Its versatility makes it one of the staples in Giant’s performance off-road family. The lightweight ALUXX SL frameset is a FluidForm work of art with all the right angles. Add 4 inches of Maestro Suspension travel and new features like a PressFit bottom bracket for stiffness and a tapered OverDrive headtube for pinpoint steering, and you have an off-road bike that’s lightweight enough to race and tough enough to rail nasty descents week in and week out.
Fox F100RL with QR15 thru-axle, tapered steerer
suspension fork and Fox Float RP2 Boostvalve rear shock
Weaknesses: Wish the FORK on this had some kind of brain-technology like the new DRCV fork on the 2012 Fuel EX 8/9. It's a bit of a compromise for the rest of the frame and suspension and components. But if you set it up right it's still nearly top-notch.
Bottom Line:
Cockpit fits like a perfectly seemed glove. The bike becomes an instant appendage, whipping, turning, climbing, and rolling smoothly. You cannot get this thing to pedal bob more than a cm; it's crazy. These Giant engineers have found a way to make a FS climb and sprint forward like a HT. The geometry of the bike feels racey, and the bike is very light. But I never felt like I was going over the handlebars (flipped the stem up rather than down). Light and Strong/Stiff. The steering is nimble and responsive. Where I live, we don't have mountains...but we climb and descend and the terrain can get rough...but not too rocky...so a 4" travel bike is about perfect for MI and my light weight (5'11" ,145lbs). I rode the Trance after this at the shop and knew within about 6 pedal strokes that the Anthem was a gem. If you want a fast, light, responsive $3000 price-range bike, this is it! The MAESTRO suspension made a believer out of me not just by feel, but by checking that sag ring over and over and it just hardly moved while I sprinted and climbed but ate up drops and steps... This is a highly highly highly rated bike for a reason...
Similar Products Used: Stumpjumper, Epic, Fuel EX 8, Niner, various other FS and HTs
Bike Setup: Stock - XT!
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Submitted by
Rhodesie
a Racer
from Auckland, New Zealand
Date Reviewed: May 2, 2011
Strengths: Fairly light, extreamly comfortable riding position for me, climbs better than my old hard tails ever did, value for money with the stock parts is great but still allows some easy upgrades
Weaknesses: Stock bars were far too wide for me and some of the other Giant parts worked fine but were swaped out for asthetic reasons
Bottom Line:
This bike has been brilliant. I decided on the Anthem after reading the reviews here and I am extreamly happy with it. Giant have the best value for money bikes in my opinion and they also back it up with performance. I cant think of a bike that I would rather ride during a marathon race.
Similar Products Used: Mostly hardtails before this
Bike Setup: Ritchey WCS bar, stem, seat post , bar ends, ESI grips, xtr shifters....
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Submitted by
apache70
a Cross Country Rider
from Korea (republic of)
Date Reviewed: March 22, 2011
Strengths: This bike is top class and by far the best I have ever owned, very fast, almost as light as some considerably more expensive carbon offerings and a design proven at the highest level. Only has 4 inches of travel but copes with most terrain very well.
Weaknesses: none so far
Bottom Line:
Best choice to XC riders.
Resonable price to its highet performance.
Similar Products Used: Specialized FSR, Santa Cruz Heckler, Superlight. Various Marin Mount Visions, Cannondale Rush.
Bike Setup: Everything is original, except for the saddle.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
&^S$t9eph%8n
a Cross Country Rider
from Auckland New Zealand
Date Reviewed: October 28, 2010
Strengths: First full suspension bike I've used. Climbs as well as my KHS hardtail but tracks better up and down climbs. Very responsive, light but (so far) seems able to take the knocks. The components all seem to work well together. As would be expected compared to a hard tail, I can take uneven surfaces and drops more confidently.
Weaknesses: Took a while to fit the bike to me...I am 5' 6" and using a small frame - took the wide handlebars off and using flatter narrower bars - suits my riding style which includes narrow fast single track. The suspension is quite firm, but am getting used to it now and prefer it.
Bottom Line:
I am a 50+ rider that enjoys flowing single track and some technical trails, but not major drop-offs...the bike feels like a good mix of being fast and manoeuvrable but comfortable enough for three-plus hours of riding. I was looking for something light enough so I can still climb as I age without dying half-way up, but was also reasonably bomb-proof for the inevitable crash...and I am happy with what this bike delivers in this regard. Of course you pay for what you get. I would note that my old steel frame still delivers - with more practice I am sure I will get faster than I can be on the hardtail.
