[ronnyg801]

Or you get to a point where a 60* HTA is ridiculous and WC guys start going to 66/67 cause they will be fast no matter what and are doing it to sway progression and or trends... (not to be taken terribly serious but for most people here WC guys credibility is far too much IMO. 75% of us will never ride close to them)

What I dont get about the whole gripe is all of these bikes have alot of things in common but like EKRIPPER pointed out, theyre all different animals. Speculation is ok in my head but I really think people need to keep an open mind until they get some ride time. From there you get ten experienced guys on that same stock bike and I bet you only get one or two guys that wouldnt change a thing at best. "Well I wanna change the shock or the fork etc etc..."

 

[cubebiker]

One of my favorite bikes to ride/race is still the socom. It's at 65.5 and felt great even on fast and steep stuff and it felt quick through tight sections. I'd still be riding mine if it hadn't been stolen.

My new 951 is also fun, but I actually kinda miss that quick feeling of a steeper HA.

But you did actually realize that you can change your HTA to 65° on your 951?

 

[Natedog]

Ya gotta think those guys will be riding some custom frames with personal geo though.

Giant doesn't do any custome frames for the MTB team. They all ride stock productions frames, one that could've been sent to you or I. That is the truth. Sure Giant could make custom bikes, but they as a manufacturing company are to busy making the other bikes you'd like to buy (trek, santa cruz, etc..)

 

[iRider]

One of my favorite bikes to ride/race is still the socom. It's at 65.5 and felt great even on fast and steep stuff and it felt quick through tight sections. I'd still be riding mine if it hadn't been stolen.

So true!!!

BTW: what is the weight of the Giant Glory frame alone?

 

[frango]

Accodlingly to Giant it's 4060g M size with paint and shock...
or, 4139g with M with h-set races, clamp, axle and shock

 

[iRider]

Accodlingly to Giant it's 4060g M size with paint and shock...
or, 4139g with M with h-set races, clamp, axle and shock

Thanks, but I would rather see a real world weight and not a claimed weight.

 

[JCL]

Geometry is a key component on a DH-bike. You can have crap suspension setup and good geometry and still have an agressive attack on things, but not the other way around. It's all physics when you come down to it.
I think you get to a point when bad geometry slows progression.

Great post.

 

[bdamschen]

But you did actually realize that you can change your HTA to 65° on your 951?

Yeah. So far I've only got one weekend of riding on it and haven't really bothered playing with the dropouts yet.

 

[Tootrikky]

Please someone post a pic of an angle finder on the Giant Glory. I am calling BS on 65 degrees.......side by side comparo to my confirmed 64.5 bike puts the Giant at about 67 degrees static.

 

[Leppah]

Geometry is a key component on a DH-bike. You can have crap suspension setup and good geometry and still have an agressive attack on things, but not the other way around. It's all physics when you come down to it.
I think you get to a point when bad geometry slows progression.

Couldn't it be the other way around too though? Isn't the suspension a key component on a DH bike? If it wasn't, wouldn't people be less concerned with all of the new WC boxxer forks and Vivid shocks? Seems like there are more threads on here about new suspension parts as opposed to geometry.
If Sam Hill was only concerned about his head angle, why would they custom tune his suspension at almost every race that he enters?

If your suspension was professionally dialed, and your geo was off by a degree, do you think it would make you THAT much slower?

I understand that geo is important. But i think suspension is just as important.

 

[3D.]

Solidworks compass, *not extremely accurate*

 

[JCL]

I think the point is most suspension systems can be tuned to get close enough to not hinder performance for the average rider. Whereas geometry that is fixed (unless the frame has built-in adjustability) cannot and the rider has to adapt to something that may not inspire confidence.

 

[DHJUNKIE]

on my 08 giant glory when i put my angle finder on the leg of my fork i get 64degrees.

 

[P.T.W]

Solidworks compass, *not extremely accurate*

Thats the funniest thing ive seen on here in a long time

Love the *not extremely accurate* line

 

[frango]

Thanks, but I would rather see a real world weight and not a claimed weight.

4139g is a claimed weight. It's Natedog's frame.

 

[3D.]

Thats the funniest thing ive seen on here in a long time

Love the *not extremely accurate* line

what is so funny?

 

[Hairy Spaniard]

Seriously bud....

what is so funny?

 

[leprechaun]

When EK brings his bike in again i can take a pic of the angle finder both directions on the floor, the same anglefinder i've used and confirmed for years, if you really need to see it.

 

[FlipFantasia]

Seriously bud....

aaaaahahahah, no kidding!

 

[IH8Rice]

what is so funny?

does that bike look straight to you in the pic?

 

[Inclag]

Funny how I flipped the shock chips on my 09 Demo 8 and prefer the ride of the bike with the freakishly steep head angle.

