2004 Giant Warp DS2
February 28th, 2005 by Guitar TedI purchased my Giant Warp DS2 on January 28th 2005 for a low price of $450.00, that’s after a $100.00 discount offered by Cycling Concepts of Artesia Ca.
I decided on the Warp due to its reputation on the trails. It also provides the rider a choice to either go with a 4 or 5 inch travel on the rear suspension. I’ve come across many Warp riders in the past few years that have nothing but great things to say. The most common comment that Warp riders had was that Giant had a lifetime warranty on the frame. I’ve even talked to a few that had warranty issues with the frame and Giant was more than happy to fulfill their end of the deal.
My first test ride was at a local trail called the Fullerton Loop (11.5miles) then the next was at Aliso Woods (13.5 miles of hell!) then finally at Panorama (3 miles). Each of these trails presented different trail types that varied from single track, step climbs, rock beds, gravel, hard pack and occasional mud.
The Warp is laced with some decent parts such as Front: Shimano Alivio, Rear: Shimano Alivio, 8 speed Shimano EF-29, 8-speed and Tekro brakes. It has a 24spd drive train that has just the right gear ratio for climbing.
The Alex ACE-18, Black doublewall, 36H w/CNC sidewall held up until I went through the harsh riding conditions at Aliso Woods that included, a rock bed called Rockit and a gnarly downhill/rockbet section called Lynx. The rear wheel became untrue after that ride. But it wasn’t anything I couldn’t fix.
The RST T4 Magnesium fork with 4” travel hasn’t bottomed out on me but the Magnesium coating started to wear off on the stanchions where the seals sit, it’s clearly a warranty issue. The rear shock which is a Giant HV, coil over w/ rebound adjust, 4″/5″ rear travel, offers damping adjustment is actually not bad. As long as you tune the shock according to what Giant recommends, you will experience little and I mean very little pedal-bob.
I was rather impressed with the WTB WeirWolf 26×2.21 tires. They performed very well in hard pack and rocky conditions. They were gripping the ground with out any problems. However, when I did go through some mud, I was slipping and sliding all over the place and even fell over at least 3 times because the tires washed out.
Pros: Affordable, quality frame, upgradeable, comfortable and fun to ride. Black frame color looks pretty cool. Very little Pedal-Bob.
Cons: Tires don’t do well in the rain, fork could be better, it’s not as plush as I would like
Handle grips need to be upgraded to lock-on type.
Overall: The Giant Warp DS2 is a great ride. I was impressed on how well it handles the downhills and singletracks as well as the steepest climbs. If you ever get bitten by the upgrade bug, this bike is very accommodating.
I totally recommend this bike to anyone that wants a FS bike but is on a budget. I give it 5 out of 5 stars!
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this is probably one of my favorite bikes how much do u think a brand new one would cost???
this is probably my favorite bikie how much do u think a regular priced brand new one would cost me????
Thanks for checking out the review. I am sure you can still find them at any LBS from $450-550. They stopped making the Warp on 04. So you can probably get a real good deal on a close out. If you are in the OC area of Southern Cali, email me and I can help you find one. rl@commutebybike.com
I HAVE A DS2 FOR SALE IF YOU LIVE IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA LET ME KNOW I HAVE 1 FOR $400 CASH BRAND NEW ! ! !
PLEASE EMAIL ME AT JONNYONE25@HOTMAIL.COM
NO SHIPING OF ANY KIND CASH ONLY OLY IF YOU LIVE IN THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY
(310) 210 9038
Make Sure You Leave Your Name And Number ! !
PLEASE DISREGUARD IF OVER 24HRS . .
I agree with your assessment on the Warp. I have covered about 3000km in the US and Australia on mine (Warp DS3 - 1999 model) and it has been great. The frame is about to wear out due to stress fractures near the rear suspension mount. I need a new 20.5 inch frame if anyone has one for sale. Alternatively, I have a 18.5 inch new frame and can sell the whole bike (fitted to the frame) for $200.
Watched a friend throw his down the mountain twice (sierra de san christobal near puerto de santa maria in spain). Wiped dirt off the grips, the blood off his hands and knees and kept riding hard… didn’t seem to climb as well as my hardtail though. seemed to have much better control on the fast downhill single tracks though. (At least until the tumbling routine… hee hee… shoulda got that one on film…
i was at a local bike shop and i saw that bike and the price so i was like hey i’ll get it then i called the guy on some suggestions he came out of the back and when he was walking first thing he said was to stay away from that bike hahahahahaha i got sad
i am selling my giant warp ds2 for $400
if u are intrested in my giant warp ds2…u can email me at tylerkas876@hotmail.com
I have one that has been striped down except for the frame. Has all kinds of custom parts. i am looking to sell it. im only looking for 300 because thats all i can get on a trade in. I have put about 14 hundred dollars it to it. let me know.