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Submitted by
Sean
a Racer
from Montreal,Quebec,Canada
Date Reviewed: July 9, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$6000.00 | | Purchased At: | Sports Experts | | Strengths: | Every inch of it. Light weight, stiff but not unridable | | Weaknesses: | shock bottoms out and needs to be pumped to ridiculous pressure. (I only weigh 150lbs and ride at 200psi) | | Similar Products Used: | Always been a hardtail rider | | Bike Setup: | 2005 NRS,Sid race with lockout,DT SWISS XR1540 wheels,SRAM X.O drivetrain,Selle Italia SLR Carbon seat,carbon bar,Syntace f99 stem,xpedo TI/TI pedals,race face crank,hayes hfx9,easton post and maxxis maxxlite 310 tires. Overall weight 24.5pounds.18.5 inch size. | | Bottom Line: | The frame instills confidence and speed without trying or noticing i am on average aproximately 3-5km/h faster on my nrs than on my GT Avalanche from the previous season.
I custom built up the bike but it goes so well that i would pay anyprice to keep making it better. I prfer this NRS to the new ANTHEM model that they offer.
Buy one build it up it's worth it.This bike is for everyone from the beginner to the racer. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Racer
from Burlington, KY, USA
Date Reviewed: January 1, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Winona Lake Trail. You Gotta Ride IT | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$926.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | The Frame is Just awesome. Wheels are strong. Overall good bike. really shined at the 12 hours of DINO.(gonna be 24 in 2006) | | Weaknesses: | The sid Fork was the weakess point so i changed it for a Fox Float RLC. another thing i didn't like was the cables and cranks. Changed Cranks for Truvativ Stylo Team, their narrower and easier to hammer away on. Changed Cables for XTR | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Rockhopper, Specialized Epic, Haro, Leader,... | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for the cables(xtr), Fork(Fox Float RLC 100), Cranks(Truvativ Stylo Team), Pedals(Speedplay Frogs), Tires(IRC Serac 2.1 Tubeless), Rear Shox(2006 Fox Float RP3 coming :)) | | Bottom Line: | If used this bike in a variety of ways training, endurance racing and regular trail riding. I absolutely love this bike and dont see myself riding any other bike for cross-country purposes. Very solid bike highly recommend bike to anyone (just wont tell anybody trying to keep this advantage to myself).
I did come from a hard tail so the ride to me seems butter smooth but there is no bobbing when climming.
This bike really helpped me this season improving my results at every event dramitically. the bike just gives you so much confidence that you dont notice til you look at your time. If you have any specific questions feel free to e-mail me prosoccer2115@yahoo.com
P.S. No im not selling my bike, well if you say $5,000 ill think about it lol. still couldnt see myself selling it tho | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
James Parman
a Cross Country Rider
from Oshkosh, Wi
Date Reviewed: December 23, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$1900.00 | | Purchased At: | Fond du Lac Cyclery | | Strengths: | All around great bike, I like how it rides, I like the action of the suspension, I like the fork, I like the tubeless tires, I like the disc brakes. | | Weaknesses: | If one were to want to make this bike lighter, I don't know of a single component that would make a huge difference, they all seem kinda medium weighted to me. But very durable. | | Similar Products Used: | A few, hardtails mostly. My friend has a top fuel for 2005, the weight difference makes me jealous. | | Bike Setup: | Stock. | | Bottom Line: | I would buy this bike all over again. I sometimes miss the lightness of my hardtail, but the "extra" traction the dual suspension and the tubeless tires offer make up for the difference. I am 5'7" and have the medium. I sometimes think that I would like the small better (but who knows), or more frame size options. As I've read in other reviews, would have appreciated XT all around instead of the LX shifters/front derailleur. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevo
a Racer
from Portsmouth, Va
Date Reviewed: October 28, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | York River Park | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1700.00 | | Purchased At: | PortNorfolk Bike | | Strengths: | NRS system no bob, SID shock and fork. Hayes Brakes. | | Weaknesses: | Titec components: specifically the seatpost, seat bracket snapped, leaving me to ride standing up for a long time to get back to the parking lot. | | Similar Products Used: | First Full Suspension | | Bike Setup: | Thompson Stem and Seatpost, Race Face 1.5 riser bars, Continental Diesel Pro 2.5 tires, they work trust me, and lots of lube. | | Bottom Line: | This is an awesome bike, for the price Giant should of included a XT front derailler and scrapped the Titec stuff, I'm a little bitter about the company right now, The bike can climb well, descending for long durations is kinda rough on the bod being all stretched out but it is tolerable. If you like light smooth handing bikes this is a good choice. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
matt Reagan
a Cross Country Rider
from Omaha, NE
Date Reviewed: May 8, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Platte River State Park | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Bike Masters | | Strengths: | This bike is fast, light and forgiving. The component list is great for fast hard pack single track. The suspension takes time to dial in but once you have it setup correctly it work great. | | Weaknesses: | Not really weakness just FYI the Hayes brake levers (handles) require adjustment after every other ride. The levers have adjustment screws that unscrew bringing the brake levers closer to the handlebars. Also I have read a few reviews that complain of ghost shifting and this will happen on any setup that is not correctly maintained. The ghost shifting can be fixed by adjusting the rear derailleur. The tires Hutchinson Python are also not the best for loose dirt but they are fast | | Similar Products Used: | Trek Fuel 98, Santa Cruz Blur, NRS 2 | | Bike Setup: | Standard except from front fork has a SID World Cup | | Bottom Line: | If you want to go fast on XC trails this is the bike. The ghost shifting will happen every year but is easily fixed by you or your LBS. I would recommend upgrading the front fork to a SID world cup that has the carbon crown but other than that the bike is great. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul B.
a Weekend Warrior
from Apex, NC
Date Reviewed: April 18, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | TSALI, Beaver Dam, New light | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | ALLSTAR Bike SHOP, Cary | | Strengths: | Light and Fast. Soaks up the bumps with ease. | | Weaknesses: | None so far...... | | Similar Products Used: | Giant XTC/SE2, Specialized Epic, FSR Stumpjumper, Trek 90 | | Bike Setup: | NRS1= Rock Shox SID Fork (Cable Lockout)/ Rear shocks, XT drivetrain, Hayes Hydraulic Disc, RaceFace Cranks Hutchenson Tubeless, | | Bottom Line: | Spec set up right out of the gate at the Bike shop for XC Race mode which was too firm. Needed plush ride so after I re-adjusted my SAG, Positive Pressure/ Negative pressure and Dampening the Bike simply out-performed all my expectations. AWESOME! AWESOME! AWESOME! Be patient and the bike is there to set up to your riding and it will perform more than you can imagine. No Bob when pedaling. Don at Allstar Bike shop in Cary,NC is the best. Thanks Don for putting me into such a great bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gerry P
a Cross Country Rider
from Mexico
Date Reviewed: April 6, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Strengths: | lightness and super stability, sid rear shox good response and recovery of the whole frame in big bumps | | Weaknesses: | top tube needs to be re-designed, because of my weight (210)i've bended it twice, I think someday it will crash or collapse. | | Bottom Line: | If you are a xc rider I seriously advice to buy it, maybe in S or M sizes, but if you weight above 200 pounds or want the 20.5 in frame maybe you should think in some other frame design | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Purdiddy
a Downhiller
from CT
Date Reviewed: March 29, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | empty ones | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Efficient, affordable, readily available. Race geometry | | Weaknesses: | Efficiency comes at the expense of small to mid sized bump compliance. Top tube is similar in strength to a beer can. | | Similar Products Used: | Foes FXC, Intense Spider | | Bike Setup: | Medium, '02 Psylo Race,full xtr, monkey lite, Spinergy Xyclones, Avid disc. | | Bottom Line: | Due to replacement and warranty issues I've had the pleasure of owning three years worth of XTC frames. They have improved over the years, but I wouldn't recommend as a daily trail rider. A very race oriented bike, extremely light frame, but not very durable. I put the brake lever through my first frame, replaced for $1000. My own fault. My second failed at the shock mounts, the welds started to crack. To be fair at 200lbs this probably wasn't the best choice of frames for me, I could feel the flex beneath me and it never felt like 3.75 inches. At this point I bailed and bought a Foes FXC. The giant was a great climber, but the suspension was always a bit harsh and too stiff to track well on the downhills. If you race I could easily suggest this bike, if you want a daily trail bike and a Giant, look at the VT. Bottom line: A great race bike for the smaller guy who rarely takes a digger. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
A C
a Weekend Warrior
from Phoenix, AZ
Date Reviewed: March 9, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Desert Classic | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | The NRS system really works. No bob at all. The fastest bike I ever rode. | | Weaknesses: | The Rider. | | Similar Products Used: | Kona King Kikapu, Trek Fuel | | Bike Setup: | Thompson Stem and Seat post, Easton monkeylite riser bar, Mavic Crossmax rims, Avid Juicy's,xo shifters and rear derailer, xt front der. WTB laser saddle, Manitou Elite Air, Cane Creek AD12. | | Bottom Line: | I bought the 2003 NRS frame from ebay, and built the bike from the ground up. This is the best bike I ever rode. I sure as hell made me a faster rider. The NRS system works great. The only problem now is that the rider needs to work more on his techincal skills. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ben Dejo
a Cross Country Rider
from El Paso, TX
Date Reviewed: February 6, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Red Road | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | Crazy Cat Cyclery | | Strengths: | The no bounce rear suspension is all they promised and so much better then I expected. Plenty of travel on the big front shock, and nice tight frame. | | Weaknesses: | I've read the complaints about chain suck and my very first ride showed it to be an issue. I'm planning on shortening the chain to see if that helps. I also noticed some chain skip when on the big chain ring and smallest 2 gears of the casette. Here again may he related to chain legnth | | Bike Setup: | Stock - For now | | Bottom Line: | First impressions are everything and this bike exceeded all my expectations. There is absolutely no sag when you get on the bike, so the full legnth of the rear is available to suck up bumps. One thing that really impressed me was that while there was no bobbing on tough climbs, the rear suspension was still soaking up the bumps like a champ...much better then a locked out rear suspension.
