Have just come off a 29er ( Santa Cruz Tallboy v1 ) & onto my first 27.5 wheeled bike ( Anthem advanced sx )
My circumstances have changed a little this year & i won't be racing as much xc as in previous years.
I was going to go the regular Anthem advanced, but changed my mind after a demo ride on the SX.
A mate also had the 2015 SX & i raced some XC pairs events with him last year, & the SX didn't slow him down.
The SX started to look like the obvious choice.
Will be mainly just trail riding for fun this year with the odd race, so for me the spec on the Anthem advanced sx looked perfect for the kind of trails i ride around Sydney.
Took delivery last week & had fun tweaking the suspension & getting the bike dialed over the weekend.
Swapped out the tires for some Maxxis Ikon 2.35's & the bars for a Enve sweep flat bar. removed a bunch of spacers under the stem & I'm pretty happy with the position.
This thing is a blast on the downs & pedals pretty well to. Pretty happy with my choice.
I was concerned about going 27.5 after riding 29ers exclusively for the last 4 years.
I honestly didn't notice the reduced wheel size when riding the sx for the first time, but definitely picked up on how well the OEM carbon wheels track
when cornering compared to my old stans crest 29er wheels. Bike feels nimble & fast, & a load of fun on twisty single track.