by Barry

It’s a rough gig, but someone has to do it. Dirt Demo at Interbike is an amazing opportunity to not only check out the 2012 Giant line-up, but to put them to the test on the trails at Bootleg Canyon, Boulder City, Nevada.

Anthem X 29 0

First up on my Giant Demo Tour was the Anthem X 29 0. Over the past year I have slowly warmed up to seeing the value in 29ers, and after today, have found a place in my heart for a ride like this.

Giant Anthem X 29 0

I opted to test the bike on some of the trails deep inside Bootleg canyon, as opposed to riding on the busy marked test loops lower down. This bike is at home in the high desert, and I found the large wheels and tires were easy to navigate through the loose sand and they rolled almost effortlessly up and over the jagged rock gardens of the Navajo Sandstone. The mix of SRAM X0/X9, Rock Shock suspension, and Giant P-XC29 2 rims made this finely crafted frame perform up to expectations.

XTC Composite 29er 0

I thought it wise to see how a Carbon hardtail 29er compared to that of its full suspension sibling. And when given the gift of being able to test ride one of these babies, who could resist?

Barry shows off the Giant XTC Composite 29 0

For this test ride, I opted for the marked test loop. Right away I noticed that the XCT 29er is a completely different beast from my previous ride. Everything from the flat bar, to the steeper head tube had XC racing written all over it. The bike wanted you to work it hard into corners, and to always keep the pedal to the metal. The most noticeable ride quality was how this bike accelerated. When you put the power down, the bike leaped like a gazelle who just noticed the stalking lion.

The Nevada Desert

My only change I would do is swap the Fi’zi:k saddle. Even though it was the same saddle as on the Anthem X 29er, I really noticed it on the hardtail. It was like a Boeing 747 trying to land at the small, regional Pitt Meadows Airport. It just ain’t gonna happen. Yes, I am comparing my butt to a 747. With that said, I am sure Paul Craig and you other Fi’zi:k saddle fans will have no problems with this feature.

Trance X 1

I left the best for last, although in hindsight I should have ridden it first. I have always been a big fan of the Trance family of bikes, so for this test ride I decided to head for unknown territory.

Giant Trance X 1 – Barry’s personal fav

My previous test rides were using SRAM, while the Trance X 1 used the more familiar Shimano. With that said, I did find the solid, reliable shifting of the SRAM with the audible “click” quite enjoyable. The Trance X 1 was spec’d with a mix of XT/SLX with Fox suspension and Giant wheels. Giant is now expanding its wheel line to most of its bikes. With DT Swiss making the hub internals, and Giant utilizing its industry leading research and development along with its in-house carbon and aluminum, we should see some amazing wheels coming from Giant.

The familiarity of this bike was what I expected. It climbs like an XC racer, yet the slacker head tube lets you sit back and let the bike do its thing on the descents. The cross country friendly trails of Bootleg Canyon didn’t give me too many opportunities to let this bike do its thing on the technical trails like we have at home, but from past experiences, I know this bike is tailor-made for BC singletrack.

That’s it from Day 1 of the Dirt Demo. Now it’s off to the hotel pool and some R & R before I hit the trails again tomorrow for another round of bike tests.