I just took delivery of my 2013 Giant Anthem X 29er 3 bike. I was advised by 2 dealers to get a large size (thought I needed XL) and also well within the large range on Giants own Anthem sizing chart. I am 6ft 1 and 34 inside leg. Setting the seat you are supposed to have a straight leg with your heel on the pedals and I did that, having to have the seat tube at its fullest extent (minimum insertion). I now find the bars a little low as I prefer more upright posture so I thought ‘ah, riser stem or extender’! There are loads on the net and Ebay BUT all for 1 1/8″ clamp! NOTHING for the Giant’s 1 1/4″ (31.8mm) also my bars are 31.8mm at their clamp. Can anyone help PLEASE this is so frustrating I cant get a fitting for a bike as popular as the Anthem! I want to raise the bars 2-3″

I can’t see one either. My wife needed something similar for her bikes -the Giant Store in Rutland were very helpful – i think it was Phil – he really tried to get it right for her (and sold 2 anthems and a defy to boot!) you could give them a call.

I think you’re a little stuck there thanks to new ‘standards’ I’d suggest a new bar / stem combo from the classifieds. Not a lot of use I’m afraid!

2-3 inches is a huge lift. Why not simply fit a new bar with a higher rise, 30-40mm, the one on the Giant is probably quite flat. That way you won’t have to mess around with unobtainium Giant overdrive 2 compatible stems.

That’s a good idea, the OE bar only had 12-15 mm of rise from what I remember.

You can get giant connect sl stem od2 with 10 degree rise, depending on the length that should give you a lift.
Or the lighter contact stem is 6 degree.

I am 6ft 1 and 34 inside leg. Setting the seat you are supposed to have a straight leg with your heel on the pedals and I did that, having to have the seat tube at its fullest extent (minimum insertion).

something doesnt seem right, with a 34 leg on a large you shouldnt need the seatpost at minimum insertion, what sag are you running on the shock?

Is running a seatpost at min insertion on an Anthem not the frame killer it used to be?

Andypaul, sag doesn’t affect the height you need your seatpost

at your height and inside leg there is absolutely no way you need to be on an XL – yes your bars will be higher – but they will also be in a different post code.

at your height and inside leg – sounds to me like your top tubes too long – being as its an XC race bike

tbh it sounds to me like you bought the wrong bike – the anthem is definantly defined as more XC than trail , perhaps what ever the equivalent of the trance is now would have been better suited?

also on that note – go speak to your local giant dealer about their range of stems – also i think easton have also got a range of overdrive compatible stuff as do pro iirc … but i suspect your going to struggle to find a stem with enough height gain as riser stems arent really racer friendly 🙁

+ 1 for big risers.

I too a bit baffled with the fit, I’m 5’11” with a 32.5″ inside leg and ride a medium with the post at 10mm below minimum insertion, the stem flipped and 10mm of spacers under it and it fits just nicely.

My mate is 6’1″ / 2″ and has a large with a 70mm zero rise stem & flat bars with a 410mm reverb post that’s no where near minimum insertion.

You’re meant to have a slight bend in your leg with your heel on the pedal and the crank inline with the seat tube AFAIK

Yeah,I am 6’2″ and 34 inside leg and ride a large Anthem 29.Fits well but I do ride with a 400mm post and don’t mind the low bars.I also ride an XTC 29 in an XL which fits well,go figure!
Think the other person is right with straight leg with heel on pedal and crank at bottom stroke.
I think Anthems in 29 are smaller for a given size for a bit more standover.In answer to the question a higher riser mite be the answer,but I believe Syntace do a stem to fit even though they are hard to get hold of!
I was lucky with my Anthem 29 as bought a frameset and got the standard tapered Fox fork.
Thanx,
Max

Had a similar fit issue feeling a bit stretched onto the bars with the seat up, going to a high rise (40mm) bar made all the differenc.

There’s a multitude of giant overdrive stems on eBay in various sizes and 8deg rise

Might be worth looking at some dirt jumping hi-rise bars. NS bikes used to do a 3″ rise one so did gussett.

saves the hassle of looking at new stems,

I am 6ft 1 and 34 inside leg. Setting the seat you are supposed to have a straight leg with your heel on the pedals and I did that, having to have the seat tube at its fullest extent (minimum insertion).

I’ve a 34″ inside leg too, and find that I need high riser bar and a long seatpost on most things (current 20″ 456Ti and have a 400mm post). If the reach feels right, just buy a new bar and post.

Like These.

8deg rise is not going to give him the lift he needs. +1 NS Bikes or Octane one bars, I have a couple of 3″ rise on some of my bikes.

[quoteAndypaul, sag doesn’t affect the height you need your seatpost[/quote]

im clutching at straws really, just assumed that if there was too higher sag while sizing the bike at rest you would need to compensate by extending the seatpost more to get the correct ‘leg stretch’?

at your height and inside leg there is absolutely no way you need to be on an XL – yes your bars will be higher – but they will also be in a different post code.

I’d disagree. I’m 6’2 with 34″ inside leg an I run an XL to get the reach in the Anthem 29. tried a large and the bars were WAY too low with the seat at the right height and I’d have needed a 130mm stem to get them far enough away. I do have long arms though.

but your special 😀

you could get some bars with a really aggressive rise instead?

tried a large and the bars were WAY too low

Difference in HT length is 145mm to 160mm (according to giant website)

Suppose if you run spacers at XL size adding the extra 15mm might look a bit goofy on the Large, but not the end of the world? Reach is a different matter, tho slightly linked (lower = further to stretch).

