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2011 Maestro bike pics!

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#302 ·
Uhm...never

It's a race bike. It's always going to be close to the NORBA classic geometry,,,71/73.

brook_63@yahoo.com said:
still can't stand the anthem's 71 degree head angle..sheesh when are they going to slacken the frickin' thing..

will never own another one until they do..
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#303 ·
nikwashere said:
I suppose they could get a 30mm spindle into a 41mm space. this would require a slightly smaller bearing as the standard BB30 BB diameter is 42mm... thus there would be yet another "standard" :rolleyes:

I guess we will just continue the ride and see... not like it's the first time we've had BB standards change.
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At least a change in bearings would be backwards compatible with the current Shimano Press Fit BB shells. (don't have to worry that your frame becomes incompatible in 2 years) Who knows, maybe Big S will just be sticking with 24mm spindles??? :)

After reading about these press fit BB systems, I am at least happy that there going with a system that has the plastic bearing cups, and not doing the metal on metal BB30 system. (I remember having a bearing "weld" itself into a suspension arm that had to be totally replaced! :)) Maybe that wouldn't happen with the big BB bearings, but it does seem like the plastic encased bearings are a safer bet...

Also, I wonder if these press fit systems will bleed into DH/FR or ever be as strong, tough, durable as current outside bearing BB's? I read somewhere that if your a sponsored SRAM rider you still use the ISIS gigipipe BB cause it's the strongest thing they make! :)
 
#304 ·
Behold, the Shimano press fit bottom bracket tool... another good thing about the plastic bearing cups, you don't need a full on headset press.

Image


Cool, looks like the cheapo in me can figure a way to rig up a BB press out of a long bolt and some big washers... :)
 
#305 ·
brook_63@yahoo.com said:
still can't stand the anthem's 71 degree head angle..sheesh when are they going to slacken the frickin' thing..

will never own another one until they do..
Click to expand...
Its got a tapered head tube this year, install an angleset on it! That would slacken it up to 69.5 degs. I'd like it to be slacker still myself though, like 68. I don't see why xc race bikes have to be so steep.
 
#306 ·
Ansible said:
Its got a tapered head tube this year, install an angleset on it! That would slacken it up to 69.5 degs. I'd like it to be slacker still myself though, like 68. I don't see why xc race bikes have to be so steep.
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Good call on the angleset, course if you want to use your XC race bike for the trail your probably better off getting a 10/20mm longer fork for it. (Epic Evo!) Slacken the head tube and get the benefit of plusher suspension too.

(edit, plus your already at a pretty low BB height on a XC bike, the angleset will drop it even lower, yikes!)

Steeper head tubes give a bike quicker steering and are more precise while climbing. If a slacker head tube was an advantage in a XC race (other than downville), than the bikes would already be designed that way...
 
#308 ·
stiingya said:
Good call on the angleset, course if you want to use your XC race bike for the trail your probably better off getting a 10/20mm longer fork for it. (Epic Evo!) Slacken the head tube and get the benefit of plusher suspension too.
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This is what I'm thinking about doing with the new Trance X. Definately go to a 140mm fork too... ;)

On a sidenote, I measured the seat tube on my XL Trance X and noticed it's 20.5 instead of their "22" measurement. Kinda funny I thought. At least they got the rediculous headtube measurement right. :rolleyes:
 
#312 ·
Ansible said:
I'd like it to be slacker still myself though, like 68. I don't see why xc race bikes have to be so steep.
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because they handle and climb like a cat with 71 deg head angle. I wouldnt want mine slacker at all.
if youre taking these bikes on long technical downhills youre doing it wrong.
(and even then, with a dropper post and some technical skill there still isnt anything you cant ride on this bike short of a WC downhill run)
 
#313 ·
ok, so the 2011 anthemx 29er is up on the US site with prices
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikes/model/anthem.x.29er.1/7508/44088/

here are some more, looks like they are int he process of posting

here is the placeholder for the 2011 reign but no content or prices (or pics for that matter)
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikes/model/reign/7323/44479/

2011 trance is up
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikes/model/trance.x1/7321/44095/

and some others here
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikefinder/?who=men&where=offroad&how=performance
 
#314 ·
Evan55 said:
because they handle and climb like a cat with 71 deg head angle. I wouldnt want mine slacker at all.
if youre taking these bikes on long technical downhills youre doing it wrong.
(and even then, with a dropper post and some technical skill there still isnt anything you cant ride on this bike short of a WC downhill run)
Click to expand...
mtnbiker62 said:
It's a race bike. It's always going to be close to the NORBA classic geometry,,,71/73.
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Its a matter of taste I suppose - but lately manufacturers are starting to stray from the steep XC head angle dogma. The blur xc carbon has a 69.5 head angle, and the yeti asr carbon is sporting a 69 degree HA. Yeti has historically had long wheelbases to add stability in rocky descents, and now they have slack HA too. Good for conditions here in the front range of CO, maybe not as good in the tight woods of the east. Personally with a 68 degree angle I don't feel like I give up anything while climbing, but a 71 degree HA on the descent is a sacrifice for sure. Others don't feel the same way I know. I'm glad for the new tapered headsets allowing riders to choose for themselves, it'll be interesting to see how riders set up their bikes given the new options.
 
#315 ·
Ansible said:
Its a matter of taste I suppose - but lately manufacturers are starting to stray from the steep XC head angle dogma. The blur xc carbon has a 69.5 head angle, and the yeti asr carbon is sporting a 69 degree HA. Yeti has historically had long wheelbases to add stability in rocky descents, and now they have slack HA too. Good for conditions here in the front range of CO, maybe not as good in the tight woods of the east. Personally with a 68 degree angle I don't feel like I give up anything while climbing, but a 71 degree HA on the descent is a sacrifice for sure. Others don't feel the same way I know. I'm glad for the new tapered headsets allowing riders to choose for themselves, it'll be interesting to see how riders set up their bikes given the new options.
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yea but where are any of these rocky descents on XC race courses...? (again excluding downville) :D
 
#316 ·
stiingya said:
yea but where are any of these rocky descents on XC race courses...? (again excluding downville) :D
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Ah, you're implying that in the absence of rocky gnarl downhills I'd want that 71 deg HA. Nope. The truth is I want an XC bike that's like my trail bike only lighter.

There's a smooth course I raced this year that is a haven for 29er hardtails and its rumored people have even run cross bikes there, though I didn't see any. But once you're out of the buff line that everyone takes there's still some rough stuff, and that can be a good place to do some passing on the downhill, if you've got the confidence to bomb it. Not that its impossible on a 71 degree bike or anything, but I'm just saying what I'd prefer. XC is won on the uphill, but a little downhill speed doesn't hurt anything!
 
#317 · (Edited)
so let me see???

specialized epic 69.5
cannondale scalpel 69.5
trek top fuel 70
santa cruz blur 69.5

so bro, what is left?? that's right, no one makes steep xc angles other than giant in bikes over 4" in travel, and rightly so.. why do you think AC races the Trance at Downey or slackens the dang blang thing with a 120mm fork??

slacken the angles and that bike would be smoking..

no, i dont want a 140mm fork or anything like that on mine. would just buy a trance or ibis and race it....

will take into consideration what others are saying about the adjustment one can make with tapered head tube.
 
#318 ·
Downieville isnt XC, its SuperD. The fact that he is racing something as steep as the Trance says something to me (and its dissapointing to me that he doesnt ride a Reign, thats the bike made for superD riding)

I can just tell you that personally I am absolutely in love the way the Anthem handles as it is now, and I do a reasonable amount of AM riding on it too. (although Im hoping to buy a new reign to take those duties this year) I dont get hung up on the spec sheet or numbers on the internet. I honestly think we overanalyze things way too much. I guess you should just vote with your feet and buy something else? I was actually unaware that all the competition is considerably slacker.
If the market speaks then Giant will change it in the near future. Giant does have a tendency to move slowly on many things (and fast on other things, like the pressfit)
My guess is with all the praise that has been sung on the handling and nimbleness of the Anthem, they dont want to mess with a good thing until they absolutely have to. Wasnt it just 2 years ago that the anthem had a 72 deg head angle?
 
#319 ·
Evan55 said:
Downieville isnt XC, its SuperD. The fact that he is racing something as steep as the Trance says something to me (and its dissapointing to me that he doesnt ride a Reign, thats the bike made for superD riding)

I can just tell you that personally I am absolutely in love the way the Anthem handles as it is now, and I do a reasonable amount of AM riding on it too. (although Im hoping to buy a new reign to take those duties this year) I dont get hung up on the spec sheet or numbers on the internet. I honestly think we overanalyze things way too much. I guess you should just vote with your feet and buy something else? I was actually unaware that all the competition is considerably slacker.
If the market speaks then Giant will change it in the near future. Giant does have a tendency to move slowly on many things (and fast on other things, like the pressfit)
My guess is with all the praise that has been sung on the handling and nimbleness of the Anthem, they dont want to mess with a good thing until they absolutely have to. Wasnt it just 2 years ago that the anthem had a 72 deg head angle?
Click to expand...
Downieville isn't really a Super D, there's a big ass climb first.

Decker won it on an AX 29er this year...
 
#320 ·
O.K. guys. You've all probably grown tired of my crying at this point, but my rep. laid my fears to rest today. He's at a demo and measured the XL Reign headtube length at 6.5 inches.

So this bike's back in the hopper for me I guess. 0-rise stem and flat bars might make it work. 13.5 BB height isn't bad either. Now to figure out that chainguide. Come on MRP/E-13/Gamut!
 
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