2009 Test the Best with Giant and Specialized.

Dec 3, 2008 at 11:08
by Si Paton  
Source: Specialized and Giant UK

2009 Test the best:

Specialized and Giant bikes announce the return of their popular demo partnership bringing the best full suspension bikes to great riding areas around the UK.Please note I never wrote this, it's a corporate press release. I'm just letting you all know that if you're UK based and looking for a new ride in '09, then you want to be all over this like a bad rash..Si



Chessington, UK. Specialized and Giant have worked together to coordinate the new Test the Best Series, following on from their successful partnership in 2007 and 2008; 2009 will bring a return to the country wide tour.

photo

SPDs not included, someone's finally listening!


For 2009 Specialized and Giant will be taking an extensive range of Mountain bikes for both men and women to some great locations in England, Scotland and Wales. At each venue riders can expect a hive of activity with both Giant and Specialized Technical representatives making sure that your demo experience truly allows you to Test the Best.

There are 5 dates and venues across the country to choose from with challenging terrain and true off road Mountain Biking. In addition, Specialized and Giant will be supported at the events by Mountain Bike Rider Magazine, Clif Bar, CTC, SRAM and the riders will be hydrated by glaceau vitamin water.

photo

Bring along a set of flat pedals and show them who's boss


SRAM will be in attendance at the events, giving bicycle set up clinics to make sure everyone can get the best of their bike and ride more.

In 2008 Specialized teamed up with Dirt Divas to offer free Women’s skills training at three of the Challenge Series events, these were hugely popular and 200 women are now better riders having more fun on the trail. In 2009 Specialized wants to open up the training to both Men and Women and increase the number of courses to all five locations.

At all of the new Test the Best venues Specialized will be offering limited places to both men and women for skills training in conjunction with the CTC and their off road training group. 40 places are available in the morning and 40 in the afternoon for Men and Women who are over 18 and have their own bike. Places are allocated on a first come first served basis and the course is designed to help people enjoy their ride more.

Skills training should be booked over the phone on 0870 873 0061.

The venues and dates for the Test the Best Series 2009 are as follows:
• 8th February – Glyncorrwyg, Wales 10:00 – 15:00
• 15th February – Cannock Chase, Staffordshire 10:00 – 15:00
• 8th March - Dalby Forest, North Yorkshire 10:00 – 15:00
• 29th March – Bedgebury, Kent 10:00 – 15:00
• 5th April – Carron Valley, Scotland 10:00 – 15:00

For more information please visit: http://www.test-the-best.co.uk (live from 5th January 2009)



'After two successful years of the Specialized Challenge Series we are pleased to continue in 2009 with the Specialized Test the Best Series. Consumers again will have the opportunity to test ride the latest Specialized mountain bikes in five new locations around the UK. There is no better way to experience Specialized's winning technology' says Richard Hemington, Managing Director of Specialized.

“We’re back for 2009 with the newly named Test the Best Series, which offers you exactly what it says on the tin. We want consumers to come and experience the best riding, with the best technical support on Giant's award winning Maestro system, whatever your ability come along and experience the winning formula” says Ian Beasant, Managing Director of Giant UK.

photo

Why is this pic in the title? I typed in Special Giant into Google Images and this is what came up first.


About Specialized:
Specialized was founded in 1974 by riders for riders. Headquartered in Morgan Hill, California with global distribution, the company focuses on making everyone’s time on a bike better by delivering functional and technically advanced equipment that provide a performance benefit.

About Giant:
For more than three decades, Giant has devoted itself to the growth of cycling. At Giant, the bicycle is more than just a machine, it’s an integral component of society, a way to explore and expand the boundaries of your world. Healthy, fun, challenging and responsible a bike is all these things and more. Giant’s wide-ranging 2009 line of bikes is dedicated to inspiring adventure in all types of riders everywhere in the World.

Corporate suit over and out..

Stay Unclipped.

Si Paton.
www.Descent-Gear.com
RRP Neoguards £12.99 Posted!

