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Giant Faith 2

Average Rating 4.79/5
# of Reviews 57
MSRP $ 2250.00
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Description:
  • Frame: ALUXX SL aluminum
  • Shock: Manitou Swinger 3-Way Coil
  • Shifters: SRAM X.7
  • Headset: FSA Pig DH Pro
  • Spokes: Stainless 14/15G
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    Performance







    Submitted by toby Call a Downhiller from England
    Date Reviewed: July 1, 2008
    Favoriate Trail:le tour DH chamonix
    Duration Product Used:2 Years
    Price Paid: $2000.00
    Purchased At:ebay
    Strengths:solid, not bad looking, mine came custom with better spec (eg.888) so i get more out of it, but the frame is nice. suspension very effective, no brake jack, 8inches plenty enough. The inerrupted seat tube is a pain tho.
    Weaknesses:frame is very heavy, my bike must c.45lbs or more. some unnecessary aluminium. could be simpler and sleeker.
    Similar Products Used:0range223 ,patriot, kona stinky.
    Bike Setup:faith 2(sprayed white), 888s, DH evolve cranks, Hope 6pots, Mavic 729s, deity (white) bars...
    Bottom Line:a good entry level big bike, but one heavy mutha, don;t beleive the freeride garb, this bad boy aint going uphill unless your lance armstrong
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:3

    Submitted by justin saltel a Downhiller from quincy
    Date Reviewed: October 10, 2007
    Favoriate Trail:live wire (norhtstar)
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $1100.00
    Purchased At:plumas expeditions
    Strengths:really good and holes up
    Weaknesses:front fork dottom out to each
    Similar Products Used:none
    Bike Setup:jrt,fox3.0
    Bottom Line:it is a really good bike for downhill
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by luke stanley a Downhiller from harpenden
    Date Reviewed: October 3, 2007
    Favoriate Trail:fort william
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $1000.00
    Purchased At:dysons
    Strengths:amazing grip perfect for downhill, and amazing strenght
    Weaknesses:not good for the road but then u dont buy one for the road and the pedals need to be changed
    Similar Products Used:scott, kona, santa cruz
    Bike Setup:stock apart from grips and pedals
    Bottom Line:amazing bike good if you are just starting or been doing downhill for a while
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by luke stanley a Downhiller from harpenden
    Date Reviewed: October 3, 2007
    Favoriate Trail:fort william
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $1000.00
    Purchased At:dysons
    Strengths:amazing grip perfect for downhill, and amazing strenght
    Weaknesses:not good for the road but then u dont buy one for the road and the pedals need to be changed
    Similar Products Used:scott, kona, santa cruz
    Bike Setup:stock apart from grips and pedals
    Bottom Line:amazing bike good if you are just starting or been doing downhill for a while
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Jacob a Downhiller from Benicia,California,USA
    Date Reviewed: August 9, 2007
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Strengths:plush and rides really smooth compared to my first bike...a single pivot
    Weaknesses:heavy!!!!!!
    really hard to lighten up
    Bike Setup:2005 Giant Faith w/WTB timberwolfs,2005 marzocchi 888rc,sun s-type front rim,sunline v2 bars
    Bottom Line:great bike if u dont mind the weight
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Stu a Downhiller from Chapel Hill, NC
    Date Reviewed: July 13, 2007
    Favoriate Trail:Magic Forest
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $2200.00
    Purchased At:Frank's Cyclery
    Strengths:This is an update now that I have ridden it more:

    The fork is perfect. Someone called my fork the "Jackhammer T" because it is so nice and plush. For downhill, plush = the best. It bottoms out occasionally, but hey, if you're not bottoming out, you're not using your suspension to its full potential.



    The DHX 3.0 is great. I have it set to 120 psi and have the coil pretty stretched. It is now nice and plush and eats up drops like no tomorrow. The rebound is your preference; mine is set decently low. It's perfect for me: takes big hits but won't bounce me off.
    Weaknesses:Pedals. BAAAAD pedals. I never knew that they were bad until I got a little muddy. My feet slipped like crazy and cost me on a jump. Get some DMR V-12's. It took me a ton of searching to find those, and damn are they totally worth every penny. Cheap, efficient, and are incredibly reliable and durable. Not to mention, they look cool :)

    Also, I highly recommend Five-Ten Impact shoes. They'll run you about $95...so they aren't cheap. But I love em. These shoes aren't your $95 show-off shoes. They're made to get downright muddy, dirty, and still perform with the greatest traction ever. They're also very easy to clean once the mud has dried.



