KEYSTONE, CO (BRAIN)—Giant introduced a new range of stems, seatposts and handlebars this week representing the company’s first foray into the component business.
The components are branded with the Giant name and come in four different spec levels: Contact SLR, the premium range with products made primarily of carbon fiber, Contact made with premium alloy and the Connect SL and Connect series, which are value-priced products for the enthusiast.
The Contact SLR series, which Giant showed at the media launch of its 2010 product this week in Keystone, Colorado, includes a full composite, 190-gram seatpost, a 125-gram stem with alloy faceplate and titanium hardware and three mountain bike bars, one flat bar and two risers.
Giant will also sell a road-specific and women’s-specific bars.
The idea behind the component line is to allow Giant more direct control over the look and feel of its bikes, said Bill Miller, Giant’s global category manager for components who was brought on last year to head up the expansion.
“We can not only pay attention to detail on the frame, now we can integrate that design into the components on the bicycle,” Miller said.
The components will be sold aftermarket, as well as OEM. They are spec’d on Giant’s full range of bikes, excluding free ride bikes.
For 2010, the components are being manufactured by a third-party partner that delivers and manufacturers components for other large brand names, Miller said.
For more information on Giant’s new component line, including pricing, be sure to read the September issue of Bicycle Retailer and Industry News.
—Nicole Formosa
