Giant Faith 27.5/26 Review

The Giant Faith 27.5/26 combines modern geometry, youth-specific suspension, and carefully curated components, making this new offering one of the top choices for 9-13 year-old riders looking to tackle serious mountain terrain. Let’s dive deeper into what makes this bike such a standout. Thanks to Giant Canada for providing a test bike to facilitate this review.

The heart of the Faith's performance is the low friction Crest Lite suspension, featuring a 140 mm air-sprung fork and 135mm of rear suspension tailored specifically for lighter riders (57-136 lbs). The fork has been designed to offer precise, controlled performance without the stiffness typical of adult forks. The fork’s FloTune damper system and Lite tuned flotrac rear shock allows the suspension to compress and rebound smoothly under smaller force loads, ensuring that younger riders experience an active suspension system, be it on small bumps, big hits or rough terrain.

The intuitive setup of the Crest suspension (both fork and rear) makes tuning easy. Pre-calculated air pressure and rebound settings are printed directly on the fork, simplifying adjustments for Mom and Dad, ensuring they can quickly dial in performance for kiddo. With 14 and 7 clicks of suggested rebound adjustment range front and rear, young riders/parents can fine-tune the ride depending on trail conditions and the kid’s weight.

For my 75lb (34 Kg) ten-year-old, we settled on 26PSI, 11 clicks of rebound in the fork and 78PSI, 5 clicks of rebound in the rear. Alternatively, for my 115 lb (52 Kg) thirteen-year-old , we ended up at 44PSI, 2 clicks of rebound for the fork and 145 PSI, 3 clicks of rebound fort the rear shock.

The performance of the Suspension can not be underestimated. We have tested loads of kids full suspension platforms/forks and can honestly say nothing matches the Crest in a  27.5 inch chassis fork  and the sensitivity of rear suspension. The small bump compliance both front and rear allowed us to run higher tire pressures, resulting in faster rolling speeds while still offering very impressive traction. The only fault is the fork does top out a tiny bit, more noticeable at lower air pressures and faster rebound settings but neither of our testers took notice or mentioned it.

There are longer travel bikes on the market for kids in this fit range but none offer the active travel and damper tuning range of the Faith. It would take costly custom re-valving of any existing 27.5 fork to match the Crest fork and even then, I’m not sure you would match performance for kids. The rear kinematics and light tune of the rear shock pair perfectly to the fork. There is some cool tech with the flex chain/seat stays in this linkage driven single pivot design.

The aluminum frame’s geometry mirrors that of modern adult trail bikes, offering the stability and control necessary for technical descents while remaining manageable for smaller riders. The head angle and low standover height contribute to its planted, stable feel, making it an excellent bike for steep terrain but its not too slack and unmanageable at slow speeds and flatter terrain.

The Faith, designed for 9-13-year-olds, has a low 67.6 cm (26.6 in) standover height and a 410 mm reach, numbers that would have been considered adult-sized just a few years ago. Don’t let that reach scare you as a 77 degree seat tube angle puts the kids nice and forward in the pedalling position.

You can see in the photos my 10 year-old 4’6 son is on smaller side of the fit spectrum while my older 5’4 son is arguably a couple inches too big. I would say the sweet spot is 4’6 (137 cm) to 5’2 (158 cm). You should be able to head right into an adult small after this bike.

The 64.5 degree head angle is spot on for the terrain this bike can charge down. The bike handles extremely well with the supple suspension and the mullet set-up. The smaller rear wheel enables the bike to corner better and allows the kiddos to hang off the back over steep terrain and obstacles. This is the second 27.5/26 inch platform we have tried for kids and we are sold on the benefits of mixed wheels.

One of the most impressive aspects of the 30.5 lb (with pedals on our scale) Giant Faith 27.5/26 is the level of thought that went into the componentry selection, ensuring comparative value to the competitors in the fit range. Giant has equipped the bike with 155mm cranks, providing a good fit for the larger kids in the size range. Super picky, we would rather see 150mm cranks as it offers more of a middle ground for the size range and would even be comfortable with 145mm on spec. We would also opt for a smaller seat as the spec seat is equivalent to an adult sized saddle. We actually swapped the seat for our 10 year old tester.

The 100 mm dropper post is designed with a lighter lever feel and low compression force to ensure younger riders can operate it easily. This is by far the best performing dropper post we have tried for light weight kids. The 100mm is a great length for the kids on the smaller size of the fit spectrum and is the length we would select as spec. As kiddo grows you may want to switch out for something longer, not a huge issue as you can most likely go with and adult post as they will be stronger and heavier. A length adjustment post like the One-up or PNW would be a good choice for the bigger kids as they grow.

The easy shifting Microshift 1x10 drivetrain, paired with an 11-48t cassette, offers a wide range of gears perfect for climbs and fast descents, while Giant’s TRA tubeless wheels (with 30 mm internal width) help prevent pinch flats, particularly when paired with Maxxis Minion tires. These tires, combined with the tubeless setup, offer exceptional traction on loose, rocky, or muddy terrain, giving young riders the confidence to push their limits.

The Tektro braking system with kids-size reach adjust levers, featuring 180 mm front and 160 mm rear rotors, provides more than enough stopping power for lighter riders. The smaller rotors may seem modest by adult standards, but they are perfectly sized for the system weight of the bike and its riders, ensuring safe and controlled braking without overwhelming the rider. Our long-term experience with the kids Tektro brakes are they offer of great build quality and are low maintenance, rarely requiring bleeds or adjustments. Our advice to Tektro would be to brand these as kids TRP brakes…mountain bikers are a finnicky lot when it comes to branding.

The smart choices on the build allow Giant to keep the bike at a great price without sacrificing performance for the groms. Well done Giant.

With a highly sensitive suspension, stable geometry, and well-thought-out componentry, the Giant Faith 27.5/26 is one of the best options for young mountain bikers looking to progress their skills. The Crest SL FloTune Lite suspension system ensures that lighter riders get the most out of their suspension, while the modern geometry make sure the bike is comfortable and responsive in all mountain conditions.

"This Faith sits in between the Kids’ Trail and Enduro Category, making it a great all-rounder. From descending single track to lift access bike park, this bike rips. For reference, I built a XS 26 inch Santa Cruz Bronson with Fox factory suspension and my 10 year old quickly decided the Faith was the better performing suspension for his weight. For the whole time we had the Faith, his custom Bronson collected dust in the garage.

Priced at $2,600 USD/$3,000 CDN for the Faith, the build offers excellent performance and value for young shredders who are ready to tackle serious trails with confidence. Whether your child is taking on technical descents, flowing single track or working on clearing jumps lines, the Faith provides a near perfect platform to grow their skills confidently and effectively." - Colin