Can anyone offer their views on these frames/ bikes for racing duties?
I've ridden an XTC ally but not a carbon one. Views on all would be very much appreciated.
Well you've got 2 hardtails and a FS in there, so there's a big difference for a start...
They're all decent bikes, Anthem's get good write ups, but I think the mid-range ones are disappointingly heavy, which is relevant for a race bike. Saying that I think the S-Works ht is silly money for what it is, I'd rather buy a complete with the 10M frame and sell the bits you don't want, better value, and the frame is 95% the same!
Like its been said above - 2 HT and 1 FS its quite difficult to give a like for like comparison.
I own an Anthem X2 as my only mtb, which I've used for adventure racing, long weekend rides and the odd 24 hour race.
Its a great bike, maestro suspension is awesome and when locked out it reacts very closely to that of a ht. Weight wise its obviously heavier than a ht but a lot of people have been suprised by just how light it is with standard kit - if you upgraded wheels etc you could have something really light.
If all you are planning on doing is short races, I'd probably go for a ht and get something as light as possible. If you want a good all rounder I'd look at the Anthem.
Hope the above helps.
I can only comment on the XTC Composite, had one from new for about two years. It was ok, never thought it was fantastic. Out of saddle pedalling on steep climbs caused the back tyre to spin/slip/skid, every time. Sure it was down to the geometry or design angles. The newer SL version is designed for 100mm forks, but the older Composite was designed for 80mm, though I changed the forks to 100mm about a year after purchase and rode it pretty hard and it didn't seem to mind.
Eventually sold the frame and put all the parts on a new Yeti ASR SL frame and now I have awesome racing bike that can handle anything I have the guts to take on. Guess the Anthem X would have fitted my needs and style of riding too.
Get the most expensive one Rach will let you obviously 😉
I have an S-Works hardtail (not current model), a custom build with a lightweight spec. It's an awesome bike, extraordinarily quick and razor sharp, but needs riding with a bit of care though coz I don't reckon it's that strong. It's much better quality than the Giant, not impressed with what I've seen of their HT carbon frames, you get what you pay for but defo into the realm of diminishing returns with the S-Works!
Anthem X was thrown in there as more of a comparison of weight. I have a Cube AMS but it's quite heavy so I'm going to strip it down and use the parts on a new frame, all xt btw.
Steve, she knows about this one. I told her last night.