|
|
|
| |
Submitted by
Dallas
a Weekend Warrior
from Woodstock, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: October 2, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | The Pines | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | Source for Sports | | Strengths: | very smooth riding, great gear transitions under power. Rides like a 2 wheel limo. V-brakes work great, who needs discs? | | Weaknesses: | Tires were slipping over everything and anything, front derailer could be a little better | | Similar Products Used: | N/A | | Bike Setup: | Stock, save for a headlight and tailight | | Bottom Line: | great bike for uphill or decent. Awesome value.
Watch those chilis burn | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Edgar Bautista
a Weekend Warrior
from Antioch, Ca, USA
Date Reviewed: May 6, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | China Camp | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$700.00 | | Purchased At: | classifieds | | Strengths: | Decent components for the price | | Weaknesses: | rear suspension feels like it tightens up under braking | | Similar Products Used: | none | | Bike Setup: | stock xt/lx mix,skareb fork,rock shox shock,maxxis tires | | Bottom Line: | This was my first foray into full suspension. I've been impressed at how much difference it makes. The bike is really geared towards xc, and I've been mixing in trail riding. The bike works well in these conditions. I still have some tweaking to do on the suspension, otherwise I really am a convert now. Looking on trading up to a Trance. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David Mew
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney, NSW, Australia
Date Reviewed: October 28, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Lane Cove National Park | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1700.00 | | Purchased At: | Parramatta | | Strengths: | Good Stock components for the price, fantastic NRS Suspension, Climbs better than a hardtail, great all round bike for XC trails. The brakes are fantastic. | | Weaknesses: | Forks are weak, they cracked after a couple of rides (luckily replaced under warranty). The tyres are terrible for anything other than hardpack. The paint is very thin and chips easily. | | Similar Products Used: | Nashiki hardtail, Schwinn rocket 88, Mongoose MX8.1, Giant NRS 1 | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | This is a great bike for the price and is great for nearly all terrain, but I wouldn't take it off any massive drop offs. Fast XC single track is perfect for this bike, it is really fast on hardpack.
The tyres are okay unless its wet or very rocky. Be careful with the forks as they tend to crack easily. Don't lean the frame up against anything metal as the paint comes off really easily. It's not quite as light as the NRS1 but is a much better price and the brakes work just as well.
This bike climbs so much better than a hard-tail as the rear wheel just follows the terrain instead of bouncing around. I went from walking most short technical climbs on my hardtail to climbing them easily, I did not suddenly become a better rider overnight so it must be the bike! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Wally Randall
a Weekend Warrior
from Baton Rouge, LA, USA
Date Reviewed: August 21, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Tally's, Clear Springs, MS | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1100.00 | | Purchased At: | Capitol City Cyclery | | Strengths: | weight, travel, componentry, PRICE!, looks, performance | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | none - first and only other bike was a '97 cannondale M-900 | | Bike Setup: | bare bones stock | | Bottom Line: | The bike that I bought is a 2003 NRS 2 frame and shock with all the other parts of a 2005 NRS 3 (kind of like a 2004 1/2). Long story short, I have a marginally better shock, stem, seatpost, and bar, but no disc brakes. The brakes that came on the bike are Avid Single Digit 3's, which I really like. I've only ever ridden rim brakes, so I don't know any different.
This bike rocks! It climbs almost as well as my old Cannondale and descends 10x better. Its made me more confident on the trails because of its agility and comfort. The only thing that I don't absolutely love about this bike is the Hutchinson Python tires. They don't have as much bite as the IRC Mythoses that I'm used to, but I'm not going to trade them out because the Pythons roll faster making them more appropriate about 90% of the time.
If you are a recreational yet serious XC rider and you want to go from hardtail to full suspension, there is no better bike for you. Buy an NRS.
BURN CHILIS BURN!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Phua Tai Woei
a Weekend Warrior
from Selangor, Malaysia
Date Reviewed: May 14, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Kiara, Frim | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$2300.00 | | Purchased At: | KSH K.Lumpur Malaysia | | Strengths: | Valur for Money, very Light. NRS system work very on climbing. | | Weaknesses: | NRS system does not grip/handle so well on technical trial down hill section where I notice when I hit the rear brake, the rear suspension will lift the bike tail. This make the bike dive forward more. | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | NRS 2003 Team. XT Group Set, Sram Hydro brake, Race Face on other fitting. Panaracer 210 Tyre. | | Bottom Line: | Still feel the NRS Team give best value. If Giant can invest the NRS system c/w a antidive system, I will be the first to try it out. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
john bourget
a Weekend Warrior
from st. clair shores, mi
Date Reviewed: May 11, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Pontiac Lake, MI | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$2200.00 | | Purchased At: | Franser Bike Shop | | Strengths: | Nice price for stock componentry. | | Weaknesses: | PLEASE HELP - see below. I'm on my second frame and the bike still feels like I can snap it in two. | | Similar Products Used: | Giant hard tails | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | Purchased bike spring 2003. Performed beautifully all summer until September 2003 - then something happened. The bike became incredibly loose / unstable. Standing on the pedals and cranking the handle bars back and forth - felt like you could snap the bike in two.
The LBS agreed - and got me a new frame. Now the new frame is doing the same thing. LBS and local rep now conclude it's not the frame (how could two frames both be bad?)and they're currently putting on a fox shock - claiming that the SID fork / head-set connection is notoriously weak. The rep has also promised a new 2004 frame - but has stated that it may take several weeks / months due to limited supplies of 2004 frames-only from the far east. Rep claims 2004 frames have shorter swing-arms and are much stronger?
HAS ANYONE HAD THIS PROBLEM OF - the frame / entire bike just loose as hell? Could it be the shock / head-set connection?
I'm really bummed-out - it was a nice bike until last September when something broke - nobody knows what. I'm on my second frame and second fork. LBS has been great - replacing everything free of charge - but I'm looking for any answer for the bike's poor condition. If anyone has any ideas - please email me at jabsports@netzero.com.
RockOn
JAB | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Randy Scriber
a Cross Country Rider
from Banff, Alberta
Date Reviewed: April 15, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Benchlands | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | Rebound | | Strengths: | Very efficient, climbs like a hardtail. Has enough balls to take the drops with 3.75 in of rear travel, and is a very fast on the downhill. The stock setup for 2003 is very good for the price. | | Weaknesses: | The python tires don't grip at all for area trails. They are very fast, but your always thinking you could lose the front at any moment. | | Similar Products Used: | Self built hardtail for five years | | Bike Setup: | XT rear and hubs, LX front and shifters, mavic 223 disc rims, avis mechanical breaks, titec seat post and hell bent bars, skareb comp adjustable rebound front fork, SID xc dual air rear shock | | Bottom Line: | If you can find a 2003 left over from last year in any bike shop, scoop it up as fast as you can cause it's a buy and a half! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Alex Wilson
a Weekend Warrior
from Downingtown, PA, USA
Date Reviewed: March 31, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Strengths: | NRS suspension works great for the technical single track I ride. Absorbs the big bumps, logs and rocks while still climbing like a mountain goat. Not as plush as a freestyle type bike, so if you are into huge jumps and drops, it may not be your bike. But if you are into bombing down hills on technical trails and climbing back up hills, it is ideal. Avid mechanical disks are really great. | | Weaknesses: | Manitou fork broke. The "reverse Arch" cracked. Didn't even bother trying to repair under warrenty because it seemed to be weak anyway. Huchinson tires were not good in mud, and I replaced after the first ride. | | Bottom Line: | Excellent bike. You may want to consider upgrading the fork and tires, but the frame and suspension make it worth the effort. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dookie b
a Cross Country Rider
from riverside ca usa
Date Reviewed: March 29, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | woodcrest bikes | | Strengths: | frame, suspension | | Weaknesses: | hmmm dont know really | | Similar Products Used: | lots | | Bike Setup: | 03 nrs2, 04 marz mxpro eta 100, xt, avid mechs, mavic 223, sgfs components rear link, panarace trailblaster 2.1 | | Bottom Line: | the bottom line is, i love this bike!
this is in addition to my previous post. i recently added an aftermarket rear linkage made by company in big bear. this increased the rear travel to 4.5 in, and has made a world of difference in the way the bike rides. it has really smoothed out the ride over the small sqaure edged bumps, and with the added travel i can go harder throught the rock gardens, and it still pedals like a dream. so if you wanna improve on a all ready great bike try checking into this link. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Martin
a Cross Country Rider
from Sandy, UT USA
Date Reviewed: March 13, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | Instant Replay | | Strengths: | Price, quality of the stock components, & NRS suspension system. | | Weaknesses: | The stock seat, stock chain, and stock tires. | | Similar Products Used: | My first full suspension, but have had Gary Fisher and Giant hardtails previously. | | Bike Setup: | Stock with SRAM 9.0 shifters and rear der. Egg Beater pedals, XT front der., SRAM chain, and Trek saddle. | | Bottom Line: | I love this bike! I am a big guy (240 lbs.) and the NRS suspension performs well with little or no bob while soaking up enough of the rough stuff to bail me out of difficult situations. I broke the chain while warming up for my 1st or 2nd ride so i replaced it with a SRAM one and haven't had problems since. I found the stock saddle to be unconfortable so i switched it out. The stock tires are fine for the front, but isn't a good choice for the rear. I also had some front der. issues, but switched out the stock LX for an XT and haven't had any problems since. So basically an amazing bike for the price. So if you mainly ride cross country then this bike is for you. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
BN
a Cross Country Rider
from Arvada, CO
Date Reviewed: March 3, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Westside Cycles | | Strengths: | Rear suspension performance, dollar value of specs and frame, ride quality both up and down the "hills". | | Weaknesses: | Fork (Skareb Comp), tires (personal preference), original Avid brake pads. | | Similar Products Used: | 3 Previous hardtails. | | Bike Setup: | Stock, except for new Marzocchi MX Pro ETA fork, Time pedals, Thomson seatpost, 2.3 Conti Vertical Pro tires, and Koobie saddle. | | Bottom Line: | My first full-suspension purchase and I haven't been disappointed. LBW (Westside) gave me a great deal and their service has been fantastic!
Stock Hutchison tires were too slick and skinny but would be ok for racing on mainly hardpack. The trails I ride are rocky and loose so switching to the Conti's is something I recommend. The Skareb Comp fork was the only disappointment as it is merely a "price point" item. It would take the edge off of hits but nothing else. The bike felt somewhat imbalanced with this fork. After 300 miles I found oil on the stanchion so I knew it was time for another Marzocchi. I went with the MX Pro w/ ETA which has been awesome! Why anyone would buy a Manitou product is beyond me . . .On my S-Works hardtail the Manitou had the internals replaced twice before the stancions finally cracked. I've NEVER had a problem with a Marzocchi (The S-Works has had an X-Fly for the past 3 years with no problems.) Bottom line, swap out the fork if you can. The Zoke balances the bike very well. The increase in stability and steering precision is very noticeable . .not to mention the increase in travel. The extra 3/4 lb of fork is easily lost by a few less cookies throughout the year . .well worth it!
The ride quality is excellent as the rear shock feels quite plush to me. To test the "no pedal feedback" claim by Giant I did a number of sprints (standing and seated) in the street and found that the shock (when set up as recommended)moved only 1-2mm. Yes, it works. Also remains active when climbing.
