New bike for the site. TCR with FSA triple. Had the frame changed from matt to glossy finish and crappy FSA transfers removed from the cranks. Very comfortable bike. Approx weight at present 5.9 kg. Waiting on Poshbikes to supply some of the weights as they supplied many of the parts including the wheels.

1 Frame Giant TCR Black Composite
2 Forks Giant TCR Black Composite
3 Headset FSA Internal incl. Above
4 Bars Schmolke 44cm Carbon
5 Stem Syntace F99 - 12cm
6 Spacers Carbon
7 Bar Tape Carbon effect with Marsas Tape
8 End Plugs
9 Seatpost WR Compositi - Carbon
10 Saddle Fizik Arione
11 Front Mech Campag Record
12 Rear Mech Campag Record
13 Ergo Levers Campag Record
14 Brake Calipers CAT Aluminium Brakes
15 Chainset FSA Team Triple
16 Bottom Bracket FSA ISIS Drive - Ultimax Pro TI
17 Chain Campagnolo
18 Cassette Campag Record 13-29
19 Cables Nokon Concavex - Black
20 Wheels Tune hubs, ZIPP Rims, DT Spokes
21 Tubulars Tufo 160 x 21mm
22 Bottle Cages Elite Carbon
23 Pedals Shimano Dura Ace SL - 270g

Weight excluding pedals 5.9 Kilos

wow wow, thats one sick bike, love the giant TCR in black with glossy.

how did you get it glossy all black without stickers thats kick arse. which Schmolke bars did you get, 140 or 160 grams? what is your weight, and how stiff would you say they are compared to kestrel ems/sl?

Great bike

The Schmolke bars are the 160gm, although they may be a few grammes heavier than that as i asked for the widest fit and they came with the centre aluminium insert. Very expensive but the best. I've tried all the usual brands like 3T etc, so this is the first 'exotics' I have gone in for. It was going on to the weight weenie site that made me the sad person i am now!!

My local bike shop who build them up took the chainset and frame to a local motorbike paint shop. They stripped back the varnish on the cranks to take off the FSA transfers and recoat. With the frame they stripped the matt finish but left the transfers in place and then put a coat of gloss varnish back on. I wanted it this way because the other carbon components were all shiny and quite honestly for me personally it looks better. I know others will disagree.

The CAT brakes are also something else. Exceptionally light, but work perfectly. I'm very impressed with them.

with painting you lost the warrantyof the cranks and the frameset.

In the immortal words of Clark Gable - "Quite frankly dear i don't give damn."

Thats a sweet ride, where in the U.K are you riding a sub 6kg bike and need a 32 x 29T gear?? WOW, a triple seems a strange choice for such a racy looking rig. just wondering

I'm 51 and don't have the power anymore. I live in Yorkshire and some of the climbs near where I lve can be a bit hard and very steep, up to 15% or more. Also, I've only really come back to riding in the last year. So, there's a few kilos to lose as well. In addition I would like to do the Etape or a Grand Fondo. Then it will definitely be needed. To date I've not used the granny ring, but will do at some time. I have been on the 39 x 29 a few times though. It's nice to have as insurance!!!

Aaahh Yorkshire, the land of flat caps and whippets eh, I used to race in yorkshire as a junior years ago mainly cyclo cross and a few road races. Some good lads come from "tup north"

Very stealthy. Nicest looking giant I've ever seen. Get that baby on a scale! What wheels are you using for every day riding? nice job.

_________________
MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT! HUH!

i agree it does look great. thats the look i was going for. i had zipp rims, i was gonna build them up with tune hubs, but needed something for every day. when i get some cash, i think i might try out the zipp 202 rims. i think i can take off 600 grams. would bring me close to 14lbs with those wheels.

Wheels - The Tune ones are really good. They are based on the ZIPP's with a few tweaks. It makes going uphill easier and they are surprisingly comfortable, but like all Aero wheels they're not so good in crosswinds, the effect can be felt. Poshbikes supplied them with some 160g Tufo tubulars.

I still think the Lightweights are the nicest looking wheelset out there. Not just because the stars ride them, but the fact they are very chunky but so light. I would be interested on any feedback on the Campagnolo Hyperon in tubular format.

My alternative wheelset is a pair of Spinergy SPOX's, the one's with the barrel hubs. Someone once described as the ugliest wheelset ever made, but they are extremely comfortable with those plastic spokes. Ideal for long rides.

When I was a kid I always used tubs. Went on to clinchers, but i'm moving back to tubs. I really think they give a smoother ride, notwitstanding the fact that Spinergy's are clinchers.

I've never ridden such a comfortable bike. Will never go back to aluminium.

what do you think of the tufo elite jet tires? they are the same as the elites i have just a lighter version. same hi-tpi count 440tpi, rite?

how much do you weight and how tall are you? what size is your frame?

The Tufo's are 160g's that were bought as specials from Poshbikes. They are not on Tufo's website. I wanted all black and very light.

The TCR is a large. I wanted a fairly relaxed position, hence the spacers. Some people would have gone for a medium, but i'm 51 and the strain would have resulted in my balls being in my throat. I don't race, so I don't need a Boardman like position.

I'm 6 foot exactly and weigh 200 lbs. But i've come down from 250 lbs and i'm still losing it.

Would also make the following statement. I think it's an error to purely equate weight to using lightweight equipment, i.e., max 170 lb for instance. I think it should be based more on power. So, Lance is far more likely to rip equipment up because he can produce in excess of 450 watts, whilst i would be lucky to reach half of that given my age (51) and level of fitness. So, he's much stronger than I am. When i weighed 170 lb i was in my 20's and i just know that i would have been far harsher on equipment than I do now. So, even with the Tune wheels in and any others i've used over the last couple of years, I've never bent a rim or lost a spoke. I think it proves that in general the equipment made nowadays and what we buy as weenies is of a high quality, but the Young Turks may have other ideas.

This is an excellent rig. One of the best I have seen on this site. The work you did on the frame and cranks and the components you selected shows how much thought and research you did. When did you finish this rig? I ask because some of the work you did was to match the carbon finish of the components, but it does not seem like you used a carbon cage record front der. Are your record components '03 or '04?

Thanks for the kind words on the bike.

I've had the TCR since October and had it built up in Campag Record 03 that I had transferred from another bike. It was then I found out about the Weenies. Did my research to see where the real weight savings could be. The Tune wheels really bring it down. But i realised that the brakes, handlebars, stem could still save a decent amount of weight. Plus the FSA chainset and BB also saved. Of course I could have got silly, but at the end of the day it has to be rideable, comfortable, and must look right. This bike meets all my criteria. The carbon bits make it comfy, the saddle's easily the best I've sat on. I have Marsas tape on the bars. I've seen a bike that weighs 4.1 kg, but it's the ugliest thing I've ever seen

To date I've purchased wheels, tubs, brakes, Nokon's, stem, bars from Poshbikes (they pointed me to the Weenie site). They are very expensive, but do make a difference.

The front mech and levers are about to be replaced for the 04 Campag (the rear Mech is 04) but they didn't arrive before Christmas. I work abroad, so they should be on the bike when I get back to the UK in February. Then it will be as I want it. It's cost a lot of money, but I don't drink or smoke anymore, so I'm entitled to some goodies.

All the parts taken from the TCR go on to my second bike, which is a steel Ultra Foco with Look HSC 4 made by Caygill in the UK. He builds some very nice steel and aluminium frames.