# Has anyone owned this bike? Giant Warp DS1



## skigirljulie (May 10, 2005)

I was wondering if anyone has ever owned this bike, i found a good deal and what to know some thoughts. Good and Bad. I am an intermediate mt. biker, not hucking any cliffs, but will ride 2-4 days a week. And I have a limited budget for full-suspension.


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## Call_me_Clyde (Oct 27, 2004)

*I owned a Warp*



skigirljulie said:


> I was wondering if anyone has ever owned this bike, i found a good deal and what to know some thoughts. Good and Bad. I am an intermediate mt. biker, not hucking any cliffs, but will ride 2-4 days a week. And I have a limited budget for full-suspension.


I owned a DS/2, and enjoyed the bike for the time I had it. You'll find that for the price, the DS-1 is a good, sigle pivot dual suspension rig. Others may tell you different, but that's my opinion. The bike will probably need some upgrades down the road, specifically the fork and rear shock. The bike is on the heavy side, so don't expect it to climb very well. I rode my bike on a lot of technical singletrack, and it performed well. It also does very nice on technical downhills. All in all, if you have a limited budget, and understand the bike will probably need the upgrades I mentioned, it's a solid bike.

Clyde


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## VA2SLOride (Feb 17, 2005)

*Ah, the Warp.....*



Call_me_Clyde said:


> I owned a DS/2, and enjoyed the bike for the time I had it. You'll find that for the price, the DS-1 is a good, sigle pivot dual suspension rig. Others may tell you different, but that's my opinion. The bike will probably need some upgrades down the road, specifically the fork and rear shock. The bike is on the heavy side, so don't expect it to climb very well. I rode my bike on a lot of technical singletrack, and it performed well. It also does very nice on technical downhills. All in all, if you have a limited budget, and understand the bike will probably need the upgrades I mentioned, it's a solid bike.
> 
> Clyde


I rode a Warp for a good year and a half...it was my first full-suspension rig, and for my ability at the time, it was a great buy, and I got hours and hours as well as thousands of miles logged on it. Well, maybe not multiple thousands, but you get the idea. I eventually ended up upgrading almost everything on it, with I think the exception being the seatpost collar. It was (is) a solid frame that will mash over just about everything, and despite what Clyde said above, I didn't think it was that bad of a climber. To each their own.

Here's a pic of my old one, and one encarntaion that it had taken. I think this was about halfway through it's 'career.'


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## Warp (May 24, 2004)

As my handle says ("He said 'handle', uh,uh) I had owned two of them.

The most worthy one is the '03 DS1. A very solid bike all-around, with the exception of the fork which is a Manitou Axel which just does fine but you'll end-up wanting for more.

All what Clyde said is spot on. I disagree with you VA2SLOride on the climbing stuff... This bike is not good for climbs... but if you pedal seated and in a low gear, it will reward you with a steady climb. Very neutral suspension performance on the middle ring.

Whatever you do, don't stand on the pedals. It will bog down. Just keep your butt close to the saddle and pedal one gear lower... if you do this the Warp will rocket itself forwards.

The Warp is a stiff chassis which with a decent fork is point-and-shoot. Durable, sturdy. Its shock is good on stutter and washboard type bumps but at low shaft speeds (like g-outs and log ondulations) is a bit numb. The shock likes high shaft speed.

Be aware than thanks to the single pivot design and location it stink bugs when hard braking over bumpy stuff, use more front brake than rear on this situation or you will bounce all around. Thanks to the pivot design too it shines when pedaled over the rough line of the trail following the terrain faithfully.

All in all a very good bike for the money.


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## VA2SLOride (Feb 17, 2005)

"The shock likes high shaft speed."

uh huh...heh heh......

Have you upgraded the HV shock that yours came with? I never did, and consequently, when I got my new bike, the Fox that came with it made me realize what I was missing. I always found the HV to be very stiff, and had a lack of adjustment to compensate. Gave the bike an overall "way too stiff" kind of feel for a FS. 

I've seen a couple of Warps on here with DC forks....a pretty crazy look. Seems that somethng like a Jr. T would be a good compliment to this bike.


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## Warp (May 24, 2004)

VA2SLOrideHave you upgraded the HV shock that yours came with? I never did said:


> I don't have a doubt there are waaayyy better shocks (in fact I'm lusting after one) but I was pointing out what this shock makes the best.
> 
> In my opinion, the shock doesn't feel "too stiff" at high shaft speed. As I said I find that it erases high-frequency type stuff. If some other shocks make it better than this, I have no doubt.
> 
> ...


