[CS645]

Can help you there but my fathom 2 27.5 completely stock with light pedals is 29.5 lbs.

If they would make an SLR version of it, it would be a serious contender for my wives winter bike.

 

[Woodnmusic]

My 2021 Giant Fathom 2 (27.5) with about 100 miles of trail riding on it.

I'm an LBS employee, so if you've got questions, I may have the answers.

 

[thmslilly]

My 2021 Giant Fathom 2 (27.5) with about 100 miles of trail riding on it.

I'm an LBS employee, so if you've got questions, I may have the answers.

Oh that's a great looking bike.

What's the weight? I have an XL of the 29 - 2 on order and curious how much of a pig it may be.

How's the frame compliance?

Lastly fork, other component reviews?

 

[Lovespicyfood]

My 2021 Giant Fathom 2 (27.5) with about 100 miles of trail riding on it.

I'm an LBS employee, so if you've got questions, I may have the answers.

I'm curious, how are the Tektro brakes? I still haven't used my bike for real riding yet and my use of the brakes "on the street" lead me to believe they kind of suck.

Are you able to do 1 finger braking down steep trails?

 

[Fuse6F]

brakes. cant find a thing about them?
weight?
fork?

we want a review?

fwiw i got my friend interested and he bought one in xl waiting for delivery

we havent seen one yet!

is that an external battery pack on the downtube?

 

[PTCbiker]

The brakes on my Fathom 2 are a tad grabby but now that they're bedded in I feel like I'll only consider upgrading once these need pads.

 

[Woodnmusic]

Okay, will try to answer everything in order here.

1. Weight-With XT pedals and Giant Clutch integrated multitool/Co2 inflator/plugger kit my Large is about 31.5lbs.

2. Frame compliance is great. I've always liked the look and price of the Fathoms, but I didn't like the QR back end. This newly designed frame feels awesome with the additional of thru axle F/R. Solid and not too noodly.

3. Fork is okay for the money. I did already break the rebound adjustment knob which is mostly my fault. Fork parts seem to be fairly cheap, but surprisingly the fork itself performs well. Better than what I expected. Small bump compliance and big hits are both handled okay. Replacement parts are mostly unavailable at this time, as is tech specs, but I expect that will change at some point.

4. So far the Tektro brakes are okay, but they're coming off as soon as I burn through the pads. Currently, they stop, but they don't feel awesome. That's the one glaring failure of this bike in my opinion. Deore or even some non-series Shimano MTB brakes would have been better.

5. Not an external battery pack. Wolf Tooth pump bag that I ended up pulling off.

I currently own a Trance 29er and the Fathom rides a lot like it, minus rear suspension, which makes sense as the Fathom was designed around the Trance. It's one of the few trail hardtails I've ridden that doesn't beat the hell out of me on trail.

Also, say what you want but Deore 12-speed is 10x better than SRAM SX/NX IMO.

 

[Woodnmusic]

1-finger brake pull?

Missed this one. You can 1-finger the brakes, but they set up better as 2-finger. Not a huge fan, but will be replacing at some point, so not a huge deal.

 

[thmslilly]

Okay, will try to answer everything in order here.

1. Weight-With XT pedals and Giant Clutch integrated multitool/Co2 inflator/plugger kit my Large is about 31.5lbs.

2. Frame compliance is great. I've always liked the look and price of the Fathoms, but I didn't like the QR back end. This newly designed frame feels awesome with the additional of thru axle F/R. Solid and not too noodly.

3. Fork is okay for the money. I did already break the rebound adjustment knob which is mostly my fault. Fork parts seem to be fairly cheap, but surprisingly the fork itself performs well. Better than what I expected. Small bump compliance and big hits are both handled okay. Replacement parts are mostly unavailable at this time, as is tech specs, but I expect that will change at some point.

4. So far the Tektro brakes are okay, but they're coming off as soon as I burn through the pads. Currently, they stop, but they don't feel awesome. That's the one glaring failure of this bike in my opinion. Deore or even some non-series Shimano MTB brakes would have been better.

5. Not an external battery pack. Wolf Tooth pump bag that I ended up pulling off.

I currently own a Trance 29er and the Fathom rides a lot like it, minus rear suspension, which makes sense as the Fathom was designed around the Trance. It's one of the few trail hardtails I've ridden that doesn't beat the hell out of me on trail.

Also, say what you want but Deore 12-speed is 10x better than SRAM SX/NX IMO.

Thank you!

Boy am I excited now.. Weight sounds great. Sounds like the frame is relatively light and as parts are upgraded, these new Fathom's can be built pretty light. Good to hear that the frame rides great. Giant knows alloy...

Now to play the waiting game.

 

[Lovespicyfood]

1-finger brake pull?

Missed this one. You can 1-finger the brakes, but they set up better as 2-finger. Not a huge fan, but will be replacing at some point, so not a huge deal.

Thank you! I'm a bit torn here...looking at some 4 piston 6120s for less than $200...I think I will eventually go that route...

 

[Fuse6F]

great. i was joking about the battery pack!

how well do you think the brakes will be for 260lbs?

 

[patada]

Having to order sight unseen as none are available

Size up or Down?

