cold lurgy musings on new bikes, as you do !, here. I am definitely in the old school xc/bimbling, enjoy the scenery, the climbs are as much fun as the descents, wheels firmly on the ground, never do enduro type category of over 50’s rider 🙂 West of Scotland, Argyll, Cairngorm largely natural stuff, with a regular 6 weekly blast round Drumlanrig. Currently have a Mk 3 Soul (which i am keeping) and a 2015 Anthem SX, which I like, but have not particular attachment to.

So if I was to replace the Anthem, which is a well rated light, comfy, xc bike, with a newer, and much more expensive, longer, lower, type bike, say a 5010CC or a T130RS would I be likely to think I had made a transformational change for the better ? I appreciate I would go from a Fox 32 to a 34 or similar, from slx to xt, from in-house Giant dropper and finishing kit to Reverb and blingier bits. I also appreciate that it would cost me a big chunk of cash that could be spent on a holiday…

Is it really going to make the riding feel that much better, or are such bikes more suited to a more aggressive, higher speed, nail the trail, style of riding, which sadly isn’t me ? (and nor do I want it to be either really 🙂 )

Are you saying you have two XC bikes (Soul and Anthem) which are not XC enough for you, and you want to replace with a less XC orientated bike in order to ride more XC?

😕

@devash it makes perrrrrfect sense to have a full suss and a hardtail suitable for your riding, if that’s two xc bikes then so be it 🙂

How about a CX bike instead of the Anthem ? Or if you like the Anthem just upgrade a few bits now or as they wear out

🙂 I have been in bed for a week with the cold !

I guess what I am asking is how xc orientated a 5010/T130 style bike is compared to my Anthem ?

Would the new bike urge, if replacing with one of these give me something actually less xc orientated ? I think it might..

jambalaya – I have a CDF as well 🙂

A 5010cc? That’s a helluva wedge to splurge on a whim 🙂

You’ve been round Cathkin and seen the bikes used by the pros so you know it’s not just about the bike but I suspect, like me, you’d appreciate the additional security blanket/skill compensation when the trail starts heading downHill.

My worry for you is that you’d come to regard the new geo as normal after a few rides and the Soul would suddenly feel twitchy and sensitive. That’s sort of been my issue after riding the Ragley and getting back on the Blur.

What do you mean by xc orientated? XC race or as fast from one place to another as possible? The Anthem is a very good bike but given the choice I’d choose something like the Whyte (no idea about the Santa Cruz) as long, low slack is doing it for me. Not because I’m gnarr (though in my case I wish I was) but because my riding is a rather relaxed affair these days and I just ride for fun so a little extra confidence on the downhill bits is worth way more to me than saving a few seconds up the dull bits.

Get a test ride, its the only way to decide

Colin – I think you have nailed it there. I know from trial and error that having both a do it all hardtail and a light xc full susser cover my bases. I guess my wonderings are just how much of that ‘additional security blanket/skill compensation’ one of these newer geometry bikes would offer, and at what cost (not financial)

There is no way I could spend £5k on a 5010 without a lottery win, but it fits the bill for the comparison

rb – by xc i simply mean riding cross country on natural trails, for fun, not racing. Interesting that you mention losing out a little on the climbs on more relaxed geo bikes – this is probably the bit that is the concern to me – I actually like the climbs !

I can’t say for sure that you would be slower, I don’t actually think the geometry is a problem for climbing. I mentioned it because my experience of a 26er Anthem was a very light and efficient bike hard to beat for pure XC speed.

FWIW Iain I’m not finding that the Ragley is any slower up the climbs than bikes I’ve previously ridden. Maybe it would be noticeable on something with more extreme geometry but as long as it’s not a DH beast then I’d expect it to be fine. Seatpost angles, rear suspension design and overall weight will still be major factors (even if variable length forks seem to have been consigned to the dustbin of biking history).

I’m currently looking at something to replace the Blur……

interesting thanks. I was just there looking at the geo of the 2017 Anthem vs my SX (which is a 650b), and it looks like a perhaps ideal half way house, were I to change….

Colin – will be interested to see what you end up with…

Please try something that pushes the slack extreme before settling on a halfway house. Just so you know what its like, what’s the worst that could happen 🙂

And make it a size Medium….

