# 2015 Giant XTC SL JR 24



## dcp_nz (Apr 16, 2009)

So looks like giant stepping up their game a little and bringing a better bike into the US for next year including the Suntour air fork.

XTC SL Jr 24 (2015) | Giant Bicycles | United States

No idea when available at retail or whether it appreciably lighter than competitive offerings or their prior 24" bike (I thought the XTC was a bit of a lead anchor at somewhere around 29 lbs)

If anyone sees one or picks one up please post impressions.


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## Squashman (Jul 7, 2013)

I can't imagine this weighing 29 lbs. My XTC 29er in an XL frame weight 29 lbs. My son's Trek MT220 weighs less and that has the crappy spring loaded fork that weighs 6 lbs!


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## QueenMAUW (Sep 3, 2010)

We had this bike last year in Canada as well, although they called it the XTC Jr 0 24. I bought it for my daughter. This year it seems that the crankset changed from SunTour to ProWheel, different Tektro brake model and the seat is a bit different. Other than that, appears to be the same. And from my home scale, yes it's about 29 pounds. 

All the bikes with shocks seemed to weight within a couple pounds of one another. The non-shock bikes had more steel with much lesser quality components. I couldn't get an Islabike in Canada. Then the majority of bikes with shocks were not air shocks and were cheap and useless for a kid's weight. So if I was stuck with a shock, I thought the air shock was a better option and for that I was able to get either the Cannondale Race 24 with V-brakes, or this Giant with disc brakes. The Cannondale was not a lightweight either. 

It's a very nice looking bike in real and my daughter seems to really like it.

Anyway, I realize this thread is almost 9 months old, but I figured if someone was doing a search for the bike, that my info could be helpful.


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## LFC1405 (Mar 24, 2015)

^^^


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## blilrat (Oct 27, 2011)

I bought this bike for my daughter also. She loved the colors and it met my hydro disc brake, trigger shifter and air fork requirements. It's down to 25 lbs now with Rocket Ron's, an XTR RD and removal of the big ring/bash guard. I think you could easily hit 24 lbs with a change to a 1x10 drivetrain.


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## maleonardphi (May 19, 2006)

I'm thinking about getting this for my son. A couple of questions:

1) Is the cassette a true cassette, or a freewheel? Specs say freewheel. (can I easily convert to 9 speed...)
2) Crank arm length?
3) Square taper BB?
4) How are the tires? Lead liners, or are they reasonably lightweight. 

I'm considering swapping out the triple crankset for a Sinz BMX crankset, and moving his hand me down carbon bars and seat post over from his 20" to this bike. But looking at the Spawn Shojo and Isla Creig, if I end up putting $200-$300 in to the Giant, it might not really be worth it.


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## blilrat (Oct 27, 2011)

1. Yes, true cassette - CS-HG31-8. I'm considering a 1x10, but I haven't check for fit yet.
2. 152mm
3. yes
4. reasonably light compared to most kid's bikes, but very stiff sidewalls. I went with Rocket Rons.

Seatpost is 30.9 even though Giant's specs mention 27.2.

They used some nice alloy parts instead of the steel on most of bikes we looked at. The bars, stem, seatpost, hubs and steerer are all alloy parts.

The brakes aren't high end by any means, but a night and day difference in her confidence riding steep declines from the v-brakes (XTR 950) on her old bike.


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## Mark194 (Mar 3, 2012)

Hey bilirat -

What did you do to the bike to get it down to 25lbs?

Thanks
Mark



blilrat said:


> I bought this bike for my daughter also. She loved the colors and it met my hydro disc brake, trigger shifter and air fork requirements. It's down to 25 lbs now with Rocket Ron's, an XTR RD and removal of the big ring/bash guard. I think you could easily hit 24 lbs with a change to a 1x10 drivetrain.


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## jestep (Jul 23, 2004)

If this is spec'd at 29 lbs with decent Al parts, I can't see any reasonably cheap way of getting it to 24 or 25 while keeping the suspension fork and wheels.

On the several kids bikes I've lightened up, most of the parts were steel and you could get decent gains just from replacing the post, stem, and bars with cheap carbon or Al stuff, and lose another ~500g on the tires and tubes. 

Because of the size of these, even switching from an OEM steel to a decent crank, it hardly drops more than 500g. Ti BB's aren't a cheap way to lose weight by any means either.

If you're trying to drop 2000g or more, it's going to come at a price. Off the top of my head, I would say you're going to have around $1000 - $1200 in the bike by the time you get close to 25 lbs running a 1x10 if keeping a 24" suspension fork up front.


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## blilrat (Oct 27, 2011)

To clarify, it was 25lbs using a bathroom scale that might round down even at 25.9lbs, but I have no way to test that assumption. I never weighed the bike in it's original set up so I don't know where it started.