Great bike at a decent price | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ben Tisdall
a Cross Country Rider
from London
Date Reviewed: January 5, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Pishill route | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Beyond MTB | | Strengths: | Great all-round performance, bob-free climbing, only slightly heavier than the GT Zaskar hardtail it replaces. I'm now completely sold on full-bounce and am convinced it's faster on virtually any course (for climbing and descending). Also a big fan of the Hutchinson Python tyres it ships with, which are good on virtually everything apart from thick mud. Also very easy to get off the rims and to repair.
Tubeless tyres - excellent feel, goodbye to pinch flats (I weigh about 180lbs), and I've finished a race with two large thorns straight through the tyre. | | Weaknesses: | Grub screws on Hayes brakes continue to work loose despite applying loctite etc. High time Hayes fixed this as it's been a problem for several years from what I've heard. Generally not that impressed with Hayes brakes which I will probably replace with Hopes. Original bottom bracket only lasted two months which is very poor. | | Similar Products Used: | Marin Mountvision | | Bike Setup: | Completely stock except that I've added bar-ends. My friend made the mistake of getting an NRS2 and has upgraded almost everything. | | Bottom Line: | Highly recommended. And the 2004 model is going to be even lighter. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Patto
a Cross Country Rider
from Hong Kong SAR
Date Reviewed: December 9, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$2160.00 | | Purchased At: | Giant dealer | | Strengths: | very light weight on a full sus. bike, climbs very well and sharp at corner. No bobbing at all, thx to NRS degign and rockshox's fork and shock. | | Weaknesses: | as many people mentioned b4, paint easily scratch off by the hosing. take times to get the best suspension setup. overall is great then! | | Similar Products Used: | Fuel 90, Scalpel 1000, 2001 NRS1 | | Bike Setup: | orignal setup, except XTR front der. and crankset | | Bottom Line: | I have had this bike for one year and raced for a couple of times. I found that it's still in good condition if you give him a good service, and it still very stiff and tough now. I can't see any big problem til now, the only problem i sjust I found that the Rcae face crnakset not stiff enough, a bit flexy and creaky, I changed it to XTR M960, the problem solved. What to say then, if you are looking for a reasonable price no bobbing light weight and quick responsive full suspension bike for daily trainning, use or even race, NRS 1 is definitely the choice for you! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matthew
a Cross Country Rider
from Liberty, MO
Date Reviewed: December 2, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Smithville Lake | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike Stop | | Strengths: | Responsiveness. No bob. Faster than I'll ever be. Great component mix. Compares well with similar and even more expensive bikes. | | Weaknesses: | Hayes brakes had a leak in front caliper, kept me from picking bike up from shop for a week. LBS couldn't fix it, had to shipped to Hayes. | | Similar Products Used: | Test rode the Epic, Gary Fisher Sugar and Specialized FSR | | Bike Setup: | 20.5 in frame with tubeless tires, Mavic rims, XT up front and in back and XT hubs. Hayes hydraulic brakes. | | Bottom Line: | Just got the bike and rode it over a trail I have frequently ridden (on a Giant XTC SE2 hardtail from 1999). This bike is fast and I had great confidence over terrain I usually struggle over. I rode longer than usual and didn't feel so banged up. Didn't notice any bobbing when I was out of the saddle climbing and the Hayes brakes worked well. Quite a bit lighter than my 4 year old hardtail, and very reponsive. Could really carve between the tress and down switchbacks with speed and confidence. Great bike so far. Suspect anyone who rides frequently and considers local races with full suspension would do well with this bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Cameron
a Cross Country Rider
from Vancouver
Date Reviewed: November 11, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | $3000 cdn | | Strengths: | responsive, light. the bike carves corners, really stays connected to trail. good balance, easy to stay centred on bike. didn't think i'd use it so much but the fork lock out is a godsend on hills. excellent climber. rear suspension seems invisible. | | Weaknesses: | I don't hold back, but I still worry about durability. Ride North Shore Vancouver and avoid monster trails, but pure cross country is hard to find. I've taken a gouge out of the top tube. Otherwise though, its held up. (I'm only 145lb). So its not a weakness in the bike, its designed as XC, and its done well for me, but its a very specific bike. front derailleur is a bit of an annoyance. | | Similar Products Used: | last bike was fully rigid 1992 Rocky Mountain Equipe. so nothing. the lockout and no bob made switching a pleasure. | | Bike Setup: | stock excepting egg beaters. | | Bottom Line: | Know what you're going to ride. I'm pushing my bike, but its holding up.
I feel the money was worth it.
when i first got on the bike i was very comfortable. if you test and you are, you will continue to be.
I'm very pleased. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Renzo
a Cross Country Rider
from Belluno,Italy
Date Reviewed: November 8, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1900.00 | | Strengths: | No bobbing, reactive, rear suspension gives great traction,don`t have to think about activating/disactivating lockout for rear suspension,absorbs everything when it needs too. Great for my back!! | | Weaknesses: | Needs time to set shocks up properly, admittedly this is the 1st time I`ve had shocks on a bike. Tyres could do with better grip. | | Similar Products Used: | Kastle Hex 1000 | | Bike Setup: | Standard with XTR shifters, front/rear mech. | | Bottom Line: | Really enjoy riding this bike. Seems an excellent compromise between a full sus. and hardtail.Great going up,great coming down. I too had a few problems with ghost shifting a my first rides but with a little tweaking to the cable tensors at the shifters the problem has disappeared. I like it so much I`m looking for an NRS 2 for my wife!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Adam Rodkey
a Cross Country Rider
from Muncie, IN USA
Date Reviewed: October 12, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | VBR | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Kirk's Bike Shop | | Strengths: | Weight, Geometry | | Weaknesses: | Weak derailer hanger, but replacable for cheap. | | Similar Products Used: | Fuel | | Bike Setup: | Manitou Skarab Super, XT/XTR, Chris King/517's, Easton Carbon... | | Bottom Line: | I actually have a NRS3 frame with upgraded rear shock and my own pick of parts. This bike has a shorter wheelbase and handles faster than others I've ridden. It feels more like a race bike and less than a riding bike. Accelerates fast and turns excellently. It took me a few rides to get used to the handling, but once I did, it was far to my advantage. I like it a lot, but the composite version is out for '04 and ohhhhh momma, I wants one of those. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jo
a Cross Country Rider
from San Jose, CA
Date Reviewed: September 26, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1900.00 | | Purchased At: | pacific bicycles | | Strengths: | solid frame, mostly good components, comes with shock pump | | Weaknesses: | LX front derailleur, tires, skipped gears in the rear with xt rear derailleur, shimano pedals, no quick release for seat post | | Similar Products Used: | Gary fisher Sugar 3+, Specialized Epic | | Bike Setup: | replaced xt rear derailleur with xtr, will upgrade to xtr front deraillaur soon, went back to my old ritchey clipless pedals | | Bottom Line: | After 5 years on my Specialized M2 Stumjumper Comp I thought it was time to go full suspension. Ginat NRS 1 is fairly light for a dual suspension bike and the geometry fit me best. I like Specialized but the brain shock on the epic is too weird and doesn't absorb the first impact. It's also way too expensive for hwhat you get. The disc brakes are awesome, although I had to bring my bike back to the store three times to get the front brake adjusted properly.
The derailleurs are the low points on the bike. I had XTR/XT setup before and was disappointed in the XT rear derailleur, so I upgraded to XTR in the rear. The lX shifters are fine but the front derailleur sucks. will go to xt/xtr shortly.
