Lucky ME!!!

[Stump]

I was discussing my wish for a bike of some sort with some friends during lunch earlier this week and guess what, one of them is like "go to my shed and take that bike I won at a function a few years back." He said he put a Bell seat on it and rode it twice and it wasn't for him. He also refused to take any payment. So I get there and it's a brand new Giant Boulder model mountain bike! I don't have ay idea what the bike retails for but it's pretty sweet, by far the best bike I've owned. I'm excited about getting into biking now and what better way to get going...than free!!!

[happyslug]

1. Looks like $275 , here are Giant's Web Site:

For the Boulder
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikes/mountain/1263/29308/

For the Boulder SE:
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikes/mountain/1262/29304/

From what I can see decent, but low end Shimano components. A good starting bike. You may want to upgrade, but I would ride it for about a year before I would do any upgrading.

Just a couple of Comments. My choice would be to use the bike, see if you like biking, and then upgrade. The biggest cost of any bike is the frame. Here the frame is aluminum, one of the stiffest frames you can buy today. The Stiffer the frame the easier it is the peddle. The reason for this is simple, a frame can absorbs 70% of your peddling power. This lost is reduced the stiffer the frame is. Aluminum Frames are stiffer then Steel Frames (Steel frame fall into two groups Chrome-Moly Steel (often written as CR-Mo) and "High Tension Steel" . CR-MO Steel was the wonder material of the 1930s, and stayed the best material for bikes till the 1980s when Aluminum took over (CR-MO is still a very good material). High Tension steel was the wonder material of 1900, had the Titanic been built of it, the Titanic would never had sunk. High Tension steel is easy to repair, cheap to make and repair, and take a hugh amount of beating, but is NOT "stiff" so takes more effort to peddle than CR-MO Steel or Aluminum. Thus the frame is very good, it is aluminum and as such easier to peddle than a Steel bike.

IS appears it is in components, that Giant went cheap on. It is also a 7 speed, which in the biking world very old tech. Not bad tech, just old tech. Shimano top of the line is now nine speed (There seems to be a push for ten speed, but technology does not seem to be here yet).

As to 7 speed, they are good components, probably better than most riders, but inferior to Shimano LX let alone XT (Both in Nine Speeds). Shimano has different grades of parts, LX is the low end for high end bikes, XT is next and high end is XTR (There are lesser components as on your bike, but less quality than LX, XT and XTR).. XTR cost twice as much as XT, but is NOT twice as good. I have XTR on my bike, my sister has XT on hers, and they are roughly the same (I should have saved money and bought XT, but I wanted XTR so I over paid). LX is a step down from XT, good for most components. When things wear out (and they will, but may take a couple of years of hard riding) you may want to upgrade. Given these are seven speeds, you will have to change the whole gear system, new front and rear derailleurs, New Chains, new rear axle. A lot of work, the better option may be to buy a new bike at that time.

Just a comment of what you may be looking into for your bike, it is a good bike, use it and then upgrade if you decide to stay in biking AND see the advantages of the better components.

[Kolesar]

2. That's sweet. I have a very good impression of Giant bicycles

I rode a rental for a long afternoon on a rail trail once. That Taiwanese company really knows their business and can produce great frames that are reliable. Take it for a long ride soon!

[shenmue]

3. Good for you.

:D

[Samurai_Writer]

4. That is AWESOME!

I bought a Giant Suede DX-w last April. I LOVE it! It's the best bike I've ever had, and I ride it daily to work, to the grocery store, and all around town. I've tricked mine out with wire baskets in the back, headlight, taillight, toolkit, a small gear bag, and water bottle. Here are the specs on it! Congrats, I am sure you will love your new Giant!