Thanks for that - I was just wondering if it was similar or not on small bump compliance - I guess not. Ie what is going to kill my back after 40km of single track. Might have to do some test riding.
I find Giant in general has always represented good value for money $ for $ compared to the other large brands.
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On Trek’s website it is listed as 1.3kg - still heavy though.
Yep even on the anthem you get xt drivetrain and brakes, carbon wheels, stepcast, and full carbon frame for 5k. No one will beat that, that I’ve seen.
They just need a dropper friendly seatpost dia. And they could do a lot better on sales I think.
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Giants always seem like the best for money but all of their bikes are so ugly. I fell no shame in saying the best looking bike is usually what I buy.
One thing that always offput me was that they don’t list any weights.
But at the same time I’ve seen a trek come in 4 lbs heavier than the weight they listed on their site, in the same size. So maybe giant is the one being the most honest.
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They list the weights on the Giant Japan website
I spoke to a Giant New Zealand rep, and while they may have been lying, or not in the know, I was surprised to hear there were no plans at all for an Anthem update in line with the Evo, Top Fuel, Spark etc.
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@devolikewhoa83, line choice my friend. Line choice.
I’m a big fan of “under-biking” wherever possible. Purchased a new Santa Cruz hardtail this year just for this purpose and spend most of my riding time on it instead if my FS bike.
Efficiency and line choice increasing with each ride. Forces you to look up the trail all the time instead of barreling through stuff on a FS bike
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True to a point, but highly dependent on the obstacle that is rolled over vs avoided. Just having suspension is not a free ticket to being faster. It may make it smoother and faster than rolling it with the hardtail, but that doesn’t guarantee it is faster than the alternate line. The undulations and such could result in a drop in speed or momentum that is more detrimental than the avoidance, regardless of suspension. That tricky trail problem is what makes this all more complex and fun to “solve” as a rider. 
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How much does this thing weight? Looks sweet!
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Thanks. 
Its no light weight with a 2.4 Rekon, dropper post and NX, but its currently at 11kg or a shade over 24lbs
Yeah, that’s true but only to a point. There’s also picking the right tool for the job.
Lots of fast and very skilled riders out here. Very few ride the trails i’m thinking of on a hardtail, and when they do, the hardtail is slack with 2.6 tires and a 140mm fork.
It’s a seller’s market. I probably under-priced my Blur, it sold quickly and with no haggling. I would also recommend going used now, but be ready with cash in hand.
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Yeah, i have some friends with bikes with bottles on the downtube and they get disgustingly dirty. No thanks.
How do you like the Aspen on the front? I use it as a rear but its mostly loose over hard, rocky stuff where I live and am afraid to throw it on the front. Currently running a aspen/ardent race combo.
You should listen to the podcast with Alex Wild episode 269 around 36 minutes in. He mentioned getting faster descending not by training on his XC bike, a fully rigid bike, a hard tail or whatever else, but rather by practicing/riding on a longer travel trail bike with a dropper post. At 42:00 Jonathan mentioned Katerina Nash, a world champ level athlete, and how she started riding “big enduro level bikes” and found that was the best way she gained skill, confidence and speed. Nate mentioned the “big bikes” as a great way to develop skills and Jonathan “completely agree(d).”
Watch Sam Hill and Richie and the rest of the gravity guys talk about line choice and it’s much more involved than most XC guys will ever consider and they are on 160-200mm travel bikes. My point being you don’t need to be on a hard tail to care about line choice and free speed.
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Finally got mine done and tested it out. Thoroughly impressed with the E13 cassette compared to the GX Eagle cassette on my Ransom.
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You’re lucky. Mine went straight back to backcountry. Couldn’t get it to play nice at all. Running xtr 11 now.