# Kona vs Specailized vs Giant



## WhitePony (Oct 13, 2007)

I am looking to get a entry level type DJ bike as I suck and i spend most of my time riding DH or FR. I have been looking at the major manufactures just because it would be easy to get my hands on them. I am looking for something thats easy to manual. I am 5'7" 150lbs. So i am assuming I want a size small of whatever I get.

I am sure everyone has their prefs. I wondering if any of the geometries are better for DJ as opposed to a Park or Urban bike. I am currently "jumping" my Giant Trance race bike (size xs). However it just doesn't have the snap a hardtail would have when hitting the jumps, and its also a bit heavy. 

There is also and Off ramp right around the corner which has a few Scott Voltage rigs on clearance, but i didn't seem overly impressed by them. 

Thoughts... comments?


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## snaky69 (Mar 8, 2005)

For pure DJ: Kona

For more street-ish riding: Giant STP

Stay away from the P bikes.


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## WhitePony (Oct 13, 2007)

well i found a STEAL of a p1 on craigslist for 200 bucks. Its an 05 P1 A1. I figure it will be a good learner and when i case it... it will be ok.

I have heard the geo is a little wierd, but for the price... **** it.


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## markf (Jan 17, 2007)

out of curiosity what's wrong with the P bikes? i've thought about getting one (granted i work for a spec dealer, but we never ever go anything with P bikes.) i'd probably use to for more urban or small park stuff.


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## mesier (Jun 5, 2007)

Which Giant? You say about STP? Cool bike for 'british-style' street-trials, but yet nice for dirt jump too! Not only entrance level, I think Chase Lenoski don't such..  Probably you know that STP meaning Street-Trials-Park. 
Other nice bike with similar geometry is Haro Thread 1. Nice entrance level's dj/street bike exactly. I rode them last season. Cool frame, best saddle, nice rear hub, but other parts sucks majority.
Kona is usually overprice, imho...


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## BikeSATORI (Mar 20, 2004)

chase lenoski = the bastard child of... ? Aaron Chase and Jeff Lenoski? Chase hawk? Dehart?

STP actually stood for Street "Trails" Park, as far as I know... Trails as in dj's. I could be wrong though, but that's how I've always read it. But yeah, Lenoski is an accomplished trials rider, that's for sure so either or... used to rock it on the old EWR Woods bikes with Jay DeJesus.


and.... speaking of P bikes... what ever happened to "FreerideTodd"??? haha, found myself waiting for his reply of praise regarding the old P bikes, then trying to push using a manitou splice or something saying they are indestructable... then proceed to list 3 pages of Marzocchi and other products he's broken... Kind of miss that actually for some reason!



That XS size trance must be something else to ride! cramped cockpit? 
I almost bought a small for my girlfriend awhile back and I thought that was a decent size though... but yeah, had the same idea in mind... buy bike and claim it's for girlfriend to hit the xc trails with, but secretly go out with the post slammed and try some dj's on it, haha!

I'd vote STP out of the above choices. They can be built light, have great geo... but man, the only thing that sucks about it is the fact it isn't available with horiz. dropouts for singlespeed... you have to use a magic ratio or chain tensioner.

P bikes are very heavy, have wack geometry and overrated components.

Kona's are loooooooooooooooong.


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## mesier (Jun 5, 2007)

Huh! Sure!.. Jeff Lenoski.. I'm bit stupid...


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## Sim2u (Nov 22, 2006)

Reading your posts I wont mention anything...ha ha ha. J/K

With Giants STP, the geo never really grew on me well and fugly design with a terrible spec...oh, did I just say that...? No ones looking, all is well!

Recomendtions...I am not a great DJ rider either as much as I try to be, but I thought transition do something for this area (?) - bad memory of the top of my head...surprisingly. I know its not on your list, but you may want to open the breech a bit either on the 2nd hand market or frame only spec...?


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## ducktape (May 21, 2007)

STP in the 13.5 size has a very similar cockpit length to a Small trance (or 16" trance).

I've gone back to a HT to have a go at some DH hopefully but mainly do XC / AM type riding, and based on having had a 16" Trance I found my perfect bike in the STP - for me all it means is a little more post sticking out, the geo seems great though, slacker than the trance with 130mm on it but shorter wheelbase makes it more manouverable. We'll see, I'm yet to get decent riding time on it.....