The Avid Mechanical brakes have been interesting in that there is occasionally a ghost squeal when I am NOT using them. The stock pads wore out at 175 miles but were replaced free of charge (Avid tech support is great). New pads are wearing fine. The fork replacement has solved the front brake squeal, as the Skareb was just too flexy for this bike. I replaced the small wire brake pad holder on the rear and the noise is almost completely gone.
Bottom line: I would recommend this bike to anyone looking for a great value in full suspension bike. The wheels are strong and except for the Manitou Skareb I've had no complaints. The bike is fast, efficient, plush and with a few upgrades as things wear out can be reasonably light. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Craig
a Weekend Warrior
from Alexandria, VA, USA
Date Reviewed: February 20, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Schaeffer Farms, MD | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1300.00 | | Purchased At: | Performance | | Strengths: | Price, components (good bang for the buck I think), Avid Mechanicals have gotten rave reviews (though I have noticed that squealing which kind of comes and goes, and I have had very, very minor adjustment issues) - NO WEIRD FRAME GEOMETRY SO IT'S REALLY EASY TO PUT ONTO MY TRUNK RACK - DIDN'T NEED TO GET A WHOLE NEW ROOF RACK TO TOTE THE BIKE AROUND!!! (After all, I have a Ford Focus sedan). This was a selling point in itself. | | Weaknesses: | Did not like the stock tires (never have, but changed out to Panaracer Fire XC Pro's on front and rear - red sidewalls match the bike nicely, and it made a huge difference in the way it handles), the brake noise (i'll get over it for the price), the seat (soon to be replaced w/ the Performance brand Forte Pro SL w/ Ti rails which I like a lot - have it on all my bikes now), the color (not too big on the red), I wish there were more travel in the fork like with the Pilot on the NRS3; the pedals, but i had not intention of keeping those and replaced them w/ a pair of Time Z's; the chain (yep, replaced); needs more/better cable guides; does Chris King make an integrated headset yet? That's a staple in my house... All these are minor issues though. | | Similar Products Used: | First full suspension, so nothing similar really. I still have a pretty nicely decked out 2000 GT Rebound hardtail I use for tooling around, particulary for trail riding and around town w/ slicks. Pretty bulletproof bike as well and i love the geometry. | | Bike Setup: | Everything still stock except: tires (now the Panaracer Fire XC Pros, front and rear); seat is soon to be Performance Forte Pro SL; pedals are now the Time Z's, though I like the Crank Bro's Eggbeater Hammers; NiteRider lighting system as I enjoy local night rides as well. | | Bottom Line: | Great bike, great value. Lots of fun to ride, can't lose it in the woods. Climbs great, very responsive - will make you a more confident rider. Lots of little things that might be annoying like break noise, and the cable guides, chain quality, tires, but all that can be changed pretty cheap and you forget about them 10 minutes into your ride anyway. I'd recommend this bike to just about anyone, especially someone on a budget as I was/am. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
BobKreyole
a Weekend Warrior
from Queens, New York City
Date Reviewed: February 1, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Long Island Greenbelt | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | Peak Mountain Bike Pro Shop, Queens NY | | Strengths: | Light, no pedal feedback resulting in a very responsive handling machine. Its not the bikes fault, its the rider. | | Weaknesses: | Can't blame it on the bike when other riders drop me. Annoying seat post size. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek | | Bike Setup: | Rock Shox Sid dual air fork, Easton EC70 bar, Giant carbon stem, Race Face Prodigy cranks set, Avid mechanical disk, TIME ATAC carbon pedals, WTB saddle & wheels, & XTR drivetrain. | | Bottom Line: | Great cross country bike built for speed. This is a very specific function bike, not an all purpose bike, but can take the rough stuff. Stick to what it was designed for, and you will not be disappointed. This bike climbs like a goat. Was surprised at the absences of pedal feedback. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Glenn
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Angeles, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: December 22, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Westridge Singletracks | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | ATA Cycle, Cambridge, MA | | Strengths: | Efficiency of the NRS is as advertised. Coming off a stiff hardtail, I have only noticed the benefits of full suspension and none of the problems. This is a great bike for someone who wants to ride fast trails and moderate technical sections. It's all around fast but is also very well balanced and tracks beautifully through steep, choppy sections. The Avid mechanicals took a while to dial in, but now, the lever action is so smooth, they modulate well and have fantastic stopping power. | | Weaknesses: | That fork. I didn't even bother and swapped it off the bike out of the box. Sadly, I noticed Giant has further downgraded this fork for the new year. The Hutchinson tires that came with the bike were not ideal for the riding conditions around here, but I won't blame Giant for that. | | Similar Products Used: | '00 Specialized Stumpjumper Comp | | Bike Setup: | Stock with a few choice upgrades: swapped out the Skareb for a Marzocchi MX Comp, Easton EA70 flat bar, Avid Speed Dial Ti levers, Panaracer Fire XC tires (better for the sand and gravel here) | | Bottom Line: | This bike has made me a better rider. I bought it because I wanted the downhill benefits of a full suspension bike without sacrificing uphill speed and it hasn't disappointed. I always trailed off the back of my more experienced riding buddieson the downhills, now I'm setting the pace!
This is a also a very functional bike that I can beat on week in and week out and I don't have to spend a lot of time in bike shops messing around with tubeless tires or hydraulic disc brakes or bizarre suspension systems. After an initial break-in period setting up the suspension and brakes, I have hardly touched the thing other than to ride it and hose it down. Dollar-for-dollar, it's a great value. I'm trying to be as objective as I can, so one point off for that Skareb--but a few choice upgrades (my advice? Pay full retail at the shop and make them EARN IT with extra service and steep discounts off upgrades) and it's a straight-up five chilis! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
BoboTheClown
a Cross Country Rider
from harrisonburg Virginia
Date Reviewed: December 14, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Bike Setup: | marathon S fork, easton riser bar, bontrager mustang wheelset, lx crank/BB | | Bottom Line: | This is an updae to my first post almost a year ago.
It has been a long year for my bike. Not that I have ridden it as much as I would have liked. On my first header I tacoed the front wheel and brok the reverse arch on the crappy skareb. Replaced the front wheel got the fork warrantied ,sold it, and put on a marathon S. Pretty soon after that the BB was creaking took it in and it was shot. Warrantied that and replaced it with an LX crank/BB combo. The rear shock bushings have also developed play and were repaired under warranty.
Now saying all of that, I do really love the bike especially with the new fork. I have not had a problem since all the modifications but in all reality I should not have had to make them this early on in the game.
It may be that I am a little heavier at 195lbs but either way I have put a lot of money into this bike and am planning on keeping it for a while.
Gotta drop my ratings a little bit because of all of the problems I have had. Not necesarrily Giant's fault but it still happened nonetheless. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
john
a Cross Country Rider
from helensburgh nsw australia
Date Reviewed: November 24, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1300.00 | | Purchased At: | bicycles plus nova scotia canada | | Strengths: | value for money&realy dose what gaint claims | | Weaknesses: | i havnt had any. though i have heard of the skareb forks cracking | | Similar Products Used: | fuel 90 klein adept pro | | Bike Setup: | stock but changed the seat | | Bottom Line: | a great bike for any rider that likes to race and ride xc but has to pay for their own bike. i cant understand why people pay alot more for bikes that are not as efficent. the bike climbes better than a hard tail in most xc conditions and dose not need a lock out as there is no bob at all as long as you are under load the whole bike seems to work just as gaint claims wich is a pleasent suprise. i consider this bike to be all most as good as my adept pro but for only about 30% of the price you cant go wrong | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dookie b
a Cross Country Rider
from riverside ca usa
Date Reviewed: November 20, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | woodcrest bikes | | Strengths: | great looks, good weight,works like it says its supposed to, its lasted me a year and counting. | | Weaknesses: | if any i would have to say the wheels | | Similar Products Used: | 98 gt lts1000, diamondback x something, giant warp | | Bike Setup: | 03nrs 2, easton carbon risers, kore stem, 02 duke sl, mavic 317 disc rims, avid mech dics, xt hubs, 03 xt cranks and bottom bracket, wellgo clipless, lx front deraileur, xt rear, deore shifters, avid single digit 7 levers, titec seatpost, flite saddle, panaracer fire xc, xt cassette, giant grips | | Bottom Line: | i bought this bike basicly as a frameset. well actually frame, wheels, and brakes. so i am going to judge it by those 3 things that come stock on the bike.
the mavic wheelset with xt hubs has been good for me although recently i started busting spokes on the rear. i just had the whole wheel respoked to remedy the prob. i feel the wheelset is a bit heavy probably due to the xt disc hubs.
The avid mech brakes have been awsome. No probs what so ever with those.
The frame has performed flawlessly as well. Im a very aggressive xc rider, and has held up through all the rock gardens and fast decents. I dont try to use it for drops or jumps cos thats not what it was made for, but i will take it off the occasional launch or 2 foot drop when i come across them. Besides i have downhill bike when i want to do that sort of thing.
Work with air pressure settings on the shock to suit your riding style. The pressures they recommend makes the bike ride too harsh. I use 10lbs under my weight in the positive and 100 psi in the negative with just a tiny bit of sag. I still get very little bob, if any, even when im standing, and the suspension is much more active on the bumps.
Ive had this bike for a year now, and its still going strong. I would recommend it for anyone looking for a fast riding xc machine. Minus one chili for the wheelset. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dennis
a Weekend Warrior
from Marshfield, MA USA
Date Reviewed: October 31, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Wompatoag State Park Trail System | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | Bikeway | | Strengths: | First Full Suspension Bike riding a Big Sur for four years. Getting to old to be beat up on a hardtail. Excellent suspension and rides like a hardtail on climbs and smooth ground. Slightly heavier than my Big Sur but definitly worth the comfort and my back appreciates the rear suspension. Was concerned with easy damage to disc rotors because I am still learning with my clips. They will take a beating. If you think you bent a rotor before ordering a new one remove the old one and re-attach. I took a major spill and the rotor sprung back to shape after removal. Constant adjustment with these brakes but a major improvement over rim brakes. Avid mechanicals are probably the best available. No brake noise like other reviewers. Check your set up on these I had to bring them back x 2 for adjustment and everyting is fine. | | Weaknesses: | Stock tires really stink for any wet or mud. I immediately changed them after several spills on wet roots etc. and put on Panaracer Dart Kevlar. Problem solved. I guess stock tire would be OK in dry stuff but I don't see dry where I ride at all. Front derailer is poor. Time to shift chain stay is agonizing. Chain has fallen off several times and it is time to take back and get several links removed. Come on Giant this is not rocket science send the bike out with the right chain length. Paint chips just looking at it. Final finish coating is very poor with no protective qualities.
| | Similar Products Used: | Big Sur, Tested a Gary Fischer Sugar 2+ $4,000.00 bike on demo day and suck a chain 3 times in 2 miles and my son suck his x 2 in the same distance. Come on Gary this is costing you big time. This has been a problem for two years. Fix it. | | Bike Setup: | Stock except changed tires after two rides to Panaracer Dart Kevlars for my wet riding. | | Bottom Line: | Excellent bike for the money compared to bikes that cost as much as $800.00 to a $1,000.00 more. You will not be disappointed. Giant has an excellent distribution network. My store dealer is great. A great bike for the weekend warrior or the racer. This bike will perform for many type riders. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim Irons
a Weekend Warrior
from Bedford
Date Reviewed: October 23, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Rowney Warren | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Grafham Water Cycles | | Strengths: | The rear suspension really does work well. During a recent 3500 on road ascent with a Gary Fisher hardtail I found myself wishing I was riding the Giant. The ride is quite not as plush as the Sub 5, but the improved handling cross country is easily worth it. There is no real sensation of having suspension, except improved handling and a better ride. The brakes have worked extremely well, never fading even after long fast descents, and the bike is extremely stable at speed. Forty on the right road is not at all scary, whereas I have always bottled it on my OCR2 road bike. Chain slap over rough ground, which affects all my mates bikes does not happen. | | Weaknesses: | The gears were a great disappointment and seem a big retrograde step from my 6 year old 7 speed LX. The rear change is not smooth under power, which is sometimes necessary, and was always fine on my old bike. The front suffers badly from chain suck and will be going back to the dealer to have this looked at before the chain saws through the chainstay. The cables rub in several places, but I found all bar one before setting off on my first ride and managed to tape them all before any damage was done. I did experience ghost shifting as the chain stretched, but this was easily fixed with a little adjustment. Brake squeal and a tinging from the front forks went away as everything bedded in. | | Similar Products Used: | Orange Sub 5, Marin Rock Springs, Gary Fisher Big Sur | | Bike Setup: | As supplied | | Bottom Line: | For the level of equipment the bike seems to be exceptional value. The dealer was very helpful and enthusiastic, and let me have a decent (two hours off road) ride on a range of bikes.
