A new bike for me?

[ferrari_chris]

I'm looking at buying a new bike in the very near future, and I'm after some opinions.

I'm seriously looking at a Giant STP2. I'd like the STP1 or STP Zero, but the budget won't allow those. They're all basically the same, just with better equipment the more money I spend.

STP2:

I'm also interested in a Specialized P2 as well, but this would be at the upper end of my price limit.

I've been told that for the type of riding I'll be doing, a hardtail is more suitable. That's fine with me.

I don't know much about brands and equipment, so the opinions of a non-salesman would be very helpful. Each shop I go into they all reckon there bikes are the best - but that's typical isn't it?

What do you guys think about these bikes? Are they worth it, or are Giant a brand I should steer away from? It comes with a lifetime warranty on the frame, so that's got to be a good thing. Is the equipment on here (like gears, brakes, crank etc) of reasonable quality that'll last a while, or is it low-end stuff?

Is the P2 way better than the STP2, or are they on the same level?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts - they're appreciated.

 

[VIPFREAK]

Looks nice to me even though that's not my kind of bike. What kind of riding do you plan on doing? I got a 03 Giant NRS1 fullsuspension for XC which I love. You should talk to standard235. Good luck with your purchase. 👍

 

[ferrari_chris]

Looks nice to me even though that's not my kind of bike. What kind of riding do you plan on doing? I got a 03 Giant NRS1 fullsuspension for XC which I love. You should talk to standard235. Good luck with your purchase. 👍

Just riding around the streets and stuff like that. But I can't help jumping off everything in sight and bunny-hopping onto walls etc. I'll be riding the odd trail, but this isn't the likely to be a regular thing, and there's a few skate-parks around here that are fun to have a thrash through. The bike needs to be able to take a big hit, but I don't do downhill or anything really high impact like that.

I'll get in touch with standard235.

 

[VIPFREAK]

Yeah, you sound more like Zach(standard) a trickster. I'm not that but I'm not a downhiller either the suspension makes it much easier to like though. I like going up hill the best.

 

[standard235]

Up hill is for old people.


Giant STP (Street, Trails, Park) is a nice bike. Specialized P2 is also verrry nice.

The thing to look at on bikes like this is the fork. Forks cost a lot to buy new so get a good one from the get go.


I have no idea what your budget is but I'm assuming around $800 at most.

If you wanted to, you could build a bike yourself.

Azonic Steelhead, Pig DH Deep Cup headset, should be able to build it up under $800.

Or, go with the STP, buy a RockShox Pike for it, turn the travel way down, make it stiff, and you're set. 95mm stiff for urban, park, whatever and then 140mm and nice and plush for going downhill.


Are you just getting into it where you'll be beating the hell out of it, or are you experienced in it and you have finesse under your belt. Happy to help.

Zach.

EDIT: Ok, I took a look.

I personally don't like the SX stuff from SRAM but Alivio on the STP2 sucks.

Here's how I'd list the bikes if I were buying. STP Zero, P2, STP1, STP2

 

[VIPFREAK]

Up hill is for old people.

It's ok, I know you hate it, I would too knowing how much easier going downhill is.

 

[ferrari_chris]

Up hill is for old people.


Giant STP (Street, Trails, Park) is a nice bike. Specialized P2 is also verrry nice.

The thing to look at on bikes like this is the fork. Forks cost a lot to buy new so get a good one from the get go.


I have no idea what your budget is but I'm assuming around $800 at most.

If you wanted to, you could build a bike yourself.

Azonic Steelhead, Pig DH Deep Cup headset, should be able to build it up under $800.

Or, go with the STP, buy a RockShox Pike for it, turn the travel way down, make it stiff, and you're set. 95mm stiff for urban, park, whatever and then 140mm and nice and plush for going downhill.


Are you just getting into it where you'll be beating the hell out of it, or are you experienced in it and you have finesse under your belt. Happy to help.

Zach.

EDIT: Ok, I took a look.

I personally don't like the SX stuff from SRAM but Alivio on the STP2 sucks.

Here's how I'd list the bikes if I were buying. STP Zero, P2, STP1, STP2

I've been offered the STP2 for $NZ1000 (~$US700) and the P2 for $NZ1300 (~$US900).

Your comments on the STP2 equipment are interesting, I might go back and have another look at the P2.

I'm not inexperienced so I don't plan on falling heavy very often or smacking the tops of jumps etc. I guess you could say I have small amount of finess? I think any of these bikes will suit me - just a matter of finding the best one to suit my budget.

Thanks.

 

[standard235]

With that extra $200, you could get x.7 derailleurs and shifters for your STP2...

 

[ferrari_chris]

Hmmm, the bike might be on hold for a bit.

I've just had to take my car into the shop, so until I get a bill for that, the bike is stayin' on the showroom floor.

I'll let you know what I end up choosing though.

