Submitted by
miked
a Cross Country Rider
from Yakima, Washington, USA
Date Reviewed: August 23, 2010
Strengths: I have the 1997 Tomac replica ATX 890 frame. Bought at local bike shop for a steal, as Giant issued a catalog with a typo--friend who owned the bike shop sold it to me at the catalog price. From day one, this bike has been a cross-country animal! It climbs well and is a single-track machine. The frame geometry makes for a very comfortable ride. After riding many other bikes over the years, including newer hardtails, I still think this bike is as good or better than many of the newer bikes out there.
Weaknesses: Aluminum frames transmit every little bump but that's the price you pay for rigidity.
Bottom Line:
Even though I'm planning on buying a full-suspension bike soon, I'm planning on keeping this bike for the long XC rides and road rides. At 13 years old, it's still an awesome bike that I plan on upgrading.
Similar Products Used: Specialized, Jamis, Kona, Diamondback, KHS, etc.
Bike Setup: Built the bike up with XTR drive train and XT V-brakes and high-end parts--White Industries aluminum w/ titanium axles/Sun rim wheelset. Marzocchi 100mm fork. TNT machined aluminum billet cranks. Gripshift X-Ray. It weighs 24 pounds and is still a machine after a thousand miles and lots of TLC. I'd like to rebuild the wheels with disc brakes but am not sure if the pre-drilled holes on the non-drive side of the rear triangle are for a disc unit. If so, my plan is to outfit it with disc brakes, a more modern 100mm front fork and ride it for another 1k miles!
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
chris godding
a Weekend Warrior
from belwood, ontario, canada
Date Reviewed: July 10, 2003
Strengths: very very light,strong, it is the best bike ive ever owned. i have got a lot of comments.
Weaknesses: none so far other than my rear deraillier but thats only because I have a different one that it comes with.
Bottom Line:
you see I built this bike myself as in I put my own parts on it myself. but I bought the frame seperate it has been the best bike I have ever owned. right now I am working on getting disk brakes I am getting Sun Rhynolite rims with deore disk hubs then I will get Avid mechanical 6" disk. this bike is extremely light but wish I could try the real one with all the stock components it wold even be lighter.
Similar Products Used: KHS sport, kona cinder cone, kona, nunu, kona, blast, kona caldera, norco wolverine, norco scrambler norco charger, norco xc fireball, raleigh awsome, cannondale F800, cannondale F600.
Bike Setup: Handlebars: kore freeride (black) Stem: axiom amobea (yellow) grips: kona shifters: sram 5.0 (8 speed) Brake levers: avid sigle digit 3 headset: Aheadset Rims: sun rhynolite (front,back) hubs: shimano deore (black) (front,back) Forks: rockshox judy xc (air) tires: WTB velocial rapters 26 X 2.1 tubes: contental crank: truvativ 5D with truvativ bashguard chanrings: Bashguard/32/22 pedals: wellgo BMX pedals (yellow) (killers I cut my leg open 3 times now) front changer: shimano deore rear changer: sram 5.0 (crap broke 2 in 1 week) casette: sram 5.0 (8 speed) seatpost: axiom (black) Seat: voxom racing BMX seat (yellow/black)
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Kevin
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto, Ontario
Date Reviewed: August 7, 2002
Strengths: Very light weight, rigid/responsive frame.
Weaknesses: none so far
Bottom Line:
I've got the last year that Giant made the ATX890 with the CL92 aluminum alloy. It's a pretty sweet frame, considering that it is just under 3pounds. I bought this after the head tube on my specialized cracked and was covered under warranty anymore. In comparison to the specialized A1 Rockhopper, the ATX890 is a huge step up (of course), it's very tight on the trails and responds to you like an obedient dog. The geometetry is awesome, keeps the back tire on the ground, doesn't bunch you up and make it hard to breath. This is the bike I've been waiting for! If you can still find one, pick it up! Even better, pick up two!
