Giant TCR Team Once

[migueltreze]

Bought a Giant a few weeks ago, I´m currently fitting it with new parts, wheels and paintjob. Previous owner told me it was an OCR model from 2002, due to my searchs throughout the Web I am almost sure it is a TCR Team Once, mainly due to smooth welding on tubing and engraved Once logo on rear dropouts. I have decide not to restore it with original components, the color will also be different from original. Previous owner also had it painted in red, and the bike had several parts I do not want to keep, like an old Colnago carbon fork, really old wheels and other "not nice" stuff. Will fit a Mavic Aksium Race wheelset, Shimano 105 10spd groupset and FSA components. I managed to buy a original fork, too.

The bike when I bought it:

This is present stage, the frame is already being painted and I´m waiting for some new goodies to arrive.

 

[riddim-track]

Hey, this is cool, we're both rebuilding the same bike here (more or less). I haven't started a build thread yet but will do so maybe tomorrow. The OCR and TCR frames look pretty similar but I think from the look of yours you've got a 2000 TCR ONCE frame. I've put a pic of my 2006 OCR3 (in the snow) below so you can see how similar they are. There's also a pic of my TCR ONCE frame, mine is just painted in team colours whereas yours has a race number hanger and you say it has ONCE stamped in the dropouts which indicates something a bit more special. For what it's worth a lot of Giant road bikes in the late 1990s and 2000s had ONCE logos on them but that was more to do with advertising and the sponsership deal they had, I even have a OCR saddle with ONCE logos on it and 2 of my other TCR frames (I have 4) have very small discrete ONCE logos on them.

We'll have to keep our build threads updated so we can compare notes seeing that we've got similar projects on the go. I've had lots of Giants but am looking forward to this one most.

 

[riddim-track]

Heres the start of my build thread http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1805087#1805087

 

[migueltreze]

Thanks for sharing, very nice having someone building something similar

I am not a very experienced road cyclist, I only have two bikes in present time, and I am not a big "conoisseur" of brands, frames and so on, but I am quite happy to be learning many things regarding road bikes. And I´m particularly dedicated to this Giant. I emailed Giant Europe to seek info about my frame, sending them the serial number, unfortunately they do not have a database for "older" bikes.

I´ve edited first post with a pic of how the bike was the day I bought it. Yes, from everything I´ve searched, TCR´s and OCR´s at that time were quite similar. As you said, I also believe my frame to be a bit "unique" due to race number hanger and engraved Once logo on the dropouts. I will post a pic later on. Please feel free to share anything regarding your current project, or your other Giants.

 

[riddim-track]

I emailed Giant Europe to seek info about my frame, sending them the serial number, unfortunately they do not have a database for "older" bikes.

It's a shame, they used to have all their bikes back to 1996 on the website but recently they only have bikes going back approx 4-5 years. I don't know why they'd delete all the old ones.

 

[alexandre_custoias]

This topic should be here:

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=21

 

[migueltreze]

New goodies have arrived. FSA Compact handlebar and FSA OS99 alu/carbon stem with titanium bolts. Also a pic of some other stuff I have waiting to be fitted. This week I will have all the components ready for the frame, painting is a bit delayed.

 

[Markynag]

Nice bike , I remember lusting after one of these in my local bike shop ...., giant team once ... Brings back memories oh to be 21 again ...

 

[migueltreze]

Thanks for the comment. Hope not to disapoint anyone, frame color and decals will differ a bit from original ones But I expect the final result to be a tasteful and balanced bike.

 

[riddim-track]

You got some nice parts to go on it, the result will be a nice light bike. I'm keen to see your paint job, post some pics of it painted before you build it.

I've just paid for my HS so basically have all the parts for mine I just need to make some space here at home before I put it together. I'm going to look at another TCR frame this week too, they're like a bad addiction for me :roll: as soon as I sell one I get another