[edit] helps if i look at the right bike! 29er X is 104 vs 119, so still same 15mm. [/edit]

I have seen stems at 35 degrees and 130 long that give around 60-65mm and that would probably be ideal BUT they are ALL without exception 1 1/8″ clamps to steerer tube. Again Humpert do a great tube extender but again 1 1/8″. Believe me I sat on the bike in 2 dealers and they said ‘no way’ XL, but of course when pedals are fitted and you have done a few miles things are different. the posture I have may be ideal for the bike, I don’t know, but I am 59 and like to sit more upright. I cant believe there are NO fittings at all for this bike! I have contacted Giant but they don’t seem to answer emails at all. High rise bars would seem the only option. Maybe I have the seat too high but it seems like less leg ache pedalling if they straighten at the end of each stroke. Dropping it 2″ would give me effectively 2″ higher bars! I don’t know if an XL would have made much difference either. The standover on the large seems about right anyway. Cant fit any more spacers as the clam is already at the top of the tube. On my Mongoose SX 6.7 I managed to fit a tube extender, lots of spacers and high rise bars but on that bike, although it was 20.5″ frame, the head tube was very low compared to modern bikes. the Anthem seems great but I just want to sit up a little more! This is a problem I never anticipated when I bought the bike but I cant change it now and I don’t want to spend a fortune having already spend a grand and a half on the bike. Thanks to everyone for comments here and maybe just maybe someone somewhere makes what I need, otherwise looks like new bars (at least an affordable option)

I cant believe there are NO fittings at all for this bike!

I think that has to be expected if you buy into a design only supported by one manufacturer, and even then only on their race style bikes. Other option is to swap forks or crown, but that wont be cheap. Maybe take the forks to a machinist with an adaptor to see what they can do, ive seen people with extender plugs installed which seem pretty sturdy.

COuld you get a 1.5″ cannondale style stem that works and get a shim, like the ones that came with road stems when they went from 1″ to 1 1/8″

Cracked Anthems…

anyone on here suffered a frame failure..

http://forums.mtbr.com/giant/anthem-x-cracked-frames-675553.html

seems a number have suffered failures of the fatigue sort including 2012 and 2013 frames

i can see that the seattube is going to be flexed a lot in use by trying to keep the rocker pivot in place and effect of rider on saddle.. and that flattened top tube is doing little to help resist the seat tube wanting to flex.

Anthems ride far better with a lower front- remove all spacers, flip the stem and carry on. You’ll enjoy yourself far more, and if not, you’ve probably bought the wrong sort of bike. I’m 5’10” on a medium.

My 2009 one cracked at the seat tube, it was replaced with a 2011 which has a completely redesigned junction which I’m sure will be fine.

haha luke if you can still ride your bike in that shape at 59 that’ll be good going 😉

I have rotten posture with really sloping shoulders, I can almost touch my toes without bending. I’ll be fine 😉

My 2009 one cracked at the seat tube, it was replaced with a 2011 which has a completely redesigned junction which I’m sure will be fine.

was just going to buy one.. remember the original recall, but looks like from the MTBR thread 2012 and 2013 are failing – though of course not sure how many this is out of all sold..

Cracked Anthems…

anyone on here suffered a frame failure..

http://forums.mtbr.com/giant/anthem-x-cracked-frames-675553.html

seems a number have suffered failures of the fatigue sort including 2012 and 2013 frames

I always get a little suspicious when i read posts like this below taken from that mtbr thread :

“Giant was quite good with the frame replacement for me (although they refused to change the Anthem 29 frameset for a Trance 29, even if I was willing to pay a price difference).”

could it be that some of these Anthems are being subjected to some big hits, This guy obviously feels the need for a Trance X, which makes me think the Anthem may have been on the very rough stuff that it wasnt designed for

The Anthem is, according to someone else on here, Giant’s best selling mountain bike. Given how big Giant are that’ll be many, many thousands of Anthems a year. I’d not worry about it too much.

If you search hard enough you will find reports of cracked frames from just about any manufacturer. Don’t worry, just ride! Its a great bike.

Anyway, when did this become a cracked frame thread?

OK, if your seatpost is all the way out to min insertion its possible it is now too far back, this could be why you feel the need to play with bars & stems etc.

I am a firm beleiver in the KOP method for setting the saddle, not everyone agrees with this but its free to try it before you start hitting the buy button.

Well after a lot of research I managed to fix it – got some high rise bars but they weren’t really giving me more than 25mm above the standard. THEN I discovered scooter clamps were for 1 1/4″ tube! SO got one with 4 clamp bolts and 70mm long from ebay (£6) some aluminium 1 1/4″ tube for around a fiver and a long headtube bolt from ebay (M6 bolt 110mm long) for around £3. Total cost £14. Oh yeah huh, new bars about £30 but could have used the originals but didn’t want to cut them. So take off stem and you are left with 35mm head tube – haha that’s halfway up the scooter clamp! Put the clamp on the head tube. Cut 70mm of aluminium tube. 35mm in the top half of the clamp, then put the stem back on the protruding 35mm of tube. Fit the new head bolt, tighten and then do up all the clamp and stem bolts. Hey presto – another 70mm of rise! BUT some of the cables and pipes are now tight. SO cut off about 30mm of the end of each side of the bars to bring the controls nearer the stem, giving more slack. Total bar width now from 740 to 680. So much better! I mean if you can adjust the seat up and down by 200mm why cant you move the handlebars at all?! I am 59 and the Anthem is great for trails but I don’t want to be head down all the time – gives me backache and neck ache! Maybe I should have got an XL but both Chevin Cycles and All Terrain Cycles told me ‘large’ and no way XL as did Giants own sizing chart

If you want to be more upright then (1) inline seatpost – no layback, (2) shorter stem, (3) riser bars. My stock 26er Anthem was quite rangey with it’s layback post, 110mm stem and 680mm bars – it now feels very different with an inline reverb, 80mm stem and 730mm bars. Small changes can make a big difference to how it feels.