In fact, this revelation of having a much more maneuverable bike is leading me to mod my Boxxer to a 7" fork, so I can drop the BB and maintain the steeper geometry.

 

[3D.]

does that bike look straight to you in the pic?

Of course I can see that the bike isn’t perfectly straight, the horizon isn’t level either… however, the camera is relatively square to the bike. I think you would be surprised at how accurate this quick method can be when using square pictures like this. Try it for yourself up against an angle finder, when a square picture is averaged over a few plots in solidworks, it usually hovers inside the same .5 degree that you will get with the angle finder.

Also, unless you’re incredibly anal about setting up a perfectly level 48” platform for the bike to sit on while maintaining a perfectly straight handlebar and an absolutely plumb frame position, an angle finder can give inaccurate results as well. People using angle finders on bikes generally blow it on one of the above producing skewed results.

I posted the SW image just to show what ball park it was in, that’s all.

 

[spocomptonrider]

gorgeous bike. I actually prefer the look of the Boxxer.

 

[ekripper]

gorgeous bike. I actually prefer the look of the Boxxer.

Thanks spocomp. For all those worried about the HA of this bike just try one out and see what you think before passing judgement. I was fairly skeptical at first myself but was proven wrong. The bike just seems to defy what the geometry would suggest. It's a fast bike that's fun to ride and most importantly...inexpensive. For those who don't have the coin to drop on the more expensive brands this may be the answer, and for others, you may actually prefer this to the other brands. The more runs I get on this bike the more I'm liking it myself.

 

[Hesh To Steel]

Try it out? Why would anyone try it out when they can sit on the internet and complain about it? It takes WAY fewer calories.

Try it out...lay off the crazy pills, mister.

 

[3D.]

Try it out? Why would anyone try it out when they can sit on the internet and complain about it? It takes WAY fewer calories.

Try it out...lay off the crazy pills, mister.

If you have time to spend on the internet wondering, complaining, or requesting info about fork angles, and then opposing some information when it is brought forth, then you need to seek it yourself. I was showing that it‘s possible to get a good idea of what the angle is from the right picture without having the bike… not really that “crazy” at all my friend.

 

[P.T.W]

If you have time to spend on the internet wondering, complaining, or requesting info about fork angles, and then opposing some information when it is brought forth, then you need to seek it yourself. I was showing that it‘s possible to get a good idea of what the angle is from the right picture without having the bike… not really that “crazy” at all my friend.

Ill humour you...but only if you try it again with a half decent pic
Heres one i found in about 2 min of searching

P.S. ill still prob call it all hogwash tho

 

[Orfen]

When EK brings his bike in again i can take a pic of the angle finder both directions on the floor, the same anglefinder i've used and confirmed for years, if you really need to see it.

ekripper why don't you go pay krispy a little visit so we can settle this HA debate once and for good

 

[Supa8]

Funny how I flipped the shock chips on my 09 Demo 8 and prefer the ride of the bike with the freakishly steep head angle.

In fact, this revelation of having a much more maneuverable bike is leading me to mod my Boxxer to a 7" fork, so I can drop the BB and maintain the steeper geometry.

+1 degree. 65 degrees if the stars and moon align and there is no clump of mud under your front tire.. I am perfectly happy with a 65 HA. I bet the Glory is a mighty fine machine. I like bikes.

Should be zero complaints out there for a $1,600 quality frame. But it is the internet.. Hopefully someday internet 3.0 when rolled out it will take care of all the negativity...

 

[ekripper]

ekripper why don't you go pay krispy a little visit so we can settle this HA debate once and for good

I'm gonna take the bike in there today and drop it off. They will probably get some pics up to settle this HA debate. I will say that I was there building the bike and when we finished the first thing we did was weigh and take measurements. My bike as it sits in the pics was 36 lbs and I think 5 or 6 oz. BB height was 14.25 and that I double checked when I got home, and the HA was 65.5 with the forks in the setting you see in the initial pics. All very different from my 951 and 303r but yet, still very fast and very fun. Who knows why, and who cares as long as it works.

 

[3D.]

 

[ekripper]

Now that's much better...probably really damn close to what it is.

 

[MDJ]

ekripper,

Can you give a compare/contrast and likes/dislikes between the three frames that you have? Two of the three are on my short list and it's always good to hear the comparision rather than just a straight review of one. Thanks.

 

[ekripper]

ekripper,

Can you give a compare/contrast and likes/dislikes between the three frames that you have? Two of the three are on my short list and it's always good to hear the comparision rather than just a straight review of one. Thanks.

Ok, I'll try and do this short and sweet and remember these are just my humble opinions so take it all with a grain of salt. Here goes.