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## dhmtb7 (May 27, 2005)

snaky69 said:


> For pure DJ: Kona
> 
> For more street-ish riding: Giant STP
> 
> Stay away from the P bikes.


couldnt have said it better. kona and stp would both do good for a mix of begginer street/park/ and djs.
i get specialized bikes for EP (mechanic at a specialized dealer) and i sold the p3 i got after one ride, worst bike i have ever ridden. cant get enough of my black market though


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## WhitePony (Oct 13, 2007)

While I have heard the message loud and clear that P bikes have a whack geo and the STP seems like its the best choice of the bunch... I am getting a steal of a deal on an 05 P1 A1. For the price i am getting it at I could literally case the bike snap something and it still would have been a good investment.

Once i get the the point where i don't suck at this and can pull a couple of tricks i will be looking at the new STP's or a Black Market.


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## WhitePony (Oct 13, 2007)

BikeSATORI said:


> That XS size trance must be something else to ride! cramped cockpit?
> I almost bought a small for my girlfriend awhile back and I thought that was a decent size though... but yeah, had the same idea in mind... buy bike and claim it's for girlfriend to hit the xc trails with, but secretly go out with the post slammed and try some dj's on it, haha!


The cockpit according to gaint is only half an inch shorter than the 16" version, so while it does feel short its very livable. I am going to be moving the bike into DS / XC mode, so a longer (90 mm) stem and carbon product will be going on the bike. Then I need to start looking at a different crankset.


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## Sim2u (Nov 22, 2006)

Im going to have to eat my words Duck, thats a nice looking bike actually. I just think stock they are about as beautiful as a well thought out and　sincere speech by Hilarious Clitton on world heritage...NOT! But your beast looks like it would eat jumps nicely.:thumbsup:

PC though in my books...



ducktape said:


> STP in the 13.5 size has a very similar cockpit length to a Small trance (or 16" trance).
> 
> I've gone back to a HT to have a go at some DH hopefully but mainly do XC / AM type riding, and based on having had a 16" Trance I found my perfect bike in the STP - for me all it means is a little more post sticking out, the geo seems great though, slacker than the trance with 130mm on it but shorter wheelbase makes it more manouverable. We'll see, I'm yet to get decent riding time on it.....


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## ducktape (May 21, 2007)

I'm sure the bike can handle just about anything, now I've got to find some jumps and work on the abilities of the rider. It doesn't quite inspire confidence like the Trance did just yet, but riding time will fix that & learning it's limits (and getting beyond my own).
It's a beauty for sure, I must admit they do look a bit awkward with the saddle up high.


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## J (Mar 25, 2004)

Im in a similar boat, and dont want to start a new 'hey guys what bike should i get' thread...anyway, 

I am a trials rider who has to quit trials because of an increasingly problematic left hip (my kick foot). That, and I ride more street these days rather than straight natural trials. Im considering an STP, because that's what my local dealer has. 

For someone used to super short stays, I am going to assume the 08 STP stay length of 16" won't be too long for someone thats just learning manuals?  I see that most bikes are 14.5-16.5". I'm really not obsessing over the stay length, rather want to get this right the first time. I've ridden an older STP, but I'm not sure how much they've changed the geometry any for '08, if at all. I'm 5'9ish, so I'm not sure how that'll play into it. My hunch is that I should just buy the thing, assemble it, and rock it on the street. I don't have any allusions that an STP is going to handle like my stock trials - that I know. 

Like I said, I'll probably end up doing mostly street. Probably not much DJing, although maybe some small ones. Definitely gonna rip up the local pump tracks. 

Ive already got the parts, so the STP frame is very attractive at its ~$350 price point. I'm just trying to decide whether or not paying $200 more for .5" of shorter stay is going to be worth it, or if I'll even notice it at all. When I was searching around earlier, I saw that someone mentioned super short stays don't give much stability on the rear once you get up there. 

Any advice? Am I on the right track?

PS hello Sterling I see you there


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## XSL_WiLL (Nov 2, 2004)

ducktape said:


> I'm sure the bike can handle just about anything, now I've got to find some jumps and work on the abilities of the rider. It doesn't quite inspire confidence like the Trance did just yet, but riding time will fix that & learning it's limits (and getting beyond my own).
> It's a beauty for sure, I must admit they do look a bit awkward with the saddle up high.


You may want to consider a chain guide, or a bash sandwich, or an outer bash and something like an n-gear jumpstop to keep the chain from coming off on the inside.


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## ducktape (May 21, 2007)

Yes I will be. I've only had one longish ride on it so far, not much over rough stuff. For now at least the chain doesn't seem to have a habit of coming off during easy riding and some small drops to flat. I'd really like to get the new Straitline guide when it comes out, would have liked one of their inner rings in a bash sandwich but they are not available any more (if they ever were).
A bash ring for sure as well, I was just waiting until I've got a few rides in to decide on weather I'm going down to a 34T chain ring (most likely) rather than the 36T, which also determines weather I can actually run a bash sandwitch (may not be possible with 36T)


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