Submitted by
Jake Engel
a Downhiller
from Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: April 27, 2007
Strengths: light, super nice ride, no pedal bob. this rig rails corners like you best friends sister.
Weaknesses: shock hard to get to to clean and adjust the coil/rebound. hard to clean in the linkage when washing. the tire hits the seat while under hard impacts (buzzing)
Bottom Line:
this is the absolute best bike ever ridden. its light, pedaling efficient, and kicks major ass.
Similar Products Used: norco aline. giant glory dh (2006/2007) glory (2007) reign x.o (i work in a shop so i build and ride every bike out there.
Bike Setup: 2004 Giant DH Comp. Marzocchi 66 rc2x forks. Manitou 6-way spv swinger shock. Easton monkey lite DH carbon bars. Tompson DH stem. Carbon brake levers. Hayes titanium mag brakes. Nokian nbx dh front tire. Nokian gazzalodi rear tire. Mavic 729 front rim laced to Hadley hub with dt swiss dh spokes. Atomlab trailpimp rear rim laced to ringle hub with dt swiss dh spokes. Race face oversized chainring. Raceface evolve dh cranks.connex wippermann chain. Shimano xtr derailleur. Nokon shifting cable housing. Xtr reverse- rapid rise shifter. Total weight is 35 pounds!!!!
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Submitted by
TJ Clark
a Downhiller
from Christchurch, New Zealand
Date Reviewed: March 27, 2007
Strengths: Great value for price. Awesome plush rear suspension. Great ride position (high front). Michelin tyres are awesome, they last soo long.
Weaknesses: Rear Suspension bolts fell out twice damaging my chain guard. I had to SUPER loctite them. Rock Shox Boxxer Race forks were rubbish! Honestly, who puts plastic parts in a fork? C'mon Rock Shox, get it together. Also pedals hitting rocks is a problem. Rear shock open to dirt from front wheel. Hayes mags were abit sloppy. Seat too big.
Bottom Line:
MAKE SURE YOU SUPER-LOKTITE THE REAR SUSPENSION BOLTS!!!!!!!! Remove the Rock Shox Boxxers and add something better and this bike is great to ride!
Similar Products Used: Keewee Chromozone, Kona Stab Supreme, Giant DH Team
Bike Setup: As it came out of box. Manitou 6way, Boxxer race but upgraded internals as race internals were garbage, michelin tyres, hayes mags,
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Submitted by
Craig
a Weekend Warrior
from Scotland
Date Reviewed: March 11, 2007
Strengths: Low centre of graviy, Solid build, Swinger 6-way, reasonable light for a DH, suspension action
Weaknesses: The UK version doesn't have a piggy-back resovior so can be a pain to adjust the shock. If your a sh*t rider like me, got to watch the pedals on rocks because of low bottom bracket.
Bottom Line:
This bike is fantastic on anything where gravity is in your favour. It sails through rock gardens with ease, wheels stay glued to any terain and rails corners perfectly due to the low centre of gravity. The low centre of gravity also helps keep it stable when you get airborne. I find it doesnt pedal great but might just need to put more air pressure into the rear shock. Wouldn't want to pedal it uphill due to the gear ratio's its set at(44t front ring). Wouldn't be great as a trail bike as the uphills would be a real slog, but anyone who buys this to do XC is crazy, its an out and out downhill but can do well with freeride duties.
Bike Setup: Boxxers, Juicy 7s, Sun-Ringle wheels, titec seatpost/stem/bars, lock-on grips, Truvativ/LX drivtrain and an MRP. Set between Downhill and Freeride
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Submitted by
Roann Calatin
a Downhiller
from Sta.Cruz Laguna Philippines
Date Reviewed: March 6, 2007
Strengths: very good on pedaling(Esp.Uphill) pivots runs smooth..nice geometry
Weaknesses: botom pivots always hit by rocks underneath while riding,, bolts came loose after a ride( Used loctite Filipino style " RUGBY" hehe.. problem?? DONE!!!
Bottom Line:
so smooth(almost feel flatTire w/ the 6-way SPV) takes uphill like an XC bike, runs very flush on rock gardens, loose rocks, take drops,jumps like butter...great for Novice riders,also for non-pro riders... pls email me any FILIPINO rider in Montreal,Que. or Hamamatsu, japan psyblade_apparels@yahoo.com or ro_jhen09@msn.com
Similar Products Used: Giant glory DH 06, santaCruz's intenseM3 etc..
Bike Setup: KOWA 7"travel fork/ W.cupBoxxer04, ShimanoBrakes, Husselfelt Crankset, FSA dh BB, azonic bar, Tioga stem, Blah.blah.blah..( jst look @ my bike)
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Submitted by
chris mcbath
a Downhiller
from Woodinville, Washington, U.S
Date Reviewed: July 11, 2006
Strengths: Solid bike, everything so far seems very tough and well built.
Weaknesses: I cant pedal backwards, if I do the chain goes down the cassette, and my derailuer (Spelled it right?)sucks, but it can be fixed.
