|   I Finally Got My NRS 2 (pics also....) | mtnbikerdude87
Apr 24, 2003 10:14 PM | | After one and a half months of waiting, I went down to my LBS and I picked up my Giant NRS 2 (03).
OK heres a little review. Its a 16.5 frame with mostly stock items except for the tires (WTB Mutanos 2.4) and some lizard skins (and a enduro 2 comp). So far Ive been playing with the rear shock and getting it "perfect" for my taste. Mostly Ive been riding around my block, so i havent gotten a "real" feel of the bike. The Avids are sweeet, although they need to break-in, but there sweeet!!!! The Skareb fork is ok and they work (does the skareb need a break-in period also?);(I plan to change to a Fox Vanilla R later on). This is a great bike and I love it so far. Hopefully I can take it down to Chino State Park or Bonelli tomorrow and really test it out.
One question: Whenever I pump the shock with the provided shock pump from giant, I notice that the air pressure has lowered (ie. 50 at first now its 20) when I last pumped it up. Is it because air is getting released when I unscrew the pump from the shock -or- is my shock leaking??
OK here are some Pics..... |
| more | mtnbikerdude87
Apr 24, 2003 10:14 PM | | woops forgot the pic |
| More.. | mtnbikerdude87
Apr 24, 2003 10:16 PM | | |
| More.... | mtnbikerdude87
Apr 24, 2003 10:17 PM | | The front of the bike... |
| More.... | mtnbikerdude87
Apr 24, 2003 10:17 PM | | |
| last one | mtnbikerdude87
Apr 24, 2003 10:18 PM | | |
| Great pics! Here some info re shock! | Trevor!
Apr 24, 2003 11:42 PM | | First of all well done on your purchase! I have a 2002 Giant NRS 2 and I tell you I love it. I am literally obsessed with it! Its my favorite thing ever! All I do in my spare time is think about my bike!
Ok onto the shock.
* My adivce is pump the air up in the positive chamber too and then the negative one. Additionally I always pump a little over what I need in the neg so that when I unscrew the pump any air that is lost will bring the level down to the actual one I need.
* Also be sure to play around with the shock settings. I guess its part of the fun. I used Giants setting and then I tried something additional and that was to put say 160lbs in the positive and 130 pounds in the negative. I weigh 150lbs! Doing this setting meant there was a tiny little bit of sag but the bike road alot better over tough terrain.
* Another thing that people like myself have given a go is a different rocker arm wich will give you a 4.5" and 3.5" travel option. You will see below in another post some discussion on this! People like Duckman and Malcolm have it. This may be a possible thing for you to look at in the future. The rocker arm totally rocks! I got mine the other day!
Umm lots to say! Ask any questions you can there are lots of great people here who own NRSs and have been a great help - and I have learnt alot from them too!
YAY! Excuse to post pic!
Here is my new rockers on my NRS:
And a pic of my whole bike (2002 XTR, PD-m959 pedals, Answer Hyperlight, Stans No Tubes, American classic hubs etc etc etc
.jpg)
and
(Damm broke one of my brake leavers, Gotta buy a pair of them, shimano dont sell single ones :( ) |
| how do you like the new rocker arms? nm | reklar
Apr 25, 2003 12:19 AM | | |
| Great but umm | Trevor!
Apr 25, 2003 1:08 AM | | unfortunatley I cannot ride for like a little under 2 weeks as my leg is still in a fiberglass cast. The minute it comes off I am doing 5 very long days or riding!!!
Seems to make the bike look better, wheelbase a little longer and yeah all up looks like it rocks! Messed around yesterday with the air pressure now at 190lbs, heck I am only 150Lbs but I want this thing perfect
Ciao!
How yours going? |
| Nice bike.The Australasian spec has the cheaper Shimano... | Malcolm
Apr 25, 2003 1:36 AM | | |
| cable disks.Avids are way better. nm. | Malcolm
Apr 25, 2003 1:37 AM | | |
| don't have the rockers yet...still thinking about it... nm | reklar
Apr 25, 2003 1:37 AM | | |
| I think they are almost a must! | Trevor!
