I had problems with my Giant OCR 1 brakes. We tried to upgrade, but were limited to what we could do because I think they were long reach calipers. In doing some research to try to solve the issue, I found this review in Bicycle magazine: http://www.bicycling.com/biketown/Giant_OCR.html that says the Giant has a problem with stopping. The only upgrade we could make was with the pads, which did help a bit. I ended up selling the bike and bought a Specialized Ruby Expert. The difference in braking power is really amazing. I was always so paranoid on the giant that I wasn't going to be able to stop in time and I have never had that fear with the Specialized. I will be curious what your lbs says for your option with upgrades, so please update with their advice.