Help identifying a TCR

[sminchnz]

Hi guys,

I picked up a Giant TCR a few days ago and am trying to figure out what year it is. Photos below, with key details by my reckoning being an integrated double seatpost clamp, seat tube at the clamp machined with 4 notches to hold a rubber weather-proofing sleeve, seat tube forming to make room for the rear wheel, no back brake internal cable routing, and an Once logo machined into the head tube. Came with DA 7700 to narrow it down to about two decades

What do y’all reckon? I haven’t been able to find anything with this paint job online yet.

Stephen

 

[pigman]

Identical to the one I had. I bought it 2003 as a 40th present to myself. So I would say 2002/3.
At that point the first carbon tcrs were being launched

Just to add, it was one of the finest riding bikes I had.
And be careful with those seat pin clamp bolts. The allen key heads broke off both of them, meaning patient removal of headless bolts

 

[sminchnz]

Awesome - thank you! Do you know what the headtube logo signified? Or was it just that anything with the Once paint job had that detail too?

 

[pigman]

Just the once logo as once rode their bikes a la joseba beloki and his 2002 tdf crash.

The frame you have was their top model pre carbon.

I had red bar tape and red wall tyres to pick out the red bits which looked good back then, coloured tyres are a bit unfashionable now

 

[rikster]

https://issuu.com/giant_italia/docs/catalogo_giant_2002_ita
TCR Team, available as a frame only rather than a complete bike.

 

[durianrider]

2002 TCR Team frameset with 7700 9spd Dura Ace groupset.
Drop out the fork and make sure no ring of death or unbonding of the alloy/composite union.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

2002 TCR Team frameset with 7700 9spd Dura Ace groupset.
Drop out the fork and make sure no ring of death or unbonding of the alloy/composite union.

Good advice.

 

[pigman]

Drop out the fork and make sure no ring of death or unbonding of the alloy/composite union.

is that general advice for all carbon/alloy forks or were those Giant forks particularly vulnerable.

i've had a carbon/alloy racelight fork on my winter bike for 10 years and never checked it. should I?

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

is that general advice for all carbon/alloy forks or were those Giant forks particularly vulnerable.

i've had a carbon/alloy racelight fork on my winter bike for 10 years and never checked it. should I?

I had a Racelight T2 superb bike, they did do a fork recall though as they were breaking.

 

[pigman]

I had one of those forks too and did a swap through the recall. Unlike these tcr forks they were all carbon but had the carbon steerer bonded to a carbon crown