Newby from Newcastle looking to buy a bike... advice welcome

[treay81]

bugger, Just brought the Trance 27.5 - 2... (only the entry level model RRP $2700 but got it for $2399 (have a feeling they say that on all their bikes...)

could have got a 2014 model in the 29er for 2200 which was originally $3500 but i steered clear of it due to the above posts.

thanks for the input guys.

 

[oliosky]

You won't regret the 27.5 trance at all mate. By all accounts they are great bikes.

 

[marc.r]

i think the 27.5 trance is a fantastic bike. you cant go wrong with that choice for the price.

29ers are great but the 29er trance is longggggg and not as nimble. further, unless you have the money to spend on an upgraded wheelset stock 29er wheelsets on sub $6 grand bikes are a huge compromise and are nearly always flexy and heavy.

29ers can be very effecient though.

i'm already much faster on my 27.5 giant reign then i was on my 29er stumpy evo... but then again im prob too short to use a 29er

 

[marc.r]

Those reigns cant too much more bike than a trance? It would be handy if giant (and a lot of other pricks) printed weight. The trance will take pretty much anything thrown at it according to the one guy I know that owns one. So I doubt the extra bike that comes in the reign package is needed.

the reigns weigh lots more then the trances. its all in the wheels, tyres and bash guard though. the frames are basically the same weight.

giant DO print weights.

on both giant spain and giant germany they print weights so just change your country and you can see everything you want to know.

i recommend the giant germany site as it has more detail RE parts then english speaking sites.

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/de-de/bikes/model/trance.2.ltd/21009/81150/#specifications

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/de-de/bikes/model/reign.2.ltd/21014/81156/#specifications

 

[pink poodle]

If you are over 5' 10" dont discount a 29er. Bikes like the specialized camber evo and stumpy 29ers are very capable fun bikes that are just at home smashing a couple of runs at Glenrock as they are on a 100km epic.

This bullshit talk that 29 inch wheeled bikes break when its rough is bollocks.

This guy is in your neck of the woods https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10205431239163411&set=gm.334865910027358&type=1&theater

...and what a beautiful piece of fire road you have ridden to get there.

That is a nice lookout though. Last year I saw whales dolphins sharks and lesbians from that table all at the same time. Then after the ride I ate a pizza to celebrate.

 

[pink poodle]

bugger, Just brought the Trance 27.5 - 2... (only the entry level model RRP $2700 but got it for $2399 (have a feeling they say that on all their bikes...)

could have got a 2014 model in the 29er for 2200 which was originally $3500 but i steered clear of it due to the above posts.

thanks for the input guys.

Shit! Giant just announced the 28.2inch...

Good choice, you'll be in for hours of fun.

 

[mymasseur]

i think the 27.5 trance is a fantastic bike. you cant go wrong with that choice for the price.

29ers are great but the 29er trance is longggggg and not as nimble. further, unless you have the money to spend on an upgraded wheelset stock 29er wheelsets on sub $6 grand bikes are a huge compromise and are nearly always flexy and heavy.

29ers can be very effecient though.

i'm already much faster on my 27.5 giant reign then i was on my 29er stumpy evo... but then again im prob too short to use a 29er

hey mac, 2013 trance 29er wheelset was branded giant p- trx 1, dt swiss rims, dt swiss straight pull spokes and....... Dt swiss 240 hubs...!!!! yes for real! absolutly freakin awesome wheels. swaping them over to my new LTC. giant realised how awesome so 2014 on went dt 350 for cost. none the less those 2 years of 29er rims and hubs, dont be dishing them, awesome!

 

[Mitchkip]

Welcome mate,

Smash some Glenrock!

 

[treay81]

Im certainly planing on visiting Glenrock, thought i'd hit some soft trails first and learn my way round the bike. either that or just wrap myself in a crap load of cotton wool and go hell for leather?...

 

[Mitchkip]

We generally just do the blue tracks mate, we've done some of the black evil stuff but at nowhere near the pace or grace required!

 

[Gripo]

For some future research what trails are on offer for the Newcastle area....

Preferably a ride from town ir a max of a 20min drive...

 

[ChopSticks]

For some future research what trails are on offer for the Newcastle area....

