Submitted by
Brian
a Cross Country Rider
from Oakland, CA Date Reviewed: May 15, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$500.00
Strengths:
Lots of bike for the money. Light, fast, and responsive. Built out the bike comes in at less than 20 lbs.
Weaknesses:
None so far.
Similar Products Used:
1st single speed. All of my other mtn bikes were geared.
Bike Setup:
XTC Two-to-one frame, Paul Hubs/custom wheels, White ENO crank, Phil Wood BB, Avid V-brakes, Easton Monkey Lite bars, Easton carbon seat post,gobi seat
Bottom Line:
Great light bike that is really fun to ride. I end up riding this bike more than my Santa Cruz Bluz, and the Blur is a great bike. I think that tells you how fun this bike is.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
James Roberts
a Cross Country Rider
from Crewe, Cheshire UK Date Reviewed: May 12, 2006
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$550.00
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Light weight and comfort. Did I mention how light this frame is?
Weaknesses:
No rear disc mounts may be a problem for some, headset choice is limited due to the concealed headset set-up.
Similar Products Used:
First SS Mtn Bike, although I regulary ride a fixed Surly Cross Check.
Bike Setup:
On-one steel forks (disc), Race Face square taper BB, Race Face bars, stem and seat post. Middleburn RS7 175mm cranks, Salsa 34 tooth chain ring, KMC chain, White Industries 16 tooth freewheel. Mavic 717 rims, disc front, v-brake rear with DMR hubs and Sapim spokes. Avid BB7 front disc and Avid v-brake rear. Flite saddle and Ritchey grips.
Bottom Line:
A very responsive frame that does not give the often harsh ride associated with an alloy frame. The complete assembly builds up to a very light weight bike, under 19lbs. The frame has a very industrial look to the welds, this only adds to the confidence inspiring ride. The colour, an understated green, grows on you and flatters the overall appearance of the complete bike. I advise to try before you buy as Giant seem to size their frames differently to other manufactures. The frame alone price in the UK is a very reasonable £300. Highly recommended.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark
a Racer
from Upland, Ca Date Reviewed: February 15, 2006
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Climbs and accelerates very quickly. Quite snappy! Nice black anodized finish. Quality seems to be great. Very inexpensive for such a nice frame.
Weaknesses:
There's nothing I don't like about it. I guess the graphics are a little obnoxious.
Similar Products Used:
Other SS is a Kona Unit.
Bike Setup:
Custom Wheels with Paul hub, DT Swiss Revolution spokes laced to Mavic 717 hoops, carbon seat post and bar, Thompson stem, White Ind. Freewheel, Truvativ Stylo SS 180 mm crank, Avid Single Digit SL brakes/levers, Egg Beater pedals, Kona Project 2 fork.
Bottom Line:
It seems to be a strong stiff frame but not overly harsh for aluminum. I built it up as a rigid lightweight bike for racing so I was willing to sacrifice some comfort. I hate to admit that it doesn’t feel that much different than my steel bike. I ended up with a very fast sub 19 lbs bike. You must be willing to use rim brakes. There is a hokie disk brake converter available but don’t even bother with that. If you must have disk brakes, get a different frame. I highly recommend this frame for anyone wanting to build up a lightweight, great handling 26” SS.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brad
a Cross Country Rider
from Tijeras, NM Date Reviewed: January 14, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Cedro Peak
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$280.00
Purchased At:
eBay
Strengths:
The 2005 Black Two2One is great looking, solid, well-built. The chain tensioner sliders are fantastic. It is also relatively light.
Weaknesses:
Came with a rigid steel fork. Too harsh for the rocky stuff. May try a suspension fork to smooth things out. Sizing by Giant is a bit exaggerated. The "23in." frame actually fits like a 21". Their measurement to the top of the seat tube overestates the real fit.
Similar Products Used:
Fetish Fixation
Bike Setup:
Bontrager Select wheels, Michelin XCR A/T tires 2.0, Bontrager Race crank, Bontrager Sport seatpost, Bontrager H-bar, SRAM 70 brake levers. Cute little bell. Gear is 32:16
Bottom Line:
I got a great deal on this bike ($355 delivered). It weighs in at 23.5-24 lbs. Much lighter than the Fetish Fixation. But the Fetish has a front shock and 2.35" tires which make the ride pretty plush. Come to the bike swap in Albuquerque this May and you can buy my old Fixation. The Giant is a great singlespeed. Don't know if I would go for this year's 2006 pea-green frame, though. The MSRP of $450 doesn't seem out of line for the quality.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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