Intense 951: This is the most adj. of my three bikes. You really can have
three bikes in one with this one. BB is really low which makes it
corner like an animal but you have to really watch where your
pedals are at all times. It rides deeper in the travel than the
other two so the HA feels super slack. It's still pretty lively and
changes direction pretty quick and jumps fairly well. It can feel
really long and low if you want that or you can make it short
and quick feeling. Pedals decent too. This is my favorite bike
of the bunch. I makes me feel fast!

Yeti 303r: Even though the geo numbers are close to the 951 this bike feels
completely different. Doesn't ride as deep in the travel so the BB
feels higher than the 951 and the HA steeper. The suspension
isn't as "plush" feeling as the 951 but it makes the bike feel livlier
and jump better. I'm still very comfortable carrying speed through
rock gardens and such on this bike. Doesn't corner as well
the Intense or the Giant in my opinion but still does a pretty damn
fine job of it. The Yeti doesn't behave under braking the way I
like. I can't really explain it, it's not bad at all, I just don't like
how it feels. I think it's a single pivot thing that just doesn't work
with me. Overall though, the 303r is a well balanced bike. It just
doesn't get me all excited when I ride it. Does everything well but
nothing that stands out for me. Hope I don't offend anyone
saying that!

Giant Glory: Geo wise it feels very much like the Yeti. It's stable enough to
get you through the high speed stuff without crapping yourself
and rocks in the tighter stuff. The bike rotates through corners
very quickly and excellerates out of corners better than both
bikes above. I love how this thing pedals. The high speed
corners are great even with the higher BB. I feel very
comfortable drifting the rear of this bike too, it feels very stiff
and just plain planted. It feels great in the rocks as well and the
higher BB gives a little more confidence over the Intense in this
area. The Giant jumps equally as well as the Yeti. Overall I'm
very impressed with the Meastro suspension. The Glory is a
couple of lbs lighter than the other two with very similar builds
and I can really feel it. I can do more runs on the Giant with less
fatigue. I've only had this one for a short time but would be
totally confident racing it already. I really don't think my times
would suffer at all due to the geo. I don't race WC tracks
though!

Sizing: All three bikes are mediums and I'm 6' 1". The Intense has the largest cockpit with the Yeti next and the Giant the smallest feeling of the bunch. I'm comfortable on all of them however. For what it's worth, I felt instantly confident on the 951, took a few runs on the Giant and Yeti to get up to speed for me. All of these bikes accomplish their intended use very well and not one would be a disappointment to have. They each just have a different feel that's going to come down to riding style/preference. Remember, these are just my opinions of these three bikes as others might have a completely different take. Hope this helps a little and feel free to pm me if you have any specific questions about these frames.

 

[MDJ]

Thanks. I have similar impressions of the Yeti.

 

[dagmz6s]

Great review of all three frames. I had the 303r, the giant and the TR450 on my list. definitely just took the 303r off based on that and other reviews I have read. now I am down to two very different frames.

 

[ekripper]

I just dropped the bike off at Go-Ride for those guys to tinker with a bit and Kris brought up a good point. We threw a 2.5" stroke RC4 on it just to see what it would do to the geo. The BB with that shock was sub 14 and the HA was a touch under 64 I think...yet the bike still looked steep. Kris said that it was the way the down tube curves that probably makes the bike not look slack like some of the other DH bikes. I'm inclinded to agree with him. I think that's alot of the "It looks super steep" syndrome going on even though when you throw the angle finder on there it isn't all that steep. Just some food for thought.

 

[ekripper]

Great review of all three frames. I had the 303r, the giant and the TR450 on my list. definitely just took the 303r off based on that and other reviews I have read. now I am down to two very different frames.

I have to say the TR450 piques my interest as well...I think I need to lay off frame buying for awhile though! lol Maybe when I get really bored this winter and need a fix.

 

[ciszewski]

I have to say the TR450 piques my interest as well...I think I need to lay off frame buying for awhile though! lol Maybe when I get really bored this winter and need a fix.

am I really reading this right?

yeah I think you might need a fix, except not as used in your context.

at least you can admit to your problems...aha

and I guess it might actually work out cheaper (and better) than if you were a drug addict though...unless...you do seem to get addicted to things...

 

[Orfen]

I just dropped the bike off at Go-Ride for those guys to tinker with a bit and Kris brought up a good point. We threw a 2.5" stroke RC4 on it just to see what it would do to the geo. The BB with that shock was sub 14 and the HA was a touch under 64 I think...yet the bike still looked steep. Kris said that it was the way the down tube curves that probably makes the bike not look slack like some of the other DH bikes. I'm inclinded to agree with him. I think that's alot of the "It looks super steep" syndrome going on even though when you throw the angle finder on there it isn't all that steep. Just some food for thought.

you guys are a lost cause! why are you avoiding the initial request? People want to know the HA with the PROPER 3" stroke shock.

oh forgot - GoRide sells Glory's. Got it! No way would they admit that the bike is too steep. instead lets give people options how to make their bike slacker and lower.