It is the world’s first no-compromise suspension, with total pedaling independence, zero brake jack and complete suspension activity, three key fundamentals. The Anthem is built for speed with its 3.5 inch travel and amazing agility achieved through meticulously pared down weight, lightning fast geometry and wide open cockpit.
Weaknesses: I worry somewhat that the frame wont hold up, though they provide a lifetime warranty on it, im still a little worried that it will fail.
Bottom Line:
Terrific bike, extremely fast, plush 4"/100mm of suspension in is adequate. I was at the mountain this past weekend, this bike is an unbelievable climber, i have never traveled so fast/confident uphill.
The reign x1 is better on the decent, but the anthem performs well and overall and is a more well rounded bike.
I will likely end up owning 1 giant all mountain bike and the anthem x, to complete the spectrum.
The girlfriend is now looking for an anthem x w frameset.
Submitted by
Jlam
a Cross Country Rider
from Australia
Date Reviewed: April 21, 2010
Strengths: Anthem x2 Light, quick response, climbs like a mountain goat. Well spec for the price
Weaknesses: cable routing, easy to fix tho
Bottom Line:
Great bike for the value spent,good for XC racing. Decends quickly and climbs like a mountain goat.
Very quick on the single trail stuff, technical climbs are great, technical dh not so great, but it's an XC bike, if you want to do technical dh, get a dh bike.
Next upgrades : XTR/Stan ZTR355 wheelset, New Stem, XT crank, maybe SID Team forks
Bike Setup: Standard, but Maxxis Monorail up front, Thompson seat post, ESI grips
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
fatyowls
a Cross Country Rider
from staffordshire
Date Reviewed: November 8, 2009
Strengths: Lightning fast agile up and down very light this bike has carried me over some great distances i ride a lot up the peak district its on my door step very rocky. Long climbs this bike loves it. I had a VT a couple of years ago its almost as supple as that but it weighed 35 LBS my anthem 24 LBS a big difference giants got this bike spot on.
Weaknesses: slight chain suck but only in very harsh conditions
Bottom Line:
An excellent bike i did upgrade quite a few things to get it how i wanted but it was still £2000 cheaper than buy the scott spark and dare i say its almost as good. buy this bike if long rides big hills and long descents it will swallow up the miles like a hard tail.
Strengths: Great all rounder. Replacement parts easily available and not too expensive. Can take plenty of punishment after many hours of riding.
Weaknesses: Low bottom bracket makes the cranks hit the ground sometimes. This creates stability though. The two small alloy bolts on the rear suspension triangle works themselves loose over time and 1 broke.
Bottom Line:
Great reliable bike at a good price. Great all rounder and even better on endurance, long distance racing. Make sure to clean the threads and add loctite on the rear triangle top mounting. These bolts, especially on the left, work themselves loose and can break. Happened again after a service and long race. Fortunately the bolts did not break this time. I'm so happy with the bike after 2.5 years of hard racing, that I bought my wife a brand new frame to replace her Orbea hardtail. If I can find a new Anthem with a large frame, I'd buy it tomorrow. Not too convinced about the new X1 configuration yet. Maybe I should test one.
Strengths: Light, Good-looking, fast geometry, well-built.
Weaknesses: I honestly can't think of any. Paint chips kinda easily? Oh, the bottom bracket is low and you have to kinda get used to that, not a huge deal though.
Bottom Line:
If you are a racer, or enjoy fast XC riding, BUY THIS BIKE! I have test ridden many race-oriented XC bikes, and this is my favorite. The rear suspension works great, NO BOBBING, the rear just absorbs bump but does not move at all from pedaling. The bike climbs better than a hard tail, because the rear digs-in, as opposed to an Epic, where it is just locked out and not helping you.
I lvoe the fast geometry; it carves corners great and I can blast through switchbacks much faster than with my longer wheel-based and slower-handling Trek Fuel. The Anthem always feels super agile, and very 'flickable'. It just wants to go fast.
Before riding this bike, I read all the reviews, and it hard to believe that the bike could possibly be as good as people were saying. Let me say - and this is coming from a very picky, critical rider - the reviews are all true! This bike is amazing.
THIS is the bike that should have the name 'Epic'!