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## Warp (May 24, 2004)

skigirljulie.... are you a girl??

How much do you weigh?? And what's your riding style?? If you're on the light side it might not be the right bike for you if you want to make XC. This bike is a piece of iron. But if you're looking to go "big" (doing jumps and stuff) it'll be just fine.


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## VA2SLOride (Feb 17, 2005)

I found that replacing the suntour cranks and BB that it comes with shaves about 3-4 noticeable pounds off the bike. 

I think that with the right setup, this can be a pretty versitile bike....you can either beef it up to go big, or XC it out......I went the middle road. I think that the frame geometry is a little more suited for freeriding, but with the proper adjustments it'll be a good mid-level XC ride.


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## Warp (May 24, 2004)

VA2SLOride said:


> I found that replacing the suntour cranks and BB that it comes with shaves about 3-4 noticeable pounds off the bike.
> 
> I think that with the right setup, this can be a pretty versitile bike....you can either beef it up to go big, or XC it out......I went the middle road. I think that the frame geometry is a little more suited for freeriding, but with the proper adjustments it'll be a good mid-level XC ride.


Agreed. Totally. I don't use it for big but rather overall Trail riding and I love it. i love the centered riding position. Very neutral. Good for aggro trail riding.

But if she's a girl, it's a heavy frame to start with for XC use and might there be better options.


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## Fuelish (Dec 19, 2003)

VA2SLOride said:


> I found that *replacing the suntour cranks and BB* that it comes with *shaves about 3-4 noticeable pounds* off the bike.
> 
> I think that with the right setup, this can be a pretty versitile bike....you can either beef it up to go big, or XC it out......I went the middle road. I think that the frame geometry is a little more suited for freeriding, but with the proper adjustments it'll be a good mid-level XC ride.


 Question : does 3-4 mean 3/4 (as in three quarters of a pound = 12 ounces...a believable figure) or actually 3 to 4 pounds.......I find the latter (3 to 4 lb weight loss by replacing bb and crankset...perhaps if you reMOVED them, but they have to be replaced...heh) rather hard to believe...but would love to be proven wrong


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## imapodaddy (Sep 15, 2003)

*Warp*

I currently own an 04 DS2. Love that thing! I haven't upgraded anything on it and for what I paid for it, I am happy!

It's a great bike, it climbs well, it corners well...

It's just a great bike over all. My budget didn't allow me to spend $2k on a new bike, so I found my new Warp for $450 at an LBS.

Good Luck!

RL


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## VA2SLOride (Feb 17, 2005)

Fuelish said:


> Question : does 3-4 mean 3/4 (as in three quarters of a pound = 12 ounces...a believable figure) or actually 3 to 4 pounds.......I find the latter (3 to 4 lb weight loss by replacing bb and crankset...perhaps if you reMOVED them, but they have to be replaced...heh) rather hard to believe...but would love to be proven wrong


Oh, here we go. 

Have you ever picked up one of the cranksets/bb's in question? They feel like they're made out of cast iron compared to a decent set. I ended up rePLACING them with XT hollowtechs, and it made a hell of a difference, which, after weighing, came out to about 3 lbs difference. Granted, I made some other upgrades at the time as well, but I do believe that the cranks and bb were the main cause for the extra weight.

I think it came out to about 3 2 4 #z difference. Or was it three to four.....324lbs?


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## VA2SLOride (Feb 17, 2005)

imapodaddy said:


> I currently own an 04 DS2. Love that thing! I haven't upgraded anything on it and for what I paid for it, I am happy!
> 
> It's a great bike, it climbs well, it corners well...
> 
> ...


And that's one of the great things about this ride....you get a decent bike for not a lot of money. If you got it for cheap and started upgrading, it may not be the most cost-effective way to do things, but in the end you'll have a great bike.

Have fun with it.


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## Fuelish (Dec 19, 2003)

VA2SLOride said:


> Oh, here we go.
> 
> Have you ever picked up one of the cranksets/bb's in question? They feel like they're made out of cast iron compared to a decent set. I ended up rePLACING them with XT hollowtechs, and it made a hell of a difference, which, after weighing, came out to about 3 lbs difference. Granted, I made some other upgrades at the time as well, but I do believe that the cranks and bb were the main cause for the extra weight.
> 
> I think it came out to about 3 2 4 #z difference. Or was it three to four.....324lbs?