I am a fairly big rider (6'1 and 200lbs) and the bike holds up well. This bike has improved my downhill abilities a lot. On my old bike, the bike was the limit, now I seem to be the limit ... ;-)
Very good deal for the price, but I strongly believe that each bike above $1000 has to have an XTR rear derailleur because that's the most utilized piece in all of the drivetrain. Gets a 4 here for the shifting problems, overall rating is a 5 because it's such a sweet bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ashton Cooley
a Cross Country Rider
from fort collins, CO
Date Reviewed: September 4, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | all local trails | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1999.00 | | Purchased At: | Westside Cycles | | Strengths: | The newly developed frame, and pretty much everything on the bike. | | Weaknesses: | Front fork, i dont care much for the sid. It flexs way to much for my liking, although it is really light! | | Similar Products Used: | Jamis Dakar, Epic, fuel 90 | | Bike Setup: | Had to change out the stem to a shorter one. Easton EA50, very rigid so far, no complaints!!! | | Bottom Line: | For the money you're not really going to find a much better bike all around. Its loaded with everything you would need and my only complaint is the sid. I do love the no bob, and although its an older no bob setup it works just as stated on giants web page. When i stand up out of the saddle i do notice small movement but nothing like my jamis dakar. I will say that this bike does climb like a billy goat and decends very well. Once i get a fox on the front it will decend even better. Overall you wont find a better bike or bang for your buck. I waited almost half a year to purchase a bike of this level and i am very happy with my decision. Gets 5 chilis for value and 4 for overall cause of the front fork! I think i read in someone elses review that they got on the bike and could ride longer and harder and i'll have to say that i feel the same way!!! If you haven't rode one, go do it!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
g matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Boulder
Date Reviewed: August 25, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Ned | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | University | | Strengths: | This bike is specked out nicely for fairly light non aggressive riders. It's light, fast and the rear suspension system works well. | | Weaknesses: | The NRS 1 is under built for aggressive and heavy riders. I weigh 180 lbs and ride Colorado Front Range trails. Destroyed products after three months include: free hub, two blowouts on the SID fork (took two days to do that), bent seat post (not from a wreck). | | Similar Products Used: | Good ol S-Works Hard tail. | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for grip shift, Ritchie pedals and all the parts I have had to replace. | | Bottom Line: | First off, It's a good bike for your average Cross Country rider. However, the bike is under built for an aggressive 180 lb weekend warrior. I've been riding a S-Works hard tail out here for 6 years with little to no problems. Original everything except the crap Ritchie seat post that came with the bike. My riding style hasn't changed but I'm finding the NRS 1 can't take the medicine. I had the SID in the shop 3 times.... Unacceptable. I traded that disposable fork in for a FOX Talus. Now that's a fork folks but that's a different story. The seat post bent after a month of riding. No surprise there. I've had significant shifting problems with this bike. You can see from the other posts that I'm not the only one with that problem. Last weekend by free hub gave up the ghost. I can’t see any reason for that to happen after 3 months while I’m still using the original XT setup on my other bike.
I've been told that I'm to heavy and probably ride to hard for this bike. I will probably keep the bike but have to fix up my 7 year old S-Works as a backup for the really serious riding I'm expecting to do out here.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Sanford, FL
Date Reviewed: July 27, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2100.00 | | Purchased At: | Outspoken Bikes | | Strengths: | Stable, good bike, good look, price | | Weaknesses: | Had some sifting problems at first but my local shop fixed it right away. Tires are terrible in the mud and sand here in Florida. Tires would be great for hardpack singletrack. | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale, good bike but exspensive and had a lot of bob. Tried the epic disk, it was a good bike but on the exspensive side for what u get. I did not want to pay for the new suspension system. The lockout system stil takes a lot of bumps in the lockout position before it goes out of automatic lockout. | | Bike Setup: | Stock besides, eggbeaters and panaraces fire xc tires(I love these tires) | | Bottom Line: | This is a good bike for the money! Could not find a better deal out there. It takes bumps really well and jumps under 5 feet, Im afraid anything over that will hurt it but I could be wrong, it may be tougher than I give it credit for. Then again, the bike is an xc bike and not a freerider. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jesse
a Cross Country Rider
from fayetteville AR
Date Reviewed: July 17, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | lake fayetteville | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | lewis and clark bikes | | Strengths: | the SID fork with remote lockout, NRS design, brakes, XtT derrailur, rider position(although some might not like the racing postion), Tubeless tires, NRS consistancy | | Weaknesses: | nothing so far whatsoever some people complain about the SID fork flexing but I personally thought it was great | | Similar Products Used: | EPIC Disk | | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | I do not own this bike its my freinds but it is totally awsome. The second i got on it the tubeless tires mixed with the NRS i began to fly on the singletrack. The lockout on the front helps tremendassly when u are on smooth straight track. There is no rear bob whatsoever yet the rear shock soaks up bumps wihtout the rider even noticeing the shock move. The brakes are excellent and the Xt derrailer shifts instantly. Due to the no need for high PSI in your tired the tubeless tires roll over stuff and flex with the things you are hitting but withought being low and flat elsewhere. This bike is an excellent choice for a nice XC race bike ready out of the box | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Greg
a Cross Country Rider
from Montreal
Date Reviewed: July 11, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$66666.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | comfort over long rides, allows to stay seated more than on a hardtail, light weight, good parts for the price, good looks, awesome adjustability, versatility, etc. | | Weaknesses: | not really a weakness... but all those pivots and extra suspension adjustments require more attention and maintenance than a hardtail... but (...see "product strengths")
ultra lightweight aluminum granny gear can get bent (not a giant issue though) | | Similar Products Used: | FSR, others. | | Bike Setup: | stock, LX parts swapped for XT, and read D is now XTR | | Bottom Line: | After a few months and a few races (12h and 24h relay), the bike is holding up very well. My confidence is going up.
It took a few rides to stretch the chain and the shifter cables, and I had to loctite the brake lever setscrews, but after that, the bike has been flawless.
The tubeless system works fine for me. put a bit of soap with very little water to help seat and seal the tires on the rims and go!
The bike works very well as a commuter with michelin 1.5" slicks.
Brakes are good.
This bike will suit both a national champ and a weekend rider. The limiting factor is the rider BY FAR!!! not the bike!
:) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
aj
a Cross Country Rider
from bainbridge, ohio, usa
Date Reviewed: July 4, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2500.00 | | Purchased At: | century cycles | | Strengths: | light,strong,good suspention,lockout,brakes are smooth | | Weaknesses: | lot of stuff that could go wrong | | Similar Products Used: | cannondale | | Bike Setup: | xc | | Bottom Line: | a nice riding bike worth the price any one thats riddin trails can ride it | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
aj
a Cross Country Rider
from bainbridge, ohio, usa
Date Reviewed: July 4, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2500.00 | | Purchased At: | century cycles | | Strengths: | light,strong,good suspention,lockout,brakes are smooth | | Weaknesses: | lot of stuff that could go wrong | | Similar Products Used: | cannondale | | Bike Setup: | xc | | Bottom Line: | a nice riding bike worth the price any one thats riddin trails can ride it | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt Pellegrini
a Cross Country Rider
from Parsippany, NJ USA
Date Reviewed: June 30, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Ringwood | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1800.00 | | Purchased At: | Diamond Cycle - Montclair, NJ | | Strengths: | Suspension works great, no bob when standing.