^^^^ yeah, the sizing thing strikes me as weird too, why do folk who are 5ft 9 now fit onto large bikes ! I must be getting old and grumpy 🙂

Ive been demoing quite a bit lately and i’ve found the longer slacker bikes dont suit my general riding requirements, they seem to be more suited to faster flowy descending, but less climb or tight singletrack friendly. Took a pivot 429 trail out last week, bloody lovely, much more “traditional” geometry i guess. I’ve been focussing on 29ers but did take a four, t130 and an aeris 120 and i found them all more suiting to aggressive trail riding than general up hill and down dale stuff. Currently torn between t129 and the pivot. The whyte haveing a financial advantage but a bit longer and lower, if i can get the sizing right, being on the boundary of L and XL, the later being a good fit on the open trails but a handful in the local twisty stuff (Stanmer Park etc.)

Not aure if these musing help.

I also have an anthem 27.5 1 and a whyte 129rs. The anthem is just over 25lbs and is a quicker bike than the whyte, the whyte being better on what it was designed for – black/red trail centre stuff. I think if you spend a lot of £££ on the santa cruz you may get it down light but not with a whyte im afraid.

If you havent got one go for a 29er xc hardtail.

Unless you’d like your XC bike to give you more descending confidence then there’ll be no benefit. Won’t be worse uphill and along though, just not better either. Also, if you’re not going to benefit from the downhill/cornering improvements of the lower bottom bracket / longer wheelbase, then you’ll just suffer the downsides of reduced pedal clearance when climbing.

I’d say that slacker head angles actually climb better over the rough, you just have to concentrate more on the twisty uphill bits.

^^^^ yeah, the sizing thing strikes me as weird too, why do folk who are 5ft 9 now fit onto large bikes ! I must be getting old and grumpy

It’s political correctness gone mad, so PORG’s don’t get all butt hurt… (sorry, aimed @scroteroutes not you Ian 😀 )

Same reason as XXL is now only XL… (Which is aimed at me btw).

And <cough>RocketMAX</cough>

3 bloody pints, I ask you… Mutter, mumble….

i’ve found the longer slacker bikes dont suit my general riding requirements, they seem to be more suited to faster flowy descending, but less climb or tight singletrack friendly

found them all more suiting to aggressive trail riding than general up hill and down dale stuff

the whyte being better on what it was designed for – black/red trail centre stuff

great, I think these 3 do it for me, from the point of view of answering my not very well worded question !! Looks like I can tell the Boss we’ll go on holiday next year 🙂

PORG’s don’t get all butt hurt… (sorry, aimed @scroteroutes not you Ian

don’t worry, I’m not as vertically challenged as the Wee Man 🙂

I am definitely in the old school xc/bimbling, enjoy the scenery, the climbs are as much fun as the descents, wheels firmly on the ground, never do enduro type category of over 50’s rider West of Scotland, Argyll, Cairngorm largely natural stuff, with a regular 6 weekly blast round Drumlanrig.

Sounds like a fat bike would be perfect to me.

I know this hits the recommend what you have cliché, but I would recommend looking at the Kona Hei Hei range. It has the modern geometry with shorter, more xc travel. They are well specced and good value. I have really enjoyed mine since getting it in the summer and I think it could well tick the boxes of what you are after

Thanks, lots to think about, cheers

Useful info, have decided to go with 2017 Anthem 1 – a bit lower and longer and slacker than old one, with great reviews and benefit of LBS supply and Giant warranty support. Thanks for the advice.

How about a CX bike instead of the Anthem ?

Lay off the sherry Jammers! 😆

have decided to go with 2017 Anthem 1

Considering you had an Anthem previously (and presumably liked it) the £800 saving was always going to be a huge stumbling block. 😆

Hope you enjoy it.

the new shiny bike, mid fettle last night 🙂

Er, did you leave the saddle a bit close to the stove?

or is there a trans-dimensional portal hovering over it…

😉

Looks nice that but what’s going on with the saddle ?

Ahhh, saw that on FB and didn’t realise it was a new bike!

I think you’ve done the right thing. Steeper angles do help a bit up the hills, and if you enjoy that then no-one’s judging you. 🙂

saddle is an ISM – have a google. That’s set up correctly as they have no front nose section, so you start with the front 5cm back from a regular shape one and go from there.

No pressure on soft bits and very comfy…

(Looks nice btw!)

Cheers Luke, hopefully have it out on a club ride soon (once the mud freezes 🙂 )

Hmmm…..

Your house is now Anthem-heavy, Iain….got any plans to move the ’15 SX on?

😉

Let me know if you are-

G

^^^^^ sold the 15 one on Boxing Day – popped in on Bike Parts for Sale Scotland and it was bought within 4 hrs, guy from Hamilton 🙂

Dang 🙂 ach well!