Giant, any info about them?

[Frankie24]

Hi lads, as everyone knows I am looking for an ebike(yes, still looking haha)
But this time looks like I am very close to get it.
I got all the info from my company and giant bikes are the only ones I can get through the cycle to work scheme.
There are 2 giants bikes that looks nice.
The talon e plus 2014 and the roam xr e plus.
I could get the first for about 1800€ and the second about 1650 or so.
Do any one knows how are them?
Or any info about quality ?
The specs I think they look similar or worse than the cube hybrid reaction pro 29 or the bh bikes.
The main difference is the rear motor by giant which I don't know how powerful, good or reliable is..
Any info would help.
Thanks lads

 

[EddiePJ]

I should hopefully be getting hold of Giant Full-E+ 1 to play on very soon, but my understanding from the dealer who also happens to sell many other brands, is that the after market care that Giant offer, is possibly one of the best out there.
The dealer had nothing to gain by telling me that, as I'm only riding the bike, not buying it.

 

[flecc]

The quality of Giant bikes is very high, comparing favourably with German and Dutch bikes. Although parts come from mainland China like those in most bikes, they are in fact a Taiwanese company and claim to be the world's largest bicycle manufacturer.

 

[Frankie24]

The quality of Giant bikes is very high, comparing favourably with German and Dutch bikes..

So their quality is something like cube bikes isn't ?
Well if I can get the giant cheaper could be the winer just because of that, but just if is like or better the cube or the macina cross.
Any news about the motor? They just say is giant high torque motor but nothing else...

 

[Frankie24]

I should hopefully be getting hold of Giant Full-E+ 1 . the after market care that Giant offer, is possibly one of the best out there.

Do you know if has throttle? One guy is working with me has the twist model and has( I will try tomorrow to see the motor)
About the after sales is very good to know, because that was one of my worries, as other brands like bh,Ktm and cube use the Bosch system

 

[flecc]

Giant e-bikes are usually pedelecs, no throttle. The motor is a sound design and generally reliable, but medium power so not speed machines.

 

[Frankie24]

I know you can't compare with the mid crank but do you know ifcomparatively is more or less powerful than the Bosch active line?

 

[Jonah]

Some people I have met are very happy with their Giants but on the whole they are not considered that powerful. It's difficult because Giant seem to change the motors they use every couple of years. The motor on the bikes you list are different to the ones I have seen previously so might be much better. Can you not try one?

 

[Frankie24]

No I can't. The only one I can try is twist as is the one my workmatehas..
Because I would get with the cycle to work scheme the shop just get the bikes by order and is quite far from Dublin(3h aprox)
I may get better the cube..

 

[Frankie24]

I spoke with Richie power from this forum and told me he got a Ktm but the only one I can afford is the macina cross and is pretty much the same than the cube with same motor and battery but the cube looks nicer..

 

[Deleted member 4366]

There are 2 giants bikes that looks nice.
The talon e plus 2014 and the roam xr e plus.
I could get the first for about 1800€ and the second about 1650 or so.

They both have that big direct drive motor. I've never tried it, but they normally have regen, which can spoil your fun going down-hill. I wouldn't buy one unless you try one first. Maybe they're OK. Until someone tries one, we won't know. For some reason, they never comment on this aspect of DD motors in magazine reviews.

 

[Frankie24]

I just can try the twist. In their website they say it has the same motor but in the front.

• hubs // Giant S-Elite Disc frontGiant SyncDrive motor rear

• And this is the twist:
  
  • hubs // Giant SyncDrive motor frontAluminium freewheel hub rear

 

[Frankie24]

Any way, if people says that Bosch motors are quite good and I would get the 2014 model which suppose to be better I think I will get the cube, as no one can really tell me if the macina cross has better components

 

[Dubster]

The modern Giants don't have regen. My previous e-bike was a Giant 2012 Escape Hybrid 1 which looked to have the same big rear hub motor. To be honest it was surprisingly torquey, setting off from the traffic lights in top gear was a hoot! It had better low end power than the BS10 (Bosch 350w) that has replaced it. The bike itself rode very well and the overall quality and comfort was first class. The only reasons that I swapped it were the small 8Ah battery - although the model that you are looking at has a newer large capacity battery, and the selfish fact the there was no way to get around to 15.5 mph cut off speed.

If the battery had more life and I could have adapted the bike to cruise at 18 - 20 mph, I would definitely have kept it.

Also, the model I had came with hydraulic rim-brakes. They were better than the discs that my current Kalkhoff has.

Would I buy another Giant? Yes...

 

[flecc]

Giant used to use the Sanyo motor with regen in the Twist hub-motor models but later removed the regen with the same motor in the Express series.

I don't know about this latest DD motor, but I'd be surprised if it has regen since their previous experience of that feature was so negative.

They seem to design primarily for the Dutch market where they are very successful, hence the past lower powers for that flat area of Europe. To be sure about this new DD motor you must try one first as d8veh has said.

N.B. Crossed with Dubster's post.

 

[Frankie24]

Is good to know some opinion from owners, which model did you have?
This question is for whoever has experience enough with ebikes;
Can you get the same acceleration with the bosh motor than with the rear or front motor?
I don't know by giving more strength when you pedal or by using the gears properly?

 

[Dubster]

Is good to know some opinion from owners, which model did you have?
This question is for whoever has experience enough with ebikes;
Can you get the same acceleration with the bosh motor than with the rear or front motor?
I don't know by giving more strength when you pedal or by using the gears properly?

Sorry, I've edited my post since you replied. It was a Giant 2012 Escape Hybrid 1.

Power was very good, until it stopped at 15.5 mph.

 

[Frankie24]

[quote="Dubster, post: 219799, member:

Power was very good, until it stopped at 15.5 mph.[/quote]

Every bike I've been looking at have 15mph top speed unless you redirect.
The ones I tried I went up to 30km/h with not much effort

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I just can try the twist. In their website they say it has the same motor but in the front.

• hubs // Giant S-Elite Disc frontGiant SyncDrive motor rear

• And this is the twist:
  
  • hubs // Giant SyncDrive motor frontAluminium freewheel hub rear

The motors in those two bikes are completely different. One has a tiny geared motor and the other has a massive direct drive.

 

[Frankie24]

Good to know d8veh.
As I can't try the giant I prefer to get the cube or the Ktm as I tried the xenion with the old bosh motor, wasn't bad but probably I should have to play more with it..
I just found this, is quite helpful if is right hahah
http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Electric_bikes_in_education