Light frame
A lot of bike for the money | | Weaknesses: | Drivetrain
Ghost-shifting
chain - snapped 3 in a week | | Similar Products Used: | Trek 930, 990, Y22 | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | Love the bike, would highly recommend it to more riders if the drivetrain worked as it was meant to work. I just find it is difficult to rant and rave knowing the drivetrain issues. My friend Sean has the NR2 and is going through the same issues...does GIANT have a flaw in the drivetrains? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jay Hachadoorian
a Racer
from New York, Ny
Date Reviewed: June 25, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$2300.00 | | Purchased At: | Toga Bikes | | Strengths: | This is a follow up to my review posted on November 17 last year. The bike is great. I have raced with it 6 times now and love it. | | Weaknesses: | Remote lockout is great when it is set up correctly. Problem is, not too many people know how to do that. It freezes in the locked position if it is adjusted too tight and you have to reach down to the fork to unwind it. Rock Shox and Giant are no help either. They left me hanging for 3 weeks without any answers. | | Bike Setup: | Upgraded to 2003 XTR crankset, front and rear deraulairers. Love the package. The crank is stiff and responsive. Hutchinson Mosquito tires. The Pythons suck. | | Bottom Line: | Get this bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
longtrailahead
a Cross Country Rider
from philadelphia, pa
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | pennypack park horse trail | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1900.00 | | Purchased At: | liberty bell bicycle | | Strengths: | Rock Shox sid fork w/handlebar mounted remote lockout - found this to work very well on hills, lockout the fork and watch your aggressive climbing ability improve greatly. Hayes hydraulic disc brakes provide ample stopping power in all conditions. No Resonance System(NRS)is great, extends riding time considerately. Phyton tires run fast on dry hard pack and corner sharp on turns. Respectable components. Bike has a great look to it. | | Weaknesses: | Phyton tires come up short in mud and sand. Brake cables WILL rub paint off of frame very quickly. After reading many complaints about this in prior reviews, I took simple precautions to avoid this problem on my bike. | | Similar Products Used: | None, this is my first full suspension bike puchased. I upgraded from a 2002 Giant Rainier. | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | This bike is fast and why wouldn't it be, after all, the color is called "stealth black" Great package for the price. If you are thinking about buying one, worry no more. Hurry down to your local Giant dealer and tell them I sent you! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eddy Kuipers
a Cross Country Rider
from New Zealand
Date Reviewed: June 13, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | 42 traverse, Tongariro Forest | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | Penny Farthing Cycles Wellington | | Strengths: | Dream ride, flows extremely well over rough terrain, climbs like a demon (due to shock "tracking" over all obstacles), screams downhill (rider holding on to sphincter), all in all could feel like I could ride this bike all day everyday. | | Weaknesses: | Felt like I needed to sit an exam to operate this puppy effectively. (Bike shop guys must of thought I was a dawlk!) Such a big step from an 8 year old crapped out Avanti to this black stealth bomber. Bike should have XT all round for the price. All in all a better instruction manual for us traditional riders would of been useful. | | Similar Products Used: | Had a range of older bikes for last 15 years. Mostly rigid | | Bike Setup: | Upgraded FRDR to XT and glad I did. Bar ends (personal pref) | | Bottom Line: | Have very big perma grin for several hours after riding this bike. Partner has problems getting me to leave this bike in the shed. This is for any rider having problems with the decision to go to full suspension - DO IT!!!!!! I was a hard tail advocate (due to some road riding) and thought this bike was too over the top at first. Was told to go see NASA if I wanted a better bike, it has lived up to that so far. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andrew
a Weekend Warrior
from Winmalee, NSW, Australia
Date Reviewed: June 10, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Anywhere in The Blue Mountains | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$2080.00 | | Purchased At: | Panther Cycles, Penrith | | Strengths: | Light, Strong frame, thicker walled tubes than 2002 model. Fast rolling and quick acceleration, very tunable to be smooth and comfy or hard and racy like a hardtail, fantastic brakes. Climbs very well (no bobbing) and descends with much greater confidence than a hardtail. You can stay on the seat and just pedal almost everywhere without having to use your legs for suspension. No lockout is required on this bike for road riding or hills, there is next to no bob or movement (except when out of the seat pedalling). Black is very easy to accessorize! | | Weaknesses: | Cables will wear off the paint from the first ride! I applied some self adhesive clear plastic at the wear points, given to me by the bike shop, and this has worked well, but do this before you even test ride if you want to protect the paint. Chain slap on top and underneath the chainstay (more plastic or protector required). Some initial ghost shifting which was fixed at the first service and no problems since. Sid forks are light but a bit flexy fore/aft. Sid fork was set to 63mm by the factory which the LBS reset to (an alleged by Rockshox) 80mm, but I only measure 75mm! Where's my other 5mm travel Mr Rockshox? The seatpost squeaks at maximum extension so get a longer post if you are tall. | | Similar Products Used: | 2002 NRS, Ironhorse G-Spot | | Bike Setup: | Standard Aussie spec. Sid
Race, Hayes hydro's, tubeless rims, LX shifters and FDR with XT rear cluster and RDR. I am 187cm and 85kg and have the bike set fairly soft (that's why I bought a FS bike!) and do not notice any loss of pedalling efficiency. I run 120lb +ve and 110lb -ve pressure in the Sid fork (40lb in the compression damping chamber) and 190lb +ve and 150lb -ve pressure in the Sid rear shock. The 150lb -ve in the rear (compared with Giant's recommended 50lb) makes a huge difference in small bump compliance and results in the tiniest amount of sag (3mm), but if you find yourself wishing you had bought a more comfortable FS bike this is the answer. | | Bottom Line: | I am extremely happy with this bike. I am basically a trail rider with the intention of doing a few races every now and then and it suits this purpose very well indeed I will not really stretch the envelope of this bike's ability. It had by far the best spec for the money and it does everything I expected it to do and nothing has broken. The Pythons roll well but are hopeless in loose sand and a little sketchy in loose rocky terrain that is common where I ride. The Sid fork for all its flexiness is light (1.2kg) and works well and you soon learn not to worry about it and just ride. If I could change anything I would probably go for a longer travel and stiffer (100mm) air fork and more aggressively lugged tyres and a longer seatpost.
Thanks to Panther Cycles for a great price and great service! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Crash
a Cross Country Rider
from San Jose, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: June 1, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1420.00 | | Purchased At: | friend | | Strengths: | Fast, Light, Strong | | Weaknesses: | LX shifter and LX FDR and Chain. Replaced these with XTR components and SRAM chain. Fixed the problem of Ghost Shifting I had when I first got bike. | | Similar Products Used: | Hardtail | | Bike Setup: | Fox Forx TALAS, XT / XTR components. | | Bottom Line: | This is an awome bike. It can take any thing you throw at it. I was very surprised how well it handle going up hills. The back could be a little stiffer but putting on the Fox Forx TALAS to replace the SID really helped the front lateral stiffness. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Greg
a Cross Country Rider
from Montreal
Date Reviewed: May 16, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$9999999.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Very light, excellent parts everywhere, value, technology, etc. | | Weaknesses: | Not really a weakness, but a bike this good deserves top notch care and adjustments. If you want a no-maintenance, no adjustments, "just ride it" kinda bike, forget about his type of bike, from any brand. | | Similar Products Used: | FSR, Sugar, etc. | | Bike Setup: | Stock, upgraded both shifters and deraillers for little $. | | Bottom Line: | This bike really feels like a hardtail and climbs like one too... or better! At first you don't think you have any rear suspension and you wonder where the money went! Then you look down and the thing is just working like crazy over rocks and roots, finding traction uphill, soaking the hits for you. After a long ride, your rear is not sore even if it's the first ride of the year.
If you ride XC or race, this is a very serious contender.
All the new stuff can be overwhelming : Shock pressures, fork pressures, remote lockouts, hydraulic brakes... But those tools together combine into a very sweet ride. Let your LBS help you through the setup.
I hate mixing parts so I levelled everything at the XT level but this is more a personal preference. LX are good parts.
The NRS1 has a steep head angle with the 80mm fork and "not extra wide" straight bars. The bike is very nervous so I don't recommend harder, narrower, front tires; it's plenty nervous as it is.
As with any new bike, the first hour on a new chain is miserable. Once it loosens up, shifting becomes better. Then the cables finish stretching and "settle down" on their normal length and you can stop fiddling with the bar mounted adjusters and just hammer!
So far so good, it will get raced 1st time this weekend! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tropicalrider
a Weekend Warrior
from China
Date Reviewed: May 16, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Taiwan | | Strengths: | Extremly light - 23 pounds with Shimano 965 wheels and Maxxis 1.5 slicks | | Weaknesses: | Hard to dial in the rear shocks in the beginning | | Similar Products Used: | none - 1st FS | | Bike Setup: | Taiwan Specs except with 2003 XTR WH M965 wheelset (11-23 Ultegra cogs), Maxxis slicks and cheap standard Giant (well padded Velo) saddle | | Bottom Line: | The Taiwan specified NRS 1 comes with LX FD and SRAM XO RD, SID Team (w. lockout) and Giant semi air rear suspension. Also comes with OEM Hope hydrolic disks. I use it more as a urban assault here in China where some streets resembles better trails. The first impression was immediate more comfort to my previous Giant Inguana hardtail (I already sold it here but also a great bike, btw). The rear suspension is kinda hard to tune in for ideal anti-bob but that's a one time thing. Forward effienciency difference to a hardtail is nonexistent but you get better comfort. The new 2003 Shimano XTR wheels are GREAT! They're fast and make a hum noise when up to speed. We made a fast paced 50 miles tour through China's hinterland the other day and had no soreness whatsoever. Get this bike! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Willy B
a
from Denver
Date Reviewed: May 9, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Too many to list | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | U Bikes | | Strengths: | Solid frame. No bob when accelerating. Excellent technical climber. Good components for the price. Very light with upgrades. Hayed Disc | | Weaknesses: | F__king Rock Shox. Bad paint. | | Similar Products Used: | Ellsworth Id, Stumjumper FSR Comp. Fisher Joshua F1 | | Bike Setup: | Stock drive train. Upgraded to carbon HB and thomson seatpost. Pulled the POS SID front and rear and replaced with Cane Creek Cloud 9 and Fox Float R. | | Bottom Line: | This bike is excellent at doing what it was BUILT FOR-XC. The only real problem is I had to spend $800 to replace the crap fork and rear shock that came with it. Cane Creek is the only shock I found that works well with the anti bob techno that the Giant NRS system uses. The Rock Shox SID XC rear will most likely blow up like the grenade that it is after a few rides. As for the The fork. May as well ride without a front wheel...Smooth as sandpaper and very unreliable...Read more reviews on the fork itselfand you'll know what I mean. So long story short, the bike off the shelf leaves much to be desired...Do yourself a favor and go with a Rocky Mountain.... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jose
a Cross Country Rider
from Colombia, S.A.
