I think this is a very good point.(snip)
Do we really need a new model every year anyway?
Also like to point out that a new years bike is not always better than the last.
I think this is a very good point.(snip)
Do we really need a new model every year anyway?
And if you're wrong can we point and laugh at you?While there's no 26" Giant XC bikes yet I reckon there will be a few for 2013.
I'm willing to bet that Giant are making sure they can compete with Specialized's "Early Launch" models: http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/earlylaunch ... all the performance XC models put out under this announcement are 29ers.
So Giant are putting out a couple of their 2013 29er models to match, which they can do because they were already ahead of schedule - EG the 2013 Anthem X 29er was shown off at the Sea Otter way back in April. In a couple of months Giant will put out the full release of 2013 bikes as they do every year - and then we'll see 26" XC models.
Unfortunately, they bring out carbon frames because us the consumer is prepared to pay more for carbon than anything like the cost of the stuff - the more they upsell the more profit they make both gross and in % terms.probably Giant is waiting out the year maybe to bring BB30 into the mix with a few other little advances in XC tech, lighter/stronger carbon.
Hopefully they are doing this to bring us a very good bike!
this is what I was kinda talking aboutUnfortunately, they bring out carbon frames because us the consumer is prepared to pay more for carbon than anything like the cost of the stuff - the more they upsell the more profit they make both gross and in % terms.
Changing bikes every year is done for much the same reason, and the cost of changing a model of bike is almost nil compared to most other products - eg change the paint, change a couple of components, and away you go. the components are all bolt on, and readily available
Every time I see/hear this, it cracks me up.....What makes an Anthem or a Trance or any bike a rookie bike? .....Price tag?Giant are a popular first MTB/rookie bike,
The axle of each wheel is still an inch-and-a-half further off the ground, regardless of where you put the bottom bracket or how short you make the chainstays.Not owning a 29er, i must say that i am hearing alot of people suggesting -as you are Bodin- that most of the current crop of 29er's just are not as much fun as a 26er. Looking over the internet at upcoming 2013 29er's however, i get the impression that they may well be beginning to close the gap in the fun stakes. Press releases stating shorter chainstays, slacker head angles and shorter stems as stock promising "26er like handling" may just be one more nail in the coffin for 26er's. I for one hope not!
I've ridden Specialized (Stumpjumper) and Giant (XTC & Anthem) 29ers for the last 3-4 years and not even owned a 26er for the last 2 years. But... the last time I had any fun on a bike was a year ago in Seattle riding a borrowed 26" Felt Virtue for a couple of weeks. After failing to recapture that fun factor in the year that has passed since Seattle, I've now sold my 29ers and gone out and bought a 26" Trek Fuel EX. Sure, the XTC was super quick for 100km races and the Anthem was an amazing go-anywhere plough, but it all just felt like "work".
The Trek is NOT a "faster" bike and I'll kick myself next time I want to race, but I'm old and shit now, so fun factor is more important to me than numbers on a clock and 29ers can take a back seat while I get loose on the new kiddie wheels and watch how the 650 rider experience develops - they were, I think, the original MTB wheel size (read up on Marin County and the Repack races if you don't know what I'm talking about...).
FWIW, nobody should be surprised by Giant's decision, even if you don't like it - 29ers do have great qualities and I'm one of those people who is faster across 90% of race tracks when I'm on wagon wheels. So when there have been so many old-time racer-boys with "disposable wealth" (read: "massive credit card debts") like me saying that 29ers made them faster over the last couple of years (particularly in the US), the bike companies have had no choice but to go where the money is.
BUT... I really hope the 26" XC/Trailbike market doesn't completely die - I think Giant have produced some incredibly dialled, great-value bikes in this range over the last 5 years and it's sorta sad to see them made completely redundant by something that's not necessarily a better bike in every way. In the same way that a BMX is epic fun in an urban environment, 26" trail bikes are epic fun on loose, twisty trails in a way that 29ers will never be.
Just my opinion, but I've put my money where my mouth is, so good luck with whatever suits you. Look out for a Trek Fuel EX8 write up in Post Your Ride at some point this weekend. I'll be the first to laugh at myself if I find myself hating the 26" wheels and wanting my Anthem back...
Thanks mate - glad to see you're still around yourself. Do you see the funny side of 2 of the original loiterers (dare I say it... "fan boys") in the 29er sub-forum mentioning how we've gone back to 26ers in this thread?Firstly, it's nice to see your post after such an absence.
Secondly, I've gone back to a 26" dually for the same reasons you did. No question at all about the benefits of the 29er as a cross country weapon. My decision to sell my 29er dually was based solely on what I enjoy riding.
The irony is... delicious!* It's a shame that Giant is no longer offering the 26" AnthemX. It was one of the best "bang for your buck" XC racers in the world imho.Thanks mate - glad to see you're still around yourself. Do you see the funny side of 2 of the original loiterers (dare I say it... "fan boys") in the 29er sub-forum mentioning how we've gone back to 26ers in this thread?
I was just wondering if you and Bodin like the 26" again because its different to what you normally ride. I dont have a giant or 29"er but went from my 5" dually to my hardtail after a long break and loved it. It was like riding a new bike. The lines I took on the dually were even more fun on the hardtail.Firstly, it's nice to see your post after such an absence.
Secondly, I've gone back to a 26" dually for the same reasons you did. No question at all about the benefits of the 29er as a cross country weapon. My decision to sell my 29er dually was based solely on what I enjoy riding.