Having a "real" bicycle used to mean owning a lightweight 10-speed, sleek and easy to ride with its low-slung handlebars and thin wheels and tires. While these excellent machines are still widely used, they are limited to riding on even, paved surfaces. Off-road they can run into serious issues with tires and bent wheels. Most bicycle manufacturers today make many models suitable for almost all uses. Why buy Giant mountain bikes when so many other brands exist?
One good reason is experience. The corporation began small in 1972, as a supplementary manufacturer to provide backup for larger companies such as Nishiki and Schwinn. Soon the company was recognized on its own merits, and by the mid 1980s had established an excellent reputation. Today it is seen as a major force in the world bicycle market, and is known for high quality and good design.
Those bicycles ultimately known as all-terrain sports models are different in several ways from their predecessors. Created for off-road riding aficionados, they needed the capability of withstanding high levels of stress and punishment. Such vehicles had to be able to bounce along uneven trails, hitting rocks and jumping over logs for extended periods. They required larger wheels and fatter tires for traction in mud.
With signature wide, knobby tires, they normally have a front suspension, and some have both front and rear. Handlebars on this kind of bike are often straighter and heavier, and wheel and tires sizes are measured differently. This beefed-up capability meant that the outdoor enthusiast was presented with a whole new world of riding, and bikers could go places previously considered impossible.
It did not take very long for this kind of riding to gain widespread popularity. There are now several different styles of sport riding and sports bicycles to choose from, and each each has borrowed design ideas from the others. There are now racers, for example, that have mechanical DNA from cross-country models, which are at home off-road. Giant pioneered in developing their light-weight aluminum frames, and then graduated to ultra-light advanced carbon fiber composites.
The trail bike is a multipurpose machine that is fun both on a track or in the woods, and withstands either environment well. Sturdy and stable, they are cousin to the enduro or all-mountain bike, which are designed to be ridden in rough terrain for long periods. Downhill racers, on the other hand, need to be light and strong, and are used primarily for speed, and have set many timed records.
The urban or street hybrids so common today in the city are also part of this mechanical family. They have simply taken the durability and stability of an off-road frame and made it into a bike fit for heavy traffic as well as any other use. Popular with people who do a lot of urban biking, they carry with them the safety advantages of wider wheels and fatter tires that grip well in wet weather on slippery streets.
There are also models perfect for single-speed uses or 4X challenges. So, why buy Giant mountain bikes? Because this manufacturer has the design experience and solid reputation that inspires consumer confidence. They have won multiple awards both for design and in racing. While most buyers will never race, a sturdy and well-made Giant bicycle can take them almost anywhere in comfort and style.
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