Bottom Line:
Very strong bike, I like it alot. Its taken everything I have thrown at it, and is worth the money. Mine is a tad heavy though, if your a weight freak your better off with a different bike (Or maybe my fork is just too heavy). Either way, its a good bike.
Similar Products Used: DEMO 9,KONA STINKY,D8,GIANT DH TEAM.
Bike Setup: STOCK.... BUT WITH 888 AND NEW GRIPS, TIRES ETC.
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Submitted by
scott
a Weekend Warrior
from Brisbane
Date Reviewed: July 20, 2005
Strengths: The whole bike. For the money the bike is a steel
Weaknesses: The chain device but it will have an E-13 on it soon.
Bottom Line:
The bike has been riden 5 time there are no scratches it is a bargan. It rides well and for the money was the best i could buy........... I love it. I generaly wouldn't buy second hand but the bike is new practily no joke.
Strengths: It's got nice travel, and actually not a lot of pedal-bob, and it feels good.
Weaknesses: Where to begin? Well, we'll start small. First, the brakes sucked and the derailleur didn't allow me to cycle backwards, and waiting at the top of a wheelie drop, yes, that sucks. The rear shock blew on a simple drop to smooth landing, so I spent $400 upgrading that to a 5th Element, good choice. The Boxxer Race that came on there: Bottomed that out on the same drop, wasn't fun. Spent $700 upgrading to a 888, which was a wise move. And finally, this is the worst: The rear linkage broke my bike to an unusable point on a simple XC trail. Hiking out 2 miles was, well, fun?
Bottom Line:
Good beginner bike. Buy it brand new from an authorized dealer to take advantage of the warranty, otherwise you're screwed when (not if, definitely when) it breaks. Even the Team frame doesn't fix the problems with the actually bike that I had, so I"d say don't go with Giants, also cause my friend just broke his headtube off of his...
Bike Setup: 2003 Giant DH Comp with a 888rt, 5th Element, custom seat and grips and everything.
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Submitted by
Nathan Campbell
a Weekend Warrior
from Toowoomba, QLD, Australia
Date Reviewed: September 25, 2004
Strengths: Well priced, well speced, rides well, wheelies like a monocycle. Rear shock can be set up for nearly bobless suspension, it really is a work of art.
Weaknesses: Australian model does not come with external swinger (rear shock) resivor, like the US model does. This makes adjusting and checking the pressure in the shock very annoying as you have to take the shock completly out every time! I think this problem has been fixed with the 05 models with all DH comps having the external resivor.
The swingarm bolts come loose, so once you get the bike take them out and locktite them. DO NOT RIDE UNTIL LOCKTITE IS APPLIED, otherwise you will be out on the trail and bad things will happen. Grips are a bit rough but with gloves on they are ok, probably the only thing that may need upgrading on the bike.
Michelin tires are ok but are near impossible to get on and off. Maybe a little heavy but at this price im not complaining.
Bottom Line:
Best value bike for the money and great for someone who doesn't want to spend the earth to get a decent DH bike. Coming from a hardtail this bike rocks and sucks up just about everything in it's path. Comes with everything you need to start racing DH, or just out having fun doing DH runs with your mates. Not everyone needs a $5000 Orange or Intense, if you can't do it on this bike your not going to be able to do it on any other. Suites me just fine. Any questions feel free to message me.
Submitted by
Dave Hedberg
a Downhiller
from corvallis
Date Reviewed: August 20, 2004
Strengths: this bike has all the adjustments you could ever need its fast and manuals like no other dh bike. it is so light and strong and is better priced then any other bike in its class.
Weaknesses: the chail line sucks, use 4mm chain ring spacers and its better, grips and small stuff sucks but most poeple switch with personal prefrence anyways, spv shocks tend to still bottom out. call manitou for help and the bike will rock, giatn chainguide is very week and should not be used as a bash gard, rims are cool but if you go big get some stronger ones cuz thell snap,
Bottom Line:
this bike is the best dh racing bike i have ever ridden, I have raced several biks and this one will make you faster. the lov center of gravity helps hanbeling, and is a wheelie rocker. the spv lets you haul ass si got it if you want to be a super sonic rider!! and the price, better then anyting in its class.
Strengths: Handles great, is great value for money, SPV technology and the suspension is plush as. It has so many adjustments and you can set it up for any style of riding.
Weaknesses: only minor things; grips were hard (replaced) seat was way to high (cut down), screws in hayes levers came loose (put loctite on) and bolts in forks seem to be really week, they round real easy. will replace with bolts from local nut& bolt store.
Bottom Line:
Only minor problems as mentioned above, they can all be fixed quickly and easily. Take the time to set up the suspension when you get it and it will feel great. Make sure bolts in rear pivots have loctite on them and you will have no problems, I have been riding for a couple of days and they still havn't come loose. The bike is great for downhilling and is so cheap, excellent bike and value. Anyone who enjoys downhill or freeriding could use this bike it even pedals well on the flat as well thanks to SPV.
