Return to Glory // Introducing the all-new (production) Giant Glory Advanced!

The wait is finally over, one of the world’s most loved bike brands is finally back in the DH production arena and holy moly what a stunning looking machine they’ve created! Feast your eyes on the brand-new Giant Glory Advanced (carbon), an absolutely state of the art purebred racing bike in every sense of the word.

And one thing we’re absolutely loving, and if you’ve been around the DH racing game for a while yourself you’ve noticed, this new bike has arrived with a cheeky nod to the brand’s deep heritage within the DH world… retro colourway, anyone? Heck yes!!!

Since it was first introduced back in 2006 the Giant Glory has been pushing the limits of gravity-fuelled mountain bike progression. It’s a bike that won multiple World Cup’s and even World Championship titles over the years, and the Glory has even proven its versatility by winning a Red Bull Rampage. Of course, a lot has changed since that first-generation Glory nearly twenty years ago, a bike which was exclusively available back with 26-inch wheels and alloy frame set. Get set now though because today Giant have officially unveiled the fifth generation of Glory and what’s important to note here is that this is a production bike which you’ll be able to get your hands on as soon as next month! The new bike has been totally re-engineered from the ground up with the razor sharp intention of making it the fastest DH race bike on the planet. The heart of the Glory Advanced is a lightweight, super-strong chassis that’s handcrafted with Advanced-grade composite.

Interestingly this is the first time a full-composite Glory is being made available to consumers, and at just 3200 grams (S/M frameset), it’s lighter, stiffer and quicker than previous generations.

Suspension:

Can you read the rather large wording on the bike’s downtube which says Giant? Well then, no prizes for guessing what linkage system the new Glory has been designed around. It boasts a new Maestro rear suspension system which pumps out 200mm of travel. It uses four strategically positioned pivot points and two linkages that all work together to create a single floating pivot point. The rear suspension has a new upper rocker arm made with Advanced Forged Composite that increases strength and stiffness and lowers overall frame weight. A 225mm trunnion mount shock in combination with a 75mm stroke make the rear suspension feel smoother and more active. The rear suspension is paired with a 203mm travel fork. Now, another very interesting and important detail to note here is that the new Glory isn’t compatible with the current generation RockShox BoXXer forks for reasons relating the bike’s headtube design. That said, we believe RockShox are getting set to release a new BoXXer at some stage in the near future and those forks will work with the new Glory. But for now, it’s pretty much all about running a set of Fox Factory 40’s…

A plethora of frame adjustment options:

Right out of the box the new Glory is coming with a ton of ways that riders can customise and fine tune this bike to perfectly match their riding style. From geometry adjustments, to altering the bike’s dimensions and of course riders can even mix and match with their preferred wheel size.  This adjustability is made possible with three different flip chips. The first is located on the upper rocker arm of the Maestro suspension system with three positions (High, Medium and Low) to dial in the handling. The different settings change the bottom bracket drop in 5mm increments (13, 8 or 3mm) as well as the head tube angle (61.6, 62 or 62.3 degrees) and seat tube angle (78.4, 78.8 or 79.1 degrees).

The High position raises ground clearance and steepens the head tube and seat tube angles, which results in quick and responsive handling. This is a good choice for riding smoother, faster singletrack in the mixed wheel “mullet” setup.

The Mid position is the most versatile and most often used by Giant Factory Off-Road Team DH riders.

The Low position is a good choice for the steepest, most technical descents and well suited for stable handling when riding 29-inch wheels front and rear.

The second adjustment point is a two-position flip chip on the rear dropout that changes the wheelbase and rear-centre measurement. The Short position results in a quicker, more agile ride quality and is a great option for tight, twisty terrain. The tighter wheelbase and rear-centre makes for responsive steering and flickable handling.

The Long position, on the other hand, extends the wheelbase and rear-centre for better control at high speeds. This setting boosts chassis stability on more open and fast DH tracks with longer straightaways and fast cornering. The third adjustment is a new modular three-position flip chip at the headset area that lets riders adjust the reach in 5mm increments to Short (-5mm), Mid (0mm) or Long (+5mm).

The Short position puts the headset closest to the rider for a more upright position that’s good for tight, technical downhill terrain. The Mid position offers a neutral reach for well-balanced handling on changing terrain. The Long position creates a more stretched out rider position for a planted feel.

29” or MX:

In keeping with the latest ‘trends’ the new Glory is equipped to run either a 27.5” rear wheel or a 29”. The complete stock model from the factory comes spec’d with a mixed wheel “mullet” stock setup that many racers, including the pros from the Giant Factory Off-Road Team, often choose to race with. However, using the flip chips and adjustable frame geo that the bike comes stock with riders can easily swap the stock 27.5” rear wheel out for a 29” wheel without having to go out and buy anything else.

A nod to Giant’s racing glory from the golden era!

From early pioneers like Rob Warner in the 1990s to world champions including Myles Rockwell (2000) and Danny Hart (2011), many of downhill racing’s greatest legends have flown the flag for Giant over the years. And to commemorate this Giant have decided to release the all-new Glory as a special-edition frameset with vintage Giant colours and design. Beneath the stunning paint lies cutting-edge DH design and technology including full-composite construction, an all-new Maestro suspension system, and ultra adjustability to tackle different types of DH terrain. Can we just push ‘pause’ for a second here and state for the record that the special edition frameset looks absolutely bloody mind blowing and we’d happily trade a kidney to get our hands on one!

Remi Thirion

ROB WARNER KAPRUN, AUSTRIA. GRUNDIG UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE DOWNHILL WORLD CUP 1996

You’ll be pleased to know that Giant Australia will be offering Glory Advanced as a complete bike and also in this special-edition frameset which will be coming with frame/shock/fork as stock. Glory Advanced completes and frames are currently due to land over here in Oz around the middle of July and dealers are able to take pre-orders for these epic looking machines right away.

Check Giants tech overview below for more insights. Plus for a full geo chart, scroll down…

Aussie pricing:

Glory Advanced Complete

$11,499

Glory Advanced Legends Edition frameset (including fork and shock)

$8999

For more information head on over to Giant’s website: www.giant-bicycles.com/au

Glory Advanced 29/27.5

(Reach / top tube length are adjustable by +/- 5mm  //  Chainstay / wheelbase are adjustable by + 10mm)  

Glory Advanced 29/29

(Reach / top tube length are adjustable by +/- 5mm  //  Chainstay / wheelbase are adjustable by + 10mm)