    ***NOTE THAT THIS BIKE DOES NOT COME WITH A CHAIN GUIDE!!***

    Buy one from e.13 if you have a chance. Mine slips to first gear a lot and I will be investing in a chain guide very soon. Very much worth it for downhill trails. You don't have time to shift on those, so when it slips, it sucks.



    A pro told me to remove all of the spacers on the fork. So, I did. The handlebars now sit very low and it feels much better. Plus, it gives me much more control over my bike.

    Here's the problem: You will have an impaler-of-doom as a stem on the front. Cut that thing the instant you take all those spacers out. Trust me, it'll be huge and is a hazard to your riding.
    Bike Setup:2006 Faith 2
    Bottom Line:Great bike after you customize it to your liking. To break down what you should do:

    1. Get DMR V-12 pedals

    2. Remove all spacers on the fork/handlebar and cut the stem very short

    3. Adjust your fork so it is very plush

    4. Adjust your rear suspension so it is plush. You may have to play around with it a bit. Make sure the rebound is good

    5. Get an e.13 chain guide and completely remove your front derailleur; after all, you're gonna be downhilling with this bike and always want it in 2nd gear anyway :)

    6. *optional* Get Five-Ten Impact shoes


    Once you do that, you should feel like you have a whole new bike. I never knew how much potential it had until I did those things to it. It's highly, highly worth it to do those.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by cody costa a Downhiller from centennial,coloroado, usa
    Date Reviewed: July 1, 2007
    Favoriate Trail:wild thing at keystone
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $2000.00
    Purchased At:adventure cycling
    Strengths:Great bike the suspension is amazing the color is awsome rides perfect corners good takes hits like a champ
    Weaknesses:the pedals suck, highly suggest new ones, the forks are a little soft lots of pedal bob im getting new fox 40s then it will be perfect
    Similar Products Used:none
    Bike Setup:stock except for pedals
    Bottom Line:this is a awsome bike you cant beat the price the forks are a little soft i suggest new springs and higher oil level or just get new ones, great hucker it can handle anything, corners good climbs like you would expect a 40 pound bike to climb, for the money it is a amazing bike.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by RoB<;o) a Downhiller from Australia
    Date Reviewed: June 25, 2007
    Favoriate Trail:29
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $2400.00
    Purchased At:Wollongong
    Strengths:Great Service and back up. Strong reliable and confidence builder. Maestro suspension is close to flawless.
    Weaknesses:Paint seems a little thin, cables rubbing mark it easily. Pedals are horrible, an absolute must to upgrade.
    Similar Products Used:Iron Horse Yakuza, Cannondale Gemini
    Bike Setup:Stock apart from Crank Bros 50/50 pedals. Marzocchi Bombers.
    Bottom Line:Awesome bike, has allowed me to do stuff that I have never done before, recently did a 15ft drop that felt like I was jumped off a roadside kerb. I think its best feature is that it builds confidence and it's supple enough to let you get away with stuff that others dont...makes me look like a better rider than I am...lol. For the money I really couldn't find it a real competitor. I would recommend tracking one down as there are still a few around at GREAT prices seeing as it has been superceded by the Glory range.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Jordan Nickell a Downhiller from redding ca, usa
    Date Reviewed: May 22, 2007
    Favoriate Trail:southfork
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $650.00
    Purchased At:friend
    Strengths:amazing travel i just love it. its so smooth and its incredibly stronge
    Weaknesses:weight
    Similar Products Used:santa cruz bullit
    Bike Setup:custom
    Bottom Line:its great
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Jordan Nickell a Downhiller from redding ca, usa
    Date Reviewed: May 22, 2007
    Favoriate Trail:southfork
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $650.00
    Purchased At:friend
