scutchin

About me: 56 years old, finding I'm surprisingly capable on a mountain bike after many years away. Long line of motorcycles including lots of offroad so maybe that's not so surprising. Love road cycling, got a trail bike (Polygon Siskiu T8) just to try it out and fell back in love. Bought a Trek Marlin 6 for my son, rode it and realized that most of my riding is better served on an XC bike. Thinking full suspension since the body is a little battered, including neck fracture/compressed discs, and worried that a hard tail on 3+ hour rides would take a toll.

Really liking this Giant Anthem Advanced Pro 29 3 (wow that's a long name!), seems like a fair value for the price. Love the 2-year you destroy it, we replace it warranty on the carbon frame and wheels.

What are everyones thoughts on getting an XC, will I notice that much more speed over a 32+ pound trail bike on 2.6" DHF/DHR tires and 140/135 of travel (Giant is 110/100)? When I rode my son's bike it felt so much faster, but I only rode it for a few minutes, not a few hours.

Would love feedback on the bike too, not a lot about Giant out there.

2old

IMO, the Trek Marlin series is the best "bang for your buck" hardtail, although there may be some (who sell other brands) that will nitpick the grips or some other minor component. That said, considering your past injuries, the Giant makes sense to me. It is a nicely priced, superb bike, and Giant (to me) is a premium brand. I'm speaking as the owner of a 2022 Stance after 17 years on a Santa Cruz Superlite.

Polaris OBark

My kid had a similar bike (2018 ANTHEM ADVANCED 29 1) and it was the most ideal mountain bike I have experienced (even comparing it to some that are 2 or 3 times more expensive), for all the reasons you list. He sold it because he outgrew it (he had it for high school XC team); I really wish we had kept it. It was light, responsive, fast and fun to ride.

My guess is the Pro version would be a similar or better experience.

prj71

Trek Marlin and Giant Anthem Advanced Pro 29 3 are in 2 different leagues both in components and price. You are trying to compare a premium full suspension bike to an entry level hard tail.

In any case...a friend of mine that races...The Giant Anthem has been the only bike he has used over the years. Whether it's right for you or not depends on the trails you like to ride and how you like to ride. Could be that the 110/100 suspension is OK where you ride.

5pac3gh0st

Whichever you decide to go with, definitely go for some test rides if you can. I had my heart set on a Giant and after a few test runs on one decided they weren't a good fit for me.

As far as XC vs Trail... I stuck with trail knowing that I was getting a ride that would let me hit the biggest variety of terrain where I can ride most often and I'm simply not good enough (or light enough, if I'm honest) to justify shaving ounces or travel off a ride so I can climb just a tiny bit more quickly.

But if you can tell a difference... that's all that matters—smiles on every descent!

Kapusta

So you already have the Polygon Siskiu T8 and are looking to add the Anthem to the stable? Or replace the Siskiu?

Sure, the Anthem is going to be a faster bike to pedal than the Siskiu T8. But a lot of that will simply be the difference in tires. DHR is definitely not a fast rolling rear tire, and DHF is only slightly better. You can always try faster rolling tires (especially in the rear). And in 2.6, those are pretty heavy as well. You could look at tires in the 2.4ish range. Just making a smart tires swap can get you a faster bike if that is what you are looking for.

But even besides the tires, the Anthem is a better bike to get from point A to B the fastest if there is pedaling involved (thus it is an XC race bike). Whether you prefer that kind of bike is another story, though. Really depends what you are riding, and what you like to focus on.

The Siskiu T8 hits that mid-travel sweet spot that is generally a real crown pleaser. Its what I ride (135/150). Yeah, I would have better Strava times in the climbs and flats with an XC bike, but its not as fun for me pointing downhill.

veganbikes

That Giant doesn't look too bad I mean mixing Fox and RockShox on one bike is a little odd but both are good quality parts so not a bad thing. I have a bike with a SID XX fork and then a bike with a Fox Factory but two different bikes. I also like they are using Shimano from the looks of it which is good. Not a fan of orange personally but like the paint job scheme.

Reynolds 531 

Everyone in the world changes the Giant saddle on the first day, so factor that in to the price. Giants are a very underrated (Maestro) suspension.

Darth Lefty 

That is a sweet bike. With the short travel and flex stays and lockout remote it's definitely XC race style.

I can't find any Linkage Design or similar analysis of this version's suspension linkage. In the past Giant has made a pretty compliant Anthem that is reliant on the lockout. Pretty common on XC bikes. Contrast to most trail models that are designed so chain tension cancels out the pedal bob when the suspension is open and sagged.

A lot of the sensation of speed is in the wheels and tires.

scutchin

I plan on keeping the T8 for when I do places that have drops and jumps. Not that a drop more than a few feet, but i think the T8 is the right bike for that.

I mostly want speed on flats and uphill where the T8 feels like a boat anchor! I seriously considered just a hardtail but afraid the body won't like that on the 4+ hour rides I sometimes do. A 22 pounder sounds so fun though!

I might try my hand at XC racing also. Who knows?!

scutchin

Well, I bit the bullet and got the Giant. I only have about 10 miles of riding on it so far, mostly shakedown type riding, but got in a few sprints and short hills so I can compare to the trail bike.

Wow this thing is fast!! I really didn't understand what they meant by an XC race bike until I rode this. Now I get it. It accelerates so quickly, uphills I'm in 5th gear versus 1st or 2nd on the trail bike. It is 9 pounds lighter which isn't trivial, but carbon wheels, fast tires, and geometry definitely come into play.

Handling is crazy, it turns so fast. Not nearly as stable as the trail bike, I would say it is almost twitchy/nervous, very racy. Really fun to throw it side to side.

For sure need to try my hands (legs?) at a race now!

2old

Excellent choice and a nice ride to transport it. Keep us updated on your progress. I predict great things, since it reminds me of my 2005 Santa Cruz Superlite which I built up to <25 pounds and served me well for 17 years, but yours has far more advanced technology.

prj71

Congratulations!!! I like the color.

t2p

wow 9 pounds lighter

nc99

I've ridden the stock Giant Contact saddle on my Trance for over 3000km and I'm happy with it. I did a 95km, 2000m gain loop in summer and it was fine for that ride.

scutchin

Stock saddle is a Fizik Antares. I wear gel shorts which help, but for sure this isn't comfortable by any means.

veganbikes

Make sure everything is adjusted properly for you, it could be the wrong saddle that is possible but in many cases it is an improperly adjusted saddle.