Similar Products Used: Trek Fuel, 09 Trek Top Fuel (demo'd), Gary Fisher Superfly (demo'd), Gary Fisher Hifi(demo'd), Specializd Epic, Schwinn Moab.
Bike Setup: 07 Anthem frame, 08 Sid WC, Mavic Crossmax SLR, X0 and XTR drive train w/ Easton cockpit.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
yobein
a Weekend Warrior
from Bogota, Colombia
Date Reviewed: June 2, 2009
Strengths: review for Anthem S 2008: I think it's one of the best values for a FS Bike on the market. No pedal bob. Fast uphill and down. Can handle technical trails but don't push it too far. Lightweight. Deore components for the price.
Weaknesses: Front tire lifts in steep climbs, still a little "nervous" for my current skill so I am challenged to get it controlled. The suntour XCM is not worth using, change it right away to something better, tires are narrow so change them too. Brake disks might bend under harsh conditions.
Bottom Line:
This is the way to go if you are getting to the FS world on a Budget. The bike is very good but has some compromises that can be corrected. Overall in my opinion FS makes a difference, so the bike is above HT Bikes in the price range even minding the lesser components and certainly up to par with other entry level FS bikes that are considerably more expensive.
I have only ridden it twice and it has handled the beating through harsh terrain and downhills, I still have to get the steep climbing under control.
Bike Setup: Fork changed to Suntour Epicon, tires changed to Serfas Gators
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
pierocapredoni
a Cross Country Rider
from Mendoza, Argentina
Date Reviewed: March 28, 2009
Strengths: VERY light weight, cool finish, maestro suspension
Weaknesses: None yet
Bottom Line:
Ive never tried FS bikes till now. I can say that are AWESOME MACHINES. Ive never rode so comfortably in rocks and bumps, and my speed in downlines is waaaayyyyy faster than before. It climbs like my hardtail. Leave the anthem play and it ROCKS.
Similar Products Used: Several hard tails, Giant XTC Team, Giant Alliance X0
Bike Setup: Full XT Group, Reba Team Fork 120mm, Fox R shock, Panaracer Fire XC Tires, Thomson Elite X4 Stem, Thomson Elite Seatpost, Monkeylite DH handlebar.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Widjaja SM
a Weekend Warrior
from Jakarta, Indonesia
Date Reviewed: April 14, 2008
Strengths: Very light and nimble even though it is a full suspension bike. It makes you want to go fast. The Maestro suspension works great.
Weaknesses: The components are kind of cheap or sub par. Planning to improve it soon. I would have liked to have the blue and white but only Yellow and Black available for size Medium.
Bottom Line:
I like the bike, although I have to upgrade components as I get more experienced and more challenging off road or down hill rides. I will recommend it to riders who want full suspension without the bobbing. Three chilis for value because of the components but it is a fun bike.
Submitted by
Widjaja SM
a Weekend Warrior
from Jakarta, Indonesia
Date Reviewed: April 14, 2008
Strengths: Very light and nimble even though it is a full suspension bike. It makes you want to go fast. The Maestro suspension works great.
Weaknesses: The components are kind of cheap or sub par. Planning to improve it soon. I would have liked to have the blue and white but only Yellow and Black available for size Medium.
Bottom Line:
I like the bike, although I have to upgrade components as I get more experienced and more challenging off road or down hill rides. I will recommend it to riders who want full suspension without the bobbing. Three chilis for value because of the components but it is a fun bike.
Submitted by
Carl
a Cross Country Rider
from Nelspruit, South Africa
Date Reviewed: December 9, 2007
Strengths: Lightweight, nimble, stiff. Ease with suspension set up. Price.
