[jsnowut]

My wife is looking at the Giant Lust Advanced 2 27.5. Anyone been on one or know someone that rides one and can give her some feedback? Thanks!

 

[[email protected]]

I own the bike shop GO-RIDE.com. I bought a Lust Advanced 2 for my wife and she is absolutely in love with it. We ride together a lot and I am usually way ahead on the climbs, but since she got her new bike she is right with me now.

 

[TJay74]

Got my wife one as well end of last year. She came off of a decent 29'er and the Lust Advance has transformed her riding and confidence while on the trail. I have the Anthem Advance 1 and am getting ready to put the stock Giant Carbon wheels on it, then the P-CXR1 wheels from my bike are going on her bike.

The Lust Advance 2 is a solid bike, only other things we did to my wifes bike was carbon bars and seat post.

 

[jsnowut]

Thanks very much for the info. Sounds like a great option!

 

[ColumbiaGorgeSoul]

I see that this thread is a week old, but thought I'd give my review of the Giant Lust Advanced 2 2014. I have about 6 rides on my new bike. I'm not a professional rider but love riding and want to ride more. When deciding if I wanted to purchase this new bike I couldn't find any reviews on it, so that's why I'm giving my opinion now.

I'm 47, 5'4", 125lbs and the small fits me very well. I do have short legs and a long torso compared to most women this height.

Most of my riding is up hill, from 1000-2500 feet elevation gain and then down again. I do lots of rocky technical stuff, but never let my tires leave the ground. I'm a cautious rider and slow down a lot.

It took a few rides for me to notice the new features. I had been riding a Titus Motolite and Rocky Mountain Element for years. I am now feeling the 650 tire change and really like it. I do roll over rocks and tree roots easier and at a slower pace if I want to or need to. Before, I would deliberately speed up so I didn't have to peddle over the obstacle, this is not as necessary with the Lust Advanced 2.

Also, the gearing is now second nature. At first I was 'thinking' I needed lower gears, but now I've calibrated myself to the new gearing and do not miss the 'smaller' gears at all. I seldom need to use the smallest gear.

On the down hills I find I'm comfortable going faster on the same trails I've ridden for years.

A big difference, both up and down hill, I don't move around on the seat nearly as much. I used to really sit on the tip of my seat for steep uphills, now on the same hills, I'll stay very centered on my seat. One con, I am still getting used to the wider handle bars, and did one time nick a tree. The handling is very sensitive. My first ride out I was a little jerky, but I've really smoothed out my steering now that I'm used to the handling.

Although the bike hasn't fixed my back and hip pain, I didn't think it would. I love the bike and highly recommend it.

 

[jsnowut]

Thanks for the feedback on the bike. That is helpful. Sounds like you are enjoying it quite a bit and it's probably the way that we will go.

 

[TJay74]

Replace the stock bars with carbon ones. My wife had the same reservations about the stock bars feeling wider, I put carbon bars on hers and they were right at 1.5" narrower and she really likes it now.

 

[CFT]

Full disclosure, I co-own a bike shop with my husband and we sell Giant. That being said, I have a number of demo bikes in my size to pick from and I frequently reach for my Lust Adv 2! I am more of an all-mountain rider so have upgraded our demo with a dropper seat post so I don't have to stop to use my wrench to lower the saddle for tech-y stuff. It feels like cheating climbing on that bike, I always set PRs when I ride on trails that I've not taken the Lust before - it is so fast uphill. I also love 27.5 for the confidence it gives me when the trail points down.

I like the other ideas on this thread to upgrade to carbon bars - might do that if we make this demo my personal bike. I also don't love the stock tires - they are super light but perhaps not a beefy as I would like for my trail-riding style.

Hope you are able to find a shop in your area that has one as a demo or perhaps has a LIV/Giant demo coming to town soon - it is a fun bike!

 

[TJay74]

yeah the RR tires are light, and they wear really quick and or tear at the tread blocks easily. I only have 300-500 miles on my Anthem Advance with the RR tires and the rear is pretty close to being shot.

Prob going to replace mine with Maxxis Ikon's once my new wheels come in.