Giant's Sculpted and Tuned XTC SLR Is a Budget-Friendly Tool That Can Bring Home Gold

Folks, the ravishing two-wheeler before us today is nothing more than the XTC SLR 29 2 from none other than Giant Bicycles, the one and the same that saw its beginnings with the Giant Group back in 1972. Whenever a brand with this much history takes a whack at building an affordable machine for the masses, you can be sure it's worth the buck.

This is the case with the XTC SLR, one of three XTC bicycles from Giant's current lineup, but luckily for you and me, it's the cheapest, currently selling on the manufacturer's website for just $1,300. Oh, and it's infused with the same geometry and capabilities as its more expensive carbon fiber brethren, but for a fraction of the cost.

This is possible because Giant crafts this version around nothing more than an aluminum frame, keeping costs and weight to a minimum. But there's a bit more to it than that, so let's dive a tad deeper and see what we can get our hands on for the upcoming season.

Now, the XTC is considered by Giant to be an XC hardtail, but as I was exploring this bike, I couldn't help but notice a bit of an odd trait: that slightly dropped seat stay. This is a feature often seen on gravel and long-distance riding bikes, and frankly, it seems to fit in just right here. With it, the rear of the hardtail should be feeling rather soft as you cross the lands.

Another aspect that's sure to bring some more comfort is the slanted top tube. Toward the seat tube, plenty of clearance is in place so that you don't end up racking the jewels if you ever need to drop your weight after a small ledge.

At the front of the XTC, Giant adds a suspension fork with 100 mm (3.9 in)
of travel. It's their in-house Crest 34 RRL with remote lockout. Once we consider that this entire contraption sits on 29-inch tires, there's no telling just how smooth and soft your rides are bound to be, and a gain, all that for $1,300.

What I also need to point out is that the more expensive XTCs in Giant's lineup are built to include a dropper post, but for this version, that doesn't seem to be possible. Or maybe it is, as long as you drop the extra cash and find a post that fits this frame.

Furthermore, and correct me if I'm wrong, but is it just me, or does the rear of this bugger include asymmetric chain stays? If it does, it simply means that Giant took more than their sweet time tuning and developing this ride for peak efficiency and control. Maybe it's just the camera angle, but if we consider that other XTCs include this feature, I don't see why this one wouldn't.

Now, here's where I really felt that Giant is packing as much value as possible into this machine: the drivetrain. To my surprise, none other than SRAM makes their appearance on this thirteen-hundred-dollar bike. As a standard, an SX Eagle setup with 11-50T works together with a 30T crankset to provide a solid base for power transfer and some of the smoothing shifting under pressure.

Funny enough, Shimano also has its finger in this pie and is supplying Giant with the stopping power behind your ride. Don't get me wrong, Shimano is a great brand, too, and has led the industry for decades, but for an MTB, SRAM has grown to be the popular choice.

So, just how good is this bike, and why should you even care about it? Well, it's a bit difficult to gauge this from where you're standing, but there are plenty of other riders that have bought one of these bikes. Funny enough, some of those buyers actually used this budget-friendly XTC to win some competitions.

This means a few things to future owners. The first is that you'll be owning a bicycle that can tear up the off-road landscape but can be used in a city setting too, and while it's rather cheap for a two-wheeler, it can still be used to bring home some prize pools, helping to literally pay for itself.

One downside I could find, and that's because I like taking long rides to the edge of town, is the lack of cargo mounts integrated into the frame. All we have are just a couple of spots to add a water bottle cage. Still, there are plenty of after-market cargo options out there to take the XTC to a different level. Sure, bikes that cost thousands of dollars are great and all, but do we really need them? Grab an XTC instead.