OhSoTuRbO6 Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 I look at it like this Giant= Legacy Gt, Specialized= BMW. We all know who you get more for your money with. Specialized used to be great rider friendly manu. but now they have upped their prices 10fold. Many Many people feel this way. Read around on Mtbr everyone says the same thing about them. Oh and Giant has a test ride program as well. Most big shops will have Demos for almost every bike they sell. Im not sold on Giant but i got a good deal, like i said. RIDE IBIS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-lo Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 Well, my luck ran out today. usually when I go out on road rides I never bring a spare tube or pump. "weighs me down". well, 3 miles into a hilly ride in frederick and I notice my rear tire is going flat. I had a nice hike back to the car. And thanks to all the FREDNECKS who passed me by without offering to give me a ride. F'ers. Guess it serves me right though. As I was walking past this farmer, he was getting out of his tractor he says to me: "You know, when I was a kid, we used to walk up hill and ride down hill!". 258k miles - Stock engine/minor suspension upgrades/original shocks/rear struts replaced at 222k/4 passenger side wheel bearings/3 clutches/1 radiator/3 turbos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skratch16 Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 @ sgeorge - thanks for the input. My shop is willing to let me ride whatever they've got, so I think I'm going to take a few Specialized and Giants just to see what's what. They're trying to be very accommodative, so I'm going to take them up on it. You're the first person to tell me to stay away from Giants, though. In fact, most of the guys at the shop (racers of ALL skill levels) are seriously considering Giant over their Specialized rigs, if they haven't made the switch already. @ OhSo - Thanks for the offer on the Reign, but I'll need a large frame. As far as the Ibis Mojo, it's a sweet ride, but I'm trying to keep the business with the LBS and they don't carry them. @ C-lo - Sorry about the flat. I don't carry spares on the road either... but that's probably because I know the guy I usually ride with has CO2 and tubes if I need them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryokosman Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 I'm a huge Giant fan. They might not be "boutique" but they have alot of bang for the buck - probably more-so than anyone else. I have several Giants and couldn't be happier!!! I just bought a Black Simple! HAHAHA Put blackwall tires on to replace the "gangsta walls" and ordering a Brooks saddle to replace that boat-anchor eyesore thats on it. LOL Totally gonna be pulling some Pee-Wee Herman shizzle up around the neighborhood!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgeorge Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 It's more like Giant=suzuki cars, Specialized = Legacy Gt, Santa Cruz, Ibis, Intense, Titus = BMW. Yes Specialized Prices have gone up, but so have all the other manufacturers, the cause is the cost of materials has increased, and import fees and shipping prices from china, taiwan, etc. have increased as well. The same thing has happened to almost any product you buy. I just prefer to ride a bike with a design that they have a patent on vs. somebody that is licensing the rights to use the design. I wonder why at the 24 hour races I participate in Giants are few and far between? Honestly, we see more trek full suspension frames broken than any other bikes. Giant is a close second, specialized probably 3rd(due to the enduros from 03-05, never had an issue with any stumpjumpers) Cannondale and Santa Cruz have probably the best track record. Skratch - good luck with the search. I'm sure you'll find something you like. Remember get a good frame because components can always be changed and updated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryokosman Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 You don't see many Giant's at 24 hr races? No kidding? Maybe because anyone who races 24 hr bike races is a "hardcore" biker? They are probably going to own a high-end bike. Same type of people who own several bikes. And the reason you see more Trek/Special-ed's/Giants broken than anyone else is because they sell way more than everyone else... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgeorge Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Giant has "high-end" offerings, but once you get into that price range there are many better options out there. The majority of bikes at 24 hour races are in the 2-3.5k price range, only the sponsored guys have the ridiculous s-work stumpjumpers, and full xtr bikes. Around where i live and ride(raleigh NC and the blue ridge mountains) You see more titus, Santa Cruz, and intense bikes than you would expect. We sell almost as many Santa Cruz full suspensions as we do specialized. Everybody has their opinions on which frame has the best handling characteristics and ride quality. As a shop employee i get the chance to demo lots of bikes and each company has its niche, Giant just rides the coattails of all the other manufacturers because they produce a lot of frames. They don't have to be innovative and can offer their bikes at a lower price because they don't spend insane amounts of money on R&D. With them its more of a "Functionally, this design works really well, how can we change it without infringing on patents and screwing up the qualities of the bike." I will never own a giant, go ride some other manufacturers and you will see why. Don't get on MTBR and read reviews, unhappy owners post more because their bike spends more time in the shop than between their legs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skratch16 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Picked up a Giant Anthem 2 tonight. I'll try to get pictures up soon. It just felt better than the others that I was trying out. Plus, the fact that the shop had scratched it and were offering it up for a discount plus free accessories from the shop didn't hurt. Thanks for the help guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sactojesse Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Picked up a Giant Anthem 2 tonight. I'll try to get pictures up soon. It just felt better than the others that I was trying out. Plus, the fact that the shop had scratched it and were offering it up for a discount plus free accessories from the shop didn't hurt. Great choice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryokosman Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 Picked up a Giant Anthem 2 tonight. I'll try to get pictures up soon. It just felt better than the others that I was trying out. Plus, the fact that the shop had scratched it and were offering it up for a discount plus free accessories from the shop didn't hurt. Thanks for the help guys! Sweet! Little to racey for me but their nice bikes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgeorge Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 Decided this weekend that a triple chainring on the blur is no longer needed as i never use the little ring and rarely use the big ring. Ordered parts to go 1x9. 