Being as poor old Cullen had hurt his hand in a motorbike accident the previous week, and others – snowed under maintaining the site – couldn’t find time to go, BIKEmagic sent the most juvenile member of the team to the launch of Giant’s New 2002 bikes at Penshurst in Kent.

Douglas Gill was on hand to provide all us media types with suitable attire: shorts, tops, gloves etc. The day was made all the more pleasant by the fact that the heavens stuck to the game-plan and provided us with the only dry day of the week. Toyota, Giant’s team sponsors were also there allowing us to play in some flash new cars, and also do a bit of off road driving, GRIPPED.

The Bikes

Giant’s New DH team has been the vehicle that has propelled both Rob Warner and Crawford Carrick Anderson to the top of their sports. Not being the lightest bike in the world (approx 35lbs) the DH team took some effort to get going, but thanks to the steep gradient of PORC’s start ramp, it was soon flying…..literally. The massive travel in the suspension was immediately obvious, although bounce under pedalling was minimal. The bike soaked up all the errors that a novice like me (or more comically, the bloke from “Loaded”) could throw at it, even when my foot slipped off on a landing and everything went a bit, er… sketchy, I still managed to stay on. Even with my lack of skill, the bike more than happily survived my 2 runs, the 9” of rear wheel travel and the Boxxers up front, coping impressively with my cack-handed riding skills.

SRAM ESP 9.0 front cage Derailer, replaceable dropout, Rock Shox Pro Deluxe rear shock with Piggy Back; Alluxx DH *” frame, Hays Hydra 8″ disc brakes and RockShox Boxxer forks with 180mm travel.

The AC range of bikes are for the Dual racers and the all terrain rider.
Both feature travel adjustable to 4.5,5 and 6″ and also shock lockout. Prices start at £1450 for the AC DS2(see pic) to £1750 for AC DS1.

Also new for 2002 is a more affordable XtC NRS full susser 950 at £750.