Giant Road Bikes vs Trek Road Bikes

1- Yes, excellent bike for beginners
2- Yes, its a compact frame. Blindfolded, I doubt Lance Armstrong could tell the difference between a compact and standard frame. Makes no difference at all for a beginner (IMHO)
2b- This also has a compact chainring (50/36) as opposed to std chainring (53/39), which is better for a begginer , some might say
3- Its a matter of preference. I'm pretty sure that Trek 1000-1200's (comparable to OCR1s) are made also by Giant, so most differences will be perceived.

One thing you do want to look at are components. The OCR seems to have 105 10 speed (seems...my japanise is not very good), which is an excellent gruppo for beginners / enthusiasts.

At the end....the single most important thing for a beginner, is FIT. Make sure you are fitted properly to the bike, or I should say...the bike is properly fitted to you.

cheers

Hey, you can get any road bike brand you want but the most important thing as stated above is FIT! If it doesn't fit don't buy it. Also right now there is cheap carbon on the market so ask at your LBS about that.

My wife races on that frameset occasionally, and finds it very stable for road races. She also likes it for crits, because it tracks like it's on rails. It has a very smooth, long-haul feel to it. It holds a line well, even when you are somewhat tired and not paying attention.

The frame Trek uses for the 1200- 1600 bikes is a standard geometry, which lends itself to a 'twichy' feel, capable of quick turns and maneuverability. It requires a bit more attention to keep it from drifting off line. Of the two, this frame is a little lighter, but not by much.

Both framesets are very well built, with the Giant being a bit stiffer. I've ridden both, and find them both about the same for comfort.

Giant's top of the line Road bike is the TCR Advanced. Trek's in the Madone.

The OCR is a compact frame with a more 'relaxed' or less aggressive geometry. The TCR is their 'race' geometry.

I loved my Giant OCR 1 - it was my commuter bike and was very comfortable. I put a rack and 2 Jandd panniers on it. Excellent beginer bike that can be transformed to a good commuter bike.

But I just replaced my OCR 1 with a 2007 Trek Pilot spa. The spa model have been discontinued so this was the last year to get them. I considered the Trek Pilot 2.1 spa the best aluminum commuter bike! It's my dream commuter bike!