R. Cunningham
Giant France held a preview of 2007 models at its headquarters, in Southern California, last week. Its carbon-fiber-framed Anthem Advanced dual suspension cross-country racer and?Trance Advanced trailsbike were the most talked about models. Black stuff will be the headliner of the wallet-buster section for all major brands next season. But Giant actually produces its composite frames in its own factory which allows it to lead in a highly competitive market. Giant is also an innovator in aluminum, and they have developed a variety of methods to shape, bend, bend, taper, and taper aluminum frames tubes. These are all science-based techniques that will be used by premium performers next season.
Andrew Juskaitus, Media Man, said that Giant is well-known for delivering great value and performance. Giant is a leader in technology this year, according to our opinion.
Anthem Advanced uses the same T 800 carbon fibre material with which Giant makes its 7-kg road bikes.
Giants’ flagship cross-country bike will be the Anthem Advanced dual suspension bike. Because there is no market for hardtails of this quality, they won’t be making one. Anthem Advanced features a monocoque carbon fibre front section and a triangulated Carbon rear section. It articulates on Giants dual link Maestro suspension system. It is amazing. The paint is amazing. It’s a refreshing change from plain black, but still makes your competition aware that you’re riding carbon. The 07 Anthems structure does not mimic a tubular-aluminum frame. Instead, it is a seamless mixture of wildly divergent shapes that are optimized to address the stress at each station on the chassis.
Anthem Advanceds’ design is clean and modern. The sub-11kg racer gets 9 cm of rear wheel travel with a Fox RP23 air suspension. A 100-millimeter-stroke Fox 32FX fork is found at the Giant’s business end. Giant has been a faithful friend to Shimano since its inception. This is what you’ll see most on the Anthem, XTR throughout. The 140-millimeter XTR rear-brake rotor was more XC-specific and we liked Giants surprise choice of RapidFire triggershifters instead of the more expensive Dual-Control multifunction brake levers. You will need to spend a lot of money for the Giant, but you can still take pride in knowing that it is the best carbon racing machine that money can buy.
Giants’ answer to the cross-country, long-stroke trailbike is Trance Advanced.
The original aluminum-framed Trance was easy to pedal and handle well. We are happy that the carbon fiber 07 version has the same suspension and frame geometry. Giant has rated the Trance Advanced as a trailbike that can withstand heavy terrain at 12kg. Trance Advances’ composite front section has an angular design that defies the swoop and curve trend. Giant moulds the front and rear triangles with its T 800 carbon material and T 700 carbon materials and opts for a scratch-hiding natural finish.
Aluminum Trance suspension
The Trance has 11 cm rear-wheel travel. This is slightly less than the current five-inch standard. However, it shouldn’t hinder its performance or sales. It’s hard to find anything better than a well-designed carbon chassis, a sharp-accelerating Maestro suspension, solid component selections that include Fox air-sprung suspension and a SRAMX.O drivetrain. Giant set the Trance Advanced’s retail price at
07 Reign frames have been completely redesigned. The X.0 version was designed for freeriders and session jumping.
Riegn X0 suspension detail
Reign is Giants’ new long-travel chassis, which measures over six inches in length, bridges the gap between cross country and freeriding. It is beautifully finished and has an ovalized, tapered, and bulged aluminum frame. There are two distinct versions: The 6.6 is a sub 14 kg big-hit trailbike with slightly steeper frame numbers, triple-chainring cranks and lighter components; and the 15 kg Reign X-series with downhill-ish numbers, bomb-proof parts and a roller-guide/dual-ring crankset, that is targeted directly at the freeriding and jumping segment of our sport. The X.0 shares a redesigned chassis that has 17 cm of wheel travel. The downtube shock tunnel has been enlarged to accommodate a piggyback shock. The suspension is controlled by a Fox 36 single-crown shock fork and a DHX air damper. The DHX coil-over X.1 shock comes in a DHX model. The Giants Reign duo has the right positioning to capture the aggressive trailrider and the freerider. A 2007 Reign is expected to cost between and.
Reign 0, the big-hitting trailbike, is sure to be a hit on the trails and in Super-D races.
Giant has dropped its Faith downhill platform in favor of a new platform called Glory. A Fox DHX damper powers the Glory dual-linkage rearend. Although the 67-degree head angle allows for some big moves, its 44 cm chainstays keep it within acceptable limits. The more pedal-friendly cockpit arrangement and 44 cm chainstays allow for easy climbing. Glory Freeride has a dual-ring chainring, a roller guide, and a SRAMX.O transmission. The Glory Freeride weighs 193kg. But who cares? Prices start at
Glory Freeride is a reflection of the downsizing trend among top freeriders looking for big-drop performance in a lighter, more rideable chassis.
Giants’ all-new downhill racing platform, called the Glory DH Comp, is the last bike in this preview. The bike’s Maestro rear axle delivers 22 cm of travel, and the fork is the Fox 40 dual crown. The 20-kg racer is one-half inches lower than the freeride version’s bottom bracket and has a 65.5-degree head angle. The Fox DHX coil/over Shock model is equipped with Mavics bomb-proof 729 Disc tires. The Glory DHs dual-sized headset is our favorite. The upper race has a 3 cm standard model, while the lower race has a 4 cm bearing with a larger diameter. The DH Comp is lighter than its sister and has a SRAM X.O transmission. Its price is a reasonable-for-competition,
Giants Downhill Racer is a good looking machine that backs up solid component selections and precise geometry.