Is x.7 a brand or what? (Please excuse my ignorance)

 

[Raghavan]

Get the Giant. I'm a Specialized troll, but they messed up the P2 bigtime i think now. the previous gen used to look great, this looks like garbage. I hate this new frame. the stp looks pretty good to me.

 

[standard235]

Well, the STP is a GREATTT frame.

x.7 is a product line for deraileurs/shifters from SRAM. It is 1:1 pull on the cable instead of ****mano's 2:1.

Easier to set up too. Personally...


I think you should wait and get the Zero now you have to wait. It'd be hella worth it. Grab a p.1 if you don't mind SS. It isn't that bad.

 

[hucker696]

did you try looking at kona http://www.konaworld.com/shopping_c...roduct_detail.aspx?productid=321&parentid=253 it comes with a Marzocchi Dirt Jam Comp fork

 

[ferrari_chris]

Well, the car turned out to be bugger all, which was good in a way but didn't improve the budget any.

I now have this on order:

Have to wait two weeks, then she'll be between my legs and ridden like she's never been ridden before.

Went for the larger 14.5 inch model - coming from a X-Country bike the 13.5 inch was just too small.

I think I'll start to upgrade stuff once the 12month warranty is gone. Shifters and deralliuer seem like a good start, then maybe forks and hydraulic disks...

It's all on the drawing board for now anyway.

Thanks everyone for your opinions, they did help me make my desicion.

I'll post up some crazy pics once we get used to each other, and I find my camera...

 

[standard235]

Haha!

That's cool. Well, I'm getting a new frame.


I snapped my old Hardrock Pro Disc frame... wooo..


at the tubing.. not the weld. 2006 Specialized P2 Cromo frame with sliding dropouts! Going to run my BMX Profile cranks on it with no chainguide, and as a singlespeed! HELL YEAH!

 

[ferrari_chris]

Well, just a bit of a quick update.

More than 2 weeks on and I'm still waiting. Was supposed to pick it up on Friday, but it hadn't turned up yet.

Then on Saturday they tell me that the bike is lost! Giant dispatched it, it never arrived at the bike shop, and the courier doesn't know where it is.

They told me to check in on Monday as it may arrive on the courier then. If it doesn't I'll be telling them to get another one sent down and I'll be picking it up on Wednesday afternoon or not at all!

I'll let you know how I get on.

 

[ferrari_chris]

OK - She's here.

Picked it up yesterday afternoon and went out for my first ride this evening...

🤬

I was making jumps I've never made before, and making them with ease! 👍

It's amazing the difference the bike makes - I used to think it was very much down to the rider, but my views have been clouded slightly.

I'm very happy with my purchase, and I can see myself putting a fair few miles on it in the last few weeks of summer.

One big surprise was the tyres - they aren't especially knobbly, infact they look more like road tyres, and I was a little skeptical about the level of grip they'd have. But I was powering up hills with no wheelspin at all - hills I would have had to work at on my old bike with 'dirt/mud' tyres.

I've sacraficed a lot of top speed though. The STP2 is much lower geared so tearing along at 45-50km/h is out of the question now I think. But I'm prepared to sacrafice a little top speed for all the extra benefits.

Roll on tomorrow night!...

 

[TB]

Same here when I upgraded bikes. I went from a Trek Antelope 820 to a GT Outpost. It weighs about half even with all the road going crap I put on it.

Nice bike, ferrari_chris. :jealous:

 

[standard235]

So you've had the bike for a while now..


How do you like it? I bought a P.1 Cromo... it now has a 2006 Rockshox Pike 426 Coil U Turn fork on it with an IRD Dual Banger Mechanical disc brake in front. The stainless steel braided housing it comes with makes my back brake feel like garbage though.

 

[ferrari_chris]

So you've had the bike for a while now..


How do you like it? ...

My bike's going great.

I've been out on it quite a lot - at least 3 times a week since I got it - and she's all worked in, loosened up and feeling great.

I've been working on jumps I'd never have attempted previously, and starting to make a few of them. I'm starting to get some technique showing through too, so practise makes perfect.

There have been mishaps though...

Straight after I got it I changed the 'flat' pedals for my toe-clip ones I had on my old bike. They have a plastic center piece, with an alloy tread around the ouside. Anyway, I landed heavy one time and cracked both of the center pieces. That made my pedals start to flex so I had to put the 'flat' ones back on while I sorted a replacement.

Now, I've ridden with the toe-clips for so many years I must rely on them, as when I started biking with the 'flat' pedals my feet kept lifting off them and moving around. I was having to work to keep my feet planted. I felt like a noob!

"I'll get over it", I thought and started to learn to live with it.

So, go forward about a week and a mate and I are in the forrest having a play on a few jumps we found. After 10mins or so on the small one, I thought it was time to move up to the big one. 👍

Bigger jump, need to go faster.

