One look at the times from a World Cup should be all you need to know that DH races are won and lost by seconds – sometimes even less. As downhill bikes have evolved, the recent trends include the move to 27.5″ wheels and carbon fiber frames. Both technologies are an effort to squeeze every bit of performance out of the machine for an all out, mash on the pedals run to the bottom. Developed with Colombian DH phenom Marcelo Guttierez, Giant introduced 27.5″ wheels to the Glory line with the ALUXX SL frame last year. A continuation of that quest for speed, the new Advanced 27.5 Glory builds on the proven race pedigree of the aluminum model, but sheds a bit of weight in the process.
Calling it the lightest DH frame Giant has ever produced (as it should be), the Glory Advanced is poised for the podium…
Compared to the aluminum model, the move to carbon fiber ends up dropping 242g of weight when comparing two mediums. That weight reduction is only related to the front triangle since the Glory Advanced still relies on an ALUXX SL aluminum swingarm, but the carbon also provides better vibration damping over the aluminum counterpart. Built with the same geometry and 8″ of travel from the co-pivot shock mount and Maestro suspension system, the frame offers a 63 degree head tube angle and 47.5-49.5″ wheelbase depending on size (S-L). Other frame details include an Overdrive 2 headset with 1 1/4″-1 1/2″ bearings, internal cable routing through the swingarm, integrated fork bumpers and frame protectors, and Giant’s pressfit PowerCore bottom bracket.
Available in the U.S. in two different models, the Glory Advanced 27.5 0 includes a RockShox Boxxer Team fork, Vivd R2C Shock, DT-Swiss Wheels, and a SRAM X01 DH drivetrain for $8,500. The slightly more affordable Glory Advanced 27.5 1 runs the same suspension package, but drops the build down to a SRAM X9 10 speed drivetrain which gets the price down to $5,325. For full spec and more details check out giant-bicycles.com.