The suspension is everything Giant claim it to be, and does an excellent job behind the scenes. Small bumps do make it through, but larger ones are eliminated and the bike just gets on and does its stuff. Hill climbing is easy but I was always faster than my mates anyway so it is hard to say if it is faster than a hardtail.
Minor details let the bike down, a few more cable guides would eliminate the rubbing. Having cables under the top tube gets in the way of shouldering the bike. There is a bottle mount on the down tube instead of a crud catcher mount. The seat post clamp is on the muddy side of the seat post. Last but not least the gears need improvement. Six years and a step up in quality should have resulted in a better not a worse product. I can only hope that things get better with a bit of wear on this front. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mark Stebles
a Cross Country Rider
from Bromley, Kent, UK
Date Reviewed: October 16, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2100.00 | | Purchased At: | bigfoot bikes | | Strengths: | The rear suspension is the best I have ridden, no power lost once set up correctly, making it very fast at acceleration, plus giving it sharp handling. but at the same time the rear end is still very soft when going over the most minor of bumps, making it comfy, and giving good traction. Great value for the spec u get on it, and the brakes are great, better than hope mini's, you can do stoppies from 40mph without any brake fade. Forks are great very plush, all the other components are good and i like the saddle, just the right shape and softness. and its very light too, making it easy going when climbing. great on cornering on the edge of grip, give good feed back. | | Weaknesses: | None really, if u enjoy fast cross country riding and also fast road riding this is the bike for you. just being picky, but I get a bit more chain slap than i expected, so i reduced the links by 3. Not that much mud clearance at the back end around the tyre. | | Similar Products Used: | I tested several bikes before I decided on this one, including a gary fisher sugar 2, Whyte prst4, specialized epic & enduro, Marin east peak, trek liquid. And i think the giant was the best suited to me. because it felt the fastest while still having plush travel. the epic, is faster but is very harsh and only absorbs the biggest of bumps, and all the rest were too slugish for me. | | Bike Setup: | I'm 11 stone(70kg) and i find the best rear shock pressure is 175psi + and 50psi -. or 200psi + and 100psi -. with this bike its all about balancing the rear shock on the edge of having no sag, and takes a bit of fine tuning to get it right. with a higher pressure in the -negative ie 100psi, this gives it a smoother transition form zero sag to full travel, but also requires a higher positve pressure. but thats how i prefer to run it, just so it is very smooth. | | Bottom Line: | The best xc full sus bike in the world and at a great price. The no sag system really does work and is what makes this bike the best. So fats yet so smooth. Great commuting bike too, if you up the tyre pressures to 60psi, its very sharp and nimble on the road. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe
a Cross Country Rider
from Olathe, KS, USA
Date Reviewed: October 10, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Kill Creek, BuRP, Landahl, Clinton Lake, Perry Lake | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1450.00 | | Purchased At: | Bikesource, OP | | Strengths: | Good value for components, climbs like a hardtail | | Weaknesses: | front shock, brakes noisy | | Similar Products Used: | GT LTS3 | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | Brakes have been noisy since day one, replaced pads after 3 months and 300 miles. Finally quieted them down. Still need constant adjustment and are wearing out fast again.
Main reason I post this review is because the skarab shock broke in two the other night. See reviews of skarab comp for more details. Seems this is a common problem with manitou shocks. If you own one of these bikes with a skarab shock I highly recomend checking it closely, especially around the crown where it attaches to the lowers, for cracks/breakage.
Manitou (Answer) is being very responsive in fixing the problem. I only hope the new lowers they are sending have been redesigned to address the problem. | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brad
a Cross Country Rider
from Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Date Reviewed: September 24, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | TRTP | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1395.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Light, Fast, Plush, Tough.
Pretty decent stock components for the price.
This is my first MTB and it has performed up to my expectations so far. | | Weaknesses: | Brakes squeel sometimes to the point of insanity.
Brake adjustment is very finicky, they need adjusted all the time.
Ghost shifting if the rear derailer and cable is not adjusted exactly right.
Chain suck going from the middle to granny gear in front, although that may be caused from my poor shifting technique.
Paint scratches pretty easily, especially from the cables. | | Similar Products Used: | Never had another bike, but compared this one to the trek fuel series. | | Bike Setup: | all stock, except replaced the seat and put "regular" pedals on because I was afraid of the clip pedals | | Bottom Line: | This bike has performed well except for the minor things listed above. I ride mostly on hard packed trail and haven't done a lot of big climing yet.(not in shape for it) the trail I primarily ride is relatively flat and fast with a number of steep ups and downs. The tires are great on this type of terain. I have had some traction problems in mud however.
I think this bike is a pretty good value for the money. Now that I am a little more experienced riding, I will probably either replace the front forks for ones with more stiffness or stiffen up the ones it has, if possible. I am a 210 pounder and have definitly given this bike a workout. I can and have taken 3-4 foot drops with no problem. The rear shock soaks them right up. This is my first bike, so I can't really compare it to anything, other than to say for me it has been great. I am taking away one chilli on the overall rating because of the brake issues. I think at this price the brakes shoudn't be that way, but I'm happy overall. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Fred Bassett
a Cross Country Rider
from West Greenwich, RI, USA
Date Reviewed: September 16, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Big River | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1300.00 | | Purchased At: | East Providence Cycle | | Strengths: | This bike is relatively light at Approx. 28lbs, and has a great component spec for the money. I've ridden it hard about 3 times a week for six months and it has been rock solid. | | Weaknesses: | The Avid mechanical discs do not seem as powerful as a properly set up xt v-brake system. | | Similar Products Used: | Giant ATX 880, Proflex 955, Marin Team Issue, Schwinn S-10,Trek 800, Litespeed Toccoa | | Bike Setup: | 2003 XTR crankset (Purchased on Ebay for $300 and worth every penny),Thompson Post (light&strong), xtr chain, xt cassette,richtey tgv grips (try these if you have a medium size hand, you'll love them), Continental 2.3 Vertical Pro Tires (Does not roll as fast as the stock Hutchinsons, but transforms the bike from a pure cross country bike to a great all conditions machine) | | Bottom Line: | As you can see I have swapped some parts on my rig, but it had little to do with the performance of the stock equipment, and a lot to do with personal preference. This bike performs beautifully in any condition,except for big freeride (wrong category machine). That being said I have ridden this bike Downhill at Killington for 3 days and it was great with the bigger rubber. I predominately ride cc(read: fast semi-technical). The terrain here is rocky, rooty, and can be wet, so don't mistake cc for boring. This bike in my opinion is one of the fastest ways to cover cc terrain, coming off of a litespeed hardtail I can honestly say that surprised me. The hardtail still has the edge in buffed out singltrack, but as it gets bumpier the NRS shows its superiority with its ability to keep the rubber hooked up, both climbing and descending, and by taking the edge off the hits. If it lost a pound or three I truly believe the hardtail would be on the trailer for good (ahhh to have more expendable income). I never write reviews, but the reason I'm writing this is to help anyone trying to decide whether or not to buy this bike, in my opinion for the money this is the best cc full suspension bike there is. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jake
a Cross Country Rider
from San Jose, CA
Date Reviewed: September 4, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1300.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Build quality, forks, brakes and great overall balance. | | Weaknesses: | Chain and pedals. | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Bike shop changed damaged chain with Sachs. I replaced pedals that were difficult to exit and added Prodigy stem. Longer stem was needed to fine tune rider fit. | | Bottom Line: | Like others, made change from many years of riding hardtail (older rider). Looked at/rode many FS bikes and kept returning to this one. Pleased with well thought out and wise choice of components and performance of FS system. Skareb Comp is stiction free after wear-in. Rear shock works great with rebound knob offering fine tuning. Read setup literature and adjust forks and shock accordingly. Avid brakes work very well, easy adjustment (read instructions) and simply rinse pads to reduce noise. One "ghost" shift. Reset barrel adjuster for cable stretch and hasn't happened again. Did find a need to change my riding style on downhills - helps to stay seated and let the suspension do it's job. Seems way too simple to prevent all to common cable housing paint damage. Buy some clear plastic tape at OSH and cover affected areas. Cheap, easy and one less complaint. Very well balanced bicycle overall. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Weekend Warrior
from St. Catharines
Date Reviewed: August 29, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | 1400 | | Strengths: | The no bob system performs as Giant claims. There is no doubt this bike climbs better than my old hardtail. Technical hills that I might make one time out of three on my old bike are no problem with the NRS2. Bike is light for a full suspension in this price range. Giant (generally) did not cheap out on the components. | | Weaknesses: | The ghost shifting problem that people have complained about in previous years is still there, although it is not as bad. Keeping the rear derailleur adjusted exactly seems to prevent it. However, I have noticed a different type of shifting problem involving the front derailleur. When shifting from the middle chainring to the granny gear the chain will often ride up over the chainstay. What happens is the chain coming off the bottom of the chain ring loops up over the chainstay and scrapes along the top of it until it drops back off before contacting the rear derailleur. This does not cause the chain to jam. It just makes an awful grinding sound and scrapes all of the paint off the chainstay. You can get the chain back in place by shifting the front derailleur up and down a couple of times. I can't believe no one else is complaining about this because it has happened to me several times.
Also, I find the Avid mechanical brakes, which most people seem to think are wonderful, are very difficult to keep adjusted. The problem is that both rotors have a slight warp. It isn't very much, probably not much more than 1/32 of an inch. But this warp means the pads have to be backed off a little more than normal to keep them from rubbing on the rotor on either the high or low point. The trouble is, if you back them off this far, they squeal so bad the whole bike vibrates. Tighten them up so that they don't squeal, and they rub on the rotor. I find that I am constantly adjusting them, looking for that nonexistent point between rub and squeal. I've just about reached the point where I am going to take an adjustable wrench to the rotors to see if I can bend them into shape.
The stock Titec seatpost is a POS (read the reviews). The stock Shimano pedals are cheap. The rear shock on my bike was blown when I took delivery. It would not hold pressure in the negative chamber. LBS replaced it with another from last years NRS2 that was still on the floor. This one is still working well. The stock WTB saddle just did not fit the shape of my butt. I replaced it with a Selle Italia Fight.