I hit this thing at a reasonable clip, and I remember looking down and seeing my landing spot underneath me - I think I was still gaining altitude as I passed over it...

Landed, crashed.

Got a very large bruise on my thigh and hip that hung around for a couple of weeks. One of them big yellow ones - was about the size of my hand and quite painful too.

No damage to the bike though, only my pride. So that was all good. 👍

Then, during the weekend just passed, I thought it was time to step up to a bigger jump again. (Not the same one, different location.)

First attempt I fell short by about a foot. Second attempt was better, but still not on the mark. Third attempt ended in another hard landing and the seat colliding with my arse. This resulted in a seat that was now bent off to one side, and an uncomforable ride home. And incase you're wondering, I had to rest for about 30-45 minutes to let my 'bits' recover from the impact. Fingers crossed for no lasting damage, eh?

So this got me thinking about both crashes, and I think that if I had of had my toe-clips then neither crash would have happened. In both instances my feet came off the pedals. Obviously there was too much going on for me to remember exactly where my feet were, but I know they came off both times...

So, off to the bike shop this morning and I leave with a new set of pedals under my arm. Similar to my old set, but this time with metal centers. 15 minutes this afternoon attaching my toe clips and we're good-to-go.

We'll be going out for a ride tomorrow morning, so it'll be good to have my feet strapped in again.

Apart from this, there's been two punctures as well. Two in one week! I haven't had a puncture in over 10 years, and then two in one week! The first was a slow one which was lucky. I grabbed my bike one afternoon and noticed the front tyre had gone flat. A new tube later and we're all go again. So, next time out and I'm returning home after leaving my mate in town. It's about an hour before dark and the ride home takes me about 15 minutes. No problem.

So, riding along and then I hear a clack, clack, clack.

"Better stop, I must have something caught in my spokes." Off the bike and can't see anything. I rock the bike back and forward and clack, clack. Just as I think "It must be something in my tyre" I hear a faint pssssss. I rotate the wheel to see about an inch of a rusty nail sticking out - the clacking was it hitting on the frame. I think, "Well, I can't ride home with it in, but if I pull it out it'll go flat..." I give it a yank and PSSSSSSSSSS.

🤬

So I carry my bike the 3-4kms home and get home just as the sun is setting.

That about sums up the experiences we've had so far. I'm loving it and riding it every chance I can. With summer drawing to an end though the evening rides have been put on hold and it'll be mainly weekend stuff from now through until about October, but them's the breaks.

... I bought a P.1 Cromo... it now has a 2006 Rockshox Pike 426 Coil U Turn fork on it with an IRD Dual Banger Mechanical disc brake in front. The stainless steel braided housing it comes with makes my back brake feel like garbage though.

As for your P1 - sounds great! 👍

After seeing my STP, the mate I go riding with has recently traded his Scott for an STP Zero. By the sounds of it, it has the same forks as yours, and it's got the X-7 shifters and stuff that you suggested I get. As well as the hydaulic brakes and all the other goodies...

Can you post up some pics so I can have a look? I've seen a few pics on the Specialized site, and the front wheel looks larger than the rear. Is this the case?

That's a really nice bike you've got yourself there. 👍

 

[pat66]

So you've had the bike for a while now..


How do you like it? I bought a P.1 Cromo... it now has a 2006 Rockshox Pike 426 Coil U Turn fork on it with an IRD Dual Banger Mechanical disc brake in front. The stainless steel braided housing it comes with makes my back brake feel like garbage though.

the p.1 cromo is soooo sweet
last year i almost got the p.street

 

[Taurine]

Man, reading this thread makes me want to get serious about biking.

A friend of mine is pretty serious about his downhill biking (Top 8 in the national rankings or something like that) while another friend is into trial as a hobby.

I'm thinking next year when I've got more money in hand I'll look into getting a serious bike and doing some riding out in the wopwops.

Chris, whereabouts did you order your bike from?

 

[ferrari_chris]

... Chris, whereabouts did you order your bike from?

I got mine from a local bike shop.

Not the best bike shop in town, but he gave me the best price. 👍 I go to a more 'reputable' (and closer) shop for anything I need. Infact, I've only been back to my dealer once.

Giant dealers are fairly common so you should be able to find one up your way piece of cake.

 

[Dropout]

Get the STP Zero. The bike is absolutly amazing. I've been hitting the trails for about a month now on this bike and it can take just about anything you throw in front of it.

 

[ferrari_chris]

Bit late there...

I've been thrashing the STP2 for about 4 months now - and loving it!

My friend recently bought an STP Zero. A very nice bike indeed. 👍

 

[Dropout]

I was going to get the STP 2 but decided on going all out and getting the zero.

 

[ferrari_chris]

Staying true to my word, the STP has a new upgrade.

Its first!

You can read about it here.