Date Reviewed: May 8, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1900.00 | | Purchased At: | Big Wheel Cycles | | Strengths: | NRS-1 2003 rocks!!!, what an excellent bike!! It's better for technical climbing than a hard tail. Excellent grip in corners, love tubeless tires!!, Hayes hydraulic brakes are amazing. Be careful on downhill, you don’t notice the excess of speed… Ouch. Ride for 4-6 hours and feel like a 3 hour ride… | | Weaknesses: | LX shifters and front DR, should be all XT at least. Rear SID 2003 shock requires lots of adjusting time but works well. Why do Giant makes such a beautiful bike only in black? Cables rub the paint off of the frame. | | Similar Products Used: | Klein Rascal, Treek 9800, Giant ATX 890 | | Bike Setup: | Standard, longer sit post | | Bottom Line: | It rides exceptionally. Awesome climber, tubeless pythons behave well and can be used with low air pressure (be careful using to low air if going to ride in rocky place… can damage tire with a snake bite). No more afternoon naps after a ride. I have been able to clear obstacles I couldn't dare to think about before.
Give it to some one for a ride and all you hear is WOW!, WOW!!!, WOW!!!... they will never want to go back to their bike again… Is the bike to buy! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason Sorensen
a Cross Country Rider
from Windsor, California
Date Reviewed: April 28, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Annadel State Park | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | Windsor Bicycle Center | | Strengths: | Climbs like crazy. Great price. Very fast. Love my bike. | | Weaknesses: | None so far. | | Similar Products Used: | Yedi Kokapeli, Kona Kikapu Deluxe.
| | Bike Setup: | 2003 NRS-1 all stock. | | Bottom Line: | I haven't had any problems with my bike. I have read some of the other responses and have not experienced any ghost shifting. I am 6'2" and weigh 270 lbs. and was worried the bike couldn't handle my weight. I have had the bike 3 months and ride 3 days a week and have had no problems. For the guys with ghost shifting problems, I would suggest taking the bike to another bike shop for a tune up. My buddy also bought an NRS which had the problems you described. After getting it tuned up else where the problem was aleviated. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a Cross Country Rider
from Long Beach, Ca
Date Reviewed: April 23, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | San Juan / SART / Silver Moc. | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Giant Warrenty | | Strengths: | Light weight, great climber, no bob even under heavy load, very solid rear makes for a fun downhill trip. | | Weaknesses: | last NRS frame went back to Giant warrenty because of an "aliengment" issue (developed an inconsistent shifting problem and tire rubbed on frame in rear) | | Similar Products Used: | 2001 NRS2, 2003 VT-1 | | Bike Setup: | This was a rebuild of my NRS from mdl-yr 01', but almost none of the factory equipment if left. Psylo(air) up front, Avid Mech discs, and lots of other goodies... | | Bottom Line: | This is a rebuild of a warrenty for my old (2001 year) NRS frame. I LOVED my old NRS, even when the frame got a little tweaked, I was afraid to let it go. Giant was fantastic about giving me a new frame (arrived 2 days after I called them), and now that I've built this new one and rode it some I'm very pleased. Not much has changed (a few little things like cable routing), this bike is basically the best climbing softy you can get. Once setup properly, this years frame seems to lock-out even better then my old one. Possible due to the different angle of the "horst" link (I think thats the piece between the seat stay and chain stay), anyway the shifting does feel more positive, and I can again run upto a 2.3 on the rear! If I had only one bike to ride.. it would be the NRS, a fantastic all-mountian type bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jon G.
a Cross Country Rider
from Norman, OK
Date Reviewed: April 23, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Bar H (local-clear bay) | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1000.00 | | Purchased At: | Miller's (employee) | | Strengths: | Great parts package for the money, The bike climbs like a hardtail with just a little bit more traction, The bike is reasonably light weight, beautiful bike | | Weaknesses: | None as far as the suspension design goes. Only a small pain in the ass to get the shock and fork tuned correspondingly.For the money maybe a little bit better components than that of the NRS 2. Hayes, SID, and tubeless make up for the slack (so does the price of the 1) | | Similar Products Used: | Epic, Stumpjumper HT | | Bike Setup: | stock, except longer stem (titec), hutchinson scorpions, cut the bars down(almost 2in.) In the future I'll lighten the bike up a bit.....carbon...... | | Bottom Line: | Coming of a hardtail, I was almost speechless. The supension works just like it is claimed. After patiently setting up the shock and fork, the bike rode awesome. I had a chance to ride an epic on the same trail as the NRS. The first thing I noticed was the initial bump to activate the brain (set at specialized guidelines) was considerably more harsh than the NRS. My favorite thing about this bike, besides the value, is how well it climbs in loose rocky and sandy conditions. Like all dual suspension bike of course it will haul ass downhill. For someone who already rides a dually the NRS might feel that they are not getting all the shocks travel. But they should notice the climbing efficiency. Considering the weight, parts spec,cost, and well designed suspension system, the NRS can't be beat!!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Greg
a Weekend Warrior
from Austin, Tx.
Date Reviewed: April 8, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | All of em | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | University cycle | | Strengths: | light weight, climbs like crazy, looks great, handles like a dream | | Weaknesses: | Ghost shifting and chain skip when I hammer on small climbs.
I would love to know how I can correct this problem!! | | Similar Products Used: | Im coming off of a entry level hard tail | | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | I was amazed at the speed and handling of the NRS 1. I went out shopping for a nice steel hard tail because I didn't want to give up the speed. I saw the price on this bad boy, rode it and WOW! Climbs up the middle on technical up hills where I would stick to the side lines on my hard tail. You don't loose any power when you hammer the single track.I just cant stand chain skip!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jav
a Cross Country Rider
from NY,NY
Date Reviewed: April 8, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | ringwood | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2100.00 | | Purchased At: | gotham bikes | | Strengths: | Relatively light. Nice set-up, except for the LX shifters and titec components. Very, very aggressive looking. Incredible tracking and climbing --just like my last hardtail. Very nice, tweakable front and rear SID suspension. Awsome, aggressive XC machine. Unless you're over 210 lbs and you'll be jumping off drops over 5 ft, this is your toy. NRS-2 might be a good bet also. | | Weaknesses: | I've heard the frame is somewhat "fragile" comapred to a 50 lb. DH bomber, but remember this is a hard-core XC race bike, and was not designed for serious north shore freeriding or downhilling. But how many of you really shoot road gaps on a regular basis? Stock pedals suck. Nothing else. | | Similar Products Used: | Ellsworth Dare, Specialized Blur. | | Bike Setup: | Stock so far, except for Time carbon ATACS Will get easton bars, upgrade | | Bottom Line: | Evil mother. Stomping XC racer. Potent trail weapon. Get one. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chad
a Weekend Warrior
from Longmont, CO
Date Reviewed: April 5, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | High Gear Cyclery | | Strengths: | weight, looks, climbs better than my hardtail, handles like a dream. | | Weaknesses: | ghost shifting during climbs, front deraileur shifts chain off from middle to granny during climbs, lx shifters and front dr. | | Similar Products Used: | first fs bike | | Bike Setup: | stock, except for a sella italia gel seat. plan to ugrade pedals to eggbeaters, xt shifters and front dr. | | Bottom Line: | I wasn't planning to buy a new bike this year, but my lady picked this bike up when we got engaged. The bsg steered her right. This bike rocks. It's super light, and the disk brakes really allow for excellent control on the downhills. So far, the hutchinson tires have handled pretty well in mud, snow and dry conditions. The adjustable shock pressure and rebound are sweet, and have really made it easy to configure the bike to the type of trail. I have been able to clear obstacles I couldn't touch before. At the end of the first ride I had at Hall ranch, I dropped ~30 minutes off my time... and felt like I could have ridden it again. About the only negative thing I can say about this bike was that the first ride I had on it, it ghost shifted on climbs really badly. It turns out that the barrel adjuster at the rear dr wasn't screwed on all the way. Once that was fixed the problem disappeared. I have noticed that the front dr tends to shift the chain off of the granny chainring when going from the middle chainring. I think it's an adjustment issue, but I plan on switching out the front dr anyway.
