Giant TCR C3- first impressions

It's been a week since I got the TCR. As of Sunday I have logged just over 200 miles on the bike. So what do I think of it?
First off, the riding position of a road bike is taking some getting used to. At times I feel a little squirrely on it, but that will pass as I get more accustomed to it.

As far as the bike itself goes...well, carbon fiber is the cat's meow. Carbon can/does take the edge off bumps in the road. I know that a lot people prefer handcrafted metal frames, citing that carbon fiber bikes "just don't have any soul to them", but if you ride on less than perfect roads, you will love the feel of carbon fiber.
As it pertains to the TCR C3, the frame is obviously light, but yet very stiff. When hammering out of the saddle there is no flex in the bottom bracket, or in the rear triangle. If I had anything to pick on, it would be that the location of the seat tube water bottle attachments are in an inconvenient spot... I have really have to stretch to reach my seat tube mounted water bottle. That said, there may be a good reason (like aerodynamics or what not) that they put it there, so I'm not gonna give 'em too much grief about it.

Now, on to the components. On the Giant website, and in their print catalog they list the F & R derailluers, shifters, cassette, and chain as Shimano 105. Imagine my surprise when I get the bike home and discover an Ultegra F derailluer and chain. It doesn't hurt my feelings at all. The 105 and Ultegra mix works very well, shifts are nice and crisp (except now, I think I'm getting a little cable stretch- which is to be expected).

The crankset is a TruVativ Elita compact 36/50. For being a lower priced crankset, is seems reasonably stiff, which is all you can really ask of a good crankset. I don't know if this is an effect of the double chainring, or an adjustment with the F derailluer, but on two different occasions I have shifted to the small chainring and the chain has dropped off...onto the bottom bracket (fortunately I was almost coasting and didn't do any damage). I clicked the shifter a second time to make sure that the derailluer had moved all the way over (no more cable to be played out), and the derailluer moved the chain right off the chainring, just like it was wanting to drop the chain to a third ring or somethin'. Very perplexing. I'm gonna ask the shop about it.

The handlebars and stem are Easton EA30s. Easton makes some good stuff, and this bar and stem are no different. The handlebars have a nice form to them, making it easy to find a comfortable position for your hands, and the stem is does its job without you thinking about it. *Note- Due to some really harsh road conditions I am gonna switch to a carbon fiber handlebar in the future. The aluminum transmits the vibrations right thru my hands and arms. Over the first few rides I noticed that the stem's lower bolt on the handlebar fixing plate would loosen up ever so slightly. Like clockwork, after a ride I would have to tighten that lower bolt, requiring maybe a quarter turn at best. The good news is, that for the last two rides the bolt has remained tight.

Stopping power is supplied by some no name brakes. In looks, they resemble Campys, but that's where the comparisons end. While the brakes are working fairly well for me, they are on the spongy side. On long descents or in wet conditions I would imagine that these brakes would scare the &^%$ out of you. I'm going to stick with these brakes until I've worn out the pads, at which point I will upgrade to Ultegra or Dura Ace stoppers.

I don't need to go into any detail on the saddle, as I've already beat that horse.

Last, but not least...where the rubber meets the road.
The tires are Michelin Dynamics (700 x 23). The Dynamics are no doubt some entry level tires. They do their job and give you some good grip, even in wet conditions. What they lack in suppleness, they make up for in treadwear. I've got over 200 miles on them and I could probably pawn them off as having maybe 20 or 30 miles on them. The main reason to promptly upgrade these tires would be weight...they are listed as a portly 373g ea! Switching from the Dynamics to a good lightweight tire could take off close to 1/2lb off the bike's weight.

Onto the wheels. The Xero XSR-3 wheels have a unique lacing pattern that looks pretty cool, and I guess offer more strength than traditional lacing patterns (not that I have any real first hand knowledge or experience on that). When it comes to reviews of this bike, the wheels are what most people bag on. The stiffness, or lack of, and the weight being cited most. As far as stiffness goes, they seem fairly stiff to me. I think it will take a bit more time for the wheels to show their colors. One thing I have noticed is that they don't spin very well. If you spin the wheel, it will stop, almost as if the brakes are rubbing, even though the pads are not touching. This is another item I'm going to quiz the bike shop about. As far as the weight goes, I can't argue with people there. At 2050g for the set they are some heavyweights. Between some lighter weight tires and wheels, I bet you could take 1- 1 1/2lbs off the weight of this bike.

This is a great bike. For $1800 I got an awesome frame, with a mix of some good components. I would recommend this bike in a second!