No, I never picked up one of the bb/cranksets in question....sorry if you misinterpreted my "I'd love to be proven wrong" statement - I actually DID mean it. That's cool if you could drop that much weight ....I just had no idea it could be that significant, that's all (coming from strictly xc background, here, fwiw). No offense intended, [email protected], 'k ??


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## VA2SLOride (Feb 17, 2005)

Fuelish said:


> No, I never picked up one of the bb/cranksets in question....sorry if you misinterpreted my "I'd love to be proven wrong" statement - I actually DID mean it. That's cool if you could drop that much weight ....I just had no idea it could be that significant, that's all (coming from strictly xc background, here, fwiw). No offense intended, [email protected], 'k ??


No offense taken....just a little frustrating when I'm talking about a bike that I rode heavily for close to two years, knew in and out, and all the little idocyncricies of, and someone comes along and tells me otherwise.

With that being said......

.....after you mentioned your background, I see why this may have been questionable. When I got the bike, it was set up more for cost-effectiveness as opposed to performance, and the parts spec could prove that. Yes, replacing the cranks/bb made that much difference.


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## Masher (May 18, 2004)

Northstar was renting them out last year. I was up there quite a bit and never saw any broken in half. Some of the riders weren't as lucky...
I suppose that's a good sign about the frames durability.


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## GirchyGirchy (Dec 31, 2003)

VA2SLOride said:


> If you got it for cheap and started upgrading, it may not be the most cost-effective way to do things, but in the end you'll have a great bike.


Therein lies the key. It's almost always better to spend more money up front - you get a much better deal. I wish I'd done that four years ago. What do you mean by "limited budget?"

You say you'll be riding 2-4 days a week...that's a decent amount. Since you'll be spending a good amount of time on the bike, get the best you can afford. It'll likely perform better and be more comfortable. You generally get what you pay for.

I'm assuming you're a lady, from your user name. If you're somewhat small and light, you might want to check out the Specialized FSRxc Women's version. It's more expensive, but you should at least try it out, along with the men's version. You might thank yourself later. If you try it and like it, but can't afford it right now, save your money until you can.

This'll give you a much higher-level frame, which is the most important part of the bike. You can purchase a cheaper bike and upgrade the components over time, but in the end, you still have that boat-anchor of a frame. The Specialized is lighter and has higher quality components. If you ever want to upgrade to discs, the bike already has disc hubs - all you'd need are the brakes themselves.

So if it were me, I'd keep what I already have and wait until I could afford a better bike. Try a few out, and set your sights on one.

Also, check this thread out:
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=84088


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## Padre (Jan 6, 2004)

VA2SLOride said:


> Here's a pic of my old one, and one encarntaion that it had taken. I think this was about halfway through it's 'career.'


Holy Slack Headangle Batman!

That thing would be a nightmare to ride!


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## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

VA2SLOride said:


> Oh, here we go.
> 
> Have you ever picked up one of the cranksets/bb's in question? They feel like they're made out of cast iron compared to a decent set. I ended up rePLACING them with XT hollowtechs, and it made a hell of a difference, which, after weighing, came out to about 3 lbs difference. Granted, I made some other upgrades at the time as well, but I do believe that the cranks and bb were the main cause for the extra weight.
> 
> I think it came out to about 3 2 4 #z difference. Or was it three to four.....324lbs?


I'm not sure how replacing a 300 gram BB and a 1000 gram crankset, with ones that combined are only about a pound lighter, amounts to a 3 pound difference. There isn't 3 pounds of parts to begin with to replace. Perhaps you need to buy a better scale.

I too ran a warp (2002 DS3 frame) for about a year, but I totally stripped it for all stock pieces except the headset. Replaced the rear shock with a Sid XC-R and used all my own parts elsewhere. Got the weight down to about 27 pounds but still, sucked on the climbs so I retired it last year, bought a new frame to replace it, and swapped most of the parts over to it.

This is basically what my warp looked like when I first rebuilt it...










And this is how it was when I had it up for sale after I'd rebuilt it again (after getting my new frame)...


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## GiantDS3 (Aug 5, 2004)

No way replacing a BB/Crankset shaved off 3 pounds. The only way that would be possiable is if the suntour cranks were made of steel. I call BS.


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## GirchyGirchy (Dec 31, 2003)

GiantDS3 said:


> No way replacing a BB/Crankset shaved off 3 pounds. The only way that would be possiable is if the suntour cranks were made of steel. I call BS.


Naw, it'd have to be lead. Think about it...to save three whole pounds (1362 grams), the original crankset and BB combo would have weighed around five pounds. Riiiiight.

