2011 Anthem 29er x1 - cracked frame

fergo

Likes Dirt
J

...
Creaking through the frame, pulled the whole bike down to try and locate it need up putting a dab of grease between the rear hanger and the frame which sorted it out. Still seem to get a bit of noise when I reef on the bars, I have pulled the headset apart and given it a lube, very dry bearings from the factory!
Finally last week I broke the lower link on the non drive side. Stood up on a bitumen section of hill to give a roady a hard time and BANG! The lbs guys said it was a new one for them.

...
A mate broke his upper linkage. Frame was lifetime warranty but the linkage was 12 months. He had to buy a new linkage as it was 2 years old.
 

ctguru

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A mate broke his upper linkage. Frame was lifetime warranty but the linkage was 12 months. He had to buy a new linkage as it was 2 years old.
my mates have both broken the linkage on their Reign X's and didn't have to pay for the link and definately older than 12 mths
 

splinter1959

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Only GIANT????

Is it only GIANT having an issue with frame cracks or does it happen to others as well?

I have only ridden GIANT MTB's, I am thinking of buying my next one, should I be worried?

.
 

pistonbroke

Eats Squid
Ever heard of Cannondale? They aren't known as Crackendale for nothing.
All brands have frame failures. Some maybe more than others.
However Giant's warranty seems to be excellent.
 

ctguru

Likes Bikes and Dirt
dropped bike off yesterday and we'llsee how long the process takes

better get my old litespeed roadbike fixed and ready to roll
 

BLUMAN

Likes Bikes
Do you use super stiff seat post ?????

Today I joined the club of Anthem X owners with a cracked frame at the top tube/seat tube weld, my beloved 09 Anthem x2 finally gave up on me. It probably actually happened ages ago and I've just been ignoring the constant creaking till now.

I wonder how many of us with cracked frames have been using a Thompson seatpost or some other very stiff seatpost?

Heres my theory....feel free to flame it.......but only if you have better one....

Part 1: The "supper stiff" seat post causes the top tube failure by reinfrocing the seat tube, preventing it from flexing with the top tube when under load. This transfers extra stress/strain/flex into the top tube leading to its failure (cracking).

Part 2: Giant dont test their frames with super stiff seat posts and possibly why they haven't really fixed the problem yet. Note this is 110% pure speculation, I have no knowledge what so ever of how Giant tests their bikes, but this an oversight that would be very easy to do.


This could explain why only some riders have repeated fram failures and also why it doesn't seem to be rider weight dependant (Im 76 kg fully loadad).
 

pharmaboy

Eats Squid
Over on the mtbr site, the thread there seems to have lots of people on the std giant seatpost.

Personally I think it's a seated rider particularly with a long seatpost, as this would could the most leverage in the spot. The reality is the great majority of these bikes are sold to people who are super keen but just don't use the bike enough and hard enough to crack it.

I think I've said here before, but you just don't see tall guys at the pointy end of the field on 2 yr old anthem 29ers - they are so often on new frame sets its not funny, and secondly, a lot have now switched to carbon. Giant will be banking on that- the riders that broke so many 2011x29s are now riding carbon instead.
 

gc49

Likes Bikes
Except it's not just Alloy that get's this, nor just the 29er's, but the whole anthem range (though it's mor pronounced in some than others).

Personally gone through the Warrenty process on an alloy 26er recently. They couldn't find one to replace it (being 26), so ended up with an SL0 frame instead (still 26).

I'm not sure about the stiff seatpost thing, but will say that after it cracked, I pulled out my newly installed carbon post (only been in about 4 months with little riding, and been using the giant alloy up to then), and there was extreme wear marks on the post from the back of the seattube near the clamp, and the front of the post at the very bottom, whihc will be evidence for someone on what's happening (can't be bothered to think that through at the moment)
 

fergo

Likes Dirt
...

