Put me off

bone-shaker
bone-shaker Posts: 19
edited October 2007 in MTB buying advice
Can someone please tell me why I shouldn't buy a Giant XTC 4.5 as my general cross country, up and down steps, over rocks, through mud, first 'proper' MTB.

Thanks.

And also, why I shouldn't buy it from my local indpendant bike shops full of guys who really seem to know what they are talking about.

Thanks.

Comments

  • jacktheoc
    jacktheoc Posts: 1,556
    it usually is better to buy from your lbs as you can get down their, test it and you are not too far away if anything goes wrong! but if it is only a little shop and there is only one shop i would stay away a friend of mine got his scott from my lbs and 4month later they closed down :roll: .
    the giant xtc 4.5 is quite good for the money and should be alright but their probably is better bikes out their for around £400
  • dav1
    dav1 Posts: 1,298
    Good LBS all the way if you can get a good deal on the price. Having a LBS to look after you and a good relationship for deals in the future will work wonders.

    the XTC 4.5 looks nice, even though you will probably upgrade in the future having a better base is always advisable.

    As i have said i love my Yukon but its weaknesses have become clear over my 10 months on it and I am upgrading as time goes on. Whilst you will probably upgrade an XTC (or almost any bike for that matter) its always best to have a better starting point so you don't have to do it so rapidly like you very well may have (and i am) on a Yukon. This will either save you money on the bike or allow you to buy better bits when the time does come in terms of upgrades depending on how you want to spend your money on it.

    I have always heard good things about the XTCs frok people i know with them.
    Giant TCR advanced 2 (Summer/race)
    Merlin single malt fixie (Commuter/winter/training)
    Trek superfly 7 (Summer XC)
    Giant Yukon singlespeed conversion (winter MTB/Ice/snow)

    Carrera virtuoso - RIP
  • dirtbiker100
    dirtbiker100 Posts: 1,997
    ha I know how you're feeling bone-shaker. just go and buy it and take it for a decent local XC ride- you'll love riding it. you probably know that it'll be good enough for what you want at the moment and you full well know that the lbs is the best place to get it. you just don't want to fork out that much and need re-assurance that it'll be worth it. yes it definitely will.
  • bone-shaker
    bone-shaker Posts: 19
    Yes Dirtbiker, you're right. I know it will be better than I need and I do want to support the lbs.

    My only real issue now is that the 2008 XTC 4.5 is 500 in my lbs and the 2007 model is on the net at 349, a much more realistic budget and there seem to be very minimal differences.

    Hmmm...
  • Underscore
    Underscore Posts: 730
    bone-shaker wrote:
    My only real issue now is that the 2008 XTC 4.5 is 500 in my lbs and the 2007 model is on the net at 349, a much more realistic budget and there seem to be very minimal differences.

    Actually, there are some significant differences between the '07 and '08. Probably most important is that, for 2007, the 4.5 had a different frame to the rest of the XTC range; for '08 the 4.5 has been upgraded to use the same frame as the rest of the (aluminium) XTC range. The brakes are also quite a bit better on the '08. Most of the other differences are pretty minor.

    Having said all that, I hired a 2007 4.5 but bought a 2008 model (because nowhere seemed to have a 2007 left in my size) and £349 for the 2007 is a steal. If you end up going for it, you will not be disappointed... Of course, if you fancy the 2008, the price of the 2007 model may be a good bargaining tool at the LBS...

    _

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