Following a two-year development project that included World Cup pros and team technicians from the Giant Factory Off-Road Team, the new Glory Advanced was unveiled earlier this year. It features a totally reengineered chassis that represents the first full-composite Glory ever available for consumers. The frame is paired with a new Maestro rear suspension system that delivers 200mm of smooth, active travel, along with a 203mm suspension fork.

Editors from Mountain Biking UK and their affiliated website BikeRadar pitted the new Glory against two other top DH race bikes in the category: the Nukeproof Dissent and the Propain Rage.

Robin Weaver, the magazine’s test editor in chief, led the team of five testers who put the bikes to the test on the type of demanding DH trails they are made for. In the end, the Glory emerged a clear favorite.

“With the latest Glory, Giant have taken the best of both the Nukeproof and the Propain and blended it all together,” editors claimed. “It’s incredibly light-handling and easy to ride, with good support and a lively character. Yet, when things get rowdy, it has enough composure and stability to truck through the toughest trails without causing you to break a sweat. This is the bike we felt the most confident on and could ride the fastest with the least input.”

Luke Marshall, tech writer for Mountain Biking UK and BikeRadar.com, spent several weeks riding the Glory in the French Alps and wrote that he “came away thoroughly impressed.”

Detailing his experience, Marshall continued: “While it’s sure-footed and capable at speed, it still has an eagerness when riding slow, more technical trails. The Glory will be equally at home being ridden between the tapes of a world cup track as it will being thrashed at local downhill trails.”

Marshall detailed all the technical features of the Glory, including the mixed wheel setup with a 29-inch front and 27.5-inch rear, and its adjustability that allows you to change the geomertry and switch to a 29-inch rear wheel.

“The Maestro 3 suspension flip chip enables riders to alter the head tube angle and bottom bracket height in low, mid and high settings,” he wrote. "This makes it possible to use both 29in and 27.5in rear wheels. There are two chainstay lengths riders can choose from that increase or decrease the rear centre by 10mm.”

Summing up its performance, Marhsall wrote: “It’s so easy to go fast that you can thrill and scare yourself with little effort. Giant has done an impressive job of balancing comfort and precision. The impressive shock tune, combined with the new kinematics, meant the bike had tons of grip on sketchy sections of trail. Small bumps were absorbed effortlessly, which smoothed out the trail, and helped the bike find traction in corners and through cambered sections. It appears Giant is back with a bang with the new Glory.”

For more, including all the tech details on the new Glory Advanced, click here.

And to read the full review, visit the BikeRadar.com website.