Giant Anthem 1 2018

Description

Giant Anthem 1 - 2018

The 2018 Anthem progresses towards a dedicated trail geometry. For cross-country racers, the Anthem 29er range is your cup of tea. For those who want a bit more stability and confidence going downhill, then keep reading.

In this First Look review, we cover what’s different from 2018 and why you should consider buying the Giant Anthem 1 2018, especially, over Giant’s other models like the Giant Trance and Giant Reign.

So what has changed for 2018? Well, there are certainly small improvements and in summary, they are:

1/ Front travel increased to 130mm.
2/ Handlebar width increased to 780mm.
3/ Stem length decreased by 10mm to 20mm in some sizes.
4/ SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed, delivers the widest gear range from 10T to 50T (rear cassette).
5/ Dropper post lever updated to a ‘shifter paddle’ style for better ergonomics and smoother actuation.
6/ Maxxis tyres and tubeless – out of the box.

We now delve into a little more detail. For those that don’t know, Giant produces the Anthem 1 (including the Anthem 2 and Anthem 3) frames from a material called ALUXX SL. This is Giant’s second-best aluminium frame; made from 6011 aluminium and double butted. This means Giant uses 2 different wall thickness; thicker where there’s more stress and loading bearing required and transitioning to thinner where there isn’t. It’s a smarter use of material and also results in a better strength to weight ratio.

Maestro Suspension is responsible for keeping the rear wheel on the Anthem 1 maintaining traction. It does this using 4 pivots and 2 short linkages. Each pivot rolls on a completely sealed bearing; ensuring water, mud and grit doesn’t affect the smooth rotation of the rear swingarm. Recently, Giant has modified the top linkage; it’s now made from one-piece carbon and is lighter and stiffer than the previous generation top link. One other thing; the top portion of the rear shock uses a Trunnion mount. Using this mounting layout, it allows Giant to use a longer stroke rear shock (resulting in a lower leverage ratio, get used to hearing this because there’s a lot of it across all of the Giant range). Lower leverage simply means the rear wheel move lots more than the rear shock does; allowing the Anthem to absorb high-speed chatter impacts and keep the rear wheel glued to the trail, especially under braking. Therefore on braking [such as when braking before a corner] the rear of the Anthem 1 doesn’t feel skittish and out-of-control.

For 2018, the front end of the Anthem 1 has been bumped up to 130mm [instead of 120mm from last season]. Usually this increase in travel will slacken the head tube angle as well, but in this case, it hasn’t. Giant has kept the head tube angle (68-degrees) the same from 120mm to 130mm, by lifting the bottom bracket height. This extremely important change will help the Anthem 1 2018 descend with more confidence and stability, without sacrificing its climbing ability. Very smart.

The Anthem 1 is suspended on Rock Shox suspension for 2018, instead of Fox. The new 2018 Pike is the RC Solo Air version. It features rebound tune and clicks of compression damping (until it fully locks out) and sag which is controlled by air pressure. Compared to the old Pike, this new one is a better trail fork. In summary, improvements include;

1. 180mm rotor brake mounts as standard because no one uses 160mm rotors on a trail fork.
2. Tyre clearance up to 2.8-inches wide [possible with Boost spacing]. 
3. Refined fork arch and material carved out of the lower legs reduce weight by 150 grams.
4. Debon Air spring. This is a massive change for the Pike. It’s simply a larger negative air spring; improving small bump compliance and delivering better mid travel support so that the fork doesn’t reach full travel too quickly or brake dive.

The Deluxe RT rear shock has three adjustments; air pressure [for sag], rebound and lockout. Much like the Pike, the Deluxe is a dedication trail shock. The same design concepts are employed on the Deluxe; larger negative air volume [Debon Air] for better support and smoother small bump performance.

SRAM GX Eagle [12-speed] is the golden child of 2018. Where we are used to seeing Deore XT, Eagle GX has taken over. Why?

GX Eagle brings the massive 10-tooth to 50-tooth gear range to the masses, ensuring it’s affordable for the average weekend warrior. Pricing is almost half that of Eagle X01, and the weight a mere 300 gram heavier. The purpose of Eagle is to allow you absolute freedom; whether it’s a fast XC lap at your local trails with minimum elevation or the hour long alpine mountain climbs of New Zealand.  

The Anthem 1 2018 rolls on trail-specific carbon wheels, as opposed to last year where the model used cross country wheels. The difference? Inner rim width has increased from 21mm to 27mm for the trail version. This allows the rim to accommodate larger width tyres [remember the Pike that can fit 2.8” wide tyres?]. Wider rims also deliver better resistance to impacts [fewer pinch flats] and allow riders to use lower pressures for better traction on technical trails. Both front and rear hubs are completely sealed for maximum durability.

Tubeless is a massive point of difference for Giant for all their 2018 performance bicycles. Every bike in the performance range is setup tubeless out of the box [rim strip, tyres and valve], all we need to do is add sealant. The benefits of tubeless tech are plenty;

1. No tube inside means zero surface friction; the rolling feels smoother.
2. Adding tubeless sealant ensures that pinch flats are sealed almost instantly.
3. Mountain bikers can use lower pressures, which allows the tyre to deform freely and therefore delivers more traction and control.

Regarding warranty, Giant has a Lifetime frame warranty, Rock Shock and SRAM have 2 years, the Giant TRX 1 carbon wheels are covered for 2 years. Ivanhoe Cycles include 2 complimentary services that are valid within 12 months of purchase.

SPECIFICATIONS:

 

Sizes	XS, S, M, L, XL
Colors	Satin/Charcoal/Blue
Frame	ALUXX SL Grade Aluminium, 110mm Maestro Suspension
Fork	RockShox Pike RC Solo Air, 130mm Travel, Boost 15x110, Maxle Stealth, Tapered
Shock	RockShox Deluxe RT, Trunnion Mount
Handlebar	Giant Contact SL Trail, 780x31.8mm
Stem	Giant Contact SL
Seatpost	Giant Contact S Switch, Dropper post with Remote, 30.9mm
Saddle	Giant Contact SL, (Neutral)
Shifters	SRAM GX Eagle, 1x12
Rear Derailleur	SRAM GX Eagle
Brakes	SRAM Guide R, Hydraulic Disc, 180mm rotors

Brake Levers	SRAM Guide R
Cassette	SRAM GX Eagle, 10-50t
Chain	SRAM GX Eagle
Crankset	TruVativ Descendent 6k Eagle, 32t
Bottom Bracket	SRAM GXP PressFit
Rims	Giant TRX 1 27.5 Carbon WheelSystem [F] Boost 15x110 [R] Boost 12x148, XD Driver Body
Tires	[F] Maxxis Forekaster 27.5x2.35, 60 TPI, EXO, TR, Tubeless, [R] Maxxis Forekaster 27.5x2.20, 60 TPI, EXO, TR, Tubeless
Weight	The most accurate way to determine any bike’s weight is to have your local dealer weigh it for you. Many brands strive to list the lowest possible weight, but in reality weight can vary based on size, finish, hardware and accessories. All Giant bikes are designed for best-in-class weight and ride quality.

Specification