new Giant twist

[IzzyB]

Does anyone know when the new Giant Twists will be available. I've had a trial run on a Giant Suede and quite liked it but have nothing to compare it with. It does seem quite heavy to lift, so was wondering if htere will be a new Giant Twist Lite or equivalent. Generally wondering how much more I would be getting for the extra money than with the Suede, esp in terms of power & weight. It's probably the ladies version I'll be looking for, although one cycling friend has recommended going for a gents version as the frame is stronger on men's bikes.

Any thoughts welcome.
best wishes,
Isobel

 

[flecc]

I've only seen "ladies" step-through versions illustrated so far Isobel, so no problem there. The new Twist is very similar to the Suede but may be a bit lighter due to a change of motor and battery system.

I don't think it will be long before we see it now since it's going to be the lead feature in the February issue of A to B magazine, so getting that issue could be of interest to you, since you'd learn more about it then.

 

[nigel]

nigel

Hi
isobel i think the release date for the uk is in march for the new giant twist i seem to remember details from a forum member.
Lets hope it will be worth the wait PS not sure about those hills as it is a front hub drive nigel southampton.

 

[halfmedley]

A quick look on the internet and it seems the Twist 1.0 is retailing for 1899 euros (approx £1245) and the Twist 2.0 is 1599 euros (approx £1045) over in Holland, but I wonder what they'll charge here...

 

[nigel]

nigel

Lets
hope they keep it at the same price from a personal point of view i dont go much on its style it looks like a ma and pa bike still if the performance is good thats all that matters i think nigel. southampton.

 

[flecc]

Some bang up to the minute information Isobel.

A to B have the Twist in their hands and are currently running it, but it's unlikely to be available to the public as soon as we thought. It's only going to be released for dealers to place their orders around the end of March, so realistically it probably won't be in the shops until the end of April or possibly into May.

 

[Quicken]

A quick look on the internet and it seems the Twist 1.0 is retailing for 1899 euros (approx £1245) and the Twist 2.0 is 1599 euros (approx £1045) over in Holland, but I wonder what they'll charge here...

From what I can see on giant.nl, the only differences between the two models are in the battery (NiMH for the 2.0, Li-Ion for the 1.0), and the gears (Shimano Nexus 7 for the 2.0, Shimano Nexus 8 for the 1.0). Of course, they claim a 130km range for the 1.0, and only a 100km range for the 2.0, but the difference here may be marketing hype for the Li-ion battery. There's a manual online, with some interesting pics:

http://www2.giant-bicycles.com/_upload_nl/bikes/models/manual//NewTwist.pdf

Cheers,
Q

 

[flecc]

I can't see any capacity figures in that manual, but in fact the Li-ions are 2 x 10 Ah. Against the claim of just over 80 miles, I think it's likely to be more like 50 miles, and just possibly 60 miles in the upper modes.

Even at 50 miles, it's very welcome, since there's nothing else that can do that sort of distance as standard. However, that's offset by the performance, which isn't going to set the pulse racing, so the question arises whether anyone wants to ride for the 4 hours or so that it would take to cover the 50 miles. Could just be useful for a two way commute, though I wouldn't want to do a two hour each way journey.

Those pictures are interesting, since they reveal what I suspected, the pannier carrying is compromised, since a load would be held well outboard. It would be important to balance the contents carefully.

 

[Quicken]

Yes, I read it looking for capacities too. I don't suppose you know what the NiMH battery capacities are (perhaps 2x9Ah)? I think it's likely that for shorter trips people will just leave these in 'sport' mode for better performance. I am not interested in panniers personally, so the battery positioning is fine with me, and I like the fact they've put two in there. I'm thinking about getting one as soon as they are available in the spring. I'd probably favour the NiMH option for the lower price, and consider battery mods further along the line. Look forward to finding out what A to B think of them.

Cheers,
Q

 

[flecc]

I agree Quicken, the twin batteries are a great idea, and as long as the shopping is balanced out a bit, it won't be a problem. I don't know the NiMh capacity, but like you, I'm fairly sure it would be 9 Ah. We'll probably only read of Li-ion in the February A to B, since David is only just starting the testing and there's at least four featured bikes in that issue, plus the possibility of something on The Sparta Ion.

If anyone's been dithering over whether to subscribe, there could hardly be a better issue to start with. No, I don't work for them, but here's the link.

 

[Quicken]

I agree Quicken, the twin batteries are a great idea, and as long as the shopping is balanced out a bit, it won't be a problem. I don't know the NiMh capacity, but like you, I'm fairly sure it would be 9 Ah. We'll probably only read of Li-ion in the February A to B, since David is only just starting the testing and there's at least four featured bikes in that issue, plus the possibility of something on The Sparta Ion.

If anyone's been dithering over whether to subscribe, there could hardly be a better issue to start with. No, I don't work for them, but here's the link.

You twisted my arm... I just pulled the trigger!

Q

 

[flecc]

Great! You won't regret it, it's good to have a mag supporting our minority interest.

I even subscribe to their Miniature Railway magazine, though it's not one of my interests, but I'll always support those struggling against the tide. I've been following editor David's building of a new steam locomotive though, so who knows, a steam bike one day!

P.S. It would have to be a tandem though, the stoker would have to sit somewhere.

 

[IzzyB]

Thanks for that, especially your up-to-the-minute info Flecc. So far from the stuff on your website i'm not convinced that the new Twist would really worth the extra £500+. So I'm still keen on the Suede which is the only one I've tried so far and more in my price bracket. It did get me up the longish hill just up the road from me on full power, which is the one i'll be using the most, but on the Eco (60%) I was definitely aware of having to put in more effort. By the way is Giant British or Chinese, and can you get spare parts easily?

Still hoping to try the Curry Izip before committing myself - also wonder about getting spares.

Isobel

 

[flecc]

Giant is Chinese Isobel, the World's largest manufacturer of bikes with production averaging 100 million bikes a year! Parts are normally obtainable but they aren't cheap, though there is a large dealer network, a big advantage. The Twist will undoubtedly be better than the Suede, mainly in the long range, the motor improvements and the batteries probably scarcely heavier as twin 24 volt over the single 36 volt of the Suede. I think it worth waiting for the A to B test publication which will only be around three weeks away now.

Curry bikes have been around for years and there are many sources of spares, so again there should be no problem. Apart from 50cycles, there's the specialist UK Electrodrive site and many US suppliers of parts.