50% uphill, 50% downhill: Designed for general mountain off-roading, this is the lightest and most practical type of mountain bike. With moderate intensity, it can be made lightweight.
2. Dual Slalom (DS)
70% uphill, 30% downhill: Suited for competitive, high-intensity off-roading, but it’s expensive, usually costing around 10,000 yuan.
3. Free Ride (FR)
40% uphill, 60% downhill: For riding in wild forests and jumping off steps. It demands high intensity, and some components are similar to those of DH bikes.
4. Dirt Jumping (DJ)
30% uphill, 70% downhill: Bikes designed for jumping dirt mounds and aerial stunts. They require heavy-duty, high-strength frames, and the forks are not cheap either.
5. Downhill (DH)
0% uphill, 100% downhill: Descending from mountain tops at speeds up to 60 km/h, these bikes feature long dual-crown forks and demand ultra-high strength. Prices typically range from 30,000 to 50,000 yuan. The center of gravity is shifted rearward, making them unsuitable for climbing. Also, their heavy weight makes them unfit for general trail riding.
A Detailed Guide to Buying a GIANT Entry-Level Mountain Bike
First of all, let me make it clear: I’m a total newbie, the kind who wants to buy a bike but hasn’t yet. To buy one, I visited numerous specialty stores, browsed countless biking forums, and saw a ton of prices—but frustratingly, whether at GIANT dealerships or on GIANT’s BBS, there were plenty of models and confusing price tags, yet no one could clearly tell me how much I should spend or what kind of bike I should get. So I decided… to call out those so-called experts and start learning about mountain bike categories and price ranges myself.
For a newbie looking to buy a bike, the first thing that’s hard to swallow is GIANT’s chaotic model naming, configuration methods, and incomprehensible pricing. For example, for 1,298 yuan, you can get an ATX680 or a UCAN1. Visually, the UCAN looks way better than the 680—at the very least, it has a rear shock, which makes it look way cooler than the 680. And the UCAN1, 2, and 3, which look similar, are priced at 1,298, 1,088, and 998 yuan respectively. What’s the difference? Similarly, for a newbie, the C.ROCK-1 at the same price looks significantly better than the ATX760—does it actually perform better?
To figure this out, I spent an entire afternoon searching online. After struggling through a mess of downloaded bike specs, I finally realized… I was more confused than ever. So I decided that since GIANT couldn’t provide any clear guidance, I’d find a reference system to compare against. In the end, I found one—???—but let me keep you in suspense for now. Without it, I’d still be lost in the fog.
Before diving into specific models, let me define what I consider an entry-level GIANT mountain bike. Here, I mean a bike that may seem basic to pros, but is adaptable enough for most newbies and road conditions. The main evaluation criterion is price—not too outrageous—my limit is 6,000 yuan—so that beginners interested in biking (if there are any ladies out there!) can afford it. That’s why the 10,000-yuan NSR is out of the question. As for models over 10,000 yuan that I haven’t even seen, don’t even bring them up.
As the saying goes: you get what you pay for. To figure out if your money is well spent, you first need to understand the key components that affect a bike’s price. I believe the three biggest factors influencing overall price are: the frame, the drivetrain (gear shifters and derailleurs) and brakes, and the suspension. Other parts may vary in performance, but they don’t impact the overall price as much as these three—at least not for entry-level bikes. And for a newbie like me, paying a premium for a top-notch crankset doesn’t feel worth the marginal gain in enjoyment.
The frame is relatively straightforward. It mainly falls into a few types: carbon fiber, aluminum, and steel. There are also hybrid types, like front carbon and rear aluminum. In short, the higher the strength and the lighter the weight, the better—this applies to all components—and of course, the more you pay, the better. The best is obviously a carbon fiber frame, but you can forget about that in entry-level bikes—you’re unlikely to even see a front-carbon, rear-aluminum frame. So, the best in entry-level is an aluminum frame, followed by front-aluminum, rear-steel, and if you must, then steel. Since GIANT makes these frames themselves, and the tech isn’t overly complex—just mold it right—and because of that, this part doesn’t take up a huge portion of the total cost. For GIANT bikes over 1,000 yuan, most will have aluminum frames.