The suspension design means this bike is not sensitive to small bumps and road irregularities. It takes a fairly large impact for the rear suspension to become active. Most of the time, it feels just like a hardtail. | | Similar Products Used: | Norco, Devinci | | Bike Setup: | Time ATAC's. Thompson seatpost and stem. Selle Italia Flight saddle. Stock handlebar was too wide. LBS cut an inch off each end. | | Bottom Line: | I am not quite as enthusiastic about this bike as most of the other reviewers. The shifting problems, while not major, are something that should not occur on a bike in this price range. The brake problems make me wish I had a good set of rim brakes. However, I think you would be hard pressed to find a lighter full suspension bike in this price range. It definitely rides and climbs better than a hardtail. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Marc
a Cross Country Rider
from Lawrenceville, Ga. USA
Date Reviewed: August 22, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Chicopee oods (ZigZag) | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$900.00 | | Purchased At: | Slick Rock Cycles, Moab Ut. | | Strengths: | Light, fast, and efficient rig that eases the transition from hardtail to dually. | | Weaknesses: | Piss poor cable routing rubs the nice factory finish off in no time. | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale Scalpel, Tomac 98 special, Giant VT2, Kona Kikapu Deluxe. | | Bike Setup: | Manitou Black SE, Time Atac Alium, Way short titec helbent's, Panaracer Firepro XC's 2.1 | | Bottom Line: | I bought this bike cheap as it was a 4 month old rental rig. Slick Rock Cycles did a nice job, packing and shipping, and the bike is mechanically very nice. The upgraded Manitou Black SE is an awesome fork, and this bike feels very similar to My Moab1 hardtail...except it smooths out the rough stuff. The parts spec is impressive, and I love the Avid Mechanicals. Rim brakes really do suck! The bike was a little lathargic at first because of the too wide Titec Hellbent bars and monster truck spec Ritchey ZMax 2.3's. Cutting down the bars and replacing the tires with the Firepro Xc's did the trick. The real bottom line is that I felt at home on this bike after only a couple of rides. I have since turned my first sub 1 hour ride at the 1996 olympic Mountain bike course. If you want an efficient peddler and don't need ultra plush (because it aint) check this bike out! Kudos to Giant. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike D
a Cross Country Rider
from Long Beach, Ca
Date Reviewed: August 19, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | how can you pick just one?? | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$1250.00 | | Purchased At: | Jones Bikes Long Beach | | Strengths: | Light weight for a full suspension. NRS rides up like a hardtail, but comes to life on the downhill. Giant specs great parts for the money! Raceface cranks at this level are great! But NRS 1 does have the "real" raceface (Canadian made) -which is what I have now :) | | Weaknesses: | factory cables are not long enough for rear DR, and chain should be shortened. | | Similar Products Used: | this is a rebuild of my 2000' NRS with some new parts added... Giant sent me an entirely new frame (with rear SID shock) because the older frame had developed a shifting problem. | | Bike Setup: | RaceFace (canada) cranks, Pyslo Race (air) up front, Avid mechanical disc (had to lose those anoying Hayes Hydros), LX pods and shifters, Avid speed-dail levers. | | Bottom Line: | This is a rebuild of my 00' frame, when I called Giant for advice on why I could only run as big as 1.75" tire in back, the technican said I had tweaked the frame somehow and they sent me a new one in 3 days! (no charge). This allowed me to rebuild the bike with parts I had been wanting to try out with the NRS frameset. The Psylo fork has been the biggest (happy) surprise for me. Since most of the people I talked with said it was a total POS. Although much heavier than the spec'd SID fork, the Psylo has so much less flex. I can hammer into corners with more confidance since I'm 195lbs right now, I wanted that extra piece of mind. Psylo Race from 02' is air-air, with lockout. The new Psylo's seems very mushy too me. As far as shifting problems go, the rear section works best if you keep the housing solid on the seatstays (don't use the factory stops on the rear triangle at all). The chain is OK quality, but should be shortened before the first ride (about 4 links should do it) also look to take the "dark" colored pin out when shortening chain... this is pressed in and can sometimes cause that link to stick. Awsome product, the best non-bob bike I've ever tried! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Martin
a Cross Country Rider
from Netherlands
Date Reviewed: August 18, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1800.00 | | Purchased At: | local bike shop | | Strengths: | NRS system, MPH brakes, Manitou fork, race face crank an BB. | | Weaknesses: | cheap cables and chain. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek Y, Trek fuel | | Bike Setup: | EBC brake pads, gore cables, sedis chain, conitinental twister tires | | Bottom Line: | This is a superb bike. Forks dont seem stiff when you test them not riding, but on the track damping is superb an there's no detectable flex. Replaced brake pads for EBD ones for extra power and less wear. Repleaced crappy chain cause i didn't wanted to ruin my RaceFace crankset.
Ride it without sag if you want absolutely no energy loss. But as in the manual, you can set it with sag! beware that it sags enough (minimal 7 mm at the shock) or else it'll top out every pedal stroke. But adjusted properly with sag it rides amazingly plush, goes downhill like on a sofa, and doesn't bob, it's completely neutral. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ben Schmalz
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenix, AZ 85022
Date Reviewed: August 16, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Trail 100, Porcupine Rim | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS - Phoenix Bicyles | | Strengths: | Non-Bob and plush downhill. SUPER value. | | Weaknesses: | A little heavier than some, but only slightly. | | Similar Products Used: | Epic Disc, Blur, Fuel 90 | | Bike Setup: | Thomson Stem and Seatpost, Race-Face riser bar, Fox TALAS RLC. I also ditched the integrated FSA headset and got the Giant reducers and am running a Chris King Headset. | | Bottom Line: | This bike is confidence inspiring. Specialized may have been the first to use the 4-link suspension, but Giant perfected the geometry. They didn't need to use a "Brain Shock", that's either on or off anyway. If you are looking for a XC full suspension bike and want the best value....
HERE IT IS!!!!!!!!!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
NM
a Cross Country Rider
from USA
Date Reviewed: August 5, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Strengths: | Good standard components (XT/LX, XT hubs, disk brakes)
Not too heavy, good look | | Weaknesses: | Weak paint job, could use 100mm of front fork travel instead of 80mm. | | Similar Products Used: | Treak Fuel 90 | | Bike Setup: | Stock for now | | Bottom Line: | For the price (1500$ US), you get some pretty good standard components. The rear suspension works well and no bob at all is felt during uphills climbs. The brakes are more then strong enough for cross-country.
Stock tires are good with minimal friction but not the best in muddy situations.
Overall, a realy great bike for the price if you use it for what it is intend, cross country...
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
greg
a
from Edmomton,Canada
Date Reviewed: July 27, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1800.00 | | Purchased At: | velo city ,edmomton ab. | | Strengths: | the bike does what promised(no bob),you get the same frame and rear shock on all the nrs packages making upgrading worth while,the value (1800 can) is unmatched by few if any other bike manufacturers out there , I have seen other bikes with the same specs for twice as much. | | Weaknesses: | the bolt on the titec seat post snaped in two twice on me , nearly castrating me.the second time the shop just replaced it with a more durable post | | Similar Products Used: | norco hardtail | | Bike Setup: | stock eccept big al stem,2.2 tire on the front and a manitou black (4" & 4.75") | | Bottom Line: | I ride all trails and have beaten the hell out of this bike and its holding up great.I've done a few 4' drops and I've had alot of tumbles with it(one when I landed straight on top of the frame)and no problems.The suspension does whats promised and the more power you lay on the more the rear end stiffens up, but there is a drawback to the suspension design.The bike isn't small bump sensitive(you have to hit it pretty hard to use the last half of the travel)and when your on rough track and laying on the power the bike has alot of feedback because of the no sag and the back end trying to top out the shock when peddling causing you to fight the bumps.Basicly it rides like a hardtale when pedling and is active the rest of the time,its a good design and hard to beat.This bike is a great crosscountry , trail(set up right)bike with unbeatable value. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ian
a Cross Country Rider
from High Wycombe
Date Reviewed: July 22, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Great value package - seems mostly Shimano XT level kit which you normally have to pay much more for. Once setup everything seems to work reliably. Bob doesn't seem too bad once the shocks are adjusted. Brakes are both powerful and controllable but they can get hot so don't rest against your legs after heavy use or you'll get a surprise. I've had a couple of falls and nothing broke on the bike. Haven't tried any serious drops as I'm chicken and the bike isn't intended for that is it? Very enjoyable and seems to be much more comfortable than hardtails. Climbs well on rough stuff - I catch up fitter friends on hardtails when climbing hard over roots and bumps. I prefer it on roads to my road bike for the comfort and with the tyres pumped up it even goes at an acceptable speed. | | Weaknesses: | Front brake squeals appallingly sometimes, seems linked to specific humidity / temperature. Also had some trouble adjusting front brake as the caliper wasn't centered on the disk. It does bob unless you have it set so hard the suspension is pointless but a bit of bob doesn't seem to impare progress except on really hard smooth stuff so not really a weakness. Forks are coil so you might need to change springs. | | Similar Products Used: | Various old nails and friends bikes! | | Bike Setup: | Put in a hard fork spring - don't use the very hardest one unless you're an elephant. I'm 200lbs and I didn't need it. I swapped the stem to suit me and put Panaracer Trailblasters on as the stock tyres (Hutchison Python Airlights) were fast and light but seemed a bit unpredictable in mud. Adjusted brake lever and shifter positions for my big mits. I plan to add the optional fork lockout for long climbs on road which Manitou offer. You'd only really want it on road. | | Bottom Line: | Love it. Great bike for those that take their cycling seriously but aren't pros. You'd need to be pretty damn good to justify a better bike than this. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Houston, TX
Date Reviewed: July 14, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Rocky Hill Ranch | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Great overall ride, especially climbing. Truly a no bob design. Big step-up in ride and components (suspension and disc brakes) from my hardtail at the same weight (27 lbs). On this bike, big descents are a blast! Brakes - great stopping power especially in wet conditions. Great bike at the price! | | Weaknesses: | 1) Tires. Tore the sidewall on my second ride.
2) Broke the chain on my third ride.
3) Some ghost shifting problems that have been cured with rear derailleur adjustments.
