As they often say, when it rains, it pours. Fortunately though, this has nothing to do with rain, and in fact rain usually puts a damper on mountain biking fun, so maybe that’s not the best expression for this instance. Whatever the case may be, Giant has another carbon 29’er hardtail to add to the barrage of new bikes from Santa Cruz and Kona that we have already covered this week.
The Giant XtC Carbon is of course the newest addition to Giant’s big wheel line up, and one that should have XC racers and aggressive riders excited with prospect of another light, stiff, fast 29’er to possibly throw a leg over. After Giant team riders like Carl Decker approached Giant looking for a light, fast 29’er that didn’t “suffer from some of the weaknesses people usually associate with 29’ers,” (their words, not mine) Giant set out to build what they thought would be the ultimate Carbon 29’er.
The result? The Giant XtC Carbon 29.
Roll past the break to see the 2 new models, and check out the full Press Release!
From Giant:
Following last year’s successful launch of the Anthem X 29er full-suspension XC bike, Giant is introducing an all-new 29er bike for competitive XC racing and riding: the XtC Composite 29er.
Developed with input from Giant Factory Team Off-Road Team rider Carl Decker, the XtC Composite 29er is a hardtail featuring a host of innovative technologies that sets it apart from the competition. One look at the radically engineered Composite frameset reveals some innovative new thinking in the quest to produce a lightweight, race-ready, 29-inch-wheel hardtail.
“Riders told us they wanted a lightweight 29er that addresses some of the weaknesses people usually associate with 29-inch-wheel bikes,” said Giant Global Off-Road Category Manager Kevin Dana. “With our experience and capabilities in composite engineering, Giant has been able to come up with some unique design solutions to best meet those demands.”
The massive MegaDrive downtube reveals one of the frame’s most distinctive features: asymmetrical design. The tube itself is offset to in order to maximize stiffness, especially in the bottom bracket area, which uses Giant’s PowerCore technology for maximum pedaling efficiency. Press-fit bottom bracket cups minimize weight, and extra-wide chainstays, which are also asymmetrically shaped, provide optimal power transfer and ample rear tire clearance.
The XtC Composite 29er frameset also incorporates Giant’s OverDrive tapered headtube (1 1/8-inch top, 1 ½-inch bottom) for front-end stiffness and sharp steering. Together, all of these features result in a frame that’s light and stiff enough to race but with improved vertical compliance and handling characteristics that make it ideal for technical XC trails and marathon distances.
“I went to Giant with some of the things I wanted improved that have historically been weaknesses of 29ers,” said Decker, who won the Downieville All- Mountain World Championship last year on Giant’s Anthem X 29er full- suspension bike. “I wanted precise steering. I wanted it to be stiff in the bottom bracket and to accelerate with tenacity. I asked for a better race bike, and Giant came through.”
Giant is releasing two models, the XtC Composite 29er 0 and the XtC Composite 29er 1, in the U.S. market first. Both are arriving at Giant
retailers now. For more information, visit your local Giant shop or go to giant-bicycles.com.
Key Upgrades (Over xtc Composite 29 1):
• Fox F29 FIT RLC with QR15 through axle, tapered-steerer suspension fork
• SRAM X.9/X.0 components
• Giant Contact seatpost, stem and handlebar
• Giant P-XC29 2 rim/Giant Tracker (15mm) front hub/ Tracker rear hub, wheelset
Features:
• Fox F29 RL with QR15 through-axle suspension fork
• SRAM X.7 components
• Giant Connect seatpost and stem
• Giant S-XC29 2 rim/Shimano and Giant Tracker (15mm) hubs, wheelset