The drivetrain and brakes are discussed together because… they are literally connected (sidebar: duh!). If you look at any bike, you’ll see that. The drivetrain and brakes are probably the most intricate and complex parts of a mountain bike. If anything on the bike is likely to break, it’s this combo. Therefore, for an entry-level bike, a good drivetrain and brake set is half the bike. Go check out any GIANT bike, and you’ll see the drivetrain model listed—the most common being Shimano (SHIMANO)! Considering the massive SHIMANO ads in subways, let’s just trust that it’s a quality brand. And since GIANT doesn’t make these parts themselves, they probably make up a significant portion of the bike’s cost. But when I first went to the SHIMANO website (www.shimano-china.com), I was overwhelmed. There were endless marketing buzzwords like “best value,” “true riding joy,” etc., but nothing telling me which one is best or most expensive. At least I’ve had some marketing training, so I have some immunity to that fluff. “Best value” obviously means cheap and decent quality; “true riding joy” means it gives you a great experience, but also takes a good chunk out of your wallet... and so on. Eventually, by *figuring out the SHIMANO website’s shifter ranking and decoding the marketing jargon, I roughly understood SHIMANO’s tricks.
SHIMANO shifters come in several levels: Tourney TX/TY, Altus, Acera, Alivio, Deore, Deore LX, Deore XT, XTR. Their prices and performance levels increase accordingly. The lowest is Tourney TX/TY, which SHIMANO says is perfect for entry-level sport bikes; the highest is XTR, the crème de la crème. According to SHIMANO’s classification, mountain bikes fall into three types: urban sport bikes, recreational mountain bikes, and professional mountain bikes. Tourney TX/TY and Altus are for urban sport bikes—that is, bikes meant for showing off on streets and occasionally hitting the trails. Higher-tier Acera and Alivio are for recreational mountain bikes—that’s us, people who want to hit the trails often but aren’t exactly pros. As for Deore, Deore LX, and Deore XT, they’re strictly for pro-level use, and are considered premium entry-level gear. I’ve never seen a bike with XTR, and my wallet definitely doesn’t want to. One oddball is SHIMANO’s Saint shifter, billed as super heavy-duty. I never really understood what it’s for—it has very few gears, so I guess it’s for climbing bikes.
When I cross-referenced what I learned from SHIMANO with GIANT’s ATX series, it all matched up: from the 660 to the 780, the shifter level increases step by step, along with the quality of other components, and of course, the price… yep, that’s it. From then on, I finally had a reference to judge GIANT bikes. So no matter which GIANT bike you’re looking at, just check its shifter model. Once you understand the differences between shifter models, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting.
There’s not much to say about suspension, mainly because… I don’t really understand it either, haha… So far, I only know that hydraulic suspension is generally better than spring-based. If your bike is more high-end, GIANT might use ROCK SHOX suspension instead of their own, like the JUDY TT on the ATX760 or the JUDY XC on the ATX780. I have no idea what makes them better—maybe someone can chime in.
Based on my method, I categorized GIANT mountain bikes by price and model:
Entry-Level Bikes:BORA and SPIDER series, priced 698–998 yuan. Aside from different frame shapes, they’re pretty similar. The pricier ones have aluminum frames with front suspension, while the cheaper ones have steel frames and no suspension—but they’re still decent. Best choice for those on a tight budget who still want to ride off-road. As for the HUNTER series, though similarly priced, I really don’t recommend it—it’s basically an urban sport bike. The upside is it has a rack, so if you’re trying to impress a girl, having her hands around your waist feels pretty nice. You won’t get that with other series, haha…
Entry-Level Premium Bikes:UCAN series, priced 1,298, 1,088, and 988 yuan. Aluminum or front-aluminum, rear-steel frames, with SHIMANO TY or EF29 shifters (note: these are twist-grip shifters, not trigger shifters—can’t find info on them from SHIMANO). But they come with both front and rear suspension, and they look pretty cool.
Undecided Bikes:The C050 series, priced between 1298 and 1598, offers little value beyond the SPIDER model except for a few additional dials like speedometers. I really can’t figure out what it’s good for...
Mid-Entry Level Bikes:Let’s start with the ATX660. It shouldn’t really be placed here but rather in the entry-level category, as its configuration at the price of 998 is quite decent. For true mid-entry level bikes, slightly better options would be the ATX680, 740, and C.ROCK, priced between 1200-1600. With aluminum frames and SHIMANO Altus and Acera components, they’re pretty solid. For a higher price range, there are the ATX760 and C.ROCK-1, both at 2998. They come with JUDY TT suspension, SHIMANO Alivio components, and disc brakes—definitely enough to catch the eye. The only difference is that the C.ROCK-1 has rear suspension, making it look even cooler. As for which one to choose, it really comes down to personal preference. (Note: Some experienced riders say rear suspension doesn’t make much of a difference—I’m not sure if that’s true.)
High-Entry Level Bikes:The obvious choice is the ATX780, though the price is also quite high at 5998!!! The SHIMANO Deore groupset isn’t just for recreational mountain biking—in my opinion, it’s already edging into professional territory. So no need for further explanation.