Submitted by
Brennan
a Cross Country Rider
from Western Australia, Australia
Date Reviewed: April 13, 2006
Strengths: This bike is sick, im only 14 and really getting into downhilling and trial riding. Every thing on this bike is good the chain, shock, rear derailer, V-brakes and fram design are great. i found the shock is a lil too stiff for me though only being 135 pounds, but it is worth the money. i can still ride hard on it. The frame is very light and can bunny hop some major obsticles.
Weaknesses: The weaknesses on this bike would have to be the rims the have bent numerous times and on occasion flat lined them. the crank is the only problem i found on it, i have to climb alot over in WA so changing down gears skips the chain alot and i have broken 3 chaines on this bike already.
Bottom Line:
I love this bike aye, me n her have had some rough times and she has served me well. it is super cheap and super durable. i can wheelie for like 150 meters and the hard tail isnt starting to stress or anything. i recomend this bike too beginers and if you do buy it i hope you all have as much fun as i do on it.
Similar Products Used: Haro V3 (v brakes), Diamondback Vectera (v brakes), Apollo LSX 1.0, 1.1 and 1.3. i found the apollo is too weird for my liking
Bike Setup: Mostly stock, changed crank, through 3 chains, back rim to a double wall, going to change the shock in the next 3 weeks (need the money) and went throgh alot of tyres and brake pads.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
john
a Cross Country Rider
from mississauga
Date Reviewed: March 18, 2006
Strengths: the strength on this bike is thw weight it is a really light bike not extremely strong but strong enough.
Weaknesses: the wheels i have gone throught stock wheels two times (four wheels)untill i upgraded to better rims.
Bottom Line:
it is a good begginer trail bike not for doing mountain riding or dirtjumping. this bike shoul be purchased by young riders thatw ant to get into the sport of trail biking.
Submitted by
Andrew
a Cross Country Rider
from Lawrence, KS
Date Reviewed: September 24, 2004
Strengths: Strong frame, excellent saddle
Weaknesses: Fork, components, weight, paint job and detailing, rims, tires
Bottom Line:
Excellent starter bike, but if you want to try anything technical or demanding (at all) you will need a better bike. I upgraded to a Specialized FSR for my XC bike after I tore through my third set of cranks on this bike. This bike is not made for mountains, don't let the name confuse you. "Pedaling" 8 miles back to town with one crank isn't fun.
Similar Products Used: Number of cheap hardtails, Gemini, FSR's, Joker
Bike Setup: Alex DH rear rim, most of the upgrades have been removed for other bikes
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
4 Jaw Chuck
a Cross Country Rider
from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Date Reviewed: July 23, 2004
Strengths: Great frame, see my previous review at the top of this page
Weaknesses: At first the shocks seemed nice but now I feel they are just too "springy" with little dampening. Had bottom bracket replaced due to creaking with a slightly better Shimano replacement, no problems since. The "Mega Range" low gear is a marketing gimmick and nearly useless in almost any situation, 21 speeds aren't enough for me either. Front derailleur is impossible to adjust to prevent the chain from lightly touching under heavy load in top gear range and I have fiddled with it a lot trying to fix it. Not a biggie but annoying nontheless, I hate noises coming from my ride. Right side fork preload adjuster has a broken yellow indicating pin so it doesn't indicate how far the adjuster is turned in now, a big hit off of Arlington bridge travelling north bottomed the fork and caused the damaged. I have since disassembled the fork internals and filled the spring on the non-damper side with 3/8" fuel line and shimmed both dampers to contact the rubber inserts immediately. Fork only plunges about 1 3/4" now under heavy impacts but the extra rigidity is welcome and needed with a guy my size (235pds). Honestly the forks are junk and cause chattering of the front brake under high speed braking, I should have bought the non-SE Boulder, the fork is not worth the extra cost and causes more problems than it solves. Rims are holding up fine after a one month tune-up, the spokes were all loose at that time. Rubber from the brake pads is accumulating in the rough finish of the rim contact surface causing a "stick slip" situation under high speed braking, not very confidence inspiring and downright dangerous when you add in the freeplay in the cheesy fork and powerful v-brakes acting right at the top bushing in the stantion. Pedals were replaced right after I wrote the last review with giant beartraps, much happier now although my next bike will have clip-ons no excuses. That fork has to go if you are even a little serious or downhill it at high speed on pavement.
Bottom Line:
I bought the bike for casual street use and commuting with a load and it has served me well. The fork is absolute junk in my opinion and the rigid fork Boulder is the better option.
My braking problem only shows up when I commute over a very steep incline bridge, my top speed is 57 km/hr on the downside and the fork is downright scary at those speeds under braking, the brakes work fine and are powerful but the freeplay in the fork lets them down. I know one of these days I will end up over the bars from that junk fork. Shimming the fork has helped some but locking it out seems to be the best option...should have bought the rigid fork Boulder and saved myself the hassle...and the weight.
I honestly never thought I would outgrow this bike but I have fallen in love with riding all over again and push really hard on and off road, my next bike will be a full suspension NRS1 or AC1...I still haven't made up my mind yet. This bike will become my wifes when I get my new bike so it's no loss, it's only a fork away from being a great bicycle anyway.
The bottom bracket started making noise (creaking) in the first month of ownership so I upgraded the bearing set to a slightly better Shimano cartridge...so far so good. I've managed to punch the plastic indicating pin out of the preload adjuster, they told me I couldn't bottom this fork from normal street riding...guess I showed them. Overall the build quality is great (except for the fork) and the bike is deserving of a decent front end, buy the regular Boulder and save the money for a good fork if you want front suspension.
