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You bet, glad it’s helpful!

Nice! It’s a great rig.

You are correct.

Glad you found it helpful!

No you’ll need a 27 1 1/4 tire for a 27 1 1/4 rim. The 700x28 is a 622mm ISO and the 27 1 1/4 tire is 630mm.

Still my favorite do everything. I don’t see many out there but have seen the crossover on a few people.

Classic choice and def most popular setup still for riders it seems.

So stoked to hear it helped! It’s the little tricks and ya I often use a lever on road tires at the end but minimally as possible. Great job! You are more skilled than half the guys at your local shop lol ;)

I prefer a snug fit for good grip as long as you can open and close your hand freely without straining the fabric.

@@MTBShed ok thanks

I’ve not ridden an oval personally. From what the ol timers tell me the BioPace Chainrings had the oval at the wrong part of the pedal stroke. Modern ovals have swapped that positioning or there’s brands out that give you the option for multiple setup positions…..that said my customers who tried it said they liked it and less knee pain. I’ve also heard same results from folks that dropped there crank length 20mm. I’m not sure if that’s purchase confirmation bias or actual improvement.

@@MTBShed interesting, This bike I found abandoned is a Nishiki frame and everything taken off except the Biopace Crank . Although, I have other round 3 sprocket cranks that I can switch out to, in case needed. Thanks for your opinion, 👍

@@egimessito The strap doesn’t pass behind the spring bars without undo force and if you run the strap the opposite direction then it is difficult to properly tighten on your wrist. I switch my bands daily and this is the best setup I’ve found for the nylon strap.

That’s going to come down to gear. Typically on a flat you can pedal up to 23mph

Ya, just avoid the Stance and its single pivot. Good value for performance through their line though.

@@samsufy8945 Sure I’m on a list for all the lube I buy now 🤷🏻‍♂️

No, packaging includes the strap only. You will reuse the original spring bars off the strap you remove.

Yes. It’ll work with your existing pins since the Venu 2 is also 22mm lugs.

I’d pick the A1 because of a most reliable build such as Stans wheels, upgraded brakes/drivetrain, and more durable suspension components. Thats me. Things that would change my recommendation for you is a few things. What are your local trails like, are they any drops or jumps. The full suspensions are very efficient on the Faultline but if you are on flatter trails for longer distances then the Highpoint might me better. What’s your financial situation? If 1800 is a stretch then I think you’d be more than happy on the A2 and you can slowly upgrade components over time as they wear out or brake. My bike is the Hardline A2 (base build). It has basic deore drivetrain and is more than sufficient build for our local trails. I had the option of buying the highest builds or anything in between. I chose the base build becuase it’s all I needed. Keep in mind the A2 Hardline a bit more burlier build then the Faultline A2, maybe more similar to the A1 Faultline spec which is why I recommended that. Not crazy build but solid, well performing parts that will last you a long time.

@MTBShed ill be honest, I'm pretty much a complete beginner! Financially 1800 is a little stretch right now but I wondering the deals are too good to pass and just jump right to a suspension bike. Thanks for the awesome response

Sounds like you are already dealing with the repercussions of not having good local shops. Others take note what will happen to your options if you don’t support your local bike shops. This guy can’t walk into a shop and buy the items he wants. The last survivor in his town is an ebike shop. He can’t test ride bikes to find what works for him best. For those of you that do still have shops in your town, support them!

I was just talking to a guy at the park about this. Battery care is huge! Taking the battery off the bike or having the bike in a climate control area is key weather it’s winter or summer. Also remembering to remove the battery while traveling with the bike on the vehicle also helps to prevent issues with the battery. The battery heats up as it dispenses its charge so minimize the starting temp is definitely key. All this is not just for safety and efficiency but also prolongs the life of the battery.

We caught this so late after switching to the DJI mics which for some reason don’t record in studio if only using one mic. Terrible feature flaw on what otherwise could be a great product.

He’s basically saying Giant Bikes is committing to standing with their retailers rather than bypassing them with online sales like Specialized and Trek are doing. This was a quarterly update from Giant to Dealers and ultimately is just a push to get retailers to commit to larger preseason orders…..bike companies make retailers sign contracts every year around July to commit to buying a certain amount of product and bikes for the entire next year. This requires bike shops to pre commit or order their bike for the entire year without knowing what people are buying. It’s a very unfair process manufacturers have forced retailers into leading to many of the overstock issues seen in shops the past couple years.