Oh, but he knows all the little idiosyncracies about the bike...how dare we suggest such a thing!

Show a picture of the cranks and BB on a scale, then I'll believe you. I don't mean a bathroom scale, either.


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## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

the stock original suntour cranks that came on the 2002/2003 bottom end warps, with the modus cartridge bearing bottom bracket (also stock) totalled about 3 pounds. I know, I pulled them off, weighed them on a digiscale, and used them to build another bike with.


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## GirchyGirchy (Dec 31, 2003)

Which means you can't save three pounds by replacing that with something else. I'd guess a pound was saved, but not three.


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## Jonny Datsun (Mar 3, 2004)

I'm on my second Warp - I cracked the first one. I bought a replacement on ebay, and it arrived cracked! I was able to warrenty that frame, and got an '05 which looks more sturdy. 

My friend's roommate cracked his.
Some guy I ran into on the trail cracked his.
A random one that I saw at school was cracked.

DO NOT JUMP THIS BIKE.


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## Warp (May 24, 2004)

Jonny Datsun said:


> I'm on my second Warp - I cracked the first one. I bought a replacement on ebay, and it arrived cracked! I was able to warrenty that frame, and got an '05 which looks more sturdy.
> 
> My friend's roommate cracked his.
> Some guy I ran into on the trail cracked his.
> ...


That is a '02 or older warp, isn't it???

The newer are far more sturdy and some people use it to jump on the North Shore...

Being an entry level bike, you'll hear about lots of cracked frames for one reason... begginers don't land as fine as more advanced riders. Some food for thought.

And, yes... a 5" trailbike should not be used as a jumping bike.


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## Jonny Datsun (Mar 3, 2004)

Warp2003 said:


> That is a '02 or older warp, isn't it???
> 
> The newer are far more sturdy and some people use it to jump on the North Shore...
> 
> ...


That was a 2003.


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## Warp (May 24, 2004)

Jonny Datsun said:


> That was a 2003.


Can you post a complete pic... I'm a bit confused as your frame seems to have the Giant logo in lowercase while 2003 and newer have the all capitals logo. Besides, I can't remember a pre-'03 gray colored warp. 03 were black, red, blue and white. 04 were Silver, blue and black. '05's are black.

I have had a 2003 DS1 and now I have a 2004 DS2.

I don't remember that gusset on the '03-'04....


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## gobike (Jan 30, 2004)

*My wife bought one*

from Mammoth Mountain after the season was over for $250. It lasted one more year before she upgraded to an NRS. She enjoyed the bike a lot and had no prob's...


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## Jonny Datsun (Mar 3, 2004)

Warp2003 said:


> Can you post a complete pic... I'm a bit confused as your frame seems to have the Giant logo in lowercase while 2003 and newer have the all capitals logo. Besides, I can't remember a pre-'03 gray colored warp. 03 were black, red, blue and white. 04 were Silver, blue and black. '05's are black.
> 
> I have had a 2003 DS1 and now I have a 2004 DS2.
> 
> I don't remember that gusset on the '03-'04....


You're probably right - I bought that frame on ebay so I'm not really sure. I can't find any other pictures of it. I bought it to replace my 2001 frame that cracked on the swing arm, where the derailleur tube meets the chainstay. I never did any super gnarcore jumps on that frame. Maybe like 3 ft to flat at the very most.

Here's my 2005 frame that I got via warranty. I must say that Giant was very fast and helpful in getting the frame warrentied. Hopefully this frame will be better, but I'm not holding my breath. The swing arm is much more solid than the other frames, but where the seat tube meets the downtube and shock mount is no beefier than on that 2002(?) that I posted.


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## Warp (May 24, 2004)

Jonny Datsun said:


> You're probably right - I bought that frame on ebay so I'm not really sure. I can't find any other pictures of it. I bought it to replace my 2001 frame that cracked on the swing arm, where the derailleur tube meets the chainstay. I never did any super gnarcore jumps on that frame. Maybe like 3 ft to flat at the very most.
> 
> Here's my 2005 frame that I got via warranty. I must say that Giant was very fast and helpful in getting the frame warrentied. Hopefully this frame will be better, but I'm not holding my breath. The swing arm is much more solid than the other frames, but where the seat tube meets the downtube and shock mount is no beefier than on that 2002(?) that I posted.


That's my very same frameset. Just land like a cat and use the proper spring rate on the shock and you'll be fine. I'ts a sturdy bike.

I wonder what would Marzocchi say about doing drops of any height with that fork....


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