Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 55 total)
  • Giant Anthem or trance? really confused.
  • jacob46
    Free Member

    Mite be treating myself and I believe Giant make the best full sus for my budget.

    I currently have a HT specialized carve pro and love it. Fast and it suits my build and height (6ft 4inches).

    I’m suffering with a bit of arthritis on hip so I don’t want a too aggressive bike. I’m not sure wether 29 is the way to go because 27.5 are selling well and seem to be most popular.
    My rides will consist of cannock Chase, parks, canals.
    £2000 is about my limit.

    Any Suggestions grateful, thanks.

    blindboy
    Free Member

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

    FunkyDunc
    Free Member

    Giant don’t make 29 ers anymore do they?

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
    Latest Singletrack Videos
    dab
    Full Member

    Are you keeping the carve ?

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

    The anthem is a scarily fast & capable bike

    steve_b77
    Free Member

    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

    bruders338
    Free Member

    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

    v9gss
    Full Member

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

    andysredmini
    Free Member

    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

    pete68
    Free Member

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

    jacob46
    Free Member

    WoW thanks guys carry on. 😀

    steve_b77
    Free Member

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

    jacob46
    Free Member

    Thanks Steve b77, I’m nearly convinced.

    blindboy
    Free Member

    be sure to ride before you buy….

    teamhurtmore
    Free Member

    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.

    jacob46
    Free Member

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

    bruders338
    Free Member

    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

    emac65
    Free Member

    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 !

    steve_b77
    Free Member

    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.

    Legoman
    Free Member

    +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.

    benji
    Free Member

    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.

    pete68
    Free Member

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

    darrenspink
    Free Member

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

    w1lksy
    Free Member

    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.

    v9gss
    Full Member

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

    Bargain for last years colours.

    Spend the rest upgrading!

    tinybits
    Free Member

    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!

    jacob46
    Free Member

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

    Nick
    Full Member

    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

    Anthem 27.5 vs Trance 27.5

    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 🙂

    Blazin-saddles
    Free Member

    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.

    Blazin-saddles
    Free Member

    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.

    townydc
    Free Member

    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.

    bails
    Full Member

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

    ransos
    Free Member

    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.

    teamhurtmore
    Free Member

    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!!!!

    Nick
    Full Member

    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!!!)

    jacob46
    Free Member

    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.

    perthmtb
    Free Member

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

    pipiom
    Free Member

    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

    jacob46
    Free Member

    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.

    jacob46
    Free Member

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

    rickon
    Free Member

    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 😉

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 55 total)

The topic ‘Giant Anthem or trance? really confused.’ is closed to new replies.