Weaknesses: Paintjob
Bottom Line:
Came from a hardtail background. I needed something with less impact on the "over 40" bones for the longer rides. So I got a Giant Trance: too soft for me. The Trance is marketed as a trailbike and should be seen as such. Sold it and got the Anthem. This is the bike for me! The responsiveness of a racing carbon hardtail with the rear suspension! Anthem better than a hardtail on the climbs: better traction. No mentionable energy sapping bob. Even better on going downhill. Amazing to see how you shoot past much younger riders racing over corrugations in the road. HEAD ANGLE: Was a bit worried about the steerability on tight hairpins on singletrack with the 72 degree head angle. But the Anthem handles the perfectly. Goes where you want it to go. SUSPENSION SETUP: Easy. Rear suspension settles after a few rides. I weigh 75kg. and pump the RP2 155psi. Rebound 3 clicks from the slowest setting. The front Reba Team is pumped to 90 psi top and bottom (less than the manufactures reccomendation). I haven't been able to bottom it out completely at this settings. The 3.5 inch travel at the back seems endless. I rarely use the propedal setting offroad. WEIGHT: Excellent. 200g heavier than the Blur XC. Easy to build a sub 12kg bike, even with heavier UST tires. Stiff frame. Interestingly I did not see a frame upgrade on te 2008 Anthems. Maybe just a paintjob. The paint on my "Anthem Team" frame chips easily. CONCLUSION: All in all one of the best bikes I have ever owned. GET IT if you are thinking of XC riding and racing. It also holds its own on trailriding. THE BEST if you are coming from a hardtail background.
Submitted by
Nathan Dewar
a Cross Country Rider
from Melborune, Victoria, Australia
Date Reviewed: October 16, 2007
Strengths: Nimble, light and responsive. SPV S-Type rear shock.
Weaknesses: Low BB height.
Bottom Line:
This is a review for a 2006 Anthem LE. The bike has performed better than I thought it would. Coming from an All mountain rig with 5 plus inches of travel, I was worried about how the rear end would feel. I haven't managed to bottom it out yet, so all is good. The rear suspension also performs well when out of the saddle. The bike handles well in tight single track and climbs hills well. If I had any complaints, the BB height is lower than I was used to. Just meant changing my riding style over logs etc to compensate. Overall I'm very happy with the bike and would recommend one to anybody that asked.
Bike Setup: Fox F80RLC forks, XTR brakes/shifters, XTR derailleurs, XT cranks, Thomson post, FSA carbon bars & stem, Spinergy wheelset.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Andrew S
a Cross Country Rider
from Yorkshire, UK
Date Reviewed: September 3, 2007
Strengths: Quick geometry, super stiff, climbs like a goat. Does what it says on the tin, no sloppy freeride feel here. RP23 Rear shock is fantastic. Great value
Weaknesses: Paint job is a little weak, showing significant wear after three hard rides. We will have to see how reliable the complicated suspension (4 pivots) proves to be in UK gloopy conditions.
Bottom Line:
This bike is fantastic. Marin Mount Vision served me well for years but never bonded with it like my Trek hardtail, so went looking for limited travel replacement. Tried Spec Epic, but just felt like a heavy hardtail, so went for the Anthem after reading reviews here, and in UK MTB mags. The rear sus looks complicated and unweildy, but boy does it work. Mated to my light Pace forks, this thing really goes. Normally midfield when out with my mates, but after three good hard 50km runs round Dalby, they have trouble staying with me. Sure, on the downhills it might not be free-ride plush, but it handles everything I can throw at it, and more. On the flat and uphills, it instills such confidence that you can just nail it and loose riders of similar fitness and ability. My build could be lighter, but thing is fantastic.
Hi I have to come back to say one more thing if thats ok. the higth end frames are good . foes titus ellllsworth orange santa cruzzz way over priced the anthem frame is better at a better price it is the best secret. it has a low bb that I hate but it is a xc frame but it is much more I have put it on a all moutian diet and the frame has took it in the chin and Laughed at me. the low bb is a pain with the 175 crank armes the shock s is junk but the fork has held up this frame that they made is way under priced, and ride shirman to boulder and railes to trails from danville to republic wa.
Hi I just came off a 2 hour grind off lone star fire road up to boulder I have a Dakar 2 with 5 but I use the anthem that dam anthem It goes up like greased you know I can not ride my Dakar, comming down I suffer but going up is like the bike talks to you up up up you only get that frame a sellect framed bikes no heavy spots on the climb just lets go up and the bike will go its something you have to understand only if giant can make this frame with 5 10,000. Ellworth would be sucking wind and A ,I am 200 pds And I have used it very very like a All montain and the frame is a champ something to think. ps the shock s is junk it has packed it in needs air every day the fork is good still holding air 2006 anthem 2.
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