Preferably a ride from town ir a max of a 20min drive...

awaba for some flowy XC.... it hair raising knarly DH
abit further south is Ourimbah!
those 2 are popular tracks... lots of other ones where I'm sure locals will show you

 

[bowtajzane]

Hey Grip, check out Glenrock, I think it's got a bit of everything, there's also
a bike path that links it with the surrounding suburbs

 

[camoshop]

I go to awaba a fair bit, if you ever want a tour guide I'll show you around its a nice track has 3 loops yellow 5k loop, blue 8km and red 12km it's all flow like chops said no techy bits really.

 

[marc.r]

I go to awaba a fair bit, if you ever want a tour guide I'll show you around its a nice track has 3 loops yellow 5k loop, blue 8km and red 12km it's all flow like chops said no techy bits really.

haha the top of the red section with the few small drops is techy when your head is still spinning with dizzyness from trying to get a new PR up the camelback. that being said some of the lap times on the red lap are ridiculous! If you can do it in sub 35 minutes you are a legend! my current goal is 38 mins aiming for 35 mins by march next year!

lol at josh carlson doing it in 27 mins.. i know the track had slightly less features when he did the lap but he must have some serious lungs on him


that being said.. as a beginner you should be able to crawl around awaba without any danger. you need a bit of speed to do it efficiently though as there is lots of gullys to pump through to maintain speed up the other side.

 

[camoshop]

haha the top of the red section with the few small drops is techy when your head is still spinning with dizzyness from trying to get a new PR up the camelback. that being said some of the lap times on the red lap are ridiculous! If you can do it in sub 35 minutes you are a legend! my current goal is 38 mins aiming for 35 mins by march next year!

lol at josh carlson doing it in 27 mins.. i know the track had slightly less features when he did the lap but he must have some serious lungs on him


that being said.. as a beginner you should be able to crawl around awaba without any danger. you need a bit of speed to do it efficiently though as there is lots of gullys to pump through to maintain speed up the other side.

Haha oh yes forgot about those, I'm still undecided if I like the straight up or switch back Camelbak climb, yeah some of those times are crazy, think I'm around 40min I do ride there though so that's a 30km ride. 2 red laps and a blue and im usually done after the commute there. Suprisenly some segments im faster on the ss

 

[pink poodle]

For some future research what trails are on offer for the Newcastle area....

Preferably a ride from town ir a max of a 20min drive...

Hey Grip - sticking to your brief and assuming you mean the cbd area (the city/town is pretty spread out):
- glenrock is an easy ride from the centre of town. On the way back it is right on top of Merrewether beach for a swim and refreshments at the cafes, bar, and pub there. It offers a pretty easy xc/am single track network of a few kms and some run down dirt jumps (still fun though).

- mount sugarloaf offers a few bits of fire road and single track. Plenty of fun and better if you can shuttle cause it is a steep bitch.

- Killingworth is the old home of the local club. They recently hosted a nostalgia race there. It's got an xc and easy dh course.

- Jesmond park offers a bit of fun single track. Bike path to the top if you are lazy and bomb down.

There isn't much else close by, a few secret locations if you want to risk death...Awaba and Ourimbah club trails are both more than 20min drive away. Ourimbah is easy to get to by train, but will require a bit of a ride on the road. I prefer Ourimbah. If you end up down around Awaba there is also a lot of other trails in the Wattagan mountains. There is apparently some trails around Patterson and Dungog, I've never seen either so don't know.

There is currently a fairly large amount of cycle way as well. It runs along the harbour and a few beaches.

 

[Gripo]

Cheers all....will be visiting that way randomly from Jan 2015 as the step son moves there to live and learn how to fly FA18s at Williamstown....

Mum is sure to want to visit #1 son as much as possible....while I explore the local terrain...

 

[pink poodle]

Cheers all....will be visiting that way randomly from Jan 2015 as the step son moves there to live and learn how to fly FA18s at Williamstown....

Mum is sure to want to visit #1 son as much as possible....while I explore the local terrain...

Well...likely you should add medowie to the list I gave, as he'll (likely) be at or near the RAAF base. Which is a bit of a hike from town.

 

[Gripo]

Well...likely you should add medowie to the list I gave, as he'll (likely) be at or near the RAAF base. Which is a bit of a hike from town.

Nah, living in Newcastle near the beach with his Swedish girlfriend, talk about "got the life" at 20yrs old...