Giant anthem x3

[Steve8.1]

Hi all , I am looking at buying a bike that will be suitable for general trail rides and have been looking at the 2010 Giant Anthem X3 . I all have a Glory so i dont need another long travel like the Reign( mainly looking at Giants for the value for money ratio) bike but am wandering how much abuse the Anthem will take out on the trails. If any one has a Anthem can you please tell me what you think of it as it looks like good value for money but I am just wandering about its capabilities as a all rounder.

thanks

 

[Capone]

If your after an all rounder have a look at the trance as its a bit slacker and has more travel, the anthem is a pure XC race bike.

If you can stretch your budget go for the X2 the spec is far better and there is plenty of deals around at the moment

 

[WildWassa]

I have an off the floor 2010 Anthem X3. I have owned her since new. She cost me $2300 with folding Maxxis tyres. Her name is Icycle the bicycle.

She is a good bike. She doesn't know she is an entry level racing bike. She thinks that she is a pack-horse. I do too.

From the day I got her until now I've done nothