Mountain Biking - Not a happy camper

I finally decided to buy a real Mountain Bike.
After extensive research I decided on a Giant NRS 2. After visiting the LBS, numerous long distance phone calls, and a call to Giant, I now find out they are out of them for the year. Won't be available until new models come out in September.
Severe depression is now setting in... :irritated

At least you can search for other cool FS brands, its always nice to spend a lot of money :D

dude!

forget the giant! take a look at this semi-undiscovered dream bike (http://store.airbomb.com/USA/Store/product/view.cfm?ProductID=912)



damn steal at only $1599US, and a DAMN nice bike......very smooth ride.

just check out this (http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/Bike_full/product_19254.shtml) and this (http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/Frameset/product_21037.shtml) for some other people's opinions.

seriously you should consider other options though, im just making a suggestion(as i own one and am very pleased with it).....but dont bother waiting for the giant, look around.

Thanks Biztyke, I'll keep that one in mind. Reviews do look really good.:)

Wow, what a deal. Is that really by Ellesworth? If so, they have a great reputation.



Originally posted by Dirtgrinder
I finally decided to buy a real Mountain Bike.


A real mountain bike doesn't have gears or suspension! :D (just kidding, had to say that)

Originally posted by riderx
Wow, what a deal. Is that really by Ellesworth?


yep, true ellsworth....pure quality. and the frame has a lifetime warranty.

Servus!

Ohmanomanomanoman! That is about the SWEETEST deal I have seen for a ride like that in a long time. DG, snatch this out of someone else's hands NOW!

Wish I had the money... :(

Grinder, that is a good deal on a great frame. Aeon is an offshoot of Ellsworth. The only thing to remember is that in order to get such a good frame at that price you are making a compromise in parts. Plus the parts spec on the bike will make it somewhat heavy (coil spring and the QR20 Zokes) and no Disc brakes. On the plus side, with the coil spring, it will be very plush.

I know that's a really good bike but I kinda wanted a more traditional frame rather than another "Y" bike frame. That's what I have now. Not knocking the Isis, I've read reviews and it's rated really well. I'm still looking but I really want that Giant.
The new ones are supposed to be released in Sept. Guess I'll wait and see what they look like as far as components.
I've just read a lot of good things about it and like the looks.
Thanks for all the input guys. I'm still looking around!


Bike of the Year (http://www.giantbicycles.com/us/000.000.000.asp?articleid=10004)

Review (http://www.dirtworld.com/articles/reviews_bikes260.htm)

XTC NRS 2 (http://www.giantbicycles.com/us/bikes/030.000.000.asp?bikes=cataloguestep4&bikeid=10366)

Grinder...the most important thing to remember is to get the bike that you feel is best for YOU. If you feel it's the Giant, then i'd say you are better off waiting then buying a bike you don't really want just because it's on sale.

1500 is a lot of money. Better to wait and buy what you want then to have regrets later.

Just a thought. I was looking at the classifieds over at www.mtbr.com and saw some Giant nrs's for sale. There was even one in Missouri, MO is Missouri right?

Anyway, this is an option. I purchased my bike from an ad on mtbr. The guy i bought it from lived about an hour's drive away and I got to see and ride the bike before I bought it.

sorry to hear that. one word about Giant; they are notorious for being very slow at delivering product( last shop i worked at was a dealer).

so, like toolfreak said, i'd try to look on the bright side and do more research/test riding.

other fs bikes that would be fun(IMO) to test ride would be:

Trek Fuel
Gary Fisher Sugar
Specialized FSR
Cannondale Jekyll
Santa Cruz
Titus

i'm sure other people will have other suggestions.

you have a few months...maybe you could even travel a bit to find dealers with models to test ride?

Thanks for the suggestions all. Thbirks I looked at MTB and saw a couple that looked really nice but couldn't find the one in MO. I'll keep looking though. Thanks again, DG.

You could always go for one of these...

http://www.softride.com/images/medium_bikes/PowerCurveXC_med.jpg


Softride's motto: "Suspend the rider, not the bike"

those softrides are a joke!

hehe, i actually have an old mountain bike action from '96 that has a review for that thing. they said it was ok, but wasnt any FS.

hell, i could take my commuter, slap on a suspension stem and seatpost and id have the same feel. theres no supension for the contact to your pedals, and te other is undamped elastomer...ha!

id rather ride rigid than that goofy looking thing.

you were joking though right?

I want to try one of those Softrides, I sure feel sorry for the bike magazine editors that had to test that sucker on the trails. Human Catapult would be a good name, oh wait, I think I got that from a magazine. Oh-well, I read to many mags.

DG, definetly go with the bike you want. It may be a "worse" bike, but who cares? at 1500 bucks nothing is really a bad buy.There is nothing wrong with buying a bike that has a few lower end parts but looks sexier.Giants packs huge bang for the buck, when I was looking to buy, I was leaning towards Giant, but then I found a great used bike that was sexier, AND better(rare find) so I went with it. Dude, when I got on that bike for the first time, it just felt like home, I don't know how else to describe it.

DG
I just went and refreshed my memory. The NRS 2 is an awesome bike!!! I was looking on when I thought I was going to have tons of money to spend. I have tried a NRS 3 and it was the bomb. The NRS 3 doesn't have disc brakes though. I will envy you when you get that bike, I think Disc brakes are the coolest looking things in the world.

Thanks Fubar, I'm still searching for one. Maybe even an NRS1 if the price is right!:D
I looked and looked and nothing really grabbed me til' I saw the NRS. (Thanks for pointing it out Carlos!) And the components it's got are awesome.
I looked hard at the Specialized FSR's, but wasn't really thrilled with it. And most of the reviews I read said it rode good, but the components weren't much for the money it cost.
I think the NRS is more than I need for less money.
Now if I could just find one!!!!!!!!

DG,
Have you looked at the Fisher Sugars?:D :D Not trying to talk you out of a Giant but....I rode a Sugar 3 and dude, it was awesome, I couldn't tell the suspension was working, until I notice that I wasn't feeling many bumps. So I looked down, and sure enough, the rear suspension was working!!! I didn't try it uphill, so I don't know about bobing. But the Fisher B*Link is low maintenance. Have you looked into to the level of maintenace the NRS rear suspension requires? That may be something to look into.

Joe, that bike is nuts. Have you ever riden one of those? I've never seen such a thing. WOW.. I would feel like a geek on that thing.. LOL

Originally posted by Trekn
I would feel like a geek on that thing.. LOL

That's why so many Tri-geeks ride softrides...

Check out that suspension stem. You probably get a whopping 1/2" travel on that thing. I think RiderX has one of those on his singlespeed so I better not say too much...:D
I'm sure getting catapulted over the handlebars by the beam is an experience you never forget.

Originally posted by Trekn
WOW.. I would feel like a geek on that thing.. LOL

Hey I resemble that remark! So what's wrong with geeks. ;)

resemble that? what do you mean?

Originally posted by fubar5
DG,
Have you looked at the Fisher Sugars
I did look at them Fubar. The LBS has 2 2000 models it's selling for 1399. I didn't get a chance to ride it though. Might still give it a chance but no discs on it kind of bums me out. And the travel is really short from what I've read and what the guy at the shop told me. DG

Are you planning on doing gap jumps and drop offs? The Sugars do have short travel(3'' I think) but if all you do is trails and stuff 3'' is all you need. The NRS is definetly better for jumps and drops.Have you tried disc brakes? I haven't had the opportunity, let me know how they feel/work. I talked to a guy that said you still can't feather/modulate with discs, you either stop,or you don't,no in between. But I drew from my conversation with him that he had used discs only once, and that was several yrs ago.So I don't think he knows what he is talking about.All the bike mags say discs are the way to go and that they are the future.

Servus!

I am the proud owner of Magura Julies and have had No problems with modulation! I don't know how you friend came to this conclusion fubar, but I have never had so much braking control and feel before. Discs are the wave of the future!

Thanks Ranger, I love the way discs look. Julies are the set I've had my eye on. All I have to do now is get enough money rounded up for a new set of wheels with disc hubs and for a set of Julies. No problem....:( :( :(

I have Magura Louise on my bike and they Rock!! Discs are definitely a worthy upgrade. It's amazing how much stopping power you have and like Ranger said, I have no problem with modulation.

Ok, you guys can shut up now. If you don't I may go mess up my budget and blow all my money getting discs.:(

I know the feeling. If I'm not careful, I'll end up spending most of my paycheck on bike stuff.

I actually hate getting catalogues in the mail because as soon as I see them I want to order something.

fubar:

that guy probably rode some hayes. in a lot of cases those things can be like light switches....you either stop or you go. but the new shimano XT discs and the offerings from hope offer excellent stopping power and awesome modulation.

if your looking for cheap, check out the avid mechanical cable actuated discs. they offer very similar stopping power to hydraulic and very good modulation, and they are cheap. $85(jensonusa.com has em for $65 OEM) and with some XT disc hubs, upgrading front and back to discs would run around $200-250. not too bad considering the jump in performance....especially in wet weather.

yeah...discs are the future standards for brakes.

I'm trying to get my job extended, if it works I'll be upgrading to discs soon. Nashbar builds wheels at a decent price, I may give them my business.

Originally posted by biztyke
fubar:


if your looking for cheap, check out the avid mechanical cable actuated discs. they offer very similar stopping power to hydraulic and very good modulation
Yes, I've read reviews about the Avids and they say they're like hydraulics without all the setup. Those are what that Giant NRS 2 that I want has on it.

I have an AVID disc up front on the Stinky. It has tons of power and great modulation. Super easy to set up.

Do you like having more stopping power in the front? I have thought about putting discs on one at a time. The on thing killin' me that I just noticed on my bike is that it is an older frame. So there are no disc mounts in the rear, and the front soch is older too,so there is no disc mount there either. So for discs I waould have to upgrade my front suspension too,and I would only have a front disc. aBut that isn't so bad. Because I saving(how many things can I save for at once?) up the the Rock Shox DUKE when it comes out, or maybe the Black by Manitou.

Hey grinder,if you have to wait 'till september for the NRS,why don'tcha keep on saving up the bucks and by september you might have enuff for a giant XTC-AC1 @ $2,300 !!, now their is a freekin' cool rig !!:thumbup:

Servus!

Sorry to say, but I have to disagree about the Avid being the same as a hydraulic disc. I will admit that the cable-actuated Avid is as good as any v-brake out on the market, but the hydraulic disc provides infinitely more braking power and less fading. My Julies are truly "plug and play" - I had my LBS install them and that has been it. No cable stretch to deal with, self-spacing pads, clean and effective in all-weather/all-condition.

I do know that the MPH hydraulic discs on the Giants are effective and are well worth the extra price.

The Avid cable disc brakes are very equal to my xtr vee,s in the dry ....but in the wet the Avids kick any vee brake's ....

I do agree that cable actuated disc brakes aren't quite as powerful as hydraulic (sp?) but from what I've read, the Avids come very close at a fraction of the cost. So if someone wants to get disc brakes but doesn't want to pay an exorbitant amount of money, the Avids are a great way to go.

That said, Ranger is right in saying that you still have to deal with cable stretch and changing out the cables periodically to make sure the brakes are working at peak performance. That's something you don't have to worry about with hydraulics.

I have ridden just about every hyd disc on the market. I can honestly say that the only ones with more power than the avids are the Magura Gustavs and the hayes with the 8 inch rotor option. All of the brakes had been set up by pro(team) mechanics, so installation quallity was top notch. Maintance and set up on the Avids is so easy, there is no installing and removeing to add shims, no bleeding of nasty fluid. The avids are so easy a friend who has trouble changing a tube set his up in about an hour,front and rear, and they work as good as mine(i'm a UBI certified mechanic)!