Giant Terrago - decent 1st MTB?

Paulq

As a roadie I would like to try something different this year and have looked at the Giant Terrago as an entry into MTB'ing. I already have mose of the kit I will need such as SPD's and clothing/basic accessories etc but have seen this bike on offer for £325 in my LBS.

Having looked at the 'which bike' sticky I note it has been listed but wondered if anyone could proffer an objective or personal opinion on this bike? I'm also 5 foot 11 inches - what frame size would be best for me?

Cheers,

Paul

trail jacker

frame wise i reckon youd need a 18/19" frame, and that bike looks pretty damn good for 325 quid in my opinion!

dav1

which year is it?

I got the one down (giant yukon) and love it. Sice made a good few upgrades as my budget has allowed but was the perfect 1st MTB for me.

woodywmb

I have a six year old Terrago with V brakes. It's done over 15,000 miles on all sorts of terrain but nothing severe. I have been upgrading it since I bought it new for £325 - same price. It's my number two bike and now has XT wheels, LX brakes, KMC 73 chain and Deore elsewhere and a basic Rox Shox fork. The saddle, seatpost, stem, bars, grips have been replaced. It's been a total workhorse. Okay it's a bit heavy and the design is now dated but Giant does offer good value. You couldn't get more for the money though I can't vouch for the disc brake model which is likely to have lower grade compenents to compensate for the extra cost.

supersonic

Good entry level mountain bike - slightly weighty, but lots of good parts for the money. As for size, go and try them out.

Old Tuggo

I had one for 3 years and thought it was okay for entry level but heavy. Mine had Sram hubs and the freewheel went and quite difficult to replace (Shimano would not fit) also the SR suspension forks went after 2 years (filled up with water). If putting on a roof rack the wide down tube near the bottom bracket can be awkward to clamp. It had the Giant hydraulic disc brakes which were very good and the pads lasted for ages.

S_J_P

I bought a Terrago Disc in 2006, and I think it's a fantastic value starter bike.

The high points for me are the frame and brakes. The Giant MPH3's are in a different league to v's, and whilst they're based on an older Hope design, they're still on a par with modern brakes. They do need a little TLC if they're going to survive long-term though, but regular cycling of the adjusters and a drop of lube should ensure longevity. The frame's nice and stiff and the hydroformed tubes look good too. Mud clearance at the rear isn't great though, and 2.25" tyres are about as big as I'd like to go.

Wheels and hubs aren't big-name varieties, but I've not had any problems to date.

The Deore mechs and Shimano chain are still going strong, and apart from some lethargic shifting when the rear cable gets gunged-up I have no complaints. The cables themselves are relatively decent Jagwires.

The fork isn't the best, but for the price it does a decent enough job even if it's a little bouncy and clunky. the lockout is a real boon over some other similarily specced bikes too.

The Giant branded seatpost, bars and stem aren't to everybody's liking, and I've swapped to a shorter stem (down from 110mm to 90mm) and have swapped the single-bolt seatpost as I couldn't stop the saddle creaking.

The tyres are those horrid hard plastic affairs which puncture at the mereest sight of a thorn. I swapped mine immediately for Panaracers (a Fire XC Pro and a Cinder) and haven't looked back since.

The main thing for me is that it's fun to ride, and gets me out though!

As for size, I'm 6'1" with a 34 inside leg and I went for the "Large" size, which is just about okay for me. I'd suggest that anybody shorter should drop down to the Medium.

roger_merriman

I have a 2006 terrago disk, and have been very impressed, a bit heavy but never the less a good well sorted bike.

mud clearance isn't great as noted. though i run thin mud plugger so thats not a issue.

roger

Paulq

Well I took the plunge today and even managed to knock something off the discounted price. Picking it up tomorrow and can't wait - thanks for all the replies.

Cheers

Paul

S_J_P

I hope the weather holds until the weekend so you can get out on a good shakedown trip!

If your LBS isn't too far away, make sure you take the bike back for it's six-week checkup, as cable stretch and loose bolts will need to be tended to!

Have fun!