I bought a used giant hardtail last year, and I can't tell you how different it is. I don't even notice the rear suspension on climbs (except over rocks, which are nicer), but when the trail starts dropping, the difference is huge. I haven't really even tested the limits yet... I'm too scared! There are a lot of other bikes that might be better, but for my riding style, this bike is kick ass. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Morgan
a Racer
from Christchurch, New Zealand
Date Reviewed: March 19, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | All the local ones | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2200.00 | | Purchased At: | Chain Reaction Cycles | | Strengths: | As a race bike, it has just the right amount of travel. A hardtail may 'feel' faster, but 4-bar FS allows you to sit and hammer over most stuff, instead of using your legs for suspension. Therefore, speed out of corners is great. Up and down hill - I can now go for it! Parts spec is spot on. | | Weaknesses: | No bike is perfect for every situation, but for what I want it for, it's close to perfect. | | Similar Products Used: | Looked at Specialized Epic Disc - but never really knowing whether you are fully suspended or a 'hard tail' before bunny-hopping could be downright dangerous! And the harshness of the initial bump didn't thrill, either. And it's heavy. | | Bike Setup: | Stock, except Time ATAC pedals | | Bottom Line: | I'm a vet2 racer (45 to 54 years) and my first race series on this bike I won my class 2 x 1st, 2 x 2nd, and 1 x 3rd placings. I am at least a minute a lap faster than on my 3 pound light hardtail. The vet 3 convincing winner's race bike is, you guessed it, an NRS 1! For 3 months, I have been LIVING on this bike, loving every minute... and no problems, (touch wood). Tubeless technology...BRILLIANT!...No punctures (touch wood again) and at least one if not 2 gears faster. The Hutchinson Pythons look brand new - my theory is that for the same reason they roll faster is the same reason they wear noticeably less than any tubed tyre I've ever owned. (Could do with a slightly more aggressive side knob.) In a nutshell, I am definitely a faster mountainbiker on this bike and will NEVER bother with a hardtail again! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt Goodman
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: March 12, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Pottery Road | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2300.00 | | Purchased At: | Cycle Solutions | | Strengths: | Frame, climbs like a mountain Goat, Front/Rear Suspention, Looks Great, Rims, all around the best bike for the money on the market today. | | Weaknesses: | Granny chain Ring chain suck, Chain, Cable Routing (The fault of the bike shop where I purchased it), Stock Tires, and that damn hard ass seat! | | Similar Products Used: | Giant's Entire NRS Line, Cannondale Jeykll 2000/3000, Specialized Epic/Epic Disk, Trek Fuel 98/100, Kona Kikapu Delux | | Bike Setup: | Chris King Headset, 2003 Rock Shox Psylo Race (Yay!), Easton Monkey Bar, Front/Rear XTR Deraileurs, Maxxis 2.35 Larson TT Tires, Superlight Topeak Fenders (Front/Rear), Mosh Sealed Bearing Platform Peddals, Frame Upgrade To NRS Air (Got to love that blue!), Roach Black Body Cover, and a Lizard Skin Chain Protector | | Bottom Line: | Ok, well after my first review I really was not too thrilled with this bike because of all of the problems it had before I had actually broken anything. This bike is the best investment I think I have ever made. The bike shop where I purchased it really screwed up when putting this bike together for me. Now that there is no more chain suck, ghost shifting, air being lost when pumping the Sid up on the negative pressure valve, and the hayes cable staying where it should, this bike kicks ass! I jumped a set of 15 stairs yesterday, and it absorbed the hit like it was butter. The remote lockout feature also did come on my 2003 Psylo Race, and it works wonders on those difficult hill climbs. All around this bike was a great value, and I would give it two thumbs up if I were a real critic. I have really had a serious ride on her, and she performed better then I expected. All around guys, buy this bike. IT is superior to all other makes in this year (At least I think so). Giants world class service is one for the books, they made me a happy rider when they fixed my bike. I give full credit to Cyclepath on Bloor Street for repairing what my bike shop thought was normal. THANK YOU GIANT, AND CYCLEPATH FOR MAKING ME A VERY HAPPY MAN FOR THE AMOUNT OF MONEY I SPENT ON THIS BABY. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kurt
a Weekend Warrior
from Reno, NV ex SF Bay area USA
Date Reviewed: March 11, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Meadows rim loop, Toads | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | EBAY | | Strengths: | Nimble, agile, climbs like a goat, steady at speed, nice mix for the $$$. Hayes brakes rock. | | Weaknesses: | Chain slap (fixed with a lizrd skin) Chain suck (fixed with XTR) flexy at the rear and not as supple over the small chatter bumps. Seat post squeaks (fixed with grease and a longer post). People yell at you as you pass them. | | Similar Products Used: | Klein, GT, Cannondale | | Bike Setup: | King hubs, Mavic (tubed) rims, WTB Mutano 2.24's, Thompson seatpost, WTB seat. 45 degree stem and Easton bars. XTR front and rear. 24.5 pounds dirty. | | Bottom Line: | I thought a 3 year review would help folks out, the frame has change little since its inception.
Look at my list and you can see what wears out. My wife's NRS2 lost the SID rear shock after ten minutes, mine has worked perfect this whole time. The frame is still rock solid after 3 years of hard riding including commuting. If you're a trial rider who likes it all and mixes in some speed this is a great bike. It used to be a 5 overall, but time marches on. BUT, a 5 chili bike will set you back $3500 or more. I bought a Santa Cruz Blur and am transferring components, hopefully the Blur has addressed the flex (not an issue except at honking fast speeds) and the suppleness over small bumps. $1500 for the frame...$650 for the forks...well, there's your Giant money.
Bottom line? I bought an NRS2 for my wife, and own a Giant road bike. You could do much, MUCH worse | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jeff
a Cross Country Rider
from Bakersfield,Ca
Date Reviewed: March 10, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2300.00 | | Purchased At: | lbs | | Strengths: | Handles well ,light wt. climbs like a goat | | Weaknesses: | A bike like this should not be equipped with LX shifters and front DR. Had problems with Hayes brakes rear piston not retracting. Cables rub the paint off of the frame. | | Similar Products Used: | specialized epic/scalpel | | Bottom Line: | This is a great bike if you are in to puting in alot of X/C miles.The Rockshox SID combination is perfect once you dial it in.I will definitely upgrade on the shifters and front D/R.I really like the tubeless pythons this is my first set of tubeless tires and they have not given me any problems. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt Goodman
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto
Date Reviewed: February 9, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Pottery Road Toronto Ontario Canada | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$3000.00 | | Purchased At: | Cycle Solutions | | Strengths: | Climbs like a mountain goat, looks great, front/rear suspention, frame, rims, all around good for the buck. | | Weaknesses: | Stock Tires, Seat, chain. | | Similar Products Used: | Giant NRS 3 2002 model, Trek Fuel 98/100, Specialized Epic/Epic Disk, kona Kikapu Delux | | Bike Setup: | 2003 Rock Shox Psylo Race w/Remote Lockout, Easton Monkey Bar, Upgraded to NRS Air Frame, Maxxis Larson TT 2.35 Tires, Superlight Preston Valve Intertubes, Topeak Superlight Fenders, Lizard Skin Chain Protector, And Mosh Sealed Bearing Peddals. | | Bottom Line: | This is a great bike for the value. This is only my second day of owning the bike, and I am seriously impressed. I do a lot of X-Country biking, and for the money I paid on the setup I have, it was well worth it even though there are numerous concerns with the bike right now. After picking it up 2 days ago, the Hayes cable retainers on the rear of the bike are not staying and comming loose on any hard hit. The Front fork's negative air pressure will not hold, because after pumping air into it, and trying to unscrew the shock pump all of the air leaks dout real fast. Not only that, but the chain today broke on a climb, and scratched my precious frame real bad. Since the chain repair, it is still not working right, although I am not badmouthing the product, as I have a huge amount of confidence in Giants service and I know they will make it right come monday morning when I bring her in for a repair. Aside from all of these problems, the bike still works Great! It climbs like a bat out of hell with the new Remote Lockout feature, and that rebound control on the rear works really well. I weighed it at my local shop, and all together it is 29 pounds! The new Hydroforming job they did on the frame is a very noticable improvement from the 2002 model. I can't wait until these problems are fixed and the weather warms up a little bit, so I can really rip up the trails, without slipping on some ice, and breaking my neck! The Larson TT Tires are awsome. They grip on any terrain I have tried to ride on, and that includes solid ice. I do give a warning though, if you do plan on upgrading in the future, you should not wait, and do it at the time of purchase. You will regret it if you don't, trust me on this one. Lizard Skin Carbon Fiber Patches Rock, as you just stick them, and dont have to worrie about your paint getting worn off from the cables, definetly a wise investment for the cosmetics of your bike, if you care about them at all. I will post another review, once the bike is repaired and I have had a good chance to ride, and test her limits to what she can do. BUY THIS BIKE, that is the bottom line. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Christian Powell
a Cross Country Rider
from Bakersfield, Ca
Date Reviewed: February 7, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | All | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2500.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | It climbs very well decends well to, it has a good components, very light, It is stealth black looks really cool. | | Weaknesses: | The only weakness on this bike and I wouldn't even call it a weakness is setting up the bikes forks and rear shock like the other reviewers said once you get it down it's just like anything else. | | Similar Products Used: | Intense Tracer, Specialized Epic, Trek Fuels, Etc. | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for Eaton carbon bars, Thomson seat post and stem. | | Bottom Line: | This bike is great I bought this bike because of the frame reputation,and it had discs and the Sid team with remote lock out. it was also reccomended by MTBR last year. I plan on changing out the cranks, and replacing the hubs but other than that the bike is great. I could not beleive how well the bike rode it climbs very well and decends well to thanks to the Hayes disc brakes (It helps with the confidence). I'm 5'10" tall and I weigh 165lbs, I would reccomend this bike to racers because that is what it is made for it was not designed as a trail bike or a free rider it is a 100% XC and that is who should be riding it racers and XC riders. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Daniel
a Cross Country Rider
from Newcastle
Date Reviewed: January 27, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | glenrock | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$3300.00 | | Purchased At: | Hadleys | | Strengths: | Sweet wheels, no bob, shimano disks, sid, stiff | | Weaknesses: | Hmmmmm, all goof at the moment, oh, maybe the LX front deraler, LX shifters. Some ghost shifting on hard efforts | | Similar Products Used: | Super V, Super light, Mongoose Triomphe, FSR | | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | Was in the market for an Epic, rode one and was not impressed with the ride for the dollars, was also going to replace my superlight, but again to costly. Went with the NRS. Cant believe the ride for what you pay for, sure it isn't the best thing onb the trail, but when similar quality bikes come in at a 1/4, and 1/2 the price more, youd have to be stupid to go with something else. Climbs great, takes the hits well, reckon it would be a great slalom racer as well.