AT 6'2" sizing chart says I could go L or XL. I'm an older rider that rarely does anything much gnarlier than xc riding, almost no jumps, and only occasional drops of < 2'. The only reason that I'm considering the Fathom is for a more upright and comfortable riding position than my xc bike but a new Fathoms main purpose would be mainly xc for me. I'm Thinking Large to ensure full length use of the dropper and the shorter wheelbase. Any suggestions or input is appreciated

 

[Lovespicyfood]

Having to order sight unseen as none are available

Size up or Down?

AT 6'2" sizing chart says I could go L or XL. I'm an older rider that rarely does anything much gnarlier than xc riding, almost no jumps, and only occasional drops of < 2'. The only reason that I'm considering the Fathom is for a more upright and comfortable riding position than my xc bike but a new Fathoms main purpose would be mainly xc for me. I'm Thinking Large to ensure full length use of the dropper and the shorter wheelbase. Any suggestions or input is appreciated

I'm 5'11" and typically size down to medium. I was told the reach on these runs short so was advised to go up to large. I got large and it does seem a bit big to me, but I think it's more that I haven't had a 29er bike in awhile.

I was most worried that perhaps I couldn't insert the dropper enough to work with my inseam. It wasn't a problem. I have plenty of room (several inches) to spare with the dropper insertion.

I'm a bit confused by your comments though...this bike is much more slack than a typical XC bike so your "upright" comments seem at odds to me...

My gut says you should probably go XL, esp. since comfort is high on your priorities.

 

[La Nada]

Having to order sight unseen as none are available

Size up or Down?

AT 6'2" sizing chart says I could go L or XL. I'm an older rider that rarely does anything much gnarlier than xc riding, almost no jumps, and only occasional drops of < 2'. The only reason that I'm considering the Fathom is for a more upright and comfortable riding position than my xc bike but a new Fathoms main purpose would be mainly xc for me. I'm Thinking Large to ensure full length use of the dropper and the shorter wheelbase. Any suggestions or input is appreciated

I can just speak from my experience but I'm 5'11 on a large and I don't feel like the bike could be much smaller and still work ideally for me. To me, the cockpit feels a bit tighter than the numbers suggest. It's the only bike I've had where I feel some hand pain even though my feel suspension bike is 2 degrees steeper on the seat tube angle. Kind of depends on what you're used to though. If you're coming from an older bike with a short reach, etc. a large might feel fine to you. Especially if you're used to and comfortable with a longer stem. Personally, if I was 6'2 I would be on a XL but everyone is different.

 

[Woodnmusic]

I'm 5' 9" with a 30" inseam. I'd say that I'm pretty evenly proportioned (half legs, half torso). After test riding a M and L 2020 Trance 29er 2, I went with the L. The M felt too upright and my legs and knees came too close to the bars when I turned.

This was a trend that I saw all of last year/this year (MY2020) while selling Giant full-sus trail bikes (Trances and Stances), even as other bikes in their lineup (Anthems, Talons, Fathoms) ran more true to size.

So when I went to buy a 2021 Fathom sight unseen, I based my decision off of my previous experience and our Giant rep telling me that Fathoms would fit just like Trances.

I wouldn't go off of Giant's website. 5' 8" to 6' 1" I'd say go Large. Anyone taller, do an XL.

In short, these bikes seem to run small, so size up if you're on the fence.

 

[thmslilly]

I'm 6'2" - about to go pick up my XL this month.

at 6'2" I prefer a reach of at least 485+. My full suspension is 500mm and the Fathom is 490mm.

Can't answer for you if the XL is ideal, but that's what I choose at my height every time.

Remember stem, handlebar and seat placement also make a huge difference in your reach and general feel on the bike. A long reach compensates for the steepening seat angles, wide bars and short stems that have made trail riding more enjoyable (IMO).

 

[semmiho]

I've just written a post regarding mine (2021 Fathom 29 1) here: https://forums.mtbr.com/giant/giant-2021-a-1139253.html

Apart from some weaknesses (mainly coming from the weak SX groupset), it's a really cool bike.

If you have questions don't hesitate to ask, I'll help if I can.

 

[thmslilly]

I've just written a post regarding mine (2021 Fathom 29 1) here: https://forums.mtbr.com/giant/giant-2021-a-1139253.html

Apart from some weaknesses (mainly coming from the weak SX groupset), it's a really cool bike.

If you have questions don't hesitate to ask, I'll help if I can.

Thanks for the post. What size is yours?

More importantly, how does it handle? Nimble, slow, fun, heavy?

 

[PTCbiker]

Thanks for the post. What size is yours?

More importantly, how does it handle? Nimble, slow, fun, heavy?

I'm not semmiho nor have his experience but I prefer my Fathom 2 to my Vitus FS bike. It's a good bit more nimble and weighs 29.5lb which is 5lbs less than my other bike.

I'm 5'10" and have a Large, feel like it's the right size for me.

 

[Lovespicyfood]

I've just written a post regarding mine (2021 Fathom 29 1) here: https://forums.mtbr.com/giant/giant-2021-a-1139253.html

Apart from some weaknesses (mainly coming from the weak SX groupset), it's a really cool bike.

If you have questions don't hesitate to ask, I'll help if I can.

Thanks for posting. Interesting on the fork...I wonder what the weight is on the Crest 34? It is disappointing that Giant doesn't have any stock on rebuild or remote kits for this fork yet...

I got a 29 2, interesting to hear your impressions of the 4 piston brakes. I've been looking at the new 4 piston SLX brakes but was sort of hoping I could live with the Tektros...