Author Info:
si-paton avatar

Member since Jul 26, 2006
361 articles

40 Comments
  • 20 6
 thats awesome! giant forever!
  • 24 10
 specialized forever!
  • 4 5
 i like much more specialized but that model of giant is nice too!
  • 1 3
 Yeah nice model but flats really don't belong on that bike...
  • 13 3
 i'm not a xc rider so i don't know, down prop me if u wish buy why does the specialized enduro have triples?
  • 2 2
 i've always wondered that aswell :S
  • 3 3
 It is a triple crown fork yes. It is specialized in house suspension design on there new Enduro AM set ups(I believe this project came to fruition in 2007). It has 150mm travel, with external travel, rebound and compression adjustments, plus, it is really light to boot. I don't know exactly why they decided to go with the triple crown design. It could be for the people who push AM riding to its limits (there are some nutty people doing crazy stuff on 150mm - 160mm travel frames). I know compared to a single crown fork the triple crown increases stability at higher speeds, but it reduces the maneuverability at low speed. My 2 cents.....
  • 3 1
 It decreases flex while keeping weight lower than on the big travel singlecrowns. Its actually pretty damn light, and doesn't compare badly to 150-160mm single crown forks (weight wise) while giving a much stiffer ride. Its also incredibly simple to service (not that that has anything to do with the dual crowns, its just an interesting side note).
  • 5 0
 Specialized forever !!! why ? just one word: DEMO
  • 0 0
 its a pound lighter than the comparable fox shock, and its stiffer ^^^^^^ and that stuff
  • 2 0
 i like the giant, same colour theme as the glory dh and giants are dialed
  • 2 2
 ya with the triple crown they can eliminate a steertube which is one of the heavy parts on a fork itself
  • 1 1
 Eliminate the steerer? It has a lightweight machined alloy steerer. That's the funniest thing I have heard all day, eliminate the steerer, hahah.
  • 2 0
 heaviest part is probably the lowers, unless theyre composite
  • 1 1
 im talking for their size...maverick did the same thing with their triple crown fork and this specialized one is the same wayy
  • 0 0
 BOTH OF THEM ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • 3 1
 to answer those questions, specialized made it dual, not triple crown (your prolly thinking of triple clamp maybe) because they can use thinner tubes for the sliders and stuff becuase making it dual crown makes it stiffer. with single crowns the tubes would be a bit thicker to give the same stiffness. so its pretty light and stiff with 6 inches of travel
  • 1 1
 Triple crown /Triple clamp, Tomato /Tomoto, same poo different pile dude....
  • 0 0
 nope totally different pile of shit altogether.
  • 5 0
 I admire your hatred of clip-in pedals 'superfly' - test rides look good too!
  • 1 1
 Fraying upon those who contest that clip-ins suck.... They do.

They don't make you faster and ride with more control, it depends on the riders abilities... Just because someone can go out and buy a set of shiny new spd pedals and booties doesn't mean they will go faster and ride with more control. It may be your opinion, and I am not telling you that your opinion is wrong, its just not correct. Sure if you ride XC with two feet of your seat tube sticking out it is beneficial. For Freeride, and DH you have to be retarded and/ or a psychopath to run spd's.
  • 3 0
 Well this is a silly argument, but I'll put in my two cents. I come from a xc race background.. spd's for sure.. then moved into freeriding. Riding logs and all that early freeride stuff.. Flats.. for sure ! But once we moved into Downhilling and all my friends got shinny new full suspension bikes the only way I could keep up on my little santacruz chameleon was to go back to my spd pedals. Trying to pin it super hard on super tech gnarly roots on a small hard tail with flats.. my feet kept bucking off the pedals. Once i switched back over to my clip-less I was back to keeping up and ripping hard and in control. Now that I have a shinny new SOCOM I switch between both setups. For fast pinning action in Williams Lake, clip-less rocks. I get way power down and I can climb better.. etc etc.. and if you know how to ride the shore.. they can actually work really well there. I guess it just comes down to what ur used to. for the most part. I stick to flats, just because they're convenient. Later.
  • 2 0
 i typed in specialized giant into google and i didnt get any flowers?
  • 1 1
 "SPECIAL GIANT".
  • 1 1
 oh hahaha that was a bit silly
  • 0 2
 Why does this clipless thing have to be an "either-or" thing? I ride with, and enjoy both. I have a lazy left leg that I run a clipless spd, on the right side I run a flat pedal. Walking around can be odd, but you don't notice that much when you ride.
  • 0 0
 wow thats really odd, but if it works for you, nice one! lol
  • 1 2
 John, they're specially made for Specialized bikes only... haven't seen them on any other bikes, they're light weight and provide 150mm of travel.
  • 0 0
 News is the first date has been postponed due to the weather! Cheers. Si..
  • 0 0
 the giant is way better...plus it comes out of the box at 24 pounds...
  • 0 0
 i'm not an xc rider but i'll go along to the cannock one for a taster
  • 1 4
 All you people talking trash about clip-ins are people who have never tried it.. You go faster with more control riding clipped.
  • 0 2
 Yeah.... but allot of us don't ride with our seats jacked up as high as yours all the time.
  • 1 1
 What's that got to do with anything?
  • 0 2
 What picture would you have got if you typed in "Giant Special"?
  • 0 2
 lol cliped pedals
  • 3 6
 the only way to ride xc is with clips
  • 2 6
flag Drea (Dec 10, 2008 at 6:11) (Below Threshold)
 Agree!
  • 2 5
 i second that!
and this dude Si Paton is really annoying with his shitty talk "never clip in"..







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