Giant continues to innovate and its 2012 range of bikes will all share the brand new OverDrive 2 headset standard, which is claimed to be 30% stiffer.
Yes, not another standard we hear you cry. But we’re all for improvements to bicycle design and the head tube section of the modern mountain bike is an area that has transformed rapidly in recent years. It seems that bigger is better in this case.
OverDrive 2 is an update of last year’s OverDrive, and the main change is in the size of the bearings used; they’re larger diameter at the top, a 1 1/4in bearing in the top of the head tube, paired with a 1 1/2in lower bearing.
The new open standard requires compatible forks of course and here Marzocchi, Fox Racing Shox and RockShox have agreed to support the change. Giant is also offering a full range of new 1 ¼-inch stems to work with OverDrive 2 technology.
“We were able to really boost front-end stiffness without adding weight,” said Kevin Dana, Giant Global Category Manager – MTB. “The best part is it allowed us to noticeably improve handling in a variety of bikes made for different types of terrain. From the most weight-conscious XC racers to aggressive all-mountain, everyone benefits from a bike that corners better and tracks truer through rough terrain.”
OverDrive 2 will feature on select 2012 bikes in the new Giant range, here’s the full list
- XtC Composite
- Anthem X 29er
- Anthem X Advanced SL
- Anthem X Advanced
- Anthem X
- Trance X
- Reign X
- Reign
The new bikes will be available at Giant retailers later this summer. More at www.giant-bicycles.com
