2008 Giant Camp

[K-Man]

Just got back from Giant's press camp, and filed this report (http://www.dirtragmag.com/blogarific/giant-2008-press-camp/) and photo gallery (http://www.dirtragmag.com/gal/showgallery.php?cat=666). Had two days of riding the new Trance X0 model -- with 5-inches of bump eatin' coosh.

[jerman]

I cant get into the photo gallery?!?!

[rockhound]

Is Giant bringing back any of it's hardtails as complete bikes?

[K-Man]

I cant get into the photo gallery?!?!

Sorry, working late at night on that job and forgot to toggle it live. Now it's good to go. Have a look:
http://www.dirtragmag.com/gal/showgallery.php?cat=666

[K-Man]

Is Giant bringing back any of it's hardtails as complete bikes?

Giant did give us a peek at the all new for 2008 XTC Alliance complete bike, which features Giant's proprietary Alliance frame technology that integrates both aluminum alloy and composite tubing into the frameset. This Alliance technology actually started in Giant road bikes last year. Giant decided it was perfect for mountain, so introduced this XTC Alliance bike this year. Note that the lower half of bike (downtube, chainstays, half of seattube) is aluminum alloy, and carbon fiber composite is used on the upper half. The idea is to produce a stiffer lower chassis, and provide vibration damping and light weight up top.

For $,1400 MSRP you get Marzocchi MX Pro LO 100mm fork with lockout, SRAM X7 trigger shifters, and X7 Rear D, Shimano Deore Front D, Hayes Stroker Ryde brakes (160mm rotors), Race Face Ride XC crankset, WTB Dual Duty XC rims, Forumula 32h Dics hubs, Kenda Small Block Eight folding tires, Race Face Ride XC 31.8mm handlebars, Race Face Ride stem, Race Face Ride seatpost, WTB Silverado Race saddle, Shimando PD-M520 pedals.

[Cressers]

A few more swoops in the frame with an post-industrial edge here and there, nothing new, but as the saying goes, there's one born every minute!

Some more breathless news about 'next years' bikes, they'll have two round wheels seperated by some sort of frame...

[K-Man]

A few more swoops in the frame with an post-industrial edge here and there, nothing new, but as the saying goes, there's one born every minute!

Why so jaded?

Actually the new Trance X0 represents a 5-inch travel model, which fills in the previously existing gap between the 4.2 and 6 inch travel models in Giant's lineup. It represents a completely new model.

And if you want to pretend that the redesigned frame and significant weight reduction are not "new", well, I suppose you're welcome to that opinion, but I'll choose to disagree.

[Cressers]

It seems to me that using a curved tube rather than a straight line to join two points would actually use more material and hence increase the weight of the frame.

And why so jaded? Because I've seen twenty years of this sort of thing.