At £475 the Talon 4 definitely falls into the 'capable entry level' category of mountain bike. The excellent AluXX aluminium frame is lively, giving the bike a real surge of speed where necessary, and it is beautifully finished from the top down.
The geometry and cockpit, with a steepish head angle and a stock bar and stem that is long and narrow, don't lend the Talon to aggressive trail riding, rather fast but smooth paths where you won't be dropping steeply or tackling technical obstacles.
Components are basic as you would expect from this price range, with most of the parts coming from Giant's own stable - bar, stem, seatpost, saddle and wheels are all Giant - while drivetrain is left in the capable hands of Shimano Altus. Forks are basic coil sprung Suntour 100mm models with lockout for climbing hills with minimal energy loss.
