[Closed] Giant Anthem or trance? really confused.

I would say for your riding the Anthem would be fine, 29er would be faster but arent they dead 😉

Giant don't make 29 ers anymore do they?

Are you keeping the carve ?

If so - trance
If not Athem as a do it all

The anthem is a scarily fast & capable bike

Yes they do. Personally I'd get an Anthem, they're far more than a 100mm XC bike.

For the riding you do, the 120mm 29'er or 140mm 650b Trance would be complete overkill

I agree with blindboy. the Anthem has less travel (more a race/XC bike) so not so aggressive but the trance (trail) 2 for £1900 in my opinion is such a nicer bike, with alot of bike for the money..

27.5 all the way

on the down side these bikes are popular and giant are out until week 15ish i belive. unless you do alot of ringing around different stores

Thats my 2pence worth

If specialized fit you well have a look at a camber. Borrowed one a while back and was well impressed.

I have a trance and an anthem. If I could only pick one it would be the trance. You can do pretty much anything on it and it's definitely the more fun bike of the 2.
The anthem is an amazing bike that is very fast on the ups and flats but lacks the fun on the downs of the trance.
Back to back on a local 5 mile loop with a fairly even mix of ups,flat and down I am faster overall on the trance with the time lost on the ups and flats being made up on the downs.
Different bikes for different rides though at the end of the day and neither will disappoint.

Andy

Anthem x1 29, £1999 with a xt/slx mix, , would be my choice.

WoW thanks guys carry on. 😀

Oh yeah I've got one [Anthem 29'er], it's chuffin' marvelous

Thanks Steve b77, I'm nearly convinced.

be sure to ride before you buy....

Anthem 29 will be perfect

New trances have more front suspension than you need (but look nice)

Stealth colour scheme on this years anthem is nicer that last years.

V9gss, going to have a look at camber the weekend but still think giant have the edge on spec for my money.

Giant offer a test ride.

need to pop along to your nearest dealer to arrange it.. I've just had a go on a trance 1. its amazing but not sure i would spent the extra £400 over the trance 2.

plus the trance 2 looks amazing= stealthy

Another Anthem 29er owner,can't fault it.I also ride The Chase a fair bit(it's my local)& it's perfect for the trails there.The Trance's angles are a bit slacker & as you're never more than 2 minutes away from the next climb on the Chase,is a bit overkill for it imo.

I've also got a few other bikes,but since having the Anthem it's the one that's had the most use.Giant's wheels are pig heavy though !

The ones on the X1 aren't too bad and they're tubeless ready, the whole bike in a medium weighs 26lbs 12oz as it comes.

+1 for try before you buy.
Local Giant dealer has Anthem x2 and Carbon Trance demos, you can take em for a weekend & they don't even ask for a deposit. Great service, presume other branches would offer similar so why not make the most of it.

For the record, I've got an Anthem! Love it. But also loved the Trance I had before it.

Happy owner of an Anthem 29er, it climbs superbly, and it's more capable than me on the downhills. Love it, nice for a day ride, nice for a race, does duty for both admirably.

With everyone loving their anthem 29ers, I do think Giant are making a mistake if they drop them completely next year.

You think giant care? They are blinded by the 650b light.

Anthem X 29er is a flipping quick bike! Went round Dalby Red in gloopy conditions in 2h 32 on my Pace 405.
Following weekend with same conditions, went round in 1h 59 on the Anthem X. It's a properly fast bike.

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s154p5299/GIANT-ANTHEM-X-29ER-2-2013

Bargain for last years colours.

Spend the rest upgrading!

Nah, it'll be fine as I've still got a 26" anthem with 120mm forks and it's bloody brilliant. I'm pleased they've downsized the wagon wheels, another year and I reckon i can have another 26er!

Don't want a 26 tinybits! At 6ft 4inches they look like a Raleigh Striker from the 80's on me.

I had exactly the same dilemma as you, so I test rode both, me and a friend took them out and did 20 miles on them a month or so ago.

I went for the Trance in the end, it was way more fun going down, more comfortable overall and like you I had a budget of 2k so the black Trance 2looked much nicer than the white and green Anthem 2

Wrote about it on my blog I did

[url= http://iwillbebacksoon.com/2014/01/giant-trance-27-5-vs-anthem-27-5-test-ride.html ]Anthem 27.5 vs Trance 27.5[/url]

I've already got a 29er (Fargo) which will be my main non-suss xc machine now as I'll strip the 456 down and recycle the bits into a bike for my wife.

I was tempted by a 2013 Anthem 29er at 400 quid off, but well the Trance won me over 🙂

Anthem 29er here too. Mines the advanced carbon version but in essence the same bike. Used it from everything from Elite level racing to a few descents of the megavalance course. Best bike I've ever ridden in 20+ years of riding. Tried the 650b, didn't like it as much. I'm 6'2 for reference.

Oh, and the mrs has a size S Anthem 29 x3 and has a similar thought process to me, so much so that she's sold/selling all her other bikes. she's only 5'6 so it's not just for the big guys.

