TCR Advanced SL Di2/mech options

goudgey · Postby **goudgey** » Fri Jan 24, 2014 11:36 pm

Hi, I'm looking at buying a TCR Advanced SL frame set from 2011 and I'm trying to work out if the frame is suitable for a mechanical groupset. Giants website states that the frame is Di2 specific. The seller has said that the frame can indeed accommodate a mech group but I'm not convinced based upon what I've read on the web. Can anyone here provide advice/confirmation in this regard?
Cheers
Mark

goudgey · Postby **goudgey** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 9:40 pm

No one can help with this?

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Carrots · Postby **Carrots** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 10:25 pm

Have you got an ad link or picture we can have a look at? Can't think off the top of my head, but a pic will soon answer the qn.

mitchy_ · Postby **mitchy_** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 10:38 pm

What year frame? The 2014 TCR advanced SL 1 has a dura ace mechanical groupset so I'd assume it's ok.
Most frames are Di2 compatible more so than Di2 specific.

Carrots · Postby **Carrots** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 10:54 pm

Giant does have specific Di2 frames in the high end Deft and TCR range.

su-pista · Postby **su-pista** » Mon Jan 27, 2014 7:11 am

The tcr advanced SL 0 is di2 specific. In 2011 it was black and blue and came with zipp 404s. There is no way of running a mechanical group on this, but there is other models of sl's that will.

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goudgey · Postby **goudgey** » Mon Jan 27, 2014 8:37 am

The frame is for sale in the member to member sale section of this forum. No year listed but I think it is the white and blue version of the 2011 SL 0. The seller thinks the frame may be from 2012 however the head tube in particular looks 2011.

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Carrots · Postby **Carrots** » Mon Jan 27, 2014 11:02 am

Had a look.

Definitely looks Di2 specific. Main way to tell is that there is no cable holes on front of head tube for the derailleur cables.

Looks like a 2010 SL 0

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/bik ... 288/37408/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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goudgey · Postby **goudgey** » Mon Jan 27, 2014 12:01 pm

Thanks for that. Confirms what I was thinking.

If anyone's got a non-Di2 specific frameset for sale let me know.
Just need to sort out whether I need an M or a M/L now....

Carrots · Postby **Carrots** » Mon Jan 27, 2014 10:14 pm

Here's another one.. Di2 however again but a bit cheaper so might be able to spend the saved coin on Di2 Ultegra?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/bicycle-fram ... 5c8&_uhb=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

goudgey · Postby **goudgey** » Mon Jan 27, 2014 11:13 pm

Thanks for the heads up Carrots. I was scouring ebay today but didn't see that one. There's a new 2014 frameset listed currently at $1k though...

Carrots · Postby **Carrots** » Tue Jan 28, 2014 12:39 pm

Keep your mits off that 2013 one - I want it!

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goudgey · Postby **goudgey** » Tue Jan 28, 2014 6:16 pm

Where's the 2013 one?!
I havent found that one. Guess I suck at ebay!

Carrots · Postby **Carrots** » Tue Jan 28, 2014 8:46 pm

Oops meant the 2014 frame. Typo.

goudgey · Postby **goudgey** » Tue Jan 28, 2014 8:59 pm

I'm very tempted by that one, although the Di2 only is putting me off. I cant get a new frame AND a new groupset past the MWF!

Duck! · Postby **Duck!** » Tue Jan 28, 2014 9:08 pm

The '09-'11 frame had different versions for mechanical and Di2 setups. You can retrofit Di2 to the mech frame, but not the other way around. The current '12-'14 frame is fully two-way mech/Di2 compatible.

Carrots · Postby **Carrots** » Tue Jan 28, 2014 9:52 pm

There's a mechanical version in the for sale section on here however it's a size L.

Duck - not quite right. Giant does make some Di2 specific frames. The easiest way to tell is looking at the head tube and checking if there is holes in it or not to run the derailleur cables. Like the below linked frame in the For Sale section which on the "A" in the Giant logo on the head tube has a cable entrance.
http://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/viewt ... 25&t=72124" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

goudgey · Postby **goudgey** » Tue Jan 28, 2014 11:02 pm

Its proving hard to find a suitable frame, although I haven't really been looking for long.

Are the non-ISP versions of the SL frame in the same league as the ISP SL frames? Perhaps a non-ISP version would be easier to find?

Duck! · Postby **Duck!** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 12:50 am

Carrots wrote:There's a mechanical version in the for sale section on here however it's a size L.

Duck - not quite right. Giant does make some Di2 specific frames. The easiest way to tell is looking at the head tube and checking if there is holes in it or not to run the derailleur cables. Like the below linked frame in the For Sale section which on the "A" in the Giant logo on the head tube has a cable entrance.
http://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/viewt ... 25&t=72124" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've worked for almost a decade in a shop that's a Giant dealer. Trust me, I know what frames suit mechanical & electronic systems. The current frame series, which is unchanged since the 2012 model, does NOT have separate mech/electro versions. The 2009-'11 frame series slightly predated Di2 at launch, therefore was produced in specific versions. Also, that frame generation had external mechanical cables, so there are no headtube holes in either of them. The lack of cable stops is the giveaway on the Di2 frame of that vintage.

Carrots · Postby **Carrots** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 10:06 am

Excuse the ignorance then on my part, but where do the cables run on the frames then where there aren't holes for the derailleur cables on the head tube? Makes complete sense re the pre 2011 frames being external etc, but I just don't see where you can run cables on the high end frames where's there's no cable holes on head tube? That said can't say I've closely inspected one to see where the cables run.

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Duck! · Postby **Duck!** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 1:58 pm

The cable holes in the head tube are plugged with little plastic stoppers when Di2 is fitted. The Di2 cable is fed into the underside of the top tube near the brake cable hole. The derailleur cables at the lower end exit the same holes, just with appropriate stoppers or rubber grommets to locate them.

Carrots · Postby **Carrots** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 4:03 pm

Duck! wrote:The cable holes in the head tube are plugged with little plastic stoppers when Di2 is fitted. The Di2 cable is fed into the underside of the top tube near the brake cable hole. The derailleur cables at the lower end exit the same holes, just with appropriate stoppers or rubber grommets to locate them.

That's my understanding for the bulk of the Giant frames, but I've found all the SL 0 frames don't have these as they're di2 specific...

Ie

ratter · Postby **ratter** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 5:53 pm

my 2012 TCR advanced SLR Rabobank ISP which I'm sure is the same frame as the SLR 0 has the holes on the fork tube on the frame, I have plugged them as I run Di2

su-pista · Postby **su-pista** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 7:02 pm

Can confirm that tcr sl0 are di12 specific, 2011, 2012, 2013 haven't checked the 2014 model but I assume its the same deal.

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goudgey · Postby **goudgey** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 7:16 pm

Seems to be some conflicting information here.
As best I can tell there are Di2 specific Advanced 0 SL frames in years 2010, 11, 12 & 14.
I'm assuming it's the same for 2013 as well.
The Rabobank versions of the TCR SL's all seem to suit mech however.
Or am I getting confused?