GIANT ANTHEM ADVANCED 27.5 0
Top-shelf bike for top-shelf racing
Giant’s Anthem Advanced is built to cater to the exacting requirements of the most demanding racers. It gives riders a little bit of everything in one light high-end package. Rather than being another bike off the shelf, though, it takes a different approach to hitting the finish line first.
WHO IS IT MADE FOR?
With 100 millimeters of cross-country travel and an ultra-lightweight carbon frame, there is no doubt that the Anthem Advanced was created for the single goal of reaching the top step on the podium. Riders looking for a lightweight trailbike may not appreciate the ultra-quick handling of the Anthem and should probably look elsewhere. This is a dedicated race bike, through and through.
The Anthem Advanced 0 is not designed for those who are looking to test the waters of cross-country racing; it is suited for seasoned racers who are looking to up their game. Giant offers the Anthem Advanced 27.5 2 with the same frame and less-fancy components at an entry-level price of $3100. Our test rig, however, is the top-shelf build at $9500.
Get low and stay low: The Anthem Advanced has a very unique and aggressive fit. The low stack height had our weight forward on the front of the saddle. It felt natural to lean over on the top tube instead of standing up out of the saddle down singletrack, which helped both its climbing and cornering prowess.
WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?
The Anthem is the shortest-travel, full-suspension bike in Giant’s lineup and uses the same Maestro technology as the rest of the fleet. Giant built the Anthem Advanced with an advanced-grade carbon frame and aluminum rear triangle. This frame and rear triangle are the same on every level of Anthem, with the only differences being in the build kits. This level of Maestro is built with 100 millimeters of rear travel, and all the frames are optimized for a 100-millimeter fork, although they will accept up to 120-millimeter forks.
The frame uses full internal cable routing and even has an option to run a stealth dropper post. Giant took away the OverDrive2 head tube this year, which reduced the steer tube to a standard taper. This will make it easier for riders to find the right stem to adjust the reach and overall fit. A standard 12×142 rear axle and PressFit bottom bracket complete the package.
Finding a balance: The Anthem has an impressively stiff front end, especially with the addition of the RS-1. We did notice some flex out of the rear triangle and linkage during hard efforts out of the saddle, but overall, this bike delivers a very stiff chassis worthy of handling the hardest efforts of the fastest racers.
WHICH COMPONENTS STAND OUT?
The RockShox RS-1 and SRAM Rise 60 wheels with matching decals stood out right away—on and off the trail. The RS-1 fork, with its incredible stiffness, is one of the only forks we could imagine being able to hang with the weight and stiffness of this frame, so it’s a welcome addition.
This is the first bike we’ve tested with Giant’s new Contact SLR Forward saddle. It’s impressively light and comfortable for most riders, even on long rides. The KMC X11SL DLC chain shows awe- some attention to detail and delivered crisp shifting throughout our testing.
Fit for a racer: The RockShox RS-1 delivers incredible performance given its impressively low weight, but it comes with a very high price tag. Thanks to that added stiffness, we found ourselves reevaluating how we picked certain lines with confidence knowing the steering precision would be there.
Keeps on ticking: We’ve tested many Giant bikes with the patented Maestro suspension design and nearly always been impressed by it. The Anthem delivers a feel that’s supple and efficient, although Giant could have improved the stiffness to match the RS-1 in front.
Details for days: The whole drivetrain has matching blue accents that give the Anthem a little extra flash. The extra attention makes it feel closer to the World Cup XC race bikes it’s designed to emulate and could easily go head to head with them.
HOW DOES IT PERFORM?
Moving out: Small tweaks to the suspension setup can make a big difference on the trail with this bike. For trail riding we ran the sag at about 20 percent, which felt fairly plush. Riders looking for a more efficient ride might want to run 10–15-percent sag, especially given how plush the Maestro linkage is.
This is one of the few pure XC race bikes that we have seen come with a riser bar, which made us scratch our heads a bit; however, after riding the bike on several trails, we found the bar choice complemented the geometry very well. The Anthem comes stock with 740-millimeter-wide bars and a carbon 90-millimeter stem. The reach and ride position are fairly aggressive with this bar/stem combination.
Take it up: With the suspension in the firmest setting, the Anthem ascended like a homesick angel. While most cross-country racers will insist that 29ers are faster, we were impressed that Giant was able to pull off a bike that climbs this well with the smaller hoops.
Climbing: This is arguably the most important part of testing any cross-country race bike, especially considering that most races are won on the climbs. With the RockShox Monarch RL shock locked out, the Maestro suspension felt responsive. We did notice some flex out of the rear triangle with out-of-the-saddle pedaling and when pushing hard on the pedals.
The low stack height came into play on long climbs when we wanted to get into a more aggressive position. We could easily put our heads down and shift our weight forward to grind out any steep pitches that we were faced with.
Push the corners: Between the smaller wheel size and aggressive geometry, our testers found themselves in comfortable positions to push through corners. The 27.5 wheels coupled with the lightweight build gave the Anthem a playful feel on flowy sections of trail.
Cornering: The Anthem cornered surprisingly well and seemed to bait our test riders into pushing harder than they normally would on an aggressive XC bike. We found comfortable positions to confidently plant our weight and ensure maximum traction. Our testers would have liked a dropper post on the more technical switchbacks, but given the travel and style of the bike, we didn’t feel too limited.
Race hard: Giant wanted to create a race bike that put racers in a more aggressive position. We would have preferred a slightly stiffer rear end to match the unbelievably stiff chassis of the RockShox RS-1 front end, yet the Maestro suspension did its job dutifully and provided a race bike that felt truly fast.
Descending: The 27.5-inch wheels made the front nimble enough to easily be thrown around in more technical sections. When the trail got steep, we could push our weight back behind the saddle, although we did still feel a little forward on the bars. The RS-1 and massive carbon tubes gave the front end plenty of stiffness, resulting in more confidence through technical sections.
The reach of the Anthem is fairly average for a bike in this category, but the stack height is lower than most, which puts the rider weight forward quite a bit more. This didn’t slow down our test riders too much, though, as they liked the more aggressive stance on our local cross-country trails. More seasoned riders will appreciate the low stack height and slacker head angle that the Anthem offers.
TRICKS, TIPS OR UPGRADES?
The geometry on the bike is aggressive enough that we probably wouldn’t put a flat bar on this bike, but riders looking for an even more aggressive position might want to swap out the stock riser bar. Our biggest complaint about this bike was the lack of
a remote lockout on the shock. A Full Sprint remote would have made a huge difference and kept us from having to reach down to switch the setting on the shock.
Our Anthem came stock with a 32-tooth chainring, and we definitely could have used a bigger size. It’s a small upgrade, but we would also like to see better grips. The grips that came stock wore out fairly quickly and weren’t that comfortable.
BUYING ADVICE
The Anthem is a bike designed to get you to the top step of the podium. The build kit, the geometry and the price tag are all designed for speed on the cross-country racecourse. The top-shelf price tag will deter some from heading for the Advanced 0 model tested here; however, Giant offers three other versions of this bike with every bit of the carbon frame technology. Those bikes are not only loaded with value but also ripe for upgrades as your racing resume grows. We would be hard-pressed to find a 27.5-inch cross-country chassis that rolls as quickly as this one does. We highly recommend this bike—not only for top-level athletes, but for those aspiring to that top podium spot.
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