So far the drivetrain has been durable but the chain slaps off roading it hard, the rims are very rough on the braking surface and I have twice had to sand off the imbedded rubber residue in an attempt to reduce the front end chatter under heavy braking at high speed. I think once it's polished smooth the problem will be reduced but until then it's bloody dangerous combined with the floppy fork.
I've learned a lot about mountain biking and do not regret the purchase in the slightest, the frame is a work of art and is very rigid but deserves better components. I would recommend this bike only to beginners or someone willing to put a better oil filled fork up front right off the bat.
In my opinion still the nicest looking bike in the price range especially in red, the competition has the same crappy fork so there is nothing to choose from unless you step up in price.
Bike Setup: F/R Fenders, rear rack, Giant aluminum beartrap pedals, Schwinn computer, schwinn dual density grips, bar ends, bar end mirror, shimmed fork preload with extra rubber damper in right side fork stantion.
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Submitted by
4 Jaw Chuck
a Racer
from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Date Reviewed: May 18, 2004
Strengths: I am 6 ft and 235pds and needed something beefy, it appears to be of heavier construction than the competition (Specialized etc.) Seat post has a steel liner, wheels have extra rubber seals outboard of the cartidge. Shift cables under top tube leaves a clean look, Canadian version also comes in red and looks HOTTT!! I am getting tired of aluminum clearcoat, solid white or yellow bikes...BORING! The finish is perfection and clearcoated with an extra thick Diamond clear coat paint. Drive components are low end but seem durable for commuting which is how I use it mainly.
Weaknesses: Lacks a suspension seat but my dealer threw one in plus a set of Flak jacket tires for only $20 more. Kinda heavy compared to the Specialized. Components are low end. Factory tire best suited for offroad/light street.
Bottom Line:
What a great value for under $500, not long ago a bike of this quality would set you back $1000. The frame is deserving of some nice components and better wheels for rock hopping/heavy trail use but stock it works great for everday use/commuting. Very stiff frame that is built like a tank...no flex at all. Altus components work flawlessly and work better than some I've tried (maybe setup?). I tried all of the competition and bought it because it was the nicest looking of the bunch, honestly there isn't much between any of them. The adjustable fork is a nice touch and has double fork adjusters instead of one, I'm a heavy guy (235pds) and run them at the lightest setting and haven't bottomed it yet! The cables under the top tube are the way all bikes should be, why is this not standard? Pedals are cheap and I will likely change them out with better when they wear out.
Overall no regrets at all, I love the bike and it turns heads wherever I ride it. The black wheels and bars look nice with the red paint scheme of the Canadian model, have a look here.
Submitted by
billy trish
a Weekend Warrior
from Chicago, US
Date Reviewed: July 14, 2003
Strengths: good frame good rims
Weaknesses: bad fork and crank
Bottom Line:
I've had the bike for a little less than a month and I've went on a good 20 seperate rides and have wrecked it nearly every single time I have taken it out. So now it looks pretty old but thats my fault, but I havent had to take it to the shop yet and it gets beaten pretty bad every time I ride it so obviously its a good bike.
Similar Products Used: Trek 610 (or 620 or something like that)
Bike Setup: Out of the box.....too many new derailleurs
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Submitted by
Adam
a Cross Country Rider
from Lacombe, Alberta, Canada
Date Reviewed: January 28, 2003
Strengths: Price, quality and when you buy the bike you get a name brand that you know will hold up.
Weaknesses: After discovering how much I like xc I started to realize how much this bike lacked. The only problem I had was with the seat post, every ride I would have to tighten the bolts. Warrenty covered this and everythings good once again.
Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from North Battleford
Date Reviewed: October 10, 2002
Strengths: the bike is great for beginners. it has some strengths and weaknesses. the forks are decent(3 inches of travel)
Weaknesses: the pedals and cheap stem
Bottom Line:
The bike is decent and has prety decent parts on it. The bike doesn't bottom out off at a decent 3 and a halph foot drop. Buy this bike if you want a good bike that isn't cheap. Giant is a great product.
Bike Setup: SR Suntour, Kenda, rims,good handlebars
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Nathan Chance
a Cross Country Rider
from Chattanooga, TN, USA
Date Reviewed: July 9, 2002
Strengths: awesome
Weaknesses: none so far
Bottom Line:
I've had the bike for a little less than a month and I've went on a good 20 seperate rides and have wrecked it nearly every single time I have taken it out. So now it looks pretty old but thats my fault, but I havent had to take it to the shop yet and it gets beaten pretty bad every time I ride it so obviously its a good bike.
Submitted by
Dusty Crowe
a Weekend Warrior
from Arkansas, USA
Date Reviewed: June 11, 2002
Strengths: Really confortable seat, shifts fast and easy.
Weaknesses: Some what prety heavy
Bottom Line:
I really like it. I really recommend this bike to anyone. Nice color tone, nice performance. The bike moves as if I was on air. It shifts fast and easy. Brake, gear wires are under the bar so there will be no visable scraches on the frame.
Submitted by
Grant Donnelly
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney, NSW, Australia
Date Reviewed: June 6, 2002
Strengths: Excellent seating position - feels "right". Good cheap entry level bike for the beginner.
Weaknesses: Heavy, a couple of gears short, HARD seat
Bottom Line:
Great bike at the price. If you want to do mainly road and packed dirt, with the occasional trip off the beaten track, it is great. If, like me, you discover you love XC and want to push it a bit further, you will soon find the bike lacking. But ride it 'till it breaks - it is great value for money!