34t chainring & bash guard plus sram x.0 rear shifter with the avid matchmaker and x.0 med cage rear derailleur. Goal is to reduce the amount of chain movement and remove some un-used/unnecessary weight. I'll post up some pictures after it is all installed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryokosman Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 I think that 1x9 is the way to go IMHO. My Giant STP has that setup and I think its great. Check out the e13 light chainguide. If I build a all mountain up this summer it will be going on it. I'm thinking XTR Cranks with a 32 ring! With a 11-34 in the rear I should still be able to crawl up some steep shizzle! I'm not one to race thru the hills anyways. I just poke around and bounce. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goober04 Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 I'm a new subscriber to this thread, and also new to the mountain bike world. I have been doing a lot of research and have narrowed my choice down to two bikes: 08 Specialized Rockhopper Disc or 08 Jamis Durango 2.0 Now I need some help, any idea on which is a better bike... Any input would be greatly appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryokosman Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 Well the Jamis has a better Crankset and rear derailer going for it. But I'd say the Specialized has a better fork and probably a lighter wheelset. You can always upgrade both... If it was my money I'd say Special-ed. Might eye-ball the Giant Yukon if there is a dealer in your area. Very simular spec'ing to both the Spec and Jamis for less. I want to say they're around $500~ish at my local dealer. I know that orange Specialized Rockhopper Disk 29er looks AWESOME and I want one so bad! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goober04 Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 $500?!?! The local dealers here (in Charleston SC) all want 685 for the Durango and 700 for the Rockhopper disc... I hope I am not getting ripped off?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryokosman Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 Nah I won't say your getting ripped off. Giants are just less money generally than a simiular bike from another manf. They build more bikes than anyone. If your game for a online dealer MBTR guys whore out Ibex bikes. Might be worth a cruise over to the website and check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goober04 Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 Will do, thanks for the input... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferenczy33 Posted May 9, 2008 Share Posted May 9, 2008 I might as well chime in. Just getting back into riding and bought a Gary Fisher Marlin Disc 2 weeks ago on sale for $579. I've already logged about 7 miles of singletrack and 20 miles of local paved bike paths. It is the best bike I've ever ridden, ultralight and climbs hills like a goat. http://www.fisherbikes.com/img/bikes/2008/420x264/marlin_disc.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goober04 Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 Are the disc brakes mechanical or hydraulic? What type of fork is on it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgeorge Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 I will have to say that the x.0 shifts like everybody says it does, beautiful. The setup is as follows. Salsa 34t chainring sans ramps on XT cranks. Race face bash guard 3rd eye chain watcher w/ a little customization to make it work better. x.0 rear trigger shifter with the matchmaker for the avid brakes. x.0 20th anniversary medium cage rear derailleur. The bike('07 Blur Lt) now weighs 26.7 lbs with relatively heavy kenda 2.1 nevegals dtc tires. Specialized is out of their new s-works captain tire, which absolutely rock in dry to damp trail conditions. The girlfriend took the SLR to the mountains this week, i will get some pictures on thursday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picture_Shooter Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 I really diggin the Transition's bikes. I want to go full suspension, but not sure if wife gonna let me fork out 1300.00 for a bike. Damn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryokosman Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 I'm totally eyeballin a Transition Covert. Wanna do a blingster build LOL. I wish it was only 1300 tho. Thats just the frame and shock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picture_Shooter Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 I'm totally eyeballin a Transition Covert. Wanna do a blingster build LOL. I wish it was only 1300 tho. Thats just the frame and shock No kidding, I just found out when I e-mailed them. The bike w/ all components still would be about a 32lbs bike overall. I think a Dakar XCR Comp might be better buy for my budget & component match. Plus its little bit lighter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hutru01 Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 I am actually looking for a mtn bike. Looking for a used hardtail with decent shocks on front (manitou, hard rock, etc) Any suggestions? (Budget is around $400-500) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryokosman Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 Craigslist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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