Submitted by
Xavier Cabano
a Downhiller
from Davis,ca
Date Reviewed: May 17, 2004
Strengths: Awesome bombproof setup take hits like no other fast easy to pedal easy shock adjustments.
Weaknesses: Grips were too hard and weird feeling thats it.
Bottom Line:
This Bike is awesome with what I put on it, it take jumps easy and is really fast it is a tank and it is unstopable awesome bike props to Giant this year ! (email me if you have questions about the bike PiranhaPBall84@aol.com) If anyone is thinking about buying this bike Buy it it is awesome!!!!!!!!!!
Purchased At: Freewheeler (awesome store with great service)
Similar Products Used: bighit expert demo9 DH & demo9 pro, Giant DH team Intense M1 rocky moutain rmx(and the other rocky moutain rmx models)
Bike Setup: Stock except for RaceFace Diablous stem,RaceFace Diablous X-type crank(with M.R.P chainguide system 42tooth chainring). New Manitou Dorado MRD X-works SPV, 8" 2.8 Michelin in front and 2.5 Michelin in back and some intense ODI lock on grips.
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Submitted by
merlin sabo
a Weekend Warrior
from trinidad CA USA
Date Reviewed: March 29, 2004
Strengths: Great bike for the money, the Six-way shock really kicks ass even though the extra two adjustments are not really noticable unless you are racing full time and know your suspension. I was stoked in the fact that I didnt have to change anything on the bike, the fork works like a friggin champ and the raceface setup is quite solid. No bobbing either, you can really sprint well if you have the supension set up right. Great deal for the money. (Killer paint job too, like the chrome detailing)
Weaknesses: The chain angle is crazy, doesnt look like it will work but it does, I'm wondering about the long term affects on the drive train having the chain at a 30 degree angle in the lowest gear. I did notice the chain running back down the cassett when I peddled backwards do to this chain angle so keeping your drivetrain clean is pretty important to keep this from happening. The lower suspension bolts also have a nasty habbit of backing out and really getting loose, so make sure you tear it down and lock tite and re-torqe all the piviots it will save you a lot of problems in the end.
Bottom Line:
Bike just gets better and better every day, the more I tune the suspension set up the better it gets. I have it set pretty stiff for dirt jumping and urban riding. I was a little disipointed with the bottom piviot bolts backing out, Ive been told that people have made custom bolts that can counter thread and hold the bolts in, but lock tite will do for now. Its a pretty small complaint but some people have to pay 3.5 Gs for the bike and that should'nt be happening. Besides that, he bikes very worthy of full time down hill racing and free riding. Pros are using this same frame and rear shock and are winning plenty, so Giant really nailed it on frame design. Personally I think for the money this bike is better equiped than any other bike, so it would be a good investment for racing or weekend fun.
Similar Products Used: tested the S.C straight 8,owned an enduro with dirt jumper 1
Bike Setup: stock mainly, switched the grips to tackier ones, used specialized FUSE bmx grips, work great, platform bmx pedals, and put a 2.7 Maxxis Minion up front, lots of bat grip to protect the chain stays from major chipping
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Submitted by
ben
a Downhiller
from wollongong,nsw,australia
Date Reviewed: March 28, 2004
Strengths: awesome parts mix and same frame as team model.you don't really need to change any thing.the bike rides big but you can still whip it thru tight stuff really easy.
Weaknesses: the grips.shock susceptable to crud thrown from rear tyre,i have hit the linkage on the ground a wee bit but if u have ur shock set right you should be fine
Bottom Line:
awesome bike which can handle high speed tech sections and drops and gaps among other things.i sopped round for ages but couldn't find a bike to beat it in value,specs and reputation.bottom line is that it works so good that all u have to do is concentate on the good line or the next corner, and thats what matters.
Strengths: Everything.....this bike is badass, sherman slider plus is in my opinion the best "7inch" travel upright fork on the market second to none other than the 888r. butter smooth and tons of ajustment, frame is bretty damn burly for being built by a child in a sweatshop.
Weaknesses: CRAZY chainline.......chain hasnt dropped or anythign yet but im keeping my eye on it
Bottom Line:
if you want a badass dh bike buy it......if you want soemthing you can do a little bit of hucking on and ride dh on the weekends buy this bike. This bike is the best dh bike for the money retails for like 3000 and you get a very quality build kit.......best rear shock ont e market in alot of peoples eyes...massive travel front and rear sherman slider plus is rock solid all the way around. Dindnt expect the race face evolve dh cranks to be so beefy i dont know if i will ever bend them. Who can complain about a hayes brake with 8inch rotors and a pretty solid set of sun ringle singletrack wheels aslong as you know how to get spoke tension right.top-o-line bars and stem..... seat post is sick and the seat aint bad either for the money you cant ask for a better build oh yeah and this low center of gravity make this bike corner like your sister on a hot cock! FIve flaming poops for value and 5 flaming poops for overall!
