Giant Talon 4 (2025)

The Giant Talon 4 is a recreational hardtail mountain bike. It's reliable, affordable and very capable on easy mountain bike trails (most bikes at this price aren't).

It features a lightweight frame, front suspension and robust microSHIFT 8-speed gears.

This is the 2025 model, and it's run-out stock. It shares its frame, fork, gears, wheels and tyres with the current 2027 Talon 4. The difference is the brakes, and we'll explain exactly what that means below.

What is the Giant Talon 4?

The Giant Talon 4 is a recreational mountain bike for fitness, family rides and light trails.

Who should consider the 2025 Talon 4?

Riders who are mostly riding with family and mates on trails that aren't steep or technical.

You want a bike that has a great balance between calm handling and a stable, grounded overall feel.

And a riding position that's a good balance of relaxed and sporty. This makes it easier on the back and less pressure on the hands.

If that's your riding, the mechanical disc brakes on this model won't hold you back and you'll pay less than you would for the 2027.

Talon 4 Key Components

The gears first.

The Talon 4 uses a single chain-ring on the front, paired to 8 gears on the back. A solid mid-range setup.

This simplifies the drive train because there's no front derailleur, gear shifter and cable. Less moving parts means less maintenance. And you can't drop the chain into the wrong combination halfway up a climb.

The 12–46 tooth cassette gives you a genuinely low climbing gear, which is what actually matters on a bike like this.

The gears are microSHIFT rather than Shimano. microSHIFT makes excellent quality components (especially in the midrange) and the Acolyte groupset is purpose-built for wide-range single chain-ring mountain bike use. The shifting is robust and designed for mountain bike trails.

Tektro mechanical disc brakes are perfect for easy off-road trails and suburban bike paths where the terrain isn't steep.

They don't have as much stopping power as hydraulic disc brakes (like the ones on the 2027 Talon 4) but they're far better than rim brakes, and unlike rim brakes they work just as well in the wet.

Two things worth knowing about cable brakes:

As the pads wear you take up the slack yourself with a barrel adjuster. A ten-second job with your fingers, but one you need to remember every few months. So there is a little extra maintenance.

And they can be adjusted anywhere with a multitool, where a hydraulic brake eventually needs a workshop bleed.

Maxxis Ikon tyres are a versatile 2.20-inches wide. They are easy rolling on pavement while still feeling grippy on loose surfaces.

If you're spending more time on off-road trails, the Talon 4 can accommodate tyres up to 2.40-inches wide.

The 2027 Giant Talon 4 is now available

If you're researching the Talon 4, it's worth knowing that Giant has released the 2027 Giant Talon 4. For some it's a meaningful upgrade, not just a colour refresh.

Here's what's changed:

Brakes are the biggest upgrade.

The 2025 Talon 4 uses Tektro mechanical disc brakes. The 2027 steps up to Tektro hydraulic disc brakes (TKD-176) with a larger 180mm front rotor.

Hydraulic brakes require less hand effort, modulate better on descents, and are self-adjusting as pads wear.

This means:

Less maintenance compared to mechanical brakes. Better speed control and adjustability - especially for kids with small hands.

Plus for trail riding, this is a genuine improvement. But if you're riding easy trails and suburban bikes paths, mechanical disc brakes are perfectly fine and will be an improvement over older-style rim brakes.

More colour choices.

The 2025 comes in Radiant Orange and Black. The 2027 adds Azure Blue and Cyber Lime to the Black option which are fresher, more contemporary colourways.