    Strengths:amazing travel i just love it. its so smooth and its incredibly stronge
    Weaknesses:weight
    Similar Products Used:santa cruz bullit
    Bike Setup:custom
    Bottom Line:its great
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Jordan Nickell a Downhiller from redding ca, usa
    Date Reviewed: May 22, 2007
    Favoriate Trail:southfork
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $650.00
    Purchased At:friend
    Strengths:amazing travel i just love it. its so smooth and its incredibly stronge
    Weaknesses:weight
    Similar Products Used:santa cruz bullit
    Bike Setup:custom
    Bottom Line:its great
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Jordan Nickell a Downhiller from redding ca, usa
    Date Reviewed: May 22, 2007
    Favoriate Trail:southfork
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $650.00
    Purchased At:friend
    Strengths:amazing travel i just love it. its so smooth and its incredibly stronge
    Weaknesses:weight
    Similar Products Used:santa cruz bullit
    Bike Setup:custom
    Bottom Line:its great
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Jordan Nickell a Downhiller from redding ca, usa
    Date Reviewed: May 22, 2007
    Favoriate Trail:southfork
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $650.00
    Purchased At:friend
    Strengths:amazing travel i just love it. its so smooth and its incredibly stronge
    Weaknesses:weight
    Similar Products Used:santa cruz bullit
    Bike Setup:custom
    Bottom Line:its great
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Jordan Nickell a Downhiller from redding ca, usa
    Date Reviewed: May 22, 2007
    Favoriate Trail:southfork
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $650.00
    Purchased At:friend
    Strengths:amazing travel i just love it. its so smooth and its incredibly stronge
    Weaknesses:weight
    Similar Products Used:santa cruz bullit
    Bike Setup:custom
    Bottom Line:its great
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Steve a Downhiller from Gloucestersgire, England
    Date Reviewed: May 2, 2007
    Favoriate Trail:Mountain Ash, Soutrh Wales
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $2300.00
    Purchased At:LBS
    Strengths:Managed to get the bike in October with over 40% off list due to the new Glorys being released. I have been riding this bike for over 6 months now and it still amazes me how well it covers ground. The stock parts fitted to the bike are superb, I weigh about 85kg and did find the forks a bit soft but I have changed the springs for some firmer ones and replaced the oil with 15wt and now they are superb.
    Weaknesses:Pedals, Fitted some DMR V12's much better.
    Weight, a bit heavy but I have removed all the front shifter system inc granny ring and fitted a new MRP System 3 with Party crasher. Less weight, never loose a chain again and pimps it it nicely.
    Similar Products Used:Norco A Line, Specialized Big Hit 3.
    Bike Setup:Stock except Rebuilt forks, stiffer springs & heavier Oil.
    DMR V12 Pedals, The Best!
    Maxxis Minion Dual Ply DH Front & Rear Tyres, Super Tackys,
    MRP System 3 With Party Crasher. (Highly Recommended).
    Bottom Line:For the money there is nothing better in my opinion, I am in my first year of DH racing and this bike suits me, not too expensive but still great to ride, handles anything you can throw it at and the Giant build quality with some minor improvements means it will last all day.
    Get one now, you will not be dissapointed.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Sam Powers a Downhiller from Lyons, CO, USA
    Date Reviewed: April 25, 2007
    Favoriate Trail:hall ranch
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Purchased At:2100
    Strengths:suspension, great fork, awesome tires, amazing braking, nothing really to complain about
    Weaknesses:only thing is the pedals, they have no grip at all
    Similar Products Used:switch, norco aline, demo
    Bike Setup:fender, e 13 chainguide, intense rear tire, new azonic stem, azonic a-frame pedals(amazing, most grip on any pedal ever) New azonic seat.
    Bottom Line:amazing bike great bike for downhilling and freeriding, my favorite bike in its suspension range. Good for beginning downhillers and veterans, anyone really. great value. Buy it
