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Which DH racing bike GLORY or DEMO?

661 views 6 replies 7 participants last post by  joelsman 
#1 ·
Hi, i have never owned a DH bike but have been a long time XC racer on hardtails, 4'' full suspensions, and 29er's. I know my fit perfectly for a XC racing bike. I am tall (6'3') with a proportionally longer torso and arms. likewise I always like my bikes with a really long reach, and I am fanatical about the correct fit so with whatever bike i am on I make sure I get it dialed so they all fit very very much the same.

DH racing, something I would like to get into, seems to be an entirely different creature when sizing the bike. Does effective TT length even matter because, most of the time, you arent even sitting down? I get incredible deals on bikes so I am thinking about getting a really nice DH bike, either the specialized DEMO or the giant GLORY? looking at the geometry of the largest Demo, it has an eff. TT that is a good bit shorter than the largest model of the Glory(demo=592mm, glory=645mm). But wheelbase on the Demo is actually longer than the Glory(demo=1213mm, glory=1186mm), and chainstay length is shorter on the Demo than on the Glory(demo=421mm, glory=444mm)....so maybe those numbers are what I should be looking at to determine how the bike will make me feel in terms of "stretched out" on the bike. I know headtube angles are important as well so here they are, Demo 8=65, Glory DH=65.5, Glory 0=67. I listed both the Glory DH and 0, but most likely I am only looking at the Glory 0 because of my budget.

Also, the models I am looking at are for the Spec. it would be the Demo 8, the one with the Boxxer, and for the Giant it'd be the Glory 0, which has a MARZ single crown fork. They are both essentially the same price (MSRP $3800). I just don't have the dough to get anything more expensive.

I am leaning toward the Demo 8 because it has the BoXXer double crown fork and just be an overall beefier bike than the glory 0 but as I stated above I am completely new to choosing a DH bike so I am hoping for some help here. I am limited to a specialized or a giant because I work at a shop (thats what we sell). I never help customers buy DH bikes because we dont stock them and i've never had a customer come in looking for one and we aren't in the most mountainous part of the country. If I get a big DH rig I will most def give it a go racing(or crazy riding) on some crazy terrain. Snowshoe, WV will be one place I will take it for sure, along with a few other east coast spots, and probably an out west trip.

thanks for the help ya'll.
 
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#2 ·
You'd be surprised how much an EFTT length can have on racing. I found I was more likely to go over my handle bars on a 17" (Medium) frame than a 19" frame (Large). But that's just me.

You really can't go wrong either either bike, but the Glory 0 is moreso setup for Heavy Freeride and moderate DH, whereas the Demo is a fantastic DH rig. Just my $0.02.
 
#3 ·
I have never ridden a glory, but i have always owned a demo as my DH bike and it has never given me a reason to doubt it or look for another bike( have owned every year demo 8 from 05-09) the bikes ride great and are super plush on my bad knees.

the only DH bike that might possibly be tempting to me other than the demo is the Trek Session, the pedal amazing, but its their first year in production, and the are super $$ right now, again ill stick with my demo.
 
#4 ·
I personally feel that FSR is a superior suspension design compared to Maestro. I've always loved Demo's, and they keep shedding weight. For DH Racing, I'd pick the Demo hands down. I do like Glory's, but they are a little bit on the heavy side, and coming from a XC background possibly the biggest factor you will face with your new bike is the increase in weight and mass with the bike.
 
#5 ·
If we were to look at racers both here in the US and overseas be it world cup or out of country competition and see which bike has faired better I think one clearly performs better. I would much rather prefer the maestro suspension over FSR. Very similar pedaling characteristics as that of a DW link bike we all know very well. Also, I would take the Spec of the current Glory DH better than a Demo. But seeing as the boat your in would need you to buy the lesser of the Glory that might be your deciding point. In short I say either buy the better suspension design/frame and plan on a better DC fork later on or go with what's good now.
 
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