Similar Products Used: Used a hard tail KHS with '04 bombers and basic Shimano all round.
Bike Setup: Standard apart from putting on narrower handle bars
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Submitted by
DiscoStu
a Racer
from Waterdown, Ontario
Date Reviewed: September 4, 2010
Strengths: Maestro suspension, lightweight, FULL XT drivetrain stock with XTR shadow derailleur. Sharp as a razor for handling. XT wheels are UST so slipping on your favourite tubeless skins is a piece of cake!
Weaknesses: Same as it's strength - the razor sharp handling. As a previous poster mentioned, if you are having an off day you can end up in trouble because the bike is way ahead of you.
Bottom Line:
2010 version is fantastic. I didn't like the thought of crashing a carbon bike in a rock garden so I went with the highest level aluminum machine I could find. Having full XT means everything works together as it should. No compromises on components on this bike. Get one! Older Anthems couldn't handle wide tires, but I can fit a finger between my tires and any part of the frame with 2.25s on it.
Similar Products Used: Specialized FSR XC Pro, Kona Cinder Cone
Bike Setup: Stock except Schwalbe Rocket Rons and Crank Bros Candy SL pedals
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Francoisrdt
a Weekend Warrior
from Quebec
Date Reviewed: August 24, 2010
Strengths: Lightweight yet plush, Nimble, Flickable... so incredibly fast...
Weaknesses: Long term durability of all the pivots is yet to be proven, as is the strenght of the frame. Giant Contact seatpost is not doing its job well, as experienced by some of my collegues too.
Bottom Line:
It is not my first ride on an anthem X, but its my first one on a bike that is that well spec'd! Again, the feel you get out of this bike is really, really strong: a generous 4 incher that's super efficient and responsive. That's why I picked it, even if i ride with more trail-oriented riders and bikes.
By far (with XT wheelset), it is the best climber i've ever ridden, and descends just pretty, pretty well. SID team lets you tune everything in the fork. Brakewise, I wasn't sure about the XT's, since I'm a long time Avid lover. And they did everything I asked them to, just fine too! Let's say their smoother, but the skid-cornering efficiency factor still is there.
We will see the reliability of all that superb package in a couple of months, for now I'm just in awe and starting my story with it. Like I said, since I'm going to go rough on it, I'm wondering it that «racer» is gonna hold on.
Similar Products Used: Rocky Mountain Vertex, Giant Reign, Intense Spider 29, Amoeba Hussar, Giant STP1, Giant Trance X
Bike Setup: Anthem X1 full XT/XTR with Hope upgrades, Carbon handlebar 690mm, 90mm stem and tubeless Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.25 setup, for a tad bit of burlyness.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Matt Wilson
a Cross Country Rider
from Halifax, UK
Date Reviewed: July 11, 2010
Strengths: Light, fast, responsive.
Weaknesses: Fizik saddle a bit un-comfortable on 3 hour+ rides
Bottom Line:
Bought this bike about a month ago to do local cross country challenges and its an absolute joy to ride. You get on it and it just wants to fly. Living in the Pennine hills of West Yorkshire there are a lot of long, steep climbs to cycle up and this bike just laps them up..
I'd strongly recommend it to anyone wanting to go up hills fast, improve their XC challenge times or just have a blast!
Submitted by
DanB1978
a Cross Country Rider
from UK
Date Reviewed: March 2, 2010
Strengths: This bike is top class and by far the best I have ever owned, very fast, almost as light as some considerably more expensive carbon offerings and a design proven at the highest level. Only has 4 inches of travel but copes with most terrain very well.
Weaknesses: None so far.
Bottom Line:
This bike is a great buy and has won top marks in all magazine tests for a reason. I am interested to know how the previous reviewer who is the only one who doesn't rate this bike has owned for 2 years when they haven't been available that long????!!
If you buy the latest incarnation of this bike you won't be disappointed, perfect XC performance.
Bike Setup: everything is original, except for the hubs, i put some xt hubs
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Steve Crewdson
a Cross Country Rider
from Waterford
Date Reviewed: September 4, 2009
Strengths: Maestro suspension, SID, light weight for XL frame...overall an extremely fast and confident bike.
Weaknesses: Avid Elixer R brakes are sub-par for a bike of this quality. The rear caliper is horrible and sounds like a freight train when applied.
Bottom Line:
I've been riding for 15 years and this is by far the fastest bike I have been on over the years. The Maestro suspension is superior to any other FS XC bike I've seen. In the first mile on this bike I knew I was on something like nothing else I've ever ridden and I still have that feeling 250 miles later.
