Chisel vs Giant Talon 1
 

Hey guys, I ride xc/trail singletrack and I was thinking about upgrading to a sort of midrange budget hardtail and I couldn't decide between the Chisel or Giant Talon 1. I wasn't really clear on whether the Talon had the internal routing for a dropper. The dropouts on the Talon seemed a bit objectionable but not really a deal breaker (I prefer thru-axels but idk) and the Talon's stock tires looked better than the Chisel's. Also the Talon is like $300 cheaper so... ya idk.

Are you looking at used bikes?

I ask since the Chisel on Specialized site goes for no less than $1600 where as the Talon 1 is $880.

If you have the money, I would say go for the Chisel. But the Talon for that price range on bikes under $1000 is hard to beat.

Specialized Rockhoppers seem to be more comparable to the Talon's.

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/talon-1-2021

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/ch...ext=91721-7001

The subject has been beat here extensively but you do not want to buy a new disc bike with QR. It's not an upgrade. Aside from the annoyance of using the bike, you'll be stuck with an obsolete configuration with no path to upgrade.

Chisel for sure. The chisel is in a completely different league. The Specialized Rockhopper Comp is the bike that’s equivalent to the Talon 1. If compared to the Rockhopper, I’d go with the Rockhopper elite.