I re-weighed the bike after seeing the post above. Using the same scale, I get 26lbs, but the big ring and bash guard have been reinstalled. I've only swapped the tires, RD and maybe the BB, but my memory's fading on that one.


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## Flakarter (Nov 7, 2017)

My 7 year old son's stock 2018 Giant XTC SL JR 24 bike weighs 28 pounds even on a bathroom scale. Not light, but the bike is a great step above the slightly less expensive offerings from Giant and other manufacturers. Air fork with lockout, hydraulic disc brakes, trigger shifters which seem to work fine for my 7 year old, QR skewers, etc. A very nice all around bike. 

I replaced the alloy bars and seat post with carbon fiber bars and seat post. I also replaced the tires with some Kenda 24" x 1.95" Small Block 8 Eight Fast Hardpack tires. Unfortunately, they are wire beaded because I could not find the folding tires here in the US, so not as much of a weight savings. And there has not been a significant weight savings since I added a bottle cage, kickstand, computer, light, etc. But overall, it's a great bike.


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## thesmokingman (Jan 17, 2009)

Flakarter said:


> My 7 year old son's stock 2018 Giant XTC SL JR 24 bike weighs 28 pounds even on a bathroom scale. Not light, but the bike is a great step above the slightly less expensive offerings from Giant and other manufacturers. Air fork with lockout, hydraulic disc brakes, trigger shifters which seem to work fine for my 7 year old, QR skewers, etc. A very nice all around bike.
> 
> I replaced the alloy bars and seat post with carbon fiber bars and seat post. I also replaced the tires with some Kenda 24" x 1.95" Small Block 8 Eight Fast Hardpack tires. Unfortunately, they are wire beaded because I could not find the folding tires here in the US, so not as much of a weight savings. And there has not been a significant weight savings since I added a bottle cage, kickstand, computer, light, etc. But overall, it's a great bike.


When I built up my daughters XTC 24, it was a couple years before Giant finally released the disc frame in the US market. The disc frame was available in other world markets but not the US. Thus I built one up from the frame. I built the wheels, used a 26er Suntour Epixon, etc and got the final weight down to 25lbs with kick stand.

I would have rather bought the disc XTC and not tried to make it lighter but that wasn't a choice then, shrugs. Oh btw here's the folding 24 SB8.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LTLQNQ4/ref=pe_385040_30332190_TE_3p_dp_1


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## Flakarter (Nov 7, 2017)

Thanks the link. The bike came with 24x1.95, so that was the size I was trying to obtain in a folding SB8. 

I don't what else I can reasonably do to make the bike lighter with the exception of expensive wheels or changing it to a single chain ring which can get costly as well.


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## Steve-XtC (Feb 7, 2016)

Flakarter said:


> I don't what else I can reasonably do to make the bike lighter with the exception of expensive wheels or changing it to a single chain ring which can get costly as well.


It's the classic pick any 2 ... light, cheap, strong.... 
Although I see why people expect kids bikes to be cheaper at a price point it doesn't really work out. Sure the frame is slightly smaller, wheels slightly smaller etc. but all the components are adult sized.

Some stuff just doesn't exit or is so rare it almost mightiest well not exist like decent cranks ... but where they do process are the same as adult... (if not slightly more)
If you stop and think though then take cranks and saving 35mm of metal for say 140-175 doesn't save much weight or price... all the cost is in the "working bits" and machining/design...

The Rocket Ron tyres are very light ... reports are mixed... we like them but people riding sharp rock can find them wanting... I shouldn't jinx but in thousands of miles of riding Jnr never had a puncture didn't self seal running tubeless on the RR's. I've wrecked 2 Racing Ralph's in the same time and riding the same routes ... so I think part of this is his weight vs mine...

There is precious little in terms of wheels and forks ... to start with but even less on a budget.


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## thesmokingman (Jan 17, 2009)

I wouldn't bother saving weight and throwing more money at it. They zip (grow) thru the 24in size so quick. I'd rather spend that money on a built up 26in. My son had a growth spurt thru the 24in size, wasted all that effort for a 1.5yrs use maybe, shrugs. C'est la vie...


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## Flakarter (Nov 7, 2017)

I hear you, I just want to make the experience as enjoyable as possible. The more he rides, the more I get to ride!


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## svinyard (Aug 14, 2017)

Flakarter said:


> I hear you, I just want to make the experience as enjoyable as possible. The more he rides, the more I get to ride!


What kind of trails are you riding? More flat greens or blues/diamonds with elevation climbs etc?

I think weight is a big deal but it sounds like you've already cut most of the common weight savers out. Not sure where that extra fat is coming from (28lbs is heavy) but cut out all of that extra stuff you added. You can be the mule. Weight kills fun. I wouldn't underestimate your kids. I'd trick that bike out, get him/her some legit pads and throw them out on the "fun" trails that scare Mom ...(assuming they have solid basics). I think you only have so many years before they are smart enough to be afraid lol.


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