Giant Introduces All New XtC Advanced SL 27.5 Race Bike

It should be a standard tapered steerer (which Giant calls OverDrive because they like marketing terms). OverDrive 2 is the silly standard with the wider upper part of the steerer that required a non-standard stem. Giant dropped OD2 on all MTBs for this year.

I test rode last years top model XTC 27.5. It was super stiff (to the point of being physically abusive) and accelerated like a Ferrari, but I immediately missed the rollover and momentum of 29er wheels.

I am pumped on this bike and think it will be my next purchase.

One question, the SL 1 lists composite (carbon) wheels, but Giants size has the P-XCR1 as alloy. Are they infact carbon – if so, that is great pricing for the SL1.

XCR 1 has an aluminum and composite. These are gonna be bad a**!!!

I wish those 142 / 135 convertible dropouts were also convertible to a SS version

Ck — I think this bike IS standard tapered headtube. Indeed Overdrive 2 is Giant’s proprietary larger headtube that no one really likes, but this bike is just listed as Overdrive (NOT Overdrive 2). In Giant marketing lingo, just Overdrive means standard tapered steerer.

@ Matt

It will be hard to find a shop that will do that for you. I know I wouldn’t. Even if I lost the sale of the bike. You’re essentially asking them to eat up $250-350 worth of labor to swap out internally routed hydraulic brake lines.

We have no way of selling the pair that came on the bike, no packaging to put them in, and would have to manually enter them into our inventory. We would have to cut and pull the lines out of the bike, install new rotors and possibly mounts, new calipers, route new lines internally, and then bleed the entire system 2-3 times to ensure solid feel.

My advice? Don’t piss off your local bike shop by asking them to do this. Avid Guide’s are supposed to be great brakes, use them until they die and you need to upgrade/replace.

@Tyler Benedict, thanks for your response as it is helpful and certainly don’t want to be “one of those” customers.

@Cakes, I have been fooled by SRAM brakes too many times. Google the topic and prepare to find the end of the internet.

Matt,

You should look at getting a PIVOT LES 27.5. They offer about 7 different build options including XX1 and at the shop level you might be able to get them to put XTR brakes on the bike as PIVOT builds the bikes to order. They do not just sit in a box waiting for a shop to order one like with most manufactures.

On a side note, new XTR is not going to be available unless October at the earliest. You could always go with the Magura MT 8 or MT 6. Yo will love them and Pivot stocks theses as well.

And a PIVOT LES 27.5 XX-1 at ful MSRP is only $6,199.00 with DT Swiss spline wheels. If you wanted that same bikes they are offering the REYNOLDS Black Label carbon wheels with DT 240 hubs. then the bike runs you $7,449.00 but you are getting a brand name wheels set and not a Giant in-house wheel. Just saying.

@Dave, thanks – will definitely check out Pivot

I checked out the Pivot. Very cool bike but you don’t get the carbon wheels in the deal.

@Peter – If you are in CA, we should probably talk.

Just remember that these Giant wheels are composite (alloy and carbon) and not just Carbon.
What about 2015 Norco Revolver available in 27.5 & 29 the 29er has a RRP of $5999 AUD with the new Rockshox RS1 forks. Sounds like Giant just got trumped!