Triathlonchap32
Dirt Disciple
Hi all, I’m a total newbie to this forum, but an avid ONCE Giant bike collector (hoarder?).
My original goal was to collect an ONCE road bike from every year of Giant frame sponsorship. This target has been exceeded in numbers, but the 2002 gold plated TdF bike still eludes me.
This week, I may have had the unbelievable fortune to buy a 2003 Composite ONCE TT frame. It visually has the correct characteristics (naked carbon with gloss and the gold Giant and ONCE blind person logos and icons). It still retains the Campagnolo Record headset…but that’s about it in terms of originality. It’s either been stripped of original components or sold as frame, fork and seatpost. Yes, the current front forks aren’t the originals.
My plan is to restore it to former glory, but is it an original team bike or were they available for purchase by mere mortals with deep pockets?
My initial research of old Giant bike brochures of the time, don’t show it as an option you could purchase. Does anyone have any thoughts or views on this. I attach photos of my frame and seatpost vs a ONCE TT bike in action.
I believe this would have been called at TCR Composite Time Trial and not a Giant Trinity. I also own a later t-mobile Giant Trinity from circa 2005 with the integrated seatpost that needed cutting down to size
My original goal was to collect an ONCE road bike from every year of Giant frame sponsorship. This target has been exceeded in numbers, but the 2002 gold plated TdF bike still eludes me.
This week, I may have had the unbelievable fortune to buy a 2003 Composite ONCE TT frame. It visually has the correct characteristics (naked carbon with gloss and the gold Giant and ONCE blind person logos and icons). It still retains the Campagnolo Record headset…but that’s about it in terms of originality. It’s either been stripped of original components or sold as frame, fork and seatpost. Yes, the current front forks aren’t the originals.
My plan is to restore it to former glory, but is it an original team bike or were they available for purchase by mere mortals with deep pockets?
My initial research of old Giant bike brochures of the time, don’t show it as an option you could purchase. Does anyone have any thoughts or views on this. I attach photos of my frame and seatpost vs a ONCE TT bike in action.
I believe this would have been called at TCR Composite Time Trial and not a Giant Trinity. I also own a later t-mobile Giant Trinity from circa 2005 with the integrated seatpost that needed cutting down to size