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Dirt Dagwood a Downhiller from Marin County, CA
    Date Reviewed: February 7, 2007
    Favoriate Trail:Zig-Zag
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $1600.00
    Purchased At:Mt Tam Bikes
    Strengths:Maestro rear linkage
    super strong tubing front triangle
    stiff rear triangle
    Weaknesses:comes with a jr T
    double chain ring
    175mm cranks should be 170 or shorter
    Similar Products Used:Giant Glory, Marin DH, Versus Trigger, Versus Blitz 2.
    Bike Setup:Faith 2
    Marz 888 RC
    Manitou Swinger 4 way
    Easton 30mm vice stem and EA50 DH bars
    Formula ORO K24 brakes/8" rotors
    FSA Fat Pig Pro DH deep cup
    X9/X9
    Raceface Evolve DH cranks
    MRP Guide
    Stock thru axle hubs F/R (pretty strong and hassle free) Alex BH rimes.
    Time Atac Z pedals
    2.7/2.5 Maxxis Minion DH stickee
    Bottom Line:This bike is super sick as a DH rig though they discontinued it and just offer different versions of the Glory. The Glory is a bit sicker anyway but came out after the Faith. Other than the Faith being heavy and really hard to shave weight, it makes for a super sick and forgiving DH race/ DH shuttle run rig. It deffinetly needed upgrades out of the box to be a competetive race rig, but either way it has been highly competent on some of the steepest most abrasive DH runs in NOR CAL!
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Sina Pourcyrous a from Alameda, Ca, USA
    Date Reviewed: January 9, 2007
    Favoriate Trail:Too Many
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $2350.00
    Purchased At:Craigslist
    Strengths:Hucks, etc
    Bike Setup:Giant Faith 2, e.13, the, etc.
    Bottom Line:Great bike, for the kind of racing I do.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by DJ Ponte a Weekend Warrior from SparkS, NV, USA
    Date Reviewed: December 21, 2006
    Favoriate Trail:shock treatment at mammoth
    Duration Product Used:Tested or demo'ed only
    Price Paid: $45.00
    Strengths:o so smmoooth the back shock is great and their is no pedal bob the great forks can take serious hits
    Weaknesses:not too many just a wee bit heavy
    Similar Products Used:giant glory
    Bottom Line:sick bike invest if you have the money
    Value Rating:3Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Daniel a Downhiller from Toronto
    Date Reviewed: December 17, 2006
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $1700.00
    Strengths:this bike pedals unbelievably well. it looks great too, i love the green colour (i have the 06 model). the shock feels great the the components generally feel beefy. it takes everything you throw at it on the downhill track, and at the same time you can dirt jump on it almost too well. any jump i can do on my dirt jump bike, i can do on the faith.
    Weaknesses:my only complaints are some stock parts:
    -jr.t fork
    -hfx 9 brakes
    -the rims came out of true on my first ride but thats nothing that can't be fixed.
    -pedals: hussefelts. these pedals are the worst things i have ever owned. no grip what so ever. id rather use blocks of wood for grip.
    Similar Products Used:a whole bunch of norco fullies, santa cruz, konas, but that faith beats them all (except for the santa cruz vp free, which pedals even better!)
    Bike Setup:stock 06
    Bottom Line:amazing bike. buy buy buy!
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Stu a Downhiller from North Carolina
    Date Reviewed: November 30, 2006
    Favoriate Trail:Magic Forest on Vail Mountain in Colorado (But when I am in NC, my fav. is Legend Park in Clayton)
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $2200.00
    Purchased At:Frank's Cycler
    Strengths:Just about everything. What isn't there to love about this? Maestro is great. No loss in pedaling power at all with this system. I can't feel any bobbing or pedal kickback when I pedal hard (but the fork is a whole different story). The bike is built tough and can take some big hits. The DHX 3.0 coil is excellent if you're just getting into DHing. You can go ahead and upgrade it to the 4.0 or 5.0 coil if you want some extra bells and whistles, such as bottom-out adjustment.