You’re not wrong. The mindset of guys like this from Giant though is the reason bike shops are one of the last remaining retail stores left in the world. Unfortunately, the perceived value and “convenience” of purchasing online is eroding the ability for this model to continue….but for those reading online isn’t cheaper or more convenient. “Free shipping” and Amazon fees will inflate the cost of goods over time. It’s not convenient to wait even a day for lube or a part you need after online puts brick and mortar out of business. Happens to me all the time with moto parts because the shops are gone or are “brand shops” meaning I can’t just drive to store and have a part I need same day to ride.

Pretty sure that Giant understands the bike business, as they are the largest manufacturer in the world. It’s a reasonable approach to mobilize a large number of independent LBS to basically become their stores, and one that requires very little investment and less management. And it’s a low risk approach, if it doesn’t work out they do something else, little invested, little lost.

Bike mechanics barely make enough to survive and bike shops operate on extremely tight margins. Car repair is far more expensive but cars are a “necessity”. Bikes are a far smaller market meaning higher costs of production and bike repairs are cheap compared to other service business such as HVaC, plumbers, electricians, auto mechanics, and the other jobs that require specialized knowledge.

It's obvious you've never seen a LBS's Financials. I look at margins all the time in the shop I work, the owner of my shop is not getting wealthy off it. It's all great getting the best deals online and undercutting shops until all the one that provide quality work are gone. Good luck with that.

@@vashusan1984 like i said....it is a hobby not a business. bicycles are not cars or furnaces or refrigerators. they are non essential.

@@kursk88-k1t So we should just bail on the industry and not care about it's future. Good idea man. We probably shouldn't maintain trails or support laws that protect cyclists or join advocacy groups, cause you know, it's just a hobby and that would be a lot of work for something that really doesn't matter.

@@vashusan1984 who is we? and where did i say anyone should be "bailed out"? i was against the GM bailout. my point was that an internal combustion engine is how all that amazon gets to your front door,

@@kursk88-k1t I did not suggest 'bailing out' the bike industry. I said bail on...maybe you missed the nuance, but it's very important to my rebuttal of your point that due to bikes being a hobby we shouldn't care what happens to local bike shops on a fiscal level. R/whoosh

@@douglascegelis190 he just starts to go into how they have 91 partner level stores and it gets into the dealer commitment stuff which is interesting and worth checking out the full video from linked on the community tab on our account page.

th-cam.com/video/gcFXy3FzXbI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=YJ17iEK1wS5pV00G

@@MTBShed What I don't like is that Giant apparently requires that something like 80% of new bikes in a shop be Giant, or similar. Al these big bike companies are eating the industry from within

Yes, both are 22mm lugs. Instinct 2X steps into the larger 26mm strap size

I forgot about that, thanks for adding info! Lost my smell after a bad crash that broke my skull.

Warranty for everything except the frame goes through the individual manafacturers. For instance, Shimano brakes on a Trek bike would be warrantied with Shimano not through Trek. Find a local bike shop, independently owned and find out what options they have available. Even if they sell Trek they likely have a second brand they are familiar with. The advantage to that over online is the shop will be aware of known issues if they arise and will have faster access to repair parts if needed. Along those lines I will issue a word of warning you are already considering. eMTBs require a considerable amount of care over a standard MTB. This is why I typically do not recommend them except for specific circumstances. Your chain will wear out faster as will your cassette and chain ring, you will burn through brakes faster and need them bled sooner, suspension and pivots need maintained sooner etc etc. The additional weight and your ability to ride further and faster, speed up the need for this maintenance. ebike are more difficult to work on than a standard bike due to the weight, cable routing, and other factors not involved with a standard bike. You are 100% right on wanting to find a local shop to help as the build will only be the beginning. I love MTBs, I love electric powered skateboards, I love my motorcycle. The combo sounds great w an eMTB but after 6 months of owning an eMTB it was clear that wasn’t the best option for the above stated reason. I’ve also found it ruined a lot of the fun of riding for me. How fun is something if you can just show up and do it first time. Why go back. The love of MTB comes from the overcoming of challenges, completing trails you once couldn’t. Yes downhills are fun but the true enjoyment of MTB comes from your failures.

My MTB was $3800, my motorcycle was $15k. Both are mid tier. The most expensive MTB I sold was $11k and that was pro level top of the line tech. Same level of motorcycle would run $70k+. Performance cost is far better value on MTBs and the ability to own a legit same bike a pro is on for $10k is awesome…..I get the point, like $5k for a super nice MTB or $5k for a budget moto that fun can also be had. Economy of scale is part of it and keeping these bikes with components at 30# is also expensive process. I rode a $550 hardtail with 3x8 for years. Problem is people think they can ride the same way or trails people on $5k bikes are riding. $550 MTB is fine in the right place. If you want to bang it through rock gardens then like anything else you have to pay more. We always tried starting everyone at a $1000 bike and expect another $300 for safety gear. That’s pretty affordable to get into a hobby.