Similar Products Used: Specialized A1 rockhopper, Klein Mantra Race
Bike Setup: XT cranks/rear/shifters, LX levers/VBreaks, JudyXC Air, Rhyno Lites on Deore hubs, Carbon seat post, Thermo plastic handle bars.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Jussi Lind
a Racer
from Tampere, Finland
Date Reviewed: May 5, 2002
Strengths: Fast and tricky trails, downhill, racing
Weaknesses: Uphills
Bottom Line:
I got my ATX890 on -97 and I've been in love with it ever since. It's fast and light, the build quality and the painting of the yellow frame is suberb. Yet, I've had many other bikes after including the GIANT MCM Team. ATX890 turned me into a real GIANT fan.
Strengths: Great handling in single track and downhil
Weaknesses: Formula disc brakes. hard to keep setup SID fork hard to tune.
Bottom Line:
I started the season on a MCM Team carbon fiber, I cracked the frame in 3 places during a 12 hours of adrenilin solo race. Giant replaced the frame with ATX 890. The ATX was a much nicer ride, the carbon is way to harsh for the Canadian shield. I found the ATX to be great in fast single track and one of the best hardtails I've ever rode downhill. When it came to climbing I had a hard time keeping enough wieght on the front tire. I would highly recomend this bike to anybody that wants to have alot of fun and race.
Well after having this bike for 3 years it has finally gone to bike heaven. This was the first year for the frame, the year Tomac raced on it. Cracked the weld at the downtube. This was a great racing bike and i used and abused it. This bike was great in everything from going uphill, to tight singletrack to downhills. And let me tell you this that it was a very stiff bike, no flex of any kind from this bike. Well igot hooked up by Giant and recieved their new XtC frame. I have to say 2 thumbs up for Giant in taking care of me, with the help of my local bike shop.
I got a 97 Tomac with XT/LX, Specialized SWorks Thermoplastic bar, Rigigta Laser wheels and Continental tyres (kick ass!!!) for $1000. This thing is a bright yellow rocket!! It rides like you think that the bike is capable of anything. I am sad to see it go with the 99 model year.
Submitted by
Lory III
a cross-country rider
from North Vancouver
Date Reviewed: January 24, 1999
Bottom Line:
Still going after 3 years! This frame was a factory warranty from the abomonation of the ATX780 after I shortened the top tube by 1/2. I compacted that little teeny tibu straight into it's self. They gave me the 890 after I was told they would not warratee another 780!!! The 890 has been faboulous. I ride the North Shore in Vanocuver, like a sane monkey, not the freaks you read about. I know them, they actually DO TAHT stuff, but not me. I also weight 220lbs and it now has XTR bits, and a Z2 MArz. If you can find one of these bikes do it.
Submitted by
Mark Yetman
a racer
from Pretoria, South Africa
Date Reviewed: November 21, 1998
Bottom Line:
This has got to be the best bike ever thought of!! I have owned mine for 2 years and it hasn't given one hitch exept for punctures!! I have upgraded some parts like the derraileur to ESP 9.0 and shifters and the RS Judy SL to Indy SL because the oil cartridges kept bursting. I've raced Downhill, X-Country and slalom and it has served in all fields well, putting me first a couple of times!! Only one problem though is that the stickers arn't moulded onto the frame like the new models and peel off a bit after a couple of crashes. I've won a few nationals with it aswell and it has served me like no other bike could have!! Do your-self a favour and get one today!! actually 99999 FLAMING CHILLIS
Submitted by
Jon boy
a cross-country rider
from Clinton, Tn
Date Reviewed: November 15, 1998
Bottom Line:
I have owned my atx 890 since feb.of 96. i bought the frame and fork for a screaming deal and loaded it up with xt parts. now here we are almost 3 years later and every time i load that bike on my rack. I think MAN OH MAN does that bike take care of me it climbs well, bombs downhill well, controls well, rides well, flys well and most importantly it crashes well. This bike has been thru alot here in the mountains of Tn thanks to me and i thank my bike so if thinking about buying a ATX 890 do it. but be careful it is easy to get attached to!!!