I have a Trance 27.5 2, the "stealthy" one, at 6ft 2" I ride a large and it feels great, rides well and gives me more confidence with the slacker angles and more travel.
Being the height I am it looks right too.
I also own an Anthem X4 26er which I use for the flatter longer rides where I'm not pointing it downhill so much. Both bikes are great and both come in to their own on certain rides.
For comfort, looks and "funability" the new Trance wins hands down though.

Swinnertons at cannock chase have (IIRC) Giant demo bikes so you could go and try a couple.

The Anthem is a far more capable bike than its XC designation would lead you to believe. I switched to an Anthem X1 from a Trance, and I think it's a much better all-round bike for UK trails.

Perversely, the choice is harder this year IMO. Last year, the bikes were more similar. I demoed both over one weekend and did exactly the same rides on both bikes. The decider was the 3-4 hours XC blast that I thought would be better in the anthem, but the trance felt as good. Therefore buy the trance.

This year, the two bikes are more clearly differentiated whit he extra travel only the Trance. In some ways that makes it easier, but in others (I only want one do it all bike) it's actually harder than last year. If that makes sense.

2014 Trance 29er 1 looks horrible colour wise - was that a plot to make people go for the 27.5!!!!

2014 Trance 29er 1 looks horrible colour wise - was that a plot to make people go for the 27.5!!!!

Worked for me.... Wouldn't have minded a go on a Trance 29er even though it is truly gopping to look at, but it wasn't available from Giant to test ride.... (maybe another ploy!!!)

ive just sent details off to http://www.test-ride.co.uk/ and they have only 27.5 for test riding?? plugging!!

ide like to try both 29 and 27.5 anthem & trance.

Bet I end up sticking with specialized and getting a stumpjumper. local branch is 3 miles from home and they have all models to test ride. you cannot fault specialized for customer service.

I have both, and wouldn't give up either! Short answer is Anthem faster, Trance funner...

I've had both in 26" and now 29er......now reckon the Trance 29er is awesome ( especially if you're over 6 feet and I am)

Anthems sold

Pipiom Ide love to test one but it's a nightmare. Giant are really plugging 27.5 and I need to know if I'm a large or XL. Think at 6ft 4 Ide be better with XL.

Rutland have Large & XL in the anthem so Saturday I will be testing 😆

I'm suffering with a bit of arthritis on hip so I don't want a too aggressive bike

Well then, a trail bike will be slacker, with the Anthem you'll be more head down, bum up. But you can still have the stem the right way up, fit risers etc....

I'd still get the Trance though 😉

Ok guys i may as well well put my two penneth into the conversation,ive been rockin' my 2010 trance-x since early '11... Best bike ive ever owned... Still upgrading to this very day!!... Oh... & its 26" ha!! #26aintdead [URL= http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y399/trancex4/5701C858-A552-4804-97C1-D14723A37FC3_zpswnsr0qt1.jp g" target="_blank">http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y399/trancex4/5701C858-A552-4804-97C1-D14723A37FC3_zpswnsr0qt1.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL]

Giantx4, I too have one of those to my name - the Cover Star not the little wheeled Trance

Steve!! Please share!...unless of course it involves any #darksidebikes!!

My, not very experienced, view is if you're over 6" you don't feel as secure on a 26" as you do on a 29"....... that's my personal view only but I had loads of OTB's and front wheel snatches on my 26" ........I still felt like I was hanging over the front end on the Anthem 29er ( great bike by the way soooo light and racy) but I just feel so much more confident on the Trance 29.......total do it all

I bn riding mtb since 90' & think all this big wheel stuff is purely a money making #scheme by the bike firms?... Im 6"2" & own 30 odd koms ont his #littlewheeler.. ??

I need to know if I'm a large or XL. Think at 6ft 4 Ide be better with XL.

You'll need an XL in my opinion.I'm 6'1" & ride a large Anthem & also have a 26" wheeled Trance in large too.

Yep XL for sure. I had a large Anthem at 5'11, or 5'10 if I've been standing up all day 🙂

I'm 5'10.5 and I test rode mediums and bought a medium, sat on a large, much too big, I have long legs, short body so didn't want silly long top tube (medium Trance/Anthem same as my medium 456 and Fargo)

I have a trance X29er in medium, I'm 5'10" too. The large felt far too big despite my previous bikes being large 26" stumpjumpers. Advise you at least sit on a L and XL to see how they feel.

Trance is ace, fast fun and jumpy.

how do I copy someone's reply so I can comment on it and get responses please?

Im 6"2" & own 30 odd koms ont his #littlewheeler.. ??

At the minute #29er is coming to get you #26hasnokomssoitsdead 😛

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well I would like to reply to "rickon" who thinks my rear end will be stuck up in the air more and my front end lent over more on a trance than an anthem? is this true ?
I will find out Saturday at rutland cycle but im curious because I prefer to be more upright!!

I have an Anthem X2, £1199 at Pedal On for 2013 at the moment which is a great deal allowing plenty for upgrades etc. Think only got Large left though.

I have an anthem in 26 inch flavour. Great bike on everything but steep technical stuff, in which case I wouldn't fancy it that much.

If the 29r version is an even faster version then it'll be a great bike.

Thought Ide let you all know that I've just tested Anthem X 1 29Er and I love it. Very nippy and well made. Trance needs to be off road all the time so Anthem it is 😆

Best prices please if anyone knows of a good deal. £1999 the best I can find.