Apr 25, 2003 2:34 AM | | Umm OK so I havent hit the trails but I was playing around in the garden and I know this think is going to be the best thing indeed. From what Duckman and Malcolm have said it sounds really damm well.
I have to say I was very very very happy with the craftman ship. It uses the same bushings(opr bearings) that are on the NRS --> as In the same brand etc! |
| kool pics and thxs for the info....nm | mtnbikerdude87
Apr 25, 2003 9:29 AM | | |
| Questions | GiantMan
Apr 25, 2003 8:44 PM | | Trevor. The bike looks real nice. I hope to get a pic of my bike up here soon. Did you take the boots off your BLACK? If so why? Also what do you like about the new rocker arms. More travel? Can you really notice it. Will this void the warrenty. Does it change the ride of the bike? GM |
| Answers | Trevor!
Apr 25, 2003 9:24 PM | | Boots I took the boots off as one of them would always detatch and slide up and down the stanchion (sp?) which out right drove me insane! I dont know if it is a good or bad thing to do, I guess it may reduce protection a little, but I remember reading somewhere in MTB action (ASK R.C section- somebody asking if it was OK to remove them and the reply was yes- they dont do much) Its going to get its oil refreshed soon so I may post something on this General Board if their is an issue! I guess waranty would be void as it isnt a Giant product?
Rocker Arm My leg is in a Fiberglass cast so I am not riding till Next monday (finally!!!!!!!!!!!!) So I cannot comment! Duckman has had some very good things to say regarding them. Things like, much more plusher, more responsive, he can go much faster over super technical rocky stuff, still maintains no bob etc. I haad a go in my garden today and I know I am going to love it a good bit. Wheelbase is extended a little = good thing for downhills, bike feels much more balanced with 4" fork up front. YES more travel too! Which will make good diffence (malcolm/Duckman can attest to this)
I will be posting a solid review of this rocker in a few weeks time when i have done 10 or so hours in the saddle!
You have an NRS 2?
Oh pic of rocker arm from todays play in the garden! |
| Is instalation..... | mtnbikerdude87
Apr 25, 2003 11:25 PM | | Easy for the rocker arms..... I might go for the new rocker arm.... |
| See pic! EASY AS 1-2-3!!! | Trevor!
Apr 26, 2003 5:08 AM | | Not to taxing at all to do it, and I am no super wrench.
Just put the good old NRS lying down on the grass. As removing the rockers will make the rear triangle move what ever direction. So standing the bike up is awkaward
Here is what I did.
1) Remove the bolt connecting both rocker arms to shock
2) Remove the bolt from each rocker connecting them to the seatstays
3) Remove the bolt connecting the rockers to the seatpost section.
* To do so simply use two of the same size hex tools and place them on each side and rotate one anti-clockwise whilst holding the other in place. This is beacuse one bolt is screwed into the inside of another bolt.
Adding the new ones is easy. I connected them to the seatstays first copying the exact way the 3.5 rockers were put on. There are two little plastic washers that are on the original ones that I put on the new ones. Then connected it at the centre (Step 3 in reverse) and then conected them to the shock. You will need to move the rear triangle to suit the shock.
YOU BOLT THE SHOCK INTO THE HOLE CLOSEST TO THE REAR TRIANGLE!
In practice takes no time at all. If you are unsure just take your time and you will be done. be sure everything is tight and if unsure get the wrench at your LBS to check thigs out.