Submitted by
Kenny Butt
a cross-country rider
from St.John's, Newfoundland, CANADA
Date Reviewed: September 25, 1998
Bottom Line:
For the most part this bike is da-bomb. The frame is superlight and tough, but I dont know what the bye's at Giant were smoking when they came up with this multi-color scheme with red electrical tape stripes. It has a great component group, full XT except for the LX f-derailleur and the LX Bottom Bracket which they hid down there hoping nobody would ever find it. My complaints would be with that half-hidious color scheme, the michelin Wildgrippers tires which are horrible for are local terrain, and the few LX parts hidden on it. Some personal complaints I have are the horrible Giant (marshmellow) grips (which I replaced with Onza Oulies), the stem which is too high with positive rise and too low with negative rise, the wellgo clipless pedals which will soon be replaced with 747's, and the RockShox Judy XC's, which are still good forks but I want BOMBERS!!. Overall, without my little preferences, this is an excellent beast which gets you from point A to point B with a kick-ass ride in between.
Submitted by
Scott
a weekend warrior
from Bend, OR
Date Reviewed: August 31, 1998
Bottom Line:
It's light. It's fast. It's majorly stiff (which is both good and bad). It's too big (22 but that's my fault). It's ALUMINUM. I finally figured out that I hate aluminum bikes (they're light, they're stiff and they beat the **** out of me every time I ride one.) The AMP fork I put on it sucks. If the ride wasn't so harsh, I'd give it 4 stars, put on a better fork and keep it. Anybody want to buy it??
This is a good bike buy for the money IF you buy it in Taiwan with a discount as I did. You MUST add a Thudbuster Suspension Seatpost and a TriFlex Gel Seat! Another good idea is to make sure you get Mavic 121 Rims or better and a better inner tubes. Mine came installed with the bottom line headset! I would also suggest getting it with XT components and SIDS if it is in your budget. But all of the extras should come from the States. Taiwan likes to export repackaged American Technology (with corners cut - notice the cheap headset and rims) to free markets but doesn't like to import American finished products into its own closed protective local market. Retail for American imported goods is more than double. If you are in the States where I was quoted a MFG SUG list as high as $1700 there are other bikes to consider. All around it is a good frame. But if you guys out there only knew the real export price on frames you would really be shocked at the profit margins in this industry. Aside from pricing and profits you could more or less be assured of the quality of the frame built with American Materials and Technology since this Taiwan government supported industry is an integral technology and labor skill that is required to compete aggressively against America’s aerospace industry in the year 2000. Perhaps our soon to be unemployed aerospace workers and engineers who will be joining the ranks of those at the Huffy plant in Ohio, can make us all a cheaper and better American built bicycle just by the time I want to buy my next bike?Overall it is nice bike and probably the best brand name preassmbled bike an expat can buy in Taiwan with dealer and factory support available for those in the know with perserverance. If you are an expat in Taiwan it is a 5 chilies clear choice. It is hard to argue with Sram 9.0 Shifters and Magura Brakes! If you are in the States I'd have to give it at most a facesaver 4 when compared to a Cannondale, Litespeed and many others!
Submitted by
Ben Robertson
a weekend warrior
from Taipei, Taiwan
Date Reviewed: July 9, 1998
Bottom Line:
This is a great bike but I don't have much to compare it to since it is my first MTB. Locally made bikes in Taiwan are about 30-50% cheaper than other places, mine was half of the above list price, and the components are almost identical. They used to sell them with the RST Mozo, the local team says this fork is actually stronger than the Manitou, but now they use the Manitou because Tomac recommended it. If I was going to buy another Taiwanese made bike I would definitely buy a Giant. GT, Specialized, and Trek all OEM here but why buy an OEM when you can get an orginal? The ATX 890 is more bike than I need right now but I'm looking forward to growing into it. In terms of bang for the buck this bike can't be beat!
this bike kicks ass its so cool i have a atx890 model 97 and its the coolest bike ive ever rode specially the frame its so light and strong the components of mine rule even when doing downhill or dual the shifters let u use all the gears the magura brakes work better than anything the indy sl is super tuff and the rear dileaur is esp the front is xt ad everithing works perfect it jumps so cool and is great on the tuffest trails and down hill stuff.
