GIANT ROLLS OUT ITS 2007 BIKES

GIANT ROLLS OUT ITS 2007 BIKES

R. Cunningham



Giant USA hosted a preview of its top-drawer 2007 models at its headquarters in Southern California last week. The buzz was about its carbon-fiber-framed “Anthem Advanced” dual-suspension cross-country racer and ?Trance Advanced” trailbike. It’s no secret that black stuff is headlining the wallet-buster section of all the big brands next season, but Giant actually makes is composite frames in its own factory, which gives it an opportunity to take the lead in a very competitive marketplace. Giant is an innovator in aluminum also, and they developed a myriad of ways to shape, butt, bend and taper aluminum frame tubes proprietary methods that have been tuned to a science for premium performers next season.

“Giant has been well known for packaging great performance with incredible value,” says Media Man Andrew Juskaitus. “This year we believe that Giant has taken a leadership role as far as technology is concerned.”


The Anthem Advanced uses the same T 800 carbon fiber material that Giant builds its 15-pound road bikes with.



Giant’s flagship cross-country racer will be the Anthem Advanced dual-suspension bike this year. They won’t be making a pro-level hardtail because, “the market for them has disappeared.” The Anthem Advanced uses a monocoque carbon fiber front section, mated to a triangulated carbon rear section that articulates on Giant’s dual-link Maestro suspension system. The paint is fantastic. Creamy white over transparent blue is a refreshing escape from basic black but it still lets your competitors know that you are riding carbon. Rather than mimic a tubular-aluminum frame, the ’07 Anthem’s structure is a seamless blend of wildly divergent shapes, each optimized to tackle the stress at its particular station on the chassis.

Overall, the Anthem Advanced’s design looks clean and contemporary. A Fox RP23 air shock gives the sub-24-pound racer 3.5 inches of rear wheel travel. The business end of the Giant sports a 100 millimeter-stroke Fox 32F-X fork. Giant has always been a loyal friend of Shimano, and that’s what you’ll find the most of on the Anthem; XTR throughout, with the exception of its must-see Mavic SLR tubeless wheels. We liked the smaller, XC-specific, 140-millimeter XTR rear-brake rotor and Giant’s surprising choice of RapidFire trigger shifters, instead of the more-ostentatious Dual-Control multifunction brake levers. Expect to pay $6000 for your copy and take pride in the fact that your Giant is the best carbon racer that money can buy and that you’ll still be saving a thousand or so off the retail cost of its S-brand competitors.


Trance Advanced is Giant’s answer to the long-stroke, cross-country trailbike.



We liked the easy pedaling and bright handling of the original aluminum-framed Trance and are pleased that the ’07 carbon fiber version shares the same suspension and frame geometry. Giant puts the weight of the Trance Advanced at 26 pounds, which is spot on for an aggressive-terrain trailbike. The angular design of the Trance Advance’s composite front section is designed with a modern angular look that bucks the swoop-and-curve trend. Giant molds the front and rear triangle with its T 800 and T 700 carbon material and opted for a scratch hiding natural finish.


The aluminum Trance suspension



With 4.2 inches of rear-wheel travel, the Trance is a slice shy of the present five-inch standard, but that shouldn’t hurt its performance or its sales. Add a well designed carbon chassis to a sharp-accelerating Maestro suspension and solid component selection that includes Fox air-sprung suspension, a SRAM X.O drivetrain, Mavic wheels and Race Face cockpit items, and it’s tough to come up with anything but aces. Giant put the retail price of the Trance Advanced at $6000.


’07 Reign frames are completely redesigned. The X.0 version is targeted at freeriders and session jumpers.


Riegn X0 suspension detail



Reign is Giant’s completely new long-travel chassis (over six inches) that bridges the gap between cross-country and freeriding. The aluminum frame is ovalized, tapered and bulged to add strength without piling on more metal, it looks well designed and beautifully finished. There are two distinct versions: The 6.6 is a sub 30-pound big-hit trailbike with slightly steeper frame numbers, triple-chainring cranks and lighter components; and the 34-pound 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 and X.1 share a beefed up chassis with 6.7 inches of wheel travel. Its downtube shock tunnel is enlarged to clear a piggyback shock. Suspension is handled by a Fox 36 single-crown fork and a DHX Air damper. The X.1 shock is a DHX coil-over model. Giant’s Reign duo is positioned well to catch the agressive trailrider–and the part-time freerider. Expect to shell out between $3600 and $2500 to own a 2007 Reign.


The big-hit trailbike version, the Reign 0, is going to turn heads on the trail, and at Super-D races.



Giant axed its Faith downhill chassis for a new platform called “Glory.” The Glory dual-linkage rear end is powered by a Fox DHX damper. The 67-degree head angle is slack enough to go big, but its 17.5-inch chainstays and more pedal-friendly cockpit arrangement keep its climbing ability within acceptable limits for poking around the woods all day. The Glory freeride uses a dual-ring chainring with a roller guide and a SRAM X.O transmission. At 42.5 pounds, the Glory Freeride won’t be winning any cross-country events, but who cares? Prices start at $3500


Glory Freeride reflects the downsizing trend among top freeriders who want big-drop performance with a lighter more rideable chassis.



The last bike in this preview is Giant’s all-new downhill racing platform called, You guessed it, the Glory DH Comp. Its Maestro rear end delivers 8.8 inches of travel and its fork is the super-adjustable Fox 40 dual crown. The 44-pound racer has a one-half inch lower bottom bracket height than the freeride version and a slacker, 65.5-degree head angle. The Shock is a Fox DHX coil/over model and it rolls on Mavic’s bomb-proof 729 Disc wheels. We especially like the Glory DH’s dual-sized headset, the upper race is a standard, 1.25-inch model and the lower race uses a larger-diameter, 1.5-inch bearing. Like its lighter-weight sister, the DH Comp has a SRAM X.O transmission. Its price is a reasonable-for-competition, $4500.


Giant’s Downhill Racer has good looks to back up a solid component selection and spot-on geometry.