4) Pedals. Switched to Shimano Multi-Release Cleats and solved release problems but they're still mud magnets. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Rockhoppper | | Bike Setup: | Swapped handlebars for a 1 inch riser bar. Will upgrade drivetrain and front fork in the future. | | Bottom Line: | I recommend getting this bike. Great bike overall! I'm still learning how to ride a full suspension but already taking on tougher terrain than before and riding longer with less abuse on my body. Still playing with the rear suspension setup but have settled on an upper chamber setting of my weight plus 5 to 10 psi or 185 psi and 70 psi in the lower chamber. Better ride and components than other comparable bike that I tried. Switch to a full suspension! If you're worried about the weight, cut back on the burritos and beer. Knocked off 1 chili for initial drive train problems. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jim
a Cross Country Rider
from Eureka, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: June 29, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Tish Tang Ridge | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Revolution Bicycle Repair, Arcata, CA | | Strengths: | Good value and great basic specs. such as drivetrain, brakes, and hubs. Avid mechanicals are great. Hutchinson Pythons good for gravel and hard-pack. Pretty color, which I like much better than the NRS 1. Comfortable all day ride. I can ride this longer with less fatigue than my hardtail. | | Weaknesses: | Heavy compared to my hardtail which I notice on our steep local climbs. Front fork too soft so I ordered heavier springs. I will upgrade the fork in the future for a lighter one with a lock out for racing. Hutchinson Pythons perform poorly in our local mud. | | Similar Products Used: | New to full suspension | | Bike Setup: | Stock, except for stiffer fork springs | | Bottom Line: | Great value and good performance. Competitive cross country racers may want to spend more for a lighter rig. I road an NRS Air and definetely climbed faster, but it costs twice as much! However, I think by upgrading the front fork you could have an ideal all-around-bike. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
roger stilder
a Cross Country Rider
from barcelona,spain
Date Reviewed: June 29, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1800.00 | | Strengths: | manitou skareb fork,nrs system really works as advertised,ok tyres (python),weight not too high | | Weaknesses: | brakes (hydraulic mph2 giant disc brakes)
a lot more expensive in europe than in usa | | Bike Setup: | as stocked | | Bottom Line: | well,coming from a decathlon 8.1,i wanted a dual with a similar feeling of a rigid one,and nrs2 really gave me that i expected and beyond,i improved my times on all tracks,a biy pricey but quality product except for brakes not too strong. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric
a Cross Country Rider
from Atlanta, GA, USA
Date Reviewed: June 25, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Blankets Creek | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Roswell Bicycles | | Strengths: | Great specs for the price. The bike really performs well, it absolutely blazes on singletrack and climbs very well. Everything about this ride is an upgrade for me! | | Weaknesses: | Yeah, the paint rubs under the cables. The pedals are a little tough to get out of. Initial cable stretch was significant - be aware of this the first week you have the bike! | | Similar Products Used: | Previously on $500 Diamondback hardtail. Tested a Sugar 3+ (expensive, especially with disks - didn't want chain suck) and a Stumpjumper FSR (seemed too soft) | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | So far I have gotten exactly what I wanted out of the NRS. It does not bob at all, soaks up bumps well, and has great traction in all but very muddy conditions.
I've had it on three local trails plus a trip to the north Georgia mountains and I like it more and more as I ride it! I have noticed the biggest difference on fast singletrack - I find myself carying much more speed than I used to and accelerating harder. Next month I'm taking it to Tsali, NC for four days and tons of riding - I can't wait!
I have also had a couple good wipeouts on it and the bike seems fine. I DID NOT want to spend this kind of cash and have a bike that chainsucked or cracked frames every week. So far so good.
The bottom line: It's proven technology that delivers what it promises. I am going faster and having more fun, what more do you want from a bike? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kevin
a Cross Country Rider
from Ottawa, ON, Canada
Date Reviewed: June 24, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | Full Cycle | | Strengths: | - fantastic on the uphills (the rear tracks really well)
- the avid mechanical discs are more than enough braking power
- for the price, you are getting a pretty good setup (XT/LX, XT hubs, race face cranks, mech. discs, skareb)
- the oil/coil skareb is pretty plush
| | Weaknesses: | - the bike could be a little bit lighter (small frame, stock = approx 28 lbs)
- Giant needs to make smaller frames (ie. 15.5!)
- | | Similar Products Used: | My previous ride was a Specialized M2 Stumpjumper, w/SID SL, XT setup, etc. | | Bike Setup: | - stock (except I replaced the big ring in the front with a bash guard) | | Bottom Line: | For the price, its a great bike. Even if you have more money to spend, its still a great bike to get! The only thing I would replace eventually is the LX front derail. And maybe better pedals. BUT otherwise, its a great cross country / trail bike. Its more than enough travel for stuff around here in Ottawa, and it will survive weekend trips to Bromont and Vermont as well. For me, it was switching over from a hardtail, so it made a huge difference in the comfort of my rides... and how much longer I can ride for. Even though the bike is about 5 lbs heavier than my previous hardtail (Stumpjumper @ 23 lbs), I can climb faster up and ride down faster with this bike. I weight 135 lbs, so I haven't had any issues with the fork flexing and stuff like other people have had.
My only beef with this bike (or Giant in general) is their "small" frame is a 16.5"... I am only 5'6, and I would have preferred a 15.5" frame. But w/a bit larger bike, you get a longer wheel base (faster, more stable), but not quite as quick around tight corners. So, if some Giant rep is reading this, make a 15.5" frame (XS!)
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andre
a Cross Country Rider
from Moncton NB
Date Reviewed: June 23, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | East coast riding | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | Inclined Sports | | Strengths: | Great bikes, great specs, nice and light, non bob when riding and climbs very well | | Weaknesses: | Pretty weak tires...will new ones | | Similar Products Used: | Any high end dual xc bikes | | Bike Setup: | as is | | Bottom Line: | This is my first dual suspension bike coming from a very stiff GT Avalanche and i am very happy with the way it rides. Anyone who's looking for a great dual xc bike this is the one for you. I was very suprised with the no bob when climbing up hills and very smooth riding on downhills and xc trails. Best value for the money out of any bikes out there. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Peter
a Cross Country Rider
from Canberra
Date Reviewed: June 5, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Brindabellas, (well whats left after the fires...) | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | supple ride, the whole package works pretty well. | | Weaknesses: | There are a few.
1. the brake pads wore out after a few months.
2. The creaking seat post drove me mad until I put a small layer of grease on it.
3. My NRS does what others have described as 'ghost shifting'. When in the big cog on the rear and going up steep hills, the chain will hunt between cogs. The result is ugly noises coming from the drivetrain and a lack of forward momentum when you most need it, ie. going uphill. I am surprised that Giant have not fixed this problem yet as it was identified at least a couple of years ago for the NRS range. Poor show Giant.
4. The chain broke after 4 months.
5. The shimano 505 pedals often do not release smoothly and are deathtraps (although a recent application of industrial lubricant has improved their performance a bit).
6. Yes, my paint has worn off arund the cable guides as well. | | Similar Products Used: | Just about everything before purchasing the NRS2. I could have gone for the NRS3 as well, but found that the little dampening doodad on the SID rear shock actually makes a big difference, and was worth paying the extra money for. | | Bike Setup: | standard, although clipped a bit off each end of the handlebars | | Bottom Line: | Having approached 40 years old I believe it is no longer compulsory to be uncomfortable, either during or after a long XC ride. I wanted something fast yet comforteable and spent a lot of time looking around for the right bike after the previous hardtail was nicked. In the end I settled for the NRS2 which I have found to be supple and well balanced. I can ride it for longer and with greater enjoyment than I could on my Avanti hardtail. Apart from minor annoyances due to the weaknesses identified above, I am pretty happy with the bike.... Well actually very happy. It suits my ridng needs very well. I have a go at a few XC races and do a fair bit of weekend riding on trails. I am gladdened to hear that others use their NRS's for large drop offs and their bikes havent broken, but personally I wouldn't use mine for this. I reckon its best suited to those who enjoy fast riding over broken terrain. The bottom line is 1) I still look forward to getting out and riding it 2) I still think I'm a bit clever when I float over the bumps 3) I'm not shattered when I get home....not bad eh. (Note: One chilli deducted from the value rating because Giant have not fixed the chain ghosting)
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Katrina
a Cross Country Rider
from Canberra, Australia
Date Reviewed: June 5, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Kowen Forest (since we lost Stomlo to fires.....) | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2100.00 | | Purchased At: | The Bike Shed, Phillip, ACT | | Strengths: | 1. The overall lightness of the bike. It is much lighter than my Trek 4900 hardtail!
2. The handling - it is very nimble around corners and it is excellent for technical descents.
3. Climbing ability - the traction is incredible. It really does climb like a goat. You just stay seated and climb up the hill! There is no rear bob at all.
4. The very smooth running gear. The LX gear are just fine.
| | Weaknesses: | Haven't found any yet! (and actually, I don't think I will find any). | | Similar Products Used: | Trek 4900, Trek 6500 (both hardtails though but used for XC racing). | | Bike Setup: | Standard with the following modifications/upgrades:
1. changed seat to a Fi'zik one (personal preference)
2. changed handlebars to Eastons (much narrower - I could have cut the existing bars down but it was easier to just change them and the shop did a great deal)
3. grips - I didn't like the ones it came with (again personal preference)
4. headstem - I need a slightly shorter one to give me a better range of movement when descending (ie to get back behind the seat!)
5. forks - I changed to Rock Shox SID Race
6. Pedals - Look eggbeaters (fabulous pedals!!) | | Bottom Line: | This is a great bike!! I'm giving it 5 out of 5!!
I have come from using Trek 6500 and Trek 4900 (both hardtails), and am very happy to have made the switch to a dual suspension bike. I feel that the bike has improved my handling of single-track immensely. It climbs like a goat, and descends like a dream. I have changed from emitting yelps of fear when decending to joyful screams of "yahoo" and the like!! Awesome!!
I think it is well-priced and comes with great components. I just made a few upgrades because I had budgeted to spend more and figured that it was worthwhile to upgrade the forks and pedals. I have to say the Look eggbeaters are brilliant. Smooth as butter to clip in and out of, crazy-light and there is nowhere for mud to stick (this was a big factor in the purchase of them given the rain we've been having lately!). In Australia dollars, I spent $3,500.
For readers info, I bought the size small frame, and am 5'4" in height and weigh 60 kg. It is a perfect fit (with the shorter headstem).
Also, just have to say a huge THANKS to Brian of Hammer and Cycle and especially to Chris of The Bike Shed in Phillip. Excellent advice pre-sale, excellent service on purchase (Chris spent heaps of time with me setting up the shocks perfectly), and brilliant aftersales service. Lovin' your work guys!
