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Second Bike choice
Need new bike suggestions. Am 40+ 90kg and currently riding a 9yo hardtail twice a week around Terrey Hills. Wanting to increase my Mtb fitness/skills etc and need a new bike. Any thoughts on the Giant Anthem X1 2011 26". Budget $3000. Want to do Northern beaches trails (typically perimiter, long, ryland, sandy, centre, chiltern, duckhole + any single track) for training and aiming on XC race (intermediate level) and adventure racing. Any suggestions welcome. (N needs to equal 1 - I'll worry about +1 later).
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plenty of people who use this website ride em
Costs $2400, or X2 costs around $2900. Good bikes, but a fair bit cheaper than the X1.
I haver an X3 -Great bike for riding around all the trails you mentioned. Although if I had the $$, I would get an X1.
Same frame as the X3, yet all the best running gear.
Check out the article
http://www.ivanhoecycles.com.au/bikes/mountain-b...
Good prices to
Good luck!
For the type of riding you are doing its a great ALLROUND choice - I just converted to an Anthem from a 140 travel bike (13.5kg) and only doing the fast downhill at the dam do i WISH I had more travel but then again mine is set up fairly rigid. I consider it a point and shoot bike - good for riding fast on trails and the odd race. As above I would go the X2 then upgrade bits ( X3 had basic rear shock etc) - I had a bucket load of XTR that I threw on my X2 - Mine weighs in now at 11.4kg with pedals (lighter than X1) - Try the 29'er too they were $2900 on special at Tuggerah. I checked the reviews all good and the lifetime warranty swayed me after cracking my last Norco frame.
If you want to drop off stuff or want a softer ride / comfort then go for more travel 120mm+
You can get them for 2,800 and at X1 spec they're great value for money. That will certainly be my next bike
is good value and if you go up to Cycology they usually have last years models at big discounts. Something else to consider Slowpup on here is selling a current shape Yeti 575 for around that which would also be a great ride if the right size for you.
Anthem 29er is at the top of my N+1 list ,saving hard!
Makes a LOT of sense for your terrain!! Great value as can def get price down to $2,800
I am going to be going 29er on my next bike, at 6'4 and 79kgs it makes sense for me, I will go HT.
Anthem 29er imo, great bikes and Giants are amazing value for money, I really rate them, I have a Giant roadie and you cant go past the value for money.
While I agree with pretty much everything that's already been said wrt. MTB, you need to consider AR as well. You don't need loads of travel for XC and AR, so also bear that in mind.
There are pros and cons for a full sus bike in mid to long course AR. Full sus bikes (at the lower end of the market) will generally be heavier than a HT and there are more parts that can go wrong mid race. Nothing worse than having one team member's suspension break down and no one knowing how to fix it, especially if there's only on full sus bike on the team i.e. the rest have HT's.
) then there's nothing better that engaging the rear suspension while on a bumpy descent or corrugated fire trail.
Given you are wearing a pack (and depending on your team role i.e. if you are the pack horse then you could be carrying some serious extra weight) it adds to the bounce factor (unless you have decent shocks) therefore reducing efficiency.
On the flip side, if you struggle with lower back pain (who doesn't
If you are doing mainly the short course AR or if your bike usage is 80:20 (MTB to AR) then go don't worry too much about the AR side of things.
I'm with the HT 29er supporters as the bike you should be looking at, especially in that price range. Comfort & efficiency in a HT = perfect AR bike...
Just like you I have a tried and tested hard tail that has been thrashed for five years now and was due for my N+1.
After much looking around I kept coming back to one bike, the Anthem x 29'er. I just couldn't go past the spec for the price - I have just put my money where my mouth is, and couldn't be happier. It rides like a magic carpet, smoothly getting over obstacles that would have slowed me on my old 26'er. As can be expected on a 29'er it takes a bit more to accelerate off the line but once rolling just goes.
If you look around you can get these bikes for well below $3k which makes them a steal.
@Logan, sorry to derail thread for a moment 6'4 and 79kg?
Going on your height to weight ratio that would make me about 7'7.....
Anyway, as is mentioned (and my 2c), the cheaper versions might be a better starting point, build up skills/fitness etc, then when the time comes, jump online and order the upgrade components and end up with the model(s) above anyway.
Matt,
http://nobmob.com/node/21871
Happy to organise a test ride if you're interested.
Go straight for the throat go a 29er they only draw back is the really tight switchbacks & every thing else is fine , make sure you do your homework b4 you lay them $$$ on the counter & not having too upgrade later down the track . Good luck in finding the bike you are after i'm happy with mine
For what you get for your hard earned. Have seen a few selling at $2900. Big wheels, good kit, easy local support, it's hard to go past this bike for VALUE. Especially for the types of trails you have mentioned.
You can see why they see so many Anthem 29ers based on the number of replies in their favour here. I'm keen to see what the 2012 models bring, they will be coming soon. Even if they just update the paint job it will be a nice change, I'm a little over the polished alloy now. My brother's recently got a job with Giant so I must find out when the new models are coming, it will also mean the current ones should be a lot cheaper.
Here a thread on them. Just a little bit of reading
http://www.rotorburn.com/forums/showthread.php?1...
Yeah, I weigh sub 79kgs currently, think I could probably cut another kg or two off my weight to make me a bit quicker.
You can get a 2011 model for under $3k
http://www.bikeexchange.com.au/bicycles/giant/29...
If you're looking to spend that sort of money, Northern Beaches cycles has a special on the Marin Mount Vision at the moment. I got one not long ago, and while it might not be as efficient as my Carbon Rush (only marginally), the thing is insane everywhere else!!! It out handles the Rush along single track by a long way, it will smash down rocky trails and steep techy sections like a 6" + travel bike and the traction for climbing is second to none. I've had a few bikes in the last couple of years and this by far is pretty damn hard to top for a fun all round bike that you can quite easily ride all day with comfort, bang down some insane DH sections and climb the steepest of steep climbs. I also do a bit of light freeride with it and it feels great off drops too.
I recently did a nice ride from Ingleside to Nth Turramurra. Down Chiltern trail, up Duckholes, over to Perimiter track, along Cullamine, over to Sandy trail, up to Mona vale rd single, down behind the showground, through wild flower gardens, down to the bottom of Waramoo DH, up to the Warramoo fire trail, down to the bottom, across the creek, climbed out of Sphinx up to Bobbin head rd. 40km and the bike was faultless and so comfortable, if I wasn't having dinner there (ol' ladies house), I'd have ridden home.
I don't know why they aren't more popular in Australia. It gets rave reviews everywhere.
Linky
This is what I got (5.7) http://northernbeachescycles.com.au/shop/product...
Or this is the next spec down (5.6). http://northernbeachescycles.com.au/shop/product...
The 5.7 has Fox RL forks and and an RP2 rear shock, much better IMO.
Or there's the 5.8, that still fits in your budget with Remote 32's, RP23, with full XT http://northernbeachescycles.com.au/shop/product...
Matt, make sure that you test ride the anthem 29er before you buy anything. If you mainly ride round here then it should work well for you for intermediate to advanced xc racing. My brother owns a stock anthem 29er that he picked up the week before the worlds last year. He raves about how comfortable it is and I expect you will find the same on the trails around Terrey Hills. He manages to get podium results in QLD and top 10 results in masters at the worlds, nationals etc so if your good enough the bike won't hold you back.
Am off to the bike shop looking at the 29er.
Has anyone tried the rumblefish? I'm curious how this compares to the anthem as the GF 29ers consistantly rate the highest in the magazine comparisons. However, I've never seen an Anthem 29 in one of these.