here is the visual guide! YAY! Photoshop rocks! |
| your not losing air. The reason your seeing | Duckman
Apr 25, 2003 9:42 AM | | ...less air later when you ck, is it "was" ok prob, but when you re-attach the pump, it HAS to take in SOME of the air that WAS in the very small chamber of the shock to re-energize the pump and its gauge to ultimately use it. Then pump it back to the right psi again as b4, then as you unscrew it, it closes the valve to the shock, THEN as its screwing the rest of the way off, the air you hear escaping is inbetween the shock and the pump gauge itself. No worries. Then, when you re-attach the pump later, the pump HAS to absorb some of the air in the pump for it to do its think, right? This air used is now ocupying the same exact volumn in the shock as b4..(but)AND the pump body chambers as well...hence the lower psi reading since it has to expand some to do this(its that physics thing again), which is a false reading of what was in the shock BEFORE the pump was re-attached cause you've had to let some escape to fill the pump for it read the shock to begin with again. |
| thxs.. | mtnbikerdude87
Apr 25, 2003 10:55 AM | | Thank you for the great insight....(now its time to ride... :) |
| This all sounds good. BUT............. | GiantMan
Apr 26, 2003 11:22 AM | | I like the sounds of these new rocker arms. They look to be of great quality. Now why would GIANT not have done this in the first place? Do you think they just never thought about this. WHat are some of the disadvantages to this set up. I would like to hear some one play devils advocate. Besides voiding the warrenty which I'm sure this must do have you noticed any negative effects from this set up?
Thanks! |
| Rider weight is my best guess... | næstep
Apr 26, 2003 1:25 PM | | By increasing the travel, you're increasing the leverage ratio on the shock, on a bike which (compared to a conventional rear suspension) is already asking a lot of its shock to support the rider weight fully extended.
Even though this frame wasn't necessarily designed with the heavier rider in mind (At 235 pounds I was near the pressure limits of my AD12 on my NRS), the 4.5" linkage has to increase it even more.
In fact, when Giant's own multi-position rocker began showing up on European models, the only good reason for the new lower-travel position was that it increased rider weight range.
This new linkage looks great, but I don't think I'd be able to use it without super-inflating my shock or dropping below 200 pounds.
Of course it's also designed as an XC race platform, and over the magic 4" mark I don't know that it would be accepted as readily, but then again Fisher went the extra step with their Sugar+ line so I don't know why Giant wouldn't have done the same (VT?).
næstep |
| Agree with naestep and also... | Malcolm
Apr 26, 2003 2:31 PM | | 3.75inches std. is a good balance for an 80mm fork up front.
I only got the rockers because I have a 100mm fork as does Duck and Trevor.
They also make the bike higher and you are more on tippy toes, but the bike seems to react to bumps so much better now.
Malc. |
| næstep got it in one! | Trevor!
Apr 26, 2003 2:45 PM | | Rider weight is really restricted now. I would ay that a 190Lbs rider would be the limit. I am a 1150Lbs rider so I am fine, however the air pressure is set at 190Lbs.
So næstep I guess this would not have been good for you.
Probably does void warantee. Guess this is a bad thing if a frame break is going to happen! |
| So there is a Euro version with the same rockers? | GiantMan
Apr 26, 2003 7:51 PM | | I had heard about a European version of the NRS with something different but i didn't realize it had two rear travel settings. Is this the same exact set up that is oem for Giant Euro models? So I guess Giant had thought of this! Are these rockers copy of the euro rockers |
| No, the Giant rockers went the other direction... | næstep
Apr 26, 2003 8:06 PM | | I think Giant's had a 4" setting and a 3" setting. At the time, a lot of us were asking Why? since nobody was complaining about the stock 4" being too much (maybe too busy complaining the stock 4" really only offered 2.5" useable?). Anyway, increased rider weight came up as the only real "advantage" to the lesser setting.
næstep |
| Rockers | 80z28s6
Apr 26, 2003 9:52 PM | | If I'm correct the euro rockers were 3" and 3 3/4". Took a ride thurs. with the new rockers installed and it seemed to handle bumps a bit softer. Need to try different settings but my normal might need to increased a bit also. I'll let you guys know how it feels sun. night going riding and should be fun, it rained all day!!! |
| Rockers | 80z28s6
Apr 27, 2003 10:54 AM | | Well got back from riding with the new rockers and all I can say is WOW!!!!!! Not harsh and the extra travel was nice. I'm a bit heavy @210lbs, ran 220psi in pos and 60psi in neg. I'm very pleased with the upgrade. |
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