    The brakes work extremely well. You need to break them in a little to get full stopping power, but it's like that with every disk brake set. The gear switching is also very smooth and responsive, too.

    Just FYI to everyone: All the components on this bike are basically the low end of the high end; but they're still high end :)
    Weaknesses:A wee bit heavy side, but not bad at all. It has been squeaking lately, also.

    The 170mm Jr. T fork is extremely soft, but it still eats up bumps. Issue with that extreme softness is that it REALLY robs you of pedaling power because it bobs so much when you try to pedal hard while standing up. I'd recommend buying a stiffer coil to put inside it if you don't want to bottom out and have more pedaling efficiency. But overall, this is the only real weakness of the bike. People have said the wheels and pedals suck, but I have not had an issue with them yet.
    Bike Setup:Normal setup
    Bottom Line:Absolutely excellent investment if you're just getting into downhilling. You can get a good discount since it is considered last year's model now. But get it quick! They're not producing it anymore since the Glory has replaced it entirely for '07. Also, the olive green color doesn't look nearly as bad as it seems from the normal photos. When the bike's in front of you, it looks very cool.

    Nothing can beat the components and performance you get out of this bike at the price you pay. But I'm definitely not saying that it beats the Glory, though ;)
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Steve a Weekend Warrior from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
    Date Reviewed: November 2, 2006
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Price Paid: $1400.00
    Purchased At:purchased used
    Strengths:Very plush suspension, great pedal efficiency (almost no bob)great geometry, very balanced and agile in the air, decent weight given the parts spec and durability
    Weaknesses:none found yet
    Similar Products Used:Giant AC2
    Bike Setup:2006 model, basically stock, so JrT fork w/integrated stem, dhx3.0 shock, x.7 rear derailure, saint front derailure, x.9 shifters, hfx9 brakes
    Bottom Line:I LOVE this bike. My riding has improved so much on this bike in the short time I've had it. I am so much more confident on this bike. I can ride it over anything. The bike LOVES to get airborne, it just jumps so well and feels light and balanced in the air. The suspension is very plush, but at the same time this bike pedals amazingly well. If you can't buy this bike anymore, I'm sure the 2007 Glory Freeride or Reign X would make be equally amazing. I give it a high value rating because I bought is used (almost new) for $1600CDN, which was such an incredible deal.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Andrew a Weekend Warrior from Australia
    Date Reviewed: October 29, 2006
    Duration Product Used:3 months
    Strengths:No pedel bob(well almost)
    Fox dhx rear
    Smothness

    Weaknesses:Weight
    The standard pedels
    Tyres
    Forks to soft
    Cabel routing
    Similar Products Used:Kona Stinky,Giant Glory
    Bike Setup:mostly stock except for the pedels and the tyres
    Bottom Line:This bike rocks, nothing that you cant do with it, will go off any thing with ease.
    If you are keen and can't shuttle then you can ride back up it is heavy but that makes you appreciate to going back down which is just to much fun.
    This thing just rides over the rocky rections as if they are nothing and put the power down and you off to the next section
    The forks are to soft for me, i have bottomed them out a couple of times and the air does not do mutch and will need to change the oil weight
    The cabel routing is crap!!!!!!
    The difference from a good bike and a great bike is the finishing touches (Giant can improve)