I think I've said here before, but you just don't see tall guys at the pointy end of the field on 2 yr old anthem 29ers - they are so often on new frame sets its not funny, and secondly, a lot have now switched to carbon. Giant will be banking on that- the riders that broke so many 2011x29s are now riding carbon instead.
My 2013 Anthem X Advanced is currently being reviewed for frame crack in this same spot. It appears to be very superficial at the moment, but could be the start of it.
 

ctguru

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all sorted, getting mine back in the next couple of days

they've changed it to an XL for me

think I'm going to sell it buy something different

got hit on the way to work and wrote the rear triangle off on my litespeed today!

anthem + insurance money hopefully = epic, jet 9 or tallboy with XX1
 

pistonbroke

Eats Squid
all sorted, getting mine back in the next couple of days

they've changed it to an XL for me

think I'm going to sell it buy something different

got hit on the way to work and wrote the rear triangle off on my litespeed today!

anthem + insurance money hopefully = epic, jet 9 or tallboy with XX1
Fuck. That's a bad run. Are you ok?
 

ctguru

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Fuck. That's a bad run. Are you ok?
your telling me!!!!!

wife is about to kill me

just gravel rash and a bruised bum when I hit the deck

lady T-boned me at a round about, lucky I'm 6'4' and she hit me in the rear triangle

fuck riding road, insurance for Litespeed towards new 29er!!
 

pistonbroke

Eats Squid
29er hard tails are pretty good for commuting, as long as your not going too far. I think they are much better in traffic.
 

ctguru

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Frame nearly ready, happy to upgrade me to carbon for a price. How much do you guys think is fair for a carbon anthem X 29er frame upgrade?
 

pistonbroke

Eats Squid
$500-600 max
The retail price difference was $500 when I got a carbon 1 over an alloy 0. One was shimano 1 and the other SRAM but at about the same level.
 

silentbutdeadly

has some good things to say
Today I joined the club of Anthem X owners with a cracked frame at the top tube/seat tube weld, my beloved 09 Anthem x2 finally gave up on me. It probably actually happened ages ago and I've just been ignoring the constant creaking till now.

I wonder how many of us with cracked frames have been using a Thompson seatpost or some other very stiff seatpost?

Heres my theory....feel free to flame it.......but only if you have better one....

Part 1: The "supper stiff" seat post causes the top tube failure by reinfrocing the seat tube, preventing it from flexing with the top tube when under load. This transfers extra stress/strain/flex into the top tube leading to its failure (cracking).

Part 2: Giant dont test their frames with super stiff seat posts and possibly why they haven't really fixed the problem yet. Note this is 110% pure speculation, I have no knowledge what so ever of how Giant tests their bikes, but this an oversight that would be very easy to do.


This could explain why only some riders have repeated fram failures and also why it doesn't seem to be rider weight dependant (Im 76 kg fully loadad).

I suspect you are forgetting one major aspect of the frame failure...landscape. My pet theory is that many of these Anthems are/were being ridden on terrain for which they were not explicitly designed. These are an XC bike, designed for covering long distances over mostly non-technical terrain...not some all mountain trail weapon that'll eat technical single track with its rocks and drops. As a result, many punters have explored to the 5% frame failure rate to the max. Methinks that this is a marketing failure on Giant's behalf - the Anthem proved to be too popular for its own good.

And I suspect it's one of the reasons that the Trance is now a huge part of the Giant range. If you live anywhere on the Great Divide then buying an Anthem or XTC is a fools errand...go a Trance instead.
 

ctguru

Likes Bikes and Dirt
pick mine up tonight, stayed with the alloy frame

probably going to sell in the next month or so and change to a S/C TallBoy2 with XX1
 
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krisko

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Yep my 2012 Anthem X Advanced cracked in the same spot. 3 months later and I finally got a replacement. To be honest I give this one four months before it cracks in the same spot.

Im on a Large and weigh 84kg's. Here's the thing I don't do any big drop offs etc and ride pretty smooth.....

Looking at the 650B Anthem they have triangulated the junction between the top tube and seat post, for better force distribution.
 

pharmaboy

Eats Squid
If you think about where it cracks - whether you ride rough or smooth makes no difference , if you ride gard terrain you do it standing with feet on pedals , it's how much you stay seated IMO , that's where the force is coming from to crack in that position.

The cruelty is that it's most efficient on the anthem seated pedalling . The new models have fixed it , but only on the 27.5........
 

Eval

Squid
Mine cracked too

My 2009 26-in cracked at the top tube junction too. I've got to say giant we're absolutely unreal in the warranty. They replaced it with a 29er; I politely requested a carbon frame (the blue and black carbon xo), they also supplied me a fox fork ctd kashima coat remote lockout and thru-axle.....and a set of American classic tubeless wheels.....It was all warranty. FOC!!!:pop2:

I bought a 2x10 xt groupie, Thomson stem and post, carbon bars, xtr m970 brakes and for $1200 I've got an absolute weapon. I'm a giant man for life! :peace::rockon:
 
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