The geometry is great for my 6'5" frame but it isn't very forgiving if you are having an off day. This bike isn't a pure breed race bike but it is close enough that if you are not on your A-game the bike will let you know. However, if you ARE ready to ride then you will be faster on this bike than anything else in this price range.
Build quality is fantastic, components are respectable for the price point, and the orange paint scheme is wearing on me well. This bike is much better than my experiences with other brands.
Bike Setup: Stock other than PC-991 chain and TIme ATAC XS Carbon pedals
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
petergoldhawk
a Cross Country Rider
from Windsor, Ont. Canada
Date Reviewed: July 20, 2009
Strengths: Great component spec.,
Fork, light weight
Weaknesses: Gearing a little short,
hard grips, little brake modulation
Bottom Line:
Its a great bike, the suspension soaks up bumps no problem, and you can roll over roots and rocks easily. The SID is particularly great. Originally I had the rear suspension @ 30% sag but found there to be some pedal bob when mashing the gears - setting it to 20% fixed that, and I could maybe even go to 25.
I do have some of the same gripes as previous reviews; the gearing is too short and the grips dont cushion too much. I also find that the Elixr brakes have a very on/off feeling - I have adapted to it, but if you are picky about brakes these arent as good as XTR. Perhaps I just need to break them in more.
I bought this bike because I was doing a few 24hr races a year and the hardtail I had w/ 80mm fork was just beating up on me too much - this is much better.
Similar Products Used: KHS Alite team,
GT Zaskar Expert
Bike Setup: Stock, w/ Ritchy Z-max tires, some Specialized grips
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
paulman
a Cross Country Rider
from Naperville, IL USA
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2009
Strengths: Most everything !! Maestro suspension, light weight, stiffness, fast bike!
Weaknesses: None significant. Grips may not suit long technical rides.
Bottom Line:
Fast enough for most to race and compliant enough for trail riding. This bike is amazing! This bike fits my body (long arms and torso) perfect with its long top tube unlike Specialized which are too upright for my liking. The Maestro susp is so efficient, you don't even know it's there. This bike rolls incredibly fast and begs to be ridden hard. While handling is sensitive, in no way is it nervous. It is stiff and balanced. Bottom bracket is about an inch lower than my 2007 Kona. Despite some complaints about the Michelins, I found them to grip very well and roll fast. Mavic rims are stiff and light. The front is a little light and can wash out on turns (now I know when to weight it), but the SID Team fork handles rocky descent very well. Legs and body take far less beating on the X1 than on my 29.5 lb Kona, which is supposed to have great geometry. Can't wait to race this bike. The X1 has surpassed my expectations!!
Similar Products Used: 2007 King Kikapu, 2009 Epic Comp, Stumpjumpers, 2003 Fisher Hoo Koo
Bike Setup: Stock, 20" (large frame), 6'1", 170 lb. rider, part time XC racer, stock Michelins with tubes; 38-40 psi, sub 25 lbs.
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Submitted by
Pedro
a Cross Country Rider
from Burlington, Ontario
Date Reviewed: April 24, 2009
Strengths: Nimble, lightweight and predictable ride. Sweet design that turns heads.
Weaknesses: Nothing major found during break-in period. Wish it had one more top end gear. Bottle cage is mounted a little high and makes long bottle fits a no-go.
Bottom Line:
A very nice package that is very well-priced. I was looking for a new XCountry setup as I'm not into breaking bonez on extreme trails and this bike delivers. The bike is quick to accelerate though the gearing maxes out a little too quickly for me. The Giant sizing schemes require a little more setup time to get the fit right but overall fit it good for me on a S frame @ 5'6" with a long torso. The rear suspension is alien - it just soaks up trail noise and you don't even realize its working - VERY NICE.
Used the search function but wanted to ask before buying the goods tomorrow.
Bike is 2011 Anthem X1 (26er). Fork is 100mm F32 with 15mm TA. I am 170 pounds and do purely xc. Als Read More »
Don't see in the Giant catalog where the Anthem X is available as frameset only, like it has been offered in seasons past.
Anyone know if the Anthem X's are available like this? Read More »
xpost from All Mountain:
One of my bikes is a 2011 giant anthem x1 26er with a 650b front wheel. Went 650b for a slightly slacker HA and for the positive benefits of the tire an Read More »
Hey I know these are slightly different types of bikes . I ride all sorts of stuff but nothing too wild and am new to 29rs and full sus. Any coments and reccomendations will be gre Read More »
