2010 Giant XTC 29er 1 on test

For those of you lookin' at a new 29er hardtail for the next season of riding (or this one, for that matter) here is a new alternative.

Edit for new link. More follow up articles as well...search the site or look for related articles at the bottom of the review.


http://twentynineinches.com/2009/07/26/giant-xtc-1-29er-first-impressions/

 

The Giant logo is just plain ugly. Their marketing department gets a failing grade from me!

 

late to the game... but game on

tapered steerer is ghey

 

Shown with 1.90 Kenda Karmas. 27lbs 7oz (XL). $2000.00 price point.

 

So you have ridden a 29er with this type of front end build? I ask that cuz the steering response of this bike is remarkable, what with the combo of frame/fork/wheel stiffness.

You may know different

 

I agree. I see the functionality of a tapered steerer, but I really just dont like it. Total pain in the a$$.

 

chewy rides a tricycle, so of course he is a hater

 

I counted "GIANT" 7x on the frame, is that because this is an XL? So if I wanted a medium it would only have "GIANT" 3X or something like that?

Hopefully they had all of the logos only because it was a photo op for a review?

 

Nope. No special photo op model. Can't say about the smaller frame.

Why is that? Backwards compatibility issues or?

 

More market research?

No one likes tapered steerer's because then they need a new fork to replace the one they already like. Most on here prefer to build things ala-carte so we don't have to sell a load of crappy parts. Only newbs buy completes, not to mention the ethical impact of buying a bike imported from the single largest cause of global warming and pollution on the planet. And lastly because hardtails suck, especially one that looks like a billboard with no attempt to even stylize the graphics.:lol:

Giant get's a massive thumbs down overall, and this for sure will not change my mind. I don't care if they are paying you directly, working for a shop, or just getting product out of the deal but that company (and most other big players) in particular is about profit and the Mgmt has no clue what is going with the end consumer. Instead they spend millions trying to compete with each other at Interbike while giving normal people the bill for the dizzying heights they try to take a simple concept to.

Since I know it will eventually get to product honchos I'll say that less is more. Keep it simple and affordable and you'll have a bigger hit than the Model T, all this model says is "me too".:lol:

 

When we all rode 1" steerer tubes we had to get a new fork for a 1/8" upgrade on a new frame. When we went to suspension forks we had to get new frames so we were not riding choppers. Disc brakes, etc...all require the same type of changes/upgrades. You can choose not to participate, but don't say no one likes it.

I am an ala carte guy...have been for nearly 25 years. the only reason to buy a tapered steerer spec'd bike is because I feel it makes sense from a performance stand point and I would accept the need to buy a new fork along with that. At some point it may become the standard and if so, you will be somewhat forced to go there kicking and screaming and hanging on to your canti brakes and rigid forks

It is not just newbs that buy completes. Silly thing to say.

The rest I will avoid answering as it delves into fuzzy emotional socially conscious stuff except to point out I am not an employee, sponsored person nor do I get any product out of this. I just ride bikes and talk about them so folks can make a better decision.

Seems like you already made yours.

 

I saw one at Fullerton bikes the other day. It's really nice in person.

 

27.7 lbs at $2000 OUCH!!!!

You can pick up a Fisher Paragon for a couple of hundred less and save a pound.

 

The Paragon does look like a good value and GF builds some light stuff (sometimes at a fragile cost).

Does the Paragon include the tapered steerer and 15mm QR on the 100mm fork? That is easily a couple hundred bucks worth of stuff IMO.

 

The tapered steerer doesn't really add any value to the price of the fork.....however, I did miss the 15qr. #-o

 

If the tapered steerer contributes to better steering performance, and it seems that it does, then it adds value to the bike as a whole package.

Or, maybe it is just the latest 'thing'. Time will tell. But I bet you will seeing that technology across many bigger brands and when that HT is available to the little guys/boutique builders so they can build with them too (if it is not already), there will be more and more.

But hey, I could be wrong.

 

Giant XTC 29er upgraded!

I was not satisfied with the parts that came stock on the Giant XTX 29er 1. I did, however, like the performance of the bike. Very stiff up front. The ability to run super low tire pressure. And, the speed compared to my 26 inch bike. I decided to just upgrade what I considered a great foundation. The biggest and most expensive upgrade was the crankset. I went from Shimano Deore to Race Face Next carbon. In fact, I changed the whole drivetrain and went with Sram XO shifters and rear derailleur. The front derailleur is XTR. The cockpit is all new with Race Face Next SL post and bars. The stem is a Syncros FL. I changed some colors on some smaller parts and I am finally done.
The bike now weighs 25.39 lbs. with platform pedals. The pre-upgrade weight was over 27 with the same pedals. This bike is fast, light and handles very technical areas with ease. I think Giant got it right. Perhaps they need to make a XTC 0 29er and spec it out with better parts.

 

Nice dude. You going to pop for some super light hoops? Probably push you into the low 24's.

 

Yeah, a good non-low-end shimano rear hub and some sub-500g rims would probably shave a good 3/4 of a pound off of your wheelset.

If you haven't already and you don't require the 36t granny gear, a new cassette could also shave another 100g+

 

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