|
|
|
| |
Submitted by
Don
a Cross Country Rider
from Canada
Date Reviewed: May 24, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Strengths: | Does everything a mountainbiker needs in EVERY condition.
Took me 16 years.... but I finally found the perfect machine. | | Weaknesses: | HAHAHA | | Similar Products Used: | Raleigh and giant hardtails. | | Bike Setup: | Hope Disks, XT, Mavic rims | | Bottom Line: | Previous reviewer is a total putz... This bike does everything I have asked. Ride it in Whistler and in the Gatineau's where I live now. Mine isn't quite stock but...
Climbs like a goat... descends like full-on Moto. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Harry
a
from Reno, NV
Date Reviewed: January 15, 2001 | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized FSR Enduro
Intense Tracer
AMP B-5
Turner Burner
Rocky Mountain FS
Ventana FS | | Bottom Line: | The Giant NSR is the answer to a question nobody asked. If you are bothered by 'bobbing' you need to ride lighter, more fully active dually bikes. Fully active means response over every riding condition, whether pedaling, braking and no matter what chain positioning or tension. I promise you you won't mind 'bobbing' as long as you keep the bike light. What good is a semi-active bike that weighs 28-31 lbs?
I rode my friend Ed's Giant Team after he complained he couldn't keep up with us on several downhill sweepers after the pack crested the hill. No wonder. This thing locks up like crazy on bumps and under braking. Then you lose control, then you pitch.
Then I tried the bike on loose gravel climbs. It works like a hardtail, that is to say, it loses traction and weight transfer becomes much more important. You can get this action out of a hardtail without paying the $$. Easterners probably wouldn't mind, but in dry loose stuff out West you can definitely notice the difference between a multi-pivot, fully active bike versus the Giant - you lose what little travel you have just when you need it most (especially when powering over loose surfaces and when mixing acceleration and braking over varying surfaces and slopes)
Like K2/ProFlex, this isn't the first suspension foul-up for Giant. Since days of Tomac, Giant has come up with a 'new' suspension design every other year, always managing to screw it up somehow. They've done it here as well. Should have just copied Horst Leitner and left well enough alone. Ed was defensive at first, but after a ride or two, sold his pretty quick. Get a stiffer rear coil spring if you don't like bobbing, but don't fall for this piece of junk! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Joe
a Racer
from New Zealand
Date Reviewed: September 2, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | No power loss claims are true.
Reasonable price for this type of setup.
Light frame.
Reliable. | | Weaknesses: | Disk brakes only (hard to get sub 24lb).
Correct Air pressure needed.
| | Similar Products Used: | FSR | | Bike Setup: | Hope Pro brakes, Race Face SYStem, Turbine Cranks, SRAM 9.0/9.0SL derailleurs/shifters. Mavic 317/Formula Hubs. | | Bottom Line: | An underrated XC Bike, however team Giant mostly do not use on the WC Circuit - can only assume its because of the 2 pounds heavier than their MCM Hardtail.
Indeed, for the majority of race courses, the extra weight does not justify the increased performance.
But if you love to race, and love to have fun on a mountainbike messing around, too - this is where it's at.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Graeme Hornsby
a Cross Country Rider
from Thringstone,Britain
Date Reviewed: August 12, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | any with the sun on my back | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | Weight, no bob, looks & it climbs better than I do | | Weaknesses: | Paintwork - touch it & it flakes | | Similar Products Used: | Klein Mantra | | Bike Setup: | Pace pro forks, Hope disks, XT | | Bottom Line: | Unless you are really into downhill this is the business. No power loss when climbing and enough travel to make a long day out in the saddle comfortable. I've justcome back from 2 weeks riding in the Alps and the bike was first class - even the hour long descents were comfortable. I bought frame/shock and custom built from there. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Peter
a Cross Country Rider
from Sweden
Date Reviewed: February 2, 2000 | | Favorite Trail: | the fun one's | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: | This is a full-suspension bike that really works like a XC-racer want it to, no bobbing but smooth riding over bumps
i tried REALLY well to get it to bobb but it WONT | | Weaknesses: | If i should find one little thing it is that there is no-sag | | Similar Products Used: | ? | | Bike Setup: | i would prefer a 2*9 gear system, else it is SRAM, titec and hydrualic disc-brakes | | Bottom Line: | A perfect bike for the XC race-rider who can't stand the bobbing of the full-suspension bike but wants to enjoy the comfort of it | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Daniel
a Weekend Warrior
from Taipei, Taiwan
Date Reviewed: January 23, 2000 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Strengths: | Exactly no bobing if you set it right.
Very light Frame (19.5" | | Weaknesses: | Semi-active Suspension: While pedaling, the linkage is "extended" (like a high-pivot swing-arm design), but the no-sag setup "stops" the extention. Therefore no bobing, but also losing the ability to absorb impact at the same time.
No-Sag Design: NRS's "no-power-loss" comes from this, but the wheel doesn't track the trail as well as FSR or other "normal" dualies, for it only reacts to positive impact (crossing a rock) but ignores all negative impact (crossing a hole).
The "extended" linkage and "no-sag" setup transfer all the "bobing force" into the frame and the pivots, thus reduces the durability of the frame. | | Similar Products Used: | FSR XC | | Bike Setup: | The lightest but effective parts in the market. | | Bottom Line: | Yes, as power-loss is concerned, NRS is much superior to FSR, when you set it right (no-sag). NRS is closer to a hardtail than any other dualy. You could uphill like a hardtail (for you are pedaling hard and the suspension is "locked out" by your pedaling) and downhill faster than any hardtail (for you don't/seldom padel during this time, and the suspension reacts).
But as a dualy is concerned, FSR has the absolute advantage. You could only regard NRS as a "half" dualy (for it only reacts to the positive impacts, and ignore all negative impacts); that's where it outperforms others (including FSR) but also where it could not be compared to others.
If you are a hardtail purist, you will apppreciate NRS's power-efficiency (while pedaling hard) and comfort (while going down).
But if you have got used to a dualy, NRS will loose your bones and scare you again (for less traction to the ground) like a hardtail does to you.
A perfect bike for XC racer, but not for all emthusiasts or mountain bikers.
"If you ride mountain bike to race, choose NRS. If you ride mountain bike to ride mountain bike, test NRS but choose FSR." | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Max
a Cross-Country Rider
from Sweden
Date Reviewed: October 11, 1999 | | Favorite Trail: |
Any. | | Duration Product Used: |
tested or demo'ed only | | Strengths: |
No bob, superlight, stiff and great working suspension action. | | Weaknesses: |
None that I could find. | | Similar Products Used: |
Heckler, FSR XC, Joshua, G-Zero, Mantra....... | | Bike Setup: |
Sid f/r, SRAM, Hope discbrakes, RaceFace.... | | Bottom Line: | Giant were showing the bike in Åre Sweden during the world championchips.
And I must say that I was lost for words the first couple of minutes, it does everything they claim!
I tried to make the thing bob by sluggish pedaling (standing up) but no!
So my very first impression was that it would feel like a hardtail at all times.
But was I wrong, the first bump felt like it switched the suspension on.
And it took all seizes of bumps too. I must say that it was very impressive, more so when you consider the frame weight of only 2280grams, with the shock!!
A XC-racers dream bike and a true FSR XC killer!M. | | Overall Rating: |
| |
|
Photo Caption Contest
(sponsored by Maxxis)
|
Enter here
|
|
|
$