What more can I say, I never thought I woulf by a giant, cant beat the price for what you get. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Steve
a Cross Country Rider
from Launceston, Australia
Date Reviewed: January 10, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Local bike shop | | Strengths: | Awesome colour scheme 'death black.' Rides well and responds to rider fairly quickly. | | Weaknesses: | Rear shock leaks purple stuff. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized (test run) Epic, Giant ATX 850 | | Bike Setup: | Standard except duke sl's on front 100mm travel | | Bottom Line: | The first few rides on this bike were fairly conservative, then I let it rip. It rides exceptionally. Awesome climber for duallie and the tubless pythons are going quite good also. I got rid of the Sid Race forks because of the review and advice of their flex, so I went for something a bit more durable.
The 'no joy' I've had with this bike is that the read sid shock leaks a purple oil of a thick consistancy. I've contacted the roack shox dealer and they say that there is extra packed oil in the shock to allow the shock work instantly out of the box and that it would leak until the excess is gone so to speak. 3 months later the shock is still leaking but it hasn't seized as yet. Anyone else having the same probs? The shock is set up as per Giants specs. I weigh about 170 pounds and have the +ve chamber set at 175 and the -ve chamber at 50psi. If anyone knows anymore about this, please email me at schatt@hotmail.com
Otherwise the bike is wicked. I haven't had any 'ghost shifting' or other technical problems other than the above mentioned. Recommend the bike to anyone, keep in mind the rear shock problem. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Lee Shaw
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: January 6, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Monarch Crest | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2300.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Limited buyer's remorse because there's little to upgrade or wish you had; to quote Sam Walton, "The Best for Less"; Several bikes in one--adjust the suspension with the included pump and get a different ride every time; | | Weaknesses: | Only available in one color--in my case I ended up with the same bike as "Scott a Cross Country Rider from Denver, CO, USA." His review appears below. He's John and I'm Ponch ... Colorado Highland Patrol (CHIPS). | | Similar Products Used: | Upgraded from Cannondale F700; considered Litespeed Pisgah (frame only given price), Specialized Epic, Trek Fuel, and Cannondale F800 with the Lefty | | Bike Setup: | Stock except XTR rear derailleur. Had to adjust front derailleur. Some minor problems with lockout on front suspension. | | Bottom Line: | Warning: This review may be a long one ... I've got a lot to say ....
Analyze my mountain biking over the last five years and you will find a steady rise from 1998 to 2000 followed by sharp declines over the last couple of years. Over this time, I rode a 1998 Cannondale F700--a hardtail with 60 mm of travel on the front fork upgraded with XTR V-brakes and rear derailleur and a RockShox suspension seatpost.
Continue analyzing my mountain biking since I purchased Giant's NRS-1 and you will find that I have ridden more over the last five weeks than I have in each of the last two years. My new bike is the sole reason for this change.
What a bike! I'm doing three-hour rides almost each time I go out (riding loops a couple of times if the trail is short because I'm riding faster and getting beat up less). I'm riding then going home and working on my house/money pit. No more afternoon naps after a ride. I'm riding after working out the previous day and feeling no real ill effects. I'm excited to go mountain biking rather than opting for a more enjoyable road bike ride. Mountain biking is finally fun again. I'm spending the majority of my time on my bike instead of doing hikes with my bike--I'm now able to ride stuff I couldn't do before. I'm also riding with my biking friends rather than way behind them.
Bicycling Magazine, in its annual bike review issue, comes up with a catchy phrase to describe each bike it reviews. Here are some it should consider for this year's NRS-1:
- The Beatles Were Wrong ... money can buy you love.
- Built for Hangovers and Recovery Rides ... The bike takes the beating while you recover and get some fresh air.
- The Win Some/Lose Some Bike ... You'll lose some of your old friends (who will be too slow for your new riding aptitude) while gaining some new ones (who are no longer way too good for you).
- Achieve Sainthood ... Stop screaming "Oh s***!" and "Ahh f***!" dozens of times on every ride. Start laughing and screaming "Waa hoo" and "Yee haw" instead. (You can now ride around little kids too.)
- Buy The Bike and Life Insurance ... You may die on this bike because you'll be doing stuff you shouldn't even try, riding faster than you should be riding, and paying less attention than you should (the bike's so easy to ride you'll occupy yourself staring at sunsets and clouds, listening to birds, smelling the air, looking for fish in creeks, etc.)
Perhaps this bike isn't for everyone. But, if you're like me, you'll never find a better bike. You can't beat the package. You can't beat the joy the bike will give you. You can't beat the value. And best of all, you can't get beat up by trails anymore. I no longer have an underperforming bike as an excuse for my poor performance.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark
a Cross Country Rider
from Albuquerque, NM
Date Reviewed: December 11, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Otero Canyon, Cedro Canyon | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2700.00 | | Purchased At: | Northeast Cyclery | | Strengths: | Climbing it rides like a hard tail (until it hits a bump). On down hills this bike grips the single tracks and service roads. The greatest thing about this bike is that I have it under 30 pounds not bad for a 20.5 sized bike. | | Weaknesses: | Still looking, but it does take time to adjust the rear shock. | | Similar Products Used: | Tomac 98 Special, Specialized FSR Pro, GT I-Drive, Titus SwitchBlade | | Bike Setup: | Traded the stock forks for 2003 Rock Shox Psylo Race w/ U-turn lock out. XTR shifters and rear detailer. Front tire Continental Vertical Pro 2.3 and stock Hutchinson on rear. | | Bottom Line: | When I first did my research on this bike it was between this bike and the Specialized FSR Pro. I found that the FSR was heavier and not as responsive on technical descents. Once I received the Giant NRS-1 second week of October, I knew that I made the right decision. I wanted the feel of a hard tail (since this was my first full suspension bike) but reacts much like a full suspension bike on the climbs and down hills.
I enjoy the swift handling and performance of this awesome bike. It absorbs the bumps in the rear very well even over wash-board. As Giant's clame-to-fame the No Resonance System works very well. I have peddled very hard on standing sprints and the bike barely bounces, but once the rear end hits a bump or rock the NRS system reacts. With this system it provides the utmost traction in the rear even in hard pack, loose dirt (depending what tire you have on the rear), and on slick rocks.
The maneuverability of the bike and over all dimensions of the bike really help the over performance of the shock. This shock is very stable even through the nastiest fields of baby heads. I weigh about 195 pounds I have considered upgrading the shock to firm or blue spring in accordance to the Rock Shox recommendations, but I have not done so because I have not bottomed out the fork(yet). I do 3-4 foot drops and still can't bottom out the shock and the rear shock rarely bottoms out as well.