    Over all this bike is super cool
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Andrew a Downhiller from Brisbane, QLD, Australia
    Date Reviewed: October 22, 2006
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $2600.00
    Purchased At:LBS
    Strengths:Everything on this bike is spot on it feels great and I feel so confordint taking corners at speed. All the spec is good.
    Weaknesses:Pedals are quite shocking but other than that nothing really. Stick a chain guide on and your away laughing.
    Similar Products Used:Giant DH comp, Kona Stinky
    Bike Setup:Marzocchi 66, race face cranks, sram x.7, easton, fox dhx 3
    Bottom Line:Grap this bike while you still can, i know in Australia Giant has none left in the factory so its whats left in stores. Grap this bike slap a chain guide and some new pedals and your away riding a spot on bike.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Jared Raynes a Downhiller from Christchurch, New Zealand
    Date Reviewed: September 3, 2006
    Favoriate Trail:Mt Hutt
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $1801.00
    Purchased At:Cycle trading company
    Strengths:Very plush, pedals really well, great price (got it cheap because they are getting rid of them because the 2007 bikes are starting to come in)
    Weaknesses:Tires ( got a snakey on first run!)
    Rear hub (only had bike for 2 days and hub already feels like crap)
    Bike Setup:66VF2, DHX3.0, azonic pedals, pretty much 100% stock
    Bottom Line:What a fantastic bike! i am sooo much faster down the hill now and it just feels so nice. takes every hit in its stride. If you can get one in the closeout sales like i did then it is one of the cheapest best bikes you can buy.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Tom Link a Downhiller from Taree,sydney,NSW,australia
    Date Reviewed: September 3, 2006
    Favoriate Trail:Peach tree, River Hard i can only go on weekends coz still at school :(
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $2800.00
    Strengths:Yet again Giant has brung another good bike out. I love this bike, very few weaknesses. The new maestro system works very well (pedals ALOT! easier than a giant DH comp), suspension doesnt jump around when brakes are locked this is an awsome bike. Some thought went into this bike.
    I also have to mention the price you pay (roughly $3200 AU) is a very good price for the performance it gives, though it is still expensive for a person under 14 like me.
    Weaknesses:Not to many weaknesses
    I didn't actually get the bike with the stock pedals, so i never actually got to test them but guessing from the other reviews they sucked
    Well first of the brakes (hayes 9's)first the line broke, and then i got a leak in the master seal. although if your lucky you can get a good pair of hayes that dont do this.
    Second the rear hub (formula). Because i live in the bush and am to young to get/drive a car i ride to most of the near by down hill tracks, meaning the hub gets a work out, it only started to got about a month ago (roughly. it is still going but is getting worse, ..... fast. GOOD ADVICE!: If your hub is formula get a backup freewheel body to replace while you wait a LLLLLLOOOOONNNNNGGGGGG time to order or even find the part
    Thats about it
    Similar Products Used:Giant AC 1, Giant DH comp (i am many a giant boy)and a mongoose el something orather
    Bike Setup:Boxxer front shock, Fox DHX 3.0, cannondale pedals, X9 derailleur, Ethirteen chain guide
    Bottom Line:Very good quality bike, weaknesses relatively cheap to replace. As i said before i love this bike, if your thinking of buying 1 i would. The maestro sytem is a very good 1 better than the DH (unless its the 06 DH maestro)
    Get 1 there good
    sorry about the spelling mistakes
    , tom
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Tom Link a Downhiller from Taree,sydney,NSW,australia
    Date Reviewed: September 3, 2006
    Favoriate Trail:Peach tree, River Hard i can only go on weekends coz still at school :(
    Duration Product Used:6 months
    Price Paid: $2800.00
    Strengths:Yet again Giant has brung another good bike out. I love this bike, very few weaknesses. The new maestro system works very well (pedals ALOT! easier than a giant DH comp), suspension doesnt jump around when brakes are locked this is an awsome bike. Some thought went into this bike.
    I also have to mention the price you pay (roughly $3200 AU) is a very good price for the performance it gives, though it is still expensive for a person under 14 like me.
    Weaknesses:Not to many weaknesses
    I didn't actually get the bike with the stock pedals, so i never actually got to test them but guessing from the other reviews they sucked
    Well first of the brakes (hayes 9's)first the line broke, and then i got a leak in the master seal. although if your lucky you can get a good pair of hayes that dont do this.
    Second the rear hub (formula). Because i live in the bush and am to young to get/drive a car i ride to most of the near by down hill tracks, meaning the hub gets a work out, it only started to got about a month ago (roughly. it is still going but is getting worse, ..... fast. GOOD ADVICE!: If your hub is formula get a backup freewheel body to replace while you wait a LLLLLLOOOOONNNNNGGGGGG time to order or even find the part
    Thats about it
    Similar Products Used:Giant AC 1, Giant DH comp (i am many a giant boy)and a mongoose el something orather
    Bike Setup:Boxxer front shock, Fox DHX 3.0, cannondale pedals, X9 derailleur, Ethirteen chain guide
    Bottom Line:Very good quality bike, weaknesses relatively cheap to replace. As i said before i love this bike, if your thinking of buying 1 i would. The maestro sytem is a very good 1 better than the DH (unless its the 06 DH maestro)
    Get 1 there good
    sorry about the spelling mistakes
    , tom
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Marc a from Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Date Reviewed: July 23, 2006
    Favoriate Trail:Upper Oil Can,
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $2900.00
    Purchased At:LBS
    Strengths:Amazing suspension, killer looks, great component specs
    Weaknesses:PEDALS. I was not sure how accurate the rants about these were but I was not ready for how crappy they are. They are like porcelain shoes on ice.
    Similar Products Used:Kona Stinky, Big Hit, Norco Shore and A-line
    Bike Setup:Stock - but I will be changing the pedals and tires real soon, the pedals before my next ride. They are that bad
    Bottom Line:Just a fantastic bike. It took me over things so much faster and smoother then any bike I have ever be on. I was nothing short of amazed at how the rear end just sucked up what ever it hit. It jumps very very well. I was going to take it easy on my first ride as it was a new bike and I had not been on the trails for a while, but this thing just feels like home. I think I ripped about as fast as i ever have.

    I am a convert! I was a Kona fan until I sat on this rig. I don't think I will ever go back.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Ryan Waters a Downhiller from Bozeman, MT
    Date Reviewed: July 12, 2006
    Favoriate Trail:Keyhole
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $1400.00
    Purchased At:Shop employee
    Strengths:Strength, overall component selection, maintains momentum, price,amazing suspension design, graphics.
    Weaknesses:Weight, pedals, single-wall tires, cheap tubes, no chainguide, rocks get caught in the linkage, thin paint-job
    Similar Products Used:'03 Kona Stinky, '03 KHS Fetish, '01 Kona Roast, '04 Kona Shred
    Bike Setup:'02 Monster T, Blue Groove 2.5 w/ dh casing, Azonic A-Frame pedals, stock everything else
    Bottom Line: