Mountain Biking - Giant Bikes Rule (Service Rules)

I buy an 2001 NRS-1. 2002 the frame cracks. They warranty replace it with a 2002 NRS-1 Frmae. The whole time, I've had wierd shifting problems (ghost shifting). Finally got tired of dealing with it - plus my need for a bigger rig - bought a 2002 Giant AC Air Lite.

2002/01 NRS-1 has been in the shop forever to "finally fix" the shifting problem. Seems nothing to be done - so Monday they decided to ship me a 2003 VT frame!

Today...I'm riding my AC Air Lite. I crashed pretty hard, the bike took a bit of a tumble. About 20 minutes later...the stinking seat tube just snaps in half. I take the bike to the shop. 10 minutes after walking in to the shop - Giant is shipping a 2003 Giant AC with a Manitou Swinger shock!

Very Nice!

Does this mean you'll be selling the VT?

L8R

I'll be parting out the parts on the NRS-1 and selling the VT frame.

Its weird that some many people have problems with giant bikes....but they keep on riding them.

I didn't realize that there were "so many" having problems...

So far...the performance and value factor can't be beat and certainly the service and warranty speak for themselves. That's why I've stuck with Giant.

Yes Giant warranty is sweet! Got a 2002 DH comp the rear end has play in the bearings...they sent me a new complete rear end with new bearings and links. Also has an issue with my AC rear hub and shock sent the shock out 2nd day so I could have it for a little weekend trip I was taking and they sent a complete new rear wheel for me. I am glad I bought a giant.... with a warranty system like that you can't go wrong even if you do have problems... I can honestly say I never did not ride because I was waiting on a warrandy issue...the took care of me ASAP no questions asked. And no I have not had any more issues with either bike...and I have ridden them harder and longer than any other.

:beer:

Originally posted by KleinMp99
Its weird that some many people have problems with giant bikes....but they keep on riding them.
Huh? How about some stats?

Wish I could say the same for Gary Fisher. It took me close to 6 months to finally get my bike straightened out.

I bought another bike (not a GF) in the meanwhile and sold the warranty frame as soon as I got it!

Although unusual for a warranty to take that long, 6 weeks was pretty common at the shop I worked in for their replacements.

L8R

Originally posted by KleinMp99
Its weird that some many people have problems with giant bikes....but they keep on riding them.

What's weird is the extreme loyalty to Specialized a few members here seem to have. Yea, they're good bikes, but I'm more impressed with Giant.:)

I have heard of and seen countless AC breakage. The day before the local dh race my friend snapped the headtube off his 2003 AC1. Before that he had the same frame and it stressed right by where the shock is on the stupid curvy tube, which is also where another guy in town did the same thing. They arent freeride bikes like I and a bunch of other people used to think they were. All Conditions I guess means highly abusive trail riding, not doing big drops or anything. I grew to dislike Giant and cannondale from hearing of all the problems they have. You dont hear that crap about specialized, and you dont get the immense chain growth/weird pedal feel on an FSR either. I also dont like the bikes because the shop that sells them up here really dosent know what their doing half the time.

Explain "immense chain growth/weird pedal feel"...

What he ment by chain growth was.... with an FSR design the way the linkage is setup the chain doesn't need to extend as much to compensate for the rear end movement. On a giant it doesn't use the FSR design(horst link) it uses basically a swingarm with a few links added to it, so the chain has to lengthen when the rear end compresses. So when the "chain growth" happens it does give a different feeling than with a FSR(horts link) desing...now how noticable that is to certain people is arguable. I hope that helps explain it all a little

:beer:

AC's are not made for DC forks.

Originally posted by KleinMp99
I have heard of and seen countless AC breakage. The day before the local dh race my friend snapped the headtube off his 2003 AC1.

Hope he wasn't using a dual crown as it would be 100% his fault considering those bikes are well known to not except a dual crown at all :)

Originally posted by bikeCOLORADO
I buy an 2001 NRS-1. 2002 the frame cracks. They warranty replace it with a 2002 NRS-1 Frmae. The whole time, I've had wierd shifting problems (ghost shifting). Finally got tired of dealing with it - plus my need for a bigger rig - bought a 2002 Giant AC Air Lite.

2002/01 NRS-1 has been in the shop forever to "finally fix" the shifting problem. Seems nothing to be done - so Monday they decided to ship me a 2003 VT frame!

Today...I'm riding my AC Air Lite. I crashed pretty hard, the bike took a bit of a tumble. About 20 minutes later...the stinking seat tube just snaps in half. I take the bike to the shop. 10 minutes after walking in to the shop - Giant is shipping a 2003 Giant AC with a Manitou Swinger shock!
hey bikeColorado, did you have to fill out the warranty form in the Giant manual they give you? I haven't mailed mine in yet. Or does the warranty start AS SOON as u buy the bike from the dealer?

Technically if you need to PROVE the warranty - you can utilize your sales receipt. I had registered mine on-line on the Giant web-site, so when the service rep looked the Serial Number up on their computer it was there right in front of him.

Originally posted by bikeCOLORADO
I buy an 2001 NRS-1. 2002 the frame cracks. They warranty replace it with a 2002 NRS-1 Frmae. The whole time, I've had wierd shifting problems (ghost shifting). Finally got tired of dealing with it - plus my need for a bigger rig - bought a 2002 Giant AC Air Lite.

2002/01 NRS-1 has been in the shop forever to "finally fix" the shifting problem. Seems nothing to be done - so Monday they decided to ship me a 2003 VT frame!


In case anyone else has problems with their NRS "ghost shifting" the solution is to run a full der. housing from the back stop of the top tube down the seat stay - skipping the housing stops there - and into the rear der. It seems that the seatstays on those rigs flex a bit causing the two cable stops on the seatstay to change distance from each other under load - the cable gets slack, the der moves a bit and magically ghost shifting happens. Take that fix to your lbs that couldn't fix your bike - they might like to know for the future.

-Ryan

Originally posted by bikeCOLORADO
Technically if you need to PROVE the warranty - you can utilize your sales receipt. I had registered mine on-line on the Giant web-site, so when the service rep looked the Serial Number up on their computer it was there right in front of him.

The service rep at Giant? I can't seem to find the link to the warranty.

I found the link in the USA site. There doesn't seem to be on-line warranty on the Canada site...that sucks.
Where can i find the serial # on my bike? i tried looking everywhere...agh..!!

I must say I was impressed by Giant's service - my frame cracked around the seatube and I had a new frame (next model up) within three weeks.

As to Giant's being prone to cracking - it's the first frame that the shop had had to return in two years. Co-incidentally my neighbours Singlespeed (Magnesium Saracen Frame) cracked in the same place as mine two weeks later. The bike he's had most problems with was his Specialized Enduro, having had the back end replaced twice.

Richard

Originally posted by AquariaGuy
I found the link in the USA site. There doesn't seem to be on-line warranty on the Canada site...that sucks.
Where can i find the serial # on my bike? i tried looking everywhere...agh..!!

Usually under the bottom-bracket. You should be able to take the bike back to any approved dealer.

Richard

Most Giant Serial Numbers are on the bottom of the bottom bracket...though my latest AC was actually on the "seat stay". And yes...the service rep at Giant. My local wrench at the Performance Bike shop called in to Giant service.

Originally posted by AquariaGuy
I found the link in the USA site. There doesn't seem to be on-line warranty on the Canada site...that sucks.
Where can i find the serial # on my bike? i tried looking everywhere...agh..!!

Just take it to your local giant dealer...as long as you have a reciept you wont have any issues. You shouldn't even have to deal with giant, that is what your dealer is for.

:beer:

For the serial number...it should be as said before on the BB shell or on the seat stay non drive side dropout.

Not to slam Specialized, but just to show they are not perfect. I have warrantied eight FSR lower swingarms, and four FSR frames(In three years and our other shops had similar situations). The year the P3 was offered we got two and had to return them because the rear triangle was more than 10mm out of line, then could not get replacements because so many other shops had the same problem. Countless freehub failures on the Specialized branded rear wheels. Had to rebuild many of their wheels built up straight fifteen that started popping spokes within monthes of new. And I have a new Stumpjumper hardtail on the floor that was decaled with Epic stickers.

Originally posted by Rev.Chuck
Not to slam Specialized, but just to show they are not perfect. I have warrantied eight FSR lower swingarms, and four FSR frames(In three years and our other shops had similar situations). The year the P3 was offered we got two and had to return them because the rear triangle was more than 10mm out of line, then could not get replacements because so many other shops had the same problem. Countless freehub failures on the Specialized branded rear wheels. Had to rebuild many of their wheels built up straight fifteen that started popping spokes within monthes of new. And I have a new Stumpjumper hardtail on the floor that was decaled with Epic stickers.


and here's a big AMEN to that Rev. Chuck !!!

I couldn't agree with you more on the specialized warranty issues. We had alot of enduros that cracked frames and then not to mention that rear end issue they had a while ago.

And giant is much easier to deal with on warranty issues than specialized. To make my point more clear... my shop does not carry GIANT we carry SPECIALIZED... but I went to one of my old shops just to buy a GIANT over a SPECIALIZED!!

:beer:

Where's the JD Powers and Associate's Bike Manufacturer customer satisfaction survey when you need it?

Bikes and bikers themselves are no different than cars and trucks when it comes to brand loyalty - it is VERY similar to the Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge thing.

Originally posted by bikeCOLORADO
Where's the JD Powers and Associate's Bike Manufacturer customer satisfaction survey when you need it?

Bikes and bikers themselves are no different than cars and trucks when it comes to brand loyalty - it is VERY similar to the Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge thing.

And the more bikes you sell the more problems people will hear about even if only a tiny percentage of your product has problems...

BikeColorado that is easy, Fords are better. Then Dodge, then Chevy.

Originally posted by Rev.Chuck
BikeColorado that is easy, Fords are better. Then Dodge, then Chevy.
I know that must be a typo. I'm sure you meant Chevy, Dodge and then Ford. It's OK, you're forgiven. ;)

Anybody with a hundred bucks can build a hotrod Chevy. It takes talent to build a hot Dodge or Ford.

Originally posted by Rev.Chuck
Anybody with a hundred bucks can build a hotrod Chevy. It takes talent to build a hot Dodge or Ford.

A hot ford, can it be done? NAH!!!!!;)

It can if you are ready to repair it daily ;)

Hot Ford? Sure...set it on fire.

D O D G E for me...

Come on now, the Interceptor in MadMax(Falcon GS), Gone in Sixty Seconds(The original, no special effects in '73), Bullit(Admittidly whooping a Dodge), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets(Ford Anglia, hey, it flies), Raiders of the Lost Arc(No, wait, that was Harrison Ford)

Back to the same thing...brand preferences are a strange and emotional phenomenon! We are "wired" by our own personal experiences just as with all our other personal preferences...

Originally posted by Rev.Chuck
Come on now, the Interceptor in MadMax(Falcon GS), Gone in Sixty Seconds(The original, no special effects in '73), Bullit(Admittidly whooping a Dodge), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets(Ford Anglia, hey, it flies), Raiders of the Lost Arc(No, wait, that was Harrison Ford)

I'll keep my 1986 turbo Buick, thanks. Really fast street car (highly modded).