If you're thinking of a buying a dualie, give some thought to Giant NRS2! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
matt bunton
a Racer
from portland or
Date Reviewed: June 3, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | forest park | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | 1350 | | Strengths: | very light good components. no bob | | Weaknesses: | good looking paint job but scratches easy. forkhad defect and had to be shipped back | | Similar Products Used: | kona kikapu | | Bike Setup: | normal stock | | Bottom Line: | great bike. ok for small drops 4ft. a good race bike | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sean Henry
a Cross Country Rider
from Parsippany
Date Reviewed: May 29, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Ringwood State park | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | James Vincent | | Strengths: | Great front and rear shock. Soaks up bumps like they weren't there. Huge change from my Specialized Hardtail. Definetly picked up speed and fatigue less on this bike. Better recovery as well. | | Weaknesses: | Weak paint job, after a 2 weeks and three rides it's already rubbing off under the cables. A bit more give in the Avid brakes instead of my V-Brakes, but I attribute that to cable strech.Not a big fan of the Python Air Lite tires, might switch over to Velociraptors. | | Similar Products Used: | Coming off a Specialized Hardrock A-1 Comp | | Bike Setup: | Stock. | | Bottom Line: | Does just what I expected it to do and more. Looked at the Liquid and the Epic and for the money the Giant seems to do it better and with better components. Overall love the bike just disapointed with the paint issue. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a Cross Country Rider
from Chattanooga
Date Reviewed: May 29, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Bear Creek/Mountain Town | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1499.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Climbs great even after switching from a Stumpjumper M2 HT that I have ridden for the last 5 years. Sucks up the bumps that it should. The bike takes a good bit of the fatigue factor out of the picture. I am no slower on this bike on my usual XC loop than I was on my Stumpjumper, but I feel 10X better after the ride. | | Weaknesses: | Cables are already rubbing the paint off everywhere they touch the frame after 1 week of riding (about 50 miles). I think I am going to be burning through brake pads on the Avid mech's pretty fast. I have been doing a good bit of adjusting especially on the rear during wet muddy rides. I had a pretty good endo and bent the right Avid AD3 brake lever pretty far. I read that they are supposed to have a bend zone to save the rest of the casing. I have XT's on my other bike and have crashed many times and never bent a lever. Ordered the SD7's from Price Point for $29 as a replacement. I'll give Avid one more try. | | Similar Products Used: | Coming off a hardtail Stumpjumper. | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for Time Atac pedals and Panaracer Fire XC rear tire. | | Bottom Line: | This bike does exactly what it is supposed to do. Climbs like a hard tail and still sucks up most of the medium sized roots/rocks/etc. I looked at the Fuel, Epic, and Truth. There may be better bikes, but I personally don't think you can beat the VALUE of this one. Buy this bike if you are looking for a fast XC trail/race bike that smooths out some of the rough stuff and helps keep that back tire on the ground. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jac
a Cross Country Rider
from Nebraska
Date Reviewed: May 28, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Heiden's & Porcupine Rim | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Economical. No Resonance System can almost completely eliminate pedal induced bob if the shock is set firm, say, positive chamber 30+ lbs over rider weight. Skareb fork is light, stiff and spring tension is sufficient for a 150lb rider. Titec, RaceFace and Shimano component selection is appropriate for this mid-level FS bike. Hydro-formed gussets are attractive and make for a strong frame. | | Weaknesses: | OEM Shimano chain. Cable rub on head tube. Avid OEM disc pads are noisy and short lived. I've had great luck with Fibrax replacement pads. | | Similar Products Used: | Epic Pro, Fuel 98, Fuel 80, NRS3 | | Bike Setup: | Basically factory spec. Cut bars two notches, Eggbeaters. | | Bottom Line: | For the money you get a proven full suspension design specifically made for cross country. Giant makes quality bikes and the NRS2 is a good example. I've put 2200 trail miles on this bike and it looks like it should easily go three or four more years before the next bike purchase. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tom S
a Cross Country Rider
from Massachusetts
Date Reviewed: May 26, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Lynn Woods | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Naults Cyclery, Nashua NH | | Strengths: | Everything on this bike seems wonderful, expecially the NRS shock setup, I like how it dosen't bob when pedaling hard, but keeps downhill bumps to a minimum. | | Weaknesses: | Two of the components of this bike that could be upgraded are the tries and the disck brakes. The tires have trouble gripping on wet or loose surface, and the disc brakes are just a pain in the ***. | | Similar Products Used: | Kona Stinky, Kona Kahuna DeeLux, Giant XTC DS2, Specialized Rockhopper FS, Gary Fischer Sugar 3. | | Bike Setup: | The usual | | Bottom Line: | Excellent bike for the money! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Cody Lawson
a Weekend Warrior
from Denver
Date Reviewed: May 23, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Colorado Trail | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1499.00 | | Purchased At: | BikeLine | | Strengths: | ALLUXXsl frame,Avid Disc brakes, Titec cockpit,Skareb fork
XT and Lx components Great geometry (need I say more) | | Weaknesses: | Does not come with the greatest set of cranks I upgraded to Race Face Next LP ($300.00) | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized rockhopper Trek and Bridgestone | | Bike Setup: | Same as Stock except NextLP crank upgrade and Rocket sprockets | | Bottom Line: | Fell in love with this bike the minute I seen it.For the price it came with alot of big league components the only thing holding this bike back are the legs that are pedaling it. I plan on owning this bike for a very long time.It handles great on the trails not one complaint Only one thing I wish the bike came in a few more color choices although the Red is a sweet color (Bike is not designed for downhillers) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Erik Lind
a Cross Country Rider
from Northern California
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Very solid well built bike for a great value. | | Weaknesses: | None That I could see yet. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek Fuel 90. | | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | I rented this rig from Durango Cyclists while riding with friends in Durango Colorado. It served me amazingly well over a weeks worth of riding on every type of trail. From step climbs to rocky down hills this baby was what the doctor ordered. I have a hard tail at home that might have to be turned into my town bike soon. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
NRS 2 the core!!
a Cross Country Rider
from North Carolinius
Date Reviewed: May 20, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$1200.00 | | Purchased At: | local bike shop | | Strengths: | solid frame design, great suspension technology, comes stock with parts that won't need to be upgraded for a while. i am just now starting to upgrade. | | Weaknesses: | rock shox sid rear shock....difficult to get the proper psi because by the time you get the shock pump off you have lost all the pressure :( i am 180lbs..and i pump it up over 210 and hope for the best. | | Similar Products Used: | specialized fsr xc (also a sweet ride). | | Bike Setup: | 03" Duke SL U turn, thompson elite seatpost, nicer spd's, sram 9.0 rear drlur/ xt front, easton bars. | | Bottom Line: | I have a 2001 NRS2 and still love this bike. I have no plans of upgrading anytime soon, and I figured anyone interested in this model would like this information. The suspension feel isn't as active as a sugar, or some other models. So the sugar may feel a little smoother going downhill, but the NRS2 still does an excellent job. Uphill, and on most parts of a trail you will encounter the NRS2 really shows its stuff. You don't bob (bounce)when pedaling uphill (it climbs like a hardtail) and it handles very well. The longer you have the NRS2, the better you will become at using it. A great bike...that is the bottom line. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Michael
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland, Michigan
Date Reviewed: May 19, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Fort Custer | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Dan's Bike Shop in Ionia | | Strengths: | I like every thing about it so far. Looks and works great. It was the best value. | | Weaknesses: | None so far. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek fuel 90 and 100, Gary Fishers Sugar 3+ | | Bike Setup: | Stock so far. Probably will do some upgrades next year or as parts wear out. | | Bottom Line: | I really like how it takes out the bumps. It is fast and light. It's like it's glued to the trail. You have great control. The suspension works great. Just as they show in their website add for the bike. If you ride in sand you will want different tires. I don't like sand a whole lot so I prefer the faster tires that came with the bike. They work great on the trails I go to. The bike shop I got it from treated me great. So if your in Ionia ask for Gary at Dan's Bike shop. It was the best bike for your money. This website really helped me a lot in choosing which bike to go with. Thanks! :-) | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Richard P.
a Weekend Warrior
from London, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: May 14, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Any and all of them | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | To Wheels | | Strengths: | This bike is awesome. It is so light and fast that it has made me a better rider already. The Time pedals are really easy to clip out of when necessary, but hold your feet as needed. | | Weaknesses: | Disk brakes take a while to work in, but stop like stink. The paint seems a bit thin, as it has worn out where my front brake cable has been rubbing a bit. | | Similar Products Used: | none - sat on an Epic once. | | Bike Setup: | As purchased, except for upgrading the pedals to Time Atac's. Have a Topeak computer on order, but it's not in yet. | | Bottom Line: | This bike is da bomb...I can't imagine a better ride out there. I am so impressed that it will be a while before I think of upgrading or doing anything to this bike. I would recommend this bike for almost any type of rider. It can take the big drops, and absorb the little ruts equally as well. I wouldn't recommed this bike to someone over about 200 lbs, as it isn't made to take that much weight.
This bike makes me want to ride almost every day!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike T
a Cross Country Rider
from virginia
Date Reviewed: May 11, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | HDK Cycles | | Strengths: | The bike works as advertised, plain and simple. you can't beat it. | | Weaknesses: | Tires, I need to change them. they work great on hard packed ground. not so good in loose stuff or mud. | | Similar Products Used: | Giant warp 3. | | Bike Setup: | stock, I cut the bars down they are hell bent and were premarked. | | Bottom Line: | If you want a no bob cross country bike to race or ride on the weekend you can't go wrong. Its A great value. The suspension is great. I weigh 200 lbs. and the skarob front forks work great. The bike corners well and climbs like a mountain goat. It has helped me climb much better. I've read some complaints about the rear shock leaking, but in 6 mounths of riding I haven't had any problem. I ride 4 to 5 times a week. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Tim N.
a Weekend Warrior
from Pomona, Ca USA
Date Reviewed: May 6, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Bonelli Regional Park | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | lbs | | Strengths: | No bob!!!!!!
Great design
Avid Disc brakes
Great price for specs
| | Weaknesses: | top shock mount*
nothing else.......... | | Similar Products Used: | Marin Shoreline Trail (02) | | Bike Setup: | stock except WTB Mutano's 2.4 | | Bottom Line: | Overall this bike is great. Everything seems to be working except for the upper schock mount (explained later). This bike is a fast climber and going downhill is fine. There is no bob if you set the shock up to Giant's Recomendation (athough I make it plusher). The avid mechs are the best disc (mech) brakes ever!!!! Skareb fork is light but I might change it to a fox vailla later on(more travel). All the parts on the NRS are known brands (ie xt hubs, mavic rims, etc) so its a great value!!!!!!
* Ok the upper shcok mount came loose after my first ride and it wasnt fixed even if it tightened. I took it down to the lbs and giant told them that this was a defect in the bushing. So they are replacing the bushings (they said it a bit small) under warranty. Also my thanks go to the helpful people on the fourms who actullay informed me of this problem. Thanks Guys........
Ill give a 4.5 overall b/c of the defect in the bushings.... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Justin
a Cross Country Rider
from Sydney, NSW, Australia
Date Reviewed: May 5, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Updated from my previous review 3/6/2003 | | Weaknesses: | M475 Mechanical disk brakes | | Bottom Line: | Note of caution - The M475 mechanical disk brakes - yeuch - we just hit rainy season here in Sydney and I was going through a set of pads every ride ($40-$60AUD). Tried EBC, Fibrax, Shimano - from Resin to Sintered. Nothing worked - they all wore out fast (10-20klms). Upgraded to hydraulics (XTR) - all solved - did 50klms in the wet and sand and barely any wear at all.
I still think the bike is a great bike! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ben Matthews
a Cross Country Rider
from Liverpool, NSW, Australia
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Royal National Park | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1620.00 | | Purchased At: | Phantom Cycles, Tahmoor, Australia | | Strengths: | Great value for $$$, suspension that doesn't rob power, climbs like a mountain goat! | | Weaknesses: | Tyres are a bit iffy; very smooth and fast on hardpack. Side knobs not aggressive enough for loose surface, certainly don't inspire confidence on loose off-camber corners! | | Similar Products Used: | Straight from a decade of hardtails! | | Bike Setup: | Stock, except Armour hydeo discs, XT rear derailleur. | | Bottom Line: | Excuse my unmitigated enthuiasm, but I've only just got home from my first ride on the new beast and it's an absolute corker! The NRS 2 could well be the WRX of the mtb world with it's superior performance and unbeatable value for money. The NRS system does exactly as it's sales pitch claims, softening out the bumps and providing excellent traction whilst climbing. The bike felt extremely comfortable straight outta the box and performed flawlessly. Despite having read many negative reviews of the SID XC rear shock everything is performing well in that department thus far. The Manitou Skareb's felt great, very similar in feel to Marzocchi Z3 Lites. The thing that strcuk me most about the NRS 2 is the way it climbs, it's awesome. The things wants to climb, and you'll climb better than you ever have on a hardtail. All up this bike is a top package and I'd thoroughly recommend it to anyone contemplating an xc duallie.
