You’re considering buying a new affordable bike, and you come across two famous brands: Giant and Scott.
However, you don’t know which one is better, and you don’t want to make hasty decisions that you’ll regret later.
Many new bikers are like you. They also don’t want to buy something that will be useless later.
Fortunately, you’ll learn which of the two brands is better. Kindly read on to get your answers.
Bike Range
| Categories | Scott | Giant |
| Mountain Bike | Yes | Yes |
| Cyclo-Cross Bike | Yes | Yes |
| Gravel Bike | Yes | Yes |
| City Bike | Yes | Yes |
| Hybrid Bike | Yes | Yes |
| Road Bike | Yes | Yes |
| Cruisers | No | Yes |
Both brands sell electric bikes. Moreover, they have dedicated lines for children and women.
VERDICT: No winner because both brands have similar bike types.
Target Market
| Type of Cyclists | Scott | Giant |
| Entry-level | Yes | |
| Mid-level | Yes | Yes |
| High-end | Yes |
Scott has some entry-level bicycles, but the bike brand focuses on mid-range and high-end cyclists.
On the other hand, Giant focuses on entry-level and mid-range bikers, although it also offers high-end bikes.
VERDICT: Scott and Giant try to capture the mid-range cyclists. However, the former also focuses on high-end bikers while Giant on entry-level cyclists.
Bike Price
Giant’s bikes aren’t as pricey as Scott’s bicycles. For instance, you can buy a Giant bike for less than $1,000, but you need more than $2,000 to buy a Scott bicycle.
VERDICT: Scott bicycles are more expensive than Giant bikes.
Warranty Coverage
| Bike Parts | Scott | Giant |
| Bike Frame | Five years (Limited to the initial purchaser) | Limited lifetime warranty |
| Fork | Five years (swing fork) | Limited lifetime warranty (rigid fork) |
| Syncros parts | Two years | |
| All other parts | One-year limited warranty |
VERDICT: Giant beats Scott in providing a better warranty on its frames.
Frame Quality
| Material | Scott | Giant |
| Carbon | Yes | Carbon frame for high-end bikes Aluminum frame for entry-level and mid-range bicycles |
Carbon is robust, comfortable, lighter, and stable; thus, carbon frames are higher quality than their aluminum counterparts.
VERDICT: Scott has more bikes made from carbon frames than its Giant competitor.
Suspension
| Technologies | Scott | Giant |
| Suspension | Patented Integrated Suspension Single-Pivot Suspension Twin Lock Suspension | Maestro Suspension FlexPoint Suspension |
Scott and Giant use several suspension technologies.
Scott uses the Patented Integrated Suspension, boosting cycling confidence, stability, and bike handling. Moreover, the suspension produces a more rigid frame.
In addition, Scott uses the Single-Pivot Suspension for single tracks and cross-country racing. Generally, this suspension provides optimal bump absorption and is lightweight.
On the other hand, Twin Lock Suspension allows you to choose your travel range and keep your hands on the handlebars.
Giant’s Maestro Suspension provides a more cushioned trail ride because of its floating pivotal system.
Other bikes use the FlexPoint Suspension, providing a durable yet lighter shock absorption system.
VERDICT: Scott and Giants use different suspension technologies; therefore, comparing them is challenging.
Other Technologies
| Scott | Giant |
| Adjustable head angle | Aluxx Aluminum |
| Evo-Lap | Comax Composite and Advanced Composite |
| Seat Clamp and Sandwich Dropouts | Overdrive Steerer Tube |
| Hollow structures | AeroSystem Shaping |
Scott employs adjustable head-angle technology to allow you to adjust the head tube. It also uses the Evo-Lap for optimized road bikes.
Scott is also famous for the Seat Clamp and Sandwich Dropouts technologies for a lighter structure for the Scott road bike.
Lastly, Scott uses hollow structures for lighter frames.
On the other hand, a Giant bicycle uses Aluxx Aluminum Technology for robust and lightweight aluminum framesets.
However, Giant employs Comax Composite and Advanced Composite for lighter, robust, and stiffer carbon framesets.
In addition, Giant uses the Steerer Tube Technology for tubes that provide stiffer frames for aggressive rides.
Moreover, Giant employs the AeroSystem Shaping Technology to manufacture an aero bike’s frameset.