This bike is hands down the best bike for the money. I would recommend this bike to any one. If you have any qeustions please email me.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: December 9, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Porcupine Rim | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2300.00 | | Purchased At: | local bike shop | | Strengths: | Excellent value. Efficient climber. Smooth and fast descender. All black color scheme. Tubeless tires and hydraulic disc brakes. Adjustability of shocks (I especially like how you can adjust the lockout on the front SID, which will be nice come race time). | | Weaknesses: | Takes some time to dial in your bike (there is quite a bit of technology on this bike and has taken some time for me to get up to speed on how to use it correctly. Once you learn it though, its no harder than any of your basic maintenance skills.). Rather high top tube on the 22.5”. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek Fuel, Specialized Epic | | Bike Setup: | Upgraded shifters and front derailleur to XTR. Put on a Dura-Ace 9 speed chain as well. | | Bottom Line: | I was coming from a high-end, lightweight hardtail, and wanted to make sure that I got a good “no-bob” or lockout rear suspension, tubeless tires, and hydraulic disc brakes. This bike has it all at a good price and at a reasonable weight.
I went out this past weekend and rode several of my usual rides and I can tell you that I climbed better than I ever did with my hardtail. This is probably due to more comfort, better traction, and ability to take more direct lines. I believe the tubeless tires have helped here, as I was running at 36 psi and loving it!
The descending is amazing. I don’t know if I was necessarily going that much faster than I did before, but I had tons more control. I couldn’t stop smiling about my “Cadillac ride” on the downhills.
For those of you already on full suspension, you might be more critical about the ride quality or plushness, but for those on a hardtail debating about moving to full suspension, fear no more. This bike really climbs as advertises, and the descents are so much better. I rode some pretty technical terrain, and I wasn’t as fatigued as I usually am afterward.
Following the advice of a posting on the 2002 NRS-1, I replaced my housing where it enters the rear derailleur and added about 2” to it. I did this before my first ride and I haven’t had any hint of ghost shifting. Also, no problems with forks oozing (another recurring theme I read about last year).
One hint, for those that are new to disc brakes. Do Not pump the brake lever when you have the wheel off. Otherwise, the pads will rub on your rotor, and you will have to push the piston back into position (a procedure that is more of a pain in the ass than anything). This has already bit me a few times when transporting and working on my bike in the stand.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gerard Monks
a Cross Country Rider
from perth western australia
Date Reviewed: November 29, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | tbe willetton | | Strengths: | Amazing climbing ( so light )
The control desending, especially on drop offs | | Weaknesses: | Chain slap( fixed with lizard skin guard/protector)
The time taken to set up of shock pressures ( once you get it right its no problems at all )
the hayes disc levers rattling ( still a issue, i plan on trying shims to reduce movement )
| | Similar Products Used: | considered fuel 90
sugar 3 + disc and epic disc | | Bike Setup: | stock with sid shocks ,hayes discs and python tubeless
only added bar ends i plan to only upgrade as things wear LX shifters don't appear to be probelm yet . | | Bottom Line: | For the price ,this was the best bike with the right components ( i wanted quality full suspension with hayes disc )
the nrs system appears to almost remove rear end bob on climbing . Though i prefer to desend fairly hard so i have the rear end set a little softer for drop offs ( i feel like i am descending twice as fast because of the control ) The python tubeless appear a little conservative at first ( i used to ride my old avanti barracuda with Hutchison Alligators ) but i find the pythons are excellent on dry loose gravel trails i ride . i will use wildgrippers in wet | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason
a
from Dallas, TX
Date Reviewed: November 26, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Bar H | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2400.00 | | Strengths: | Looks, weight, tubeless, Handling ,Hayes,SID Rear,basically everything. | | Weaknesses: | Pythons are great looking but not a resourceful tire. | | Similar Products Used: | Sugar 2, Epic... | | Bike Setup: | Stock except the i upgraded to Easton CT2 low rise with ODI lock ons and got rid of the SID Team fork and went with the new Fox F80 RLC. Also, replaced the Pythons with Mesquito's and love them. | | Bottom Line: | The bottom line is BUY BUY BUY this bike. You won't regret it at all. I purchased some industrial strenth clear tape to put on the frame where the cables rub the frame to prevent the paint from fading. With the tire switch it corners 10 times better and climbing is a breeze. The NRS is totally fast on the sprints and when i stand and pedal. I have been a fisher nut for about 4 years now and i never thought i would ever make the switch to a different bike...but the NRS makes me glad i did. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rob
a Cross Country Rider
from Halethorpe, MD, USA
Date Reviewed: November 25, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | All trails | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2200.00 | | Purchased At: | Catonsville Bike Shop | | Strengths: | Hayes disc brakes stop in ant wheather condition. The Mavic
tubeless wheelset, XT cassette, SID front frork. Just a great parts package for the money. Great color, get many looks. | | Weaknesses: | Havn't had any problems as of yet. It comes with a LX front
der. and LX shifters, but no troubles with them at all. The tires are not realy good for around here, but I can deal with them for now until they wear out.I do have a little of the rear shock bucking on me over some small bumps, but I'm still playing with the adjustments. | | Similar Products Used: | Gary Fisher 2+
Trek Fuel | | Bike Setup: | Stock- Will upgrade as things break or wear. | | Bottom Line: | This is a great cross country bike. You can race this bike right out of the box.Thanks Donny at CBB for setting me up!
This bike has shifted perfectly since the first day. No ghost shifting or chain suck. This bike climbs like a rabit
dog.This bike hooks up well and is very fast up hill and down.It handles well in tight rocky single tract.I will most likely give another review once I've had more time on this bike, but for now it's been all good. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jay Hachadoorian
a Racer
from New York, NY
Date Reviewed: November 17, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2300.00 | | Purchased At: | Toga Bikes | | Strengths: | Look, weight, components. NRS rear suspension system (Rock Shox Sid)is a dream to ride on. Front fork (Rock Shox Sid lockout) makes climbing and fire roads fast and easy. Hayes Hydraulic Disc breaks give you great stopping power. Bike geometry is very comfortable. Tubless is the way to go. | | Weaknesses: | Hutchinson tires are a little gummy and not the best grip on the ground on sharp turns. As soon as I wear them down I am getting Specialized tubless. | | Similar Products Used: | Rocky Mountain Instinct, Cannondale Scalpel | | Bike Setup: | Shifter upgrade to XT, and planing on the new tires.
Set up of the bike is key to great riding. At my shop, they didn't go through it with me when I picked the bike up, and I had to do some reading online about the shocks
and everything. I raced twice my first weekend, then brought it back to the shop and the guy was there and spent about 45 minutes with me adjusting everything. Huge difference. Both front and rear shocks have + and - chambers, so make sure they have the right pressure settings for your weight. Make sure they put stainless steel ends on the fork lockout cable, and keep the cable short. I had plastic ends and a long cable, and it caught on something and the plastic snappend. My guy shortened it and used the stainless, and it hasn't been a problem again. | | Bottom Line: | Even without the propper set up the bike performed amazingly. The bike is so light even with the disc brakes(about 24 or 25 lbs), when having to climb uphill carrying it, those 2 or 3 pounds make a huge difference.
I improved my time on a 12 mile trail ( lots of rocks and climbing) by almost 10 minutes. The bike climbs with eas and tears up the downhills. After getting everything set up properly, it was even better. I only dropped my chain once on my second day of racing, and to be honest, I didn't clean the bike as good as I should have after the first day, so that was to be expected. The front shock lockout is great, you just have to remember to lock it out uphill, and then release it going down. All in all, the bike is great, and the Stealth black paintjob is bad ass looking. Got several looks when I showed up in the morning for race registration! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kees de Jong
a Cross Country Rider
from Maarssen, Netherlands
Date Reviewed: November 15, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2300.00 | | Strengths: | Weight, looks, price/quality, great suspension components, handles well, brakes like hell. Tubeless is great, no flats yet. | | Weaknesses: | Cable damage on paint. Chain slap.
| | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Standard, Time Atac Magnesium pedals. | | Bottom Line: | Absolute great bike, takes some time to find the right setup, even harder to setup the brakes. I am a reasonable serious road racer but this bike makes me love the cold off season. No ghost shifting yet. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Elad
a Cross Country Rider
from Sydney
Date Reviewed: November 12, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1700.00 | | Purchased At: | Inner City Cycles | | Strengths: | Lightweight frame, ergonomic setup, rear suspension and bang for the dollars | | Weaknesses: | Tricky setup for the front forks and rear shock. | | Similar Products Used: | Sugar and Fuel were compared | | Bike Setup: | Standard except for XTR rear upgrade and XT shifter upgrade | | Bottom Line: | Out of the box the bike was used at a 24hr MTB event. A hard introduction exposed a couple of faults and highlighted its strengths. The major fault being a very sensitive front fork. Once sussed out it performed well but not exceptional - to much pain to set up. The package is comfortable on the trail and performed very well on single track. The change in direction is snappy. Climbing rocky hills and traverses are a relative breeze - plenty of traction.
Overall, great value for a lightweight dual | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
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