Shameless free plug: Kerry at Pahantom cycles. Great price, great service, very knowledgeable, thanks guys. Also to mtbreview.com, as it allowed me to do heaps of homework before making a purchase, thanks to those of you who submitted NRS 2 reviews! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Blake
a
from Blue Ridge, Georgia
Date Reviewed: April 18, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Anything with in an hour: Aska, Carter's lake, Bull Mtn, Tsali, Olympic course, etc | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1575.00 | | Purchased At: | Cycle South | | Strengths: | I paid my dues on a GT i-Drive 5.0, so I feel that I now can truly appreciate the upgrade. The NRS system truly works,after the GT I understand pedal bob. I speced the components and found that the bike coulkd have cost a good deal more than what Giant charges; kudos to them! It climbs like a Banshee and the suspension is truly active, soaking every little, and sizable bump up. For the price and the money, it is also very light. I also feel that Giant did a good job of putting more picey parts: Titec, XT were needed and decent parts LX, etc were they sufficed. I also love the breaks! Their stronger than V's, stay cleaner, (see: Southeast riding conditions) are easily adjustable, and most importantly, are easily maintained. Like another reviewer noted, if your hydraulics go out away from a stocked bike shop, your up the creek; however, with these, all you have to do is replace a mechanical cable! | | Weaknesses: | Paint seems to chip pretty easily.I took a few hits from some flying gravel and the paint chipped off rather easily. | | Similar Products Used: | GT i-Drive 5.0 | | Bike Setup: | Mostly stock, I changed the brake levers to Avid 7 speed dials (better feel and modulation, and switched out the pedals with egg beaters (they are the bomb). | | Bottom Line: | Awesome bike! Great for cross country riding and small (1-2.5) drops. I have increased the distances that I ride and have decreased the amount of time it takes me to cover those distances. The bike is a great value. I loooked at quite a few bikes including Santa Cruz, Gary Fisher and Cannondale, but none of them could compare with the value you get for the NRS 2. I am completely satisfied. However, I have only logged my first week of riding on the bike (70 miles, so as I put more miles on it I'll probably do another post to let everyone know how it's holding up. The bike is an awesome climber, and it descends like a bat out of hell! Oh yea, I owe my great fortune of choosing this bike to this incedible site. MTBR is an invaluable resource; keep the posts coming; we all benefit; it's truly grassroots in action! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Walter
a Cross Country Rider
from Netherlands
Date Reviewed: April 16, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Ardennes (B) Jura (F) | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2300.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Rides like a hardtail, but with the plus of a FS. | | Weaknesses: | Some stock parts, like the fork (skareb comp) the brakes (came with Giant MPH III)
The stock tires (hutchinson python) are fine as a rear tire, wear out fast though. | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale, Scott | | Bike Setup: | Replaced the brakes with Magura Louise. Replaced the shimaNO with SRAM 9.0 and the Mavic X223 with X317. For looks I added some Easton parts. Schwalbe Big Jim front tire. | | Bottom Line: | Bougth this bike after swapping bikes with some friends at a mtb weekend in the Belgium Ardennes.
This was the only FS wich gave the feel of a hardtail, combined with the pro's of a FS.
Climbs better as my Cannondale hardtail :)
The Chilli's are for the stock setup. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Stanley Swee
a Downhiller
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: April 4, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Malaysia & Indonesia | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | Self customize | | Strengths: | The 2003 XTC NRS 2 is pretty light and have a great swingarm geometry. | | Weaknesses: | The Material is fragile especially down at the BB and swingarm.Ball bearings at the linkage of a low quality. | | Similar Products Used: | Nil | | Bike Setup: | Thompson Seat Pole & stem,FOX FLOAT RL,ROCKSHOX DUKE SL,FULL XT drivetrain,XT hydraulic brakes,Mavic 223 with XT hubs wheel setup,Answer Carbolite handlebars and Chris king headset. | | Bottom Line: | Great geometry & swingarm technology on the NRS 2.Its not advisable to purchase the NRS 1 as most of the parts are not in favour to our likings & its expensive too.The NRS 1,2 & 3 has the same frame geometry afterall.The magic touch is to changed the rear shock to the
>>>FOX FLOAT RL<<<. The Float RL indeed performed far greater than the original Shock.The NRS in overall,i should say is the best XC bike i've ride & owned. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Estefano
a Cross Country Rider
from Bradenton - Florida
Date Reviewed: April 3, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Alafia River | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$800.00 | | Purchased At: | used from Ebay | | Strengths: | NRS system works great because it makes bike ride fast like a hard tail and it absorbs the blows like the best full suspension. | | Weaknesses: | Factory tires are not as tough as they could be for serious riding over rocks, roots, etc. | | Similar Products Used: | KHS Soft-tail, Diamond Back hart tail, Exodus full-suspension | | Bike Setup: | Factory setup plus Kenda Kevlar tires | | Bottom Line: | Great climbing bike and very fast downhill and on flats. It is worth the cost of the bike because it makes you a better rider and the better you ride, the more you enjoy it! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
turtle
a Cross Country Rider
from Rochester, MN usa
Date Reviewed: March 22, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1650.00 | | Purchased At: | Honest Bike Shop | | Strengths: | Light weight(27.2 lbs)out of the box NO UPGRADES. Great spec for the money, Titec handlebar is "Knock-rated" 3 year warranty if it breaks while riding they replace it free! | | Weaknesses: | The top tube can dent easily if leaned up against something hard. The bike can't be tuned soft to hard like some others. | | Similar Products Used: | Gary Fisher Joshua. | | Bike Setup: | I added a Thomson seatpast and stem mainly for vanity stock Titac stuff is really just fine. Skareb fork was broken by Federal Express while shiping it out west to do some mountain biking so I have a RS Duke SL U-turn on order. | | Bottom Line: | This is the best bike I've owned. It's the perfect upgrade for the hardtail rider who wants to smooth out their ride as well as the Full-Susp. rider who is tired of pogo-ing along. My old F.S. had a lockout but flipping all the time got to be a real drag (no pun intended). It is everything that Giant says it is and as well a being surprsingly better at free-riding than I expected. It hasn't bottomed out on once even takin it of some 3-4 ft. drops and I weigh 190 lbs. It has no frame flex and the suspention stays active enough while going uphill to give me that extra traction that is lost with lock-outs. This is easily the best Full-Suspension bike for racing by far.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Justin
a Cross Country Rider
from Sydney, NSW, Australia
Date Reviewed: March 6, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Manly | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | Supreme Cycles, Narrabeen | | Strengths: | Great bike - fast, good components and value for money. The tyres don't look that grippy, but are very good in practise! | | Weaknesses: | Preferences - the handlebars are very wide and may need an inch off. | | Similar Products Used: | First full-suspension mtb - hardtail before | | Bike Setup: | Added computer, added bar-ends and changed grips. Didn't like the pedals that came with it so the bikeshop upgraded to M424's on the spot | | Bottom Line: | A great bike for my type of riding - x-c and some fairly technical riding. I've started riding twice the distance - in about the same time. Incredible - this bike launches itself. It's given me the confidence to enter events.
Couple of tips:
- Tape underneath the cables on the top tube near the seatpost - these rub very badly when on a car rack
- Get an old inner tube and cable ties - wrap securely around right-rear strut to stop some very bad chain-slap
It's a great cross-country - technical riding bike. Climbing hills is made easy - ride them in 2-4 rather than 1-1. No noticeable bounce on the rear suspension when climbing - maybe it's just me but I climb better on this than my hardtail | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Howie
a
from Chichester, UK
Date Reviewed: March 6, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | South Downs Way | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1800.00 | | Purchased At: | City Cycles | | Strengths: | Excellent spec for the money (XT hubs, Titec hardware etc), light weight, high quality finish, smooth ride | | Weaknesses: | Tires poor for UK winter conditions, inner tubes too thin. Handlebars too wide but trimmed down no problem. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Epic | | Bike Setup: | Stock apart from Rockshow Duke SL U-Turn Fork, Hope Mini discs | | Bottom Line: | I bought this bike after riding a Specialised Rockhopper FS Pro for three years. I wanted a bike which gave better downhill performance but was still fast and light on the uphills. I also wanted disc brakes because of wet conditions in the UK winter. This certainly delivered. Everything was easy to set up and tune by refering to the manual. I was unsure of the Giant manufactured disc brakes so opted for Hope Minis, which so far have been excellent.
I would recommend this bike for people wanting to do fast x-country. This bike is more suited to people riding for a combination of fitness and adrenline rather than pure adrenline. There are definitely bikes out which are faster downhill, but in terms of all round performance and spec, I don't think there is a better bike on the market. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Muzz
a Cross Country Rider
from Christchurch, New Zealand
Date Reviewed: February 9, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Love riding but still enjoy the Aorere goldfields | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Chain Reaction, Christchurch | | Strengths: | Acceptable weight
Climbs like a monkey
Fantastic specs for the $
Handles well
Nice colour | | Weaknesses: | pedals only one so far | | Similar Products Used: | Diamondback DBR V-link | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for replacing LX rear derailleur with XT, Wipperman 904 chain for the stock Shimano, and one day IF SRAM and their NZ agents get their act together, replace the LX rapidfires for Rocket Gripshift. 4 months already!!!!!! | | Bottom Line: | I did a lot of research before going the NRS 2 way. I am in the "middle age" bracket and the hills are getting steeper. This thing climbs! In any races which have short sketchy rises I am amazed how much distance I gain on the hardtails because of the traction it has. The "no bob" system is a gem and it works!. The bike however is still comfortable on the rough stuff, in spite of being a dedicated cross country rig. It has an excellent specification, with no in-house bits. Raceface cranks, WTB saddle, Mavic rims, Titec stem, bar and seat post, Avid levers, and LX shifters and deraillears on the standard setup. I was a bit worried about the Skareb forks, but for my weight of 172lbs they work a treat. They are fairly light and reasonably flex free considering that the tubes are 28mm. The Shimano M505 pedals have their moments; easy to get in to but sometimes not so easy to get out of....However, the Deore M475 mechanical disc works really well and has required very little in the way of adjustments. Very easy to set up and look way better than last years model. The Hutchinson Python tires suit some terrain more than others. I have found then to be good on rock, smooth hardpack and soft surfaces. Any loose on the hardpack and the front develops a mind of its own in corners. A very light and soft riding tire.
The product blurb says that this bike is a "race ready dual cross country bike", and I would agree with their description. With only 80mm travel on the front it is not a freeride. However, my riding covers a wide range of conditions and the NRS 2 does the job superbly. Bang for the buck I couldn't anything that came even close to what the nRS 2 delivers | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Nico Strydom
a Cross Country Rider
from Pretoria South Africa
Date Reviewed: February 4, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Sabie in Mpumalanga RSA | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1750.00 | | Purchased At: | Bruce Reynike Cycles PTA RSA | | Strengths: | Kickass bike. The NRS system work! This bike will make a U-turn in the shadow of snake s**t. Not for the faint hearted It likes climbs and loves cornering. My boney came stock with Maxxis Harddrive tyres, they sucked, so now Panaracer is my new friend. My best ride yet cant wait to go to Sabie and whack it! | | Weaknesses: | Tyres | | Similar Products Used: | Produx Sidewinder | | Bike Setup: | Rst front shock and Formula B4 braking system | | Bottom Line: | When you ride this bike you will wonder why there are still other bikes outthere! The NRS system is like good beer, just cant get enough! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ronin Halford
a Weekend Warrior
from Huntington Beach, CA
Date Reviewed: January 29, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | I like the new hydroformed frame, it appears much stronger than the typical gussetting that we normally see....the xt hubs and derailler work without issue and the front forks really perform well... | | Weaknesses: | Didn't like the stock pedals, replaced. | | Similar Products Used: | Devinci yard sale special | | Bike Setup: | Replaced pedals | | Bottom Line: | Cool paint colors with this bike. THis bike has about 350 miles on it thus far and no hiccups to speak of. hope this bike lasts longer than my Devinci did! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bob
a Weekend Warrior
from Galveston TX
Date Reviewed: January 24, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1650.00 | | Strengths: | Great overall package. Stock equipment is par and not in need for replacement | | Similar Products Used: | '00 NRS 3 | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | great bike for tooling around Galveston bay. I ride this bike about 6 days per week and have not had a single issue crop up yet. I recommend this NRS 2 | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ian
a Cross Country Rider
from Sydney NSW Australia
Date Reviewed: January 15, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Any thing that's rough | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1650.00 | | Purchased At: | giant bike shop | | Strengths: | Light, no energy loss, good responsive ride. Great for cross country riding. Cartridge bearings on all major pivots. Great value for mooney with all the great parts. | | Weaknesses: | bad pedals and bad tires. Titec X-wing seat post comes loose, needs be tightened greatly. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized FSRxc | | Bike Setup: | Every stock, swapped SPD pedals for platforms for technical riding. | | Bottom Line: | Great bike for cross country, this bike rides well, as it's faster,permitting seated pedalling via rough section. For downhilling, it's not as great as other fully active systems.
The stock shimano SPD M505 pedals are a death trap. For technical riding, i switched to wellgo platforms. For 2003 model, they have an extra outlet for tightning the main bearins near the shock. Definitely a great bike to buy. I'm very happy with it so far. Will post further reviews if my opinion differ in future.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bobotheclown
a Cross Country Rider
from harrisonburg, VA, USA
Date Reviewed: January 9, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Lightweight, great component package, outstanding price | | Weaknesses: | tires seem to be a little light will replace those soon, handlebar to wide | | Similar Products Used: | sugar 3+ disc | | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | Took my bike out for the first time today and it rocks. As stated before Giant is not lying about there no bob setup. Worked flawlessly on the uphills and great on the downhills. Shifting was excellent and I did not notice much difference between the brakes of the sugar3+ (hayes hydraulic) and the avids. I did notice some rear suspension lockout when under heavy braking but it is not different from the hardtails I have ridden. Overall I am very pleased and this bike will be perfect for anyone who is lookng to move up from a hardtail. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
FallSilent
a Cross Country Rider
from Austria
Date Reviewed: January 7, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1650.00 | | Strengths: | Good price for the setup, light,... | | Weaknesses: | Tyres - are light but wear out fast | | Similar Products Used: | Giant Mammoth, Specialized Rochoper Pro | | Bike Setup: | Stock, replaced rear derailleur with XTR and Discs with formula B4, switched LX shifters with Sram Attack, on the front I put the Continental Vertical for extra grip | | Bottom Line: | Since I bought this bike I was on a trail only twice, but that was enough to fall in love :). It's cool that you can set the rear shock to "no-sag" (then the bike feels wery much like hard tail - then you have your bike prepared for racing), or you can adjust it with sag (I like this option better when I'm riding rough terrain - it tranforms to a wery comfortable tour bike). greart bike for both - those who come from hardtails and fully lovers | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
William Thorpe
a Weekend Warrior
from Coos Bay, OR
Date Reviewed: January 5, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | The Bayliner | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1649.00 | | Purchased At: | Shakey's Bikes | | Strengths: | This whole bike is an asset to my riding ability. | | Similar Products Used: | Raliegh; test rode a Maverick. | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | really really like the nrs 2. the bike has a great ride and shifts flawlessly. my friends are surprised at how quite it is (no chain noise, disc noise, etc). i really like how giant painted the nrs 2 this year. highly recommend this ride. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
adrian cooper
a Cross Country Rider
from wollongong, australia
Date Reviewed: December 30, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | canberra | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | phantom cycles | | Strengths: | price, handling, rear suspension performance | | Weaknesses: | slight pedal kickback when climbing, took 4 attempts to get a rear shock that worked | | Similar Products Used: | specialized fsr, kona manomano | | Bike Setup: | bought frameset then built up with 2002 psylo race forks, deore 555 hydro brakes, hugi 240/mavic 517/dt supercomp wheels, xt shifters/front derailleur/cranks/cassette, xtr rear derailleur, tompson post, monkeylite bars, ritchey stem, 959 pedals | | Bottom Line: | This bike rides awesomely, decided to get one after riding one while waiting for the shock on my specialized to get fixed. Is as fast uphill as the specialized and much faster downhill. A stable and surefooted handling bike, maybe a little slow in the steering for tight singletrack, however I could reduce the travel of the forks from 100 to 80 mm if I feel it is necessary, may do this when the race session starts. The brakes and forks are also fanastic. I run the rear shock about 15 psi below Giants recommendations and still get a no bob ride when climbing and sprinting. Play with the pressure until the shock is just on the balance point of saging. Weight of my medium bike is 12.3 kg, will get lighter tyres and maybe stans tubeless for racing. A great bike for trail riding and XC racing, suspension works as advertised by Giant. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Drake
a Cross Country Rider
from Napa, CA
Date Reviewed: December 21, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Merlot Costal | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1700.00 | | Purchased At: | Antoines | | Strengths: | Great bike for the price when compared to simularly spec'd machines. NRS keeps things smooth without wasted energy. | | Similar Products Used: | '01 NRS, '02 NRS, Superlight, rode a friends Ellsworth Truth (good bike but way to pricey for me). | | Bike Setup: | Shimano 959 added, light for night and foggy coastal rides, Panaracers Fire Pro. | | Bottom Line: | This is the 3rd year straight that I've purchased an NRS 2. I am fortunate enough to be able to give my old bikes away to family and friends to get them riding. The NRS 2 has not really changed much in my opinion in the last few years. The new tube welds are nice but, again, I've never had a problem with the old NRS frame welds. The bike continues to be an absolute asset to my riding abilities, the no bob NRS system continues to work as stated. I highly recommend this ride and I'll probably continue to buy an NRS every year. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Radium
a Cross Country Rider
from England
Date Reviewed: December 15, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Glentress Black/Red Combined | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Strengths: | - No sag and bob suspension design
- Solid confident feel
- A lot of bike for the price :) | | Weaknesses: | - None as of yet | | Similar Products Used: | - Orbea Replay '02 | | Bike Setup: | - Stock except for replacement of the Hutchinson Pythons with Specialized Roll X Pro for during the horrid English Winters. | | Bottom Line: | This is everything i want from a bike. The NRS suspension is a god sent. When setup correctly (Takes a matter of minutes really :) there is no sag or bob while on the bike. However the bike will react to all bumps and obsticles put in its way.
Also the value of this bike is outstanding, for the price you pay and the components you get compared to bikes of similar spec you can only laugh to yourself when you save £500-£700 :)
If you want the uphill performance of a hard tail with no sag and bob, and the overall feel of a full suspension bike then buy this! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
madboy
a Cross Country Rider
from San Francisco, CA
Date Reviewed: December 12, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | $1490 at Pacific Cycle | | Strengths: | Almost no-bob when pedaling, excellent value for the price (bike weighted in at 28lbs fully-assembled). | | Weaknesses: | Rear suspension design compromises performance to reduce pedal induced bob. | | Similar Products Used: | Santa Cruz Blur, Specialized FSR | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | For once marketing speaks truths about a bike. Giant is true to their word, as are most reviews on the bike.
The NRS has effectively no bob when the rear shock is set correctly to the riders weight. Even on up hills, there is no bobbing while pedaling from the saddle. Starting from a dead stop, and standing while pedaling can induce minimal bobbing, but 95% of the time, there is no bob. When I was researching on getting this bike, all the reviews I read described it as the only non-bob full suspension bike. The reviews are *VERY* accurate in this regard.
On rolling single track, fire-roads and even the street the suspension seems to suck up most everything quite well. The Python tires are fast on dry and solid dirt, but slip a little in muddy conditions. I've found my tires seem to leak slowly and need air every week or so. The bike is solid and fast on trails. Avid brakes rock! They have great stopping power with no fade on steep down hills. They feel just like Hayes hydraulics' without the added weight (although they require more maintenance). The new Manitou Scarab fork is a nice improvement over the Black fork on last years 2002 model.
On the other hand, few reviews mentioned the performance of the suspension when braking downhill. Braking pulls the suspension to full extension, so the rear doesn't suck up the bumps as well as it does when braking isn't applied. It frequently locks up and chirps as the tire doesn't stay on the ground on hills with rougher terrain. The Manitou Skareb fork's travel of 80mm seems insufficient for technical downhill. My friend's FSR's with 4"-5" of travel performs far better on the technical down hills, but has noticeable bobbing when pedaling. The NRS is a great solution for cross country.
Stacked with good components, the price and performance of this bike beats everything in it's class. I have to give it 5 dingers for value, but only 4 overall because of the rear suspension performance on downhill braking. If you are looking for a excellent value mid range cross country full suspension bike, Giant has delivered.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Vic
a Cross Country Rider
from Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Date Reviewed: November 15, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Abom - Mt Buller | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1250.00 | | Purchased At: | Freedom Machine | | Strengths: | This is my first FS bike, and i must say that the rear does not bob at all (which is good) and the bike feels lighter than my HT. Components are good for the price. | | Weaknesses: | The Skareb Comp forks do not seem as stiff as the marzocchis.
I think that my left thumb is not long enough as it is a little hard to move from the granny ring into a lower gear. But I would think that it is a shimano thing, and not a giant thing.
The rear shock rubs against the water bottle when compressed | | Similar Products Used: | None. My last Bike was a KHS Alite 3000 with XT/LX comp and bomber z1s | | Bike Setup: | Stock 16.5 inch bike. | | Bottom Line: | I am a Marzocchi fan. And have only had Marzocchis ever since my first Rock Shox died on me. Therefore I was a little concerned when the Manatou Skarebs came with the bike. I was going to change them over for a heavier bomber immediately, however I am quite pleased with its performance. It is plush and takes hits very well. It could do with more travel, however its a XC fork and it does what it is designed for well. I will not change these until they break.
The rear suspension is easy to setup and it works. no bob when pedaling on flat or uphill. It also takes the edge of roots and small rocks which means that you get to the top with less fatigue. Downhills are better and faster.....more fun. Small jumps have bottomed out the rears shock, may need to put more pressure in the rear shock. The rear shock could be a little smoother, but i guess it is a matter of finding the right rebound setting. I will never go back to a hardtail again!
Tires are as good as my last IRC mythos XC rubber. The world of disc brakes is a world worth discovering. Much better power than my last XT Vs. Seat is good and Full LX is excellent for price.
I am 75 kgs 5'8" and do a large mix of MTBing and this bike so far handles it all. This is a great bike, and very happy with it. I paid AU$2500 which I feel is a great price. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
| |
|
Photo Caption Contest
(sponsored by Maxxis)
|
Enter here
|
|
|
$ 1650.00