VERDICT – Scott and Giant use different technologies; therefore, there are no common attributes for comparison.
Bike Geometry
| Scott | Giant |
| Adjustable head-angle | Overdrive steerer tube |
Scott uses adjustable head-angle technology to allow you to enjoy a slacker or aggressive geometry.
On the other hand, Giant employs the Overdrive Steerer Tube Technology for a stiffer geometry suitable for aggressive cyclists.
VERDICT: Scott allows you to choose between a laid-back or aggressive ride through its adjustable head-angle technology.
Bike Weight
| Scott | Giant |
| Light bike frames due to hollow frame designs and the use of high-grade carbon | Most Giant bikes have heavier aluminum frames. |
Giant is the manufacturer of Scott’s bike frames, but the latter’s bikes are lighter because of the use of hollow frame designs and high-grade carbon.
VERDICT: Scott bikes are lighter than their Giant counterparts.
Parts
| Scott | Giant |
| In-house manufacture of parts Trusted third parties | In-house manufacture of parts Trusted third parties |
Scott has its Syncros facility making its bike components. This standalone company has been part of Scott Sports for at least three decades and enjoys an excellent reputation.
Moreover, Scott taps trusted third parties to manufacture its brakes, tires, suspension forks, and drivetrains.
On the other hand, Giant is also its in-house company manufacturing components similar to what Synchros makes.
Moreover, it has trusted third-party suppliers for its hydraulic disc brakes, drivetrain, suspension forks, and tires.
VERDICT: Scott and Giant have high-quality components made by their in-house teams; therefore, deciding which is better is challenging.
Brand Success
| Scott | Giant |
| Sponsors many XCO world championships, Tour de France, and Olympic winners | Sponsors professional riders to world cycling championships |
| Supported 1989 Tour de France winner Greg Lemond Supported Nino Schurter and Jenny Rissveds at the XCO World Championships and 2016 Olympics | Supported Norwegian mountain bike rider Rune Hoydahl, American professional cyclist John Tomac, and British mountain biker Danny Hart |
Scott and Giant are both successful bike brands. In addition, they sponsor notable athletes in world cycling championships.
VERDICT: Scott and Giant are hard to compare in terms of brand success because of differing success patterns. They’re both successful in promoting their brands.
Bike Building
| Scott | Giant |
| Allows riders to customize their bikes | Allows riders to customize their bikes |
Scott and Giant offer cyclists ways to customize their road and mountain bikes. For example, the former allows you to customize your Scott mountain bikes’ shock and frame.
On the other hand, Giant provides bikers with a way to build their Giant Mtb from scratch.
VERDICT: Scott and Giant provide bikers opportunities to customize their bicycles, depending on their preferences and requirements.
Gear
| Scott | Giant |
| 3×8 drivetrain | 3×9 drivetrain |
Giant has more gear options than Scott; therefore, if you prefer more gear, you should pick Giant.
However, Scott’s drivetrain is also an excellent option if you don’t require extra gear.
VERDICT: Giant has more gears than Scott. Therefore, the former is better than the latter.
Tires and Wheels
| Scott | Giant |
| Narrower and lighter tires | Tires have varying tread patterns and widths |
| Fast and agile wheels | Durable and robust wheels |
Giant tires are for cyclists requiring a versatile tire to deal with several conditions. On the other hand, Scott tires are ideal for racing and road riding.
However, Scott tires may not offer the needed traction in off-road conditions. As a result, many off-road riders prefer Giant tires because they’re tough for off-road cycling.
Off-road riders prefer Giant wheels because of their strength and durability. Moreover, heavy cyclists prefer them too.
However, Giant wheels may be challenging to control on rough roads and tight turns.
On the other hand, Scott wheels are ideal for racers and road riders because they offer excellent handling and traction.
Giant wheels are more durable than Scott wheels. Therefore, the latter can’t perform well in rough conditions.
VERDICT: Giant tires and wheels are better than their Scott counterparts.
Conclusion
Giant and Scott bikes are quality bicycles, and they’re also reliable brands. However, they have critical differences.
Generally, you can easily afford Giant bikes if you’re on a budget. However, if money isn’t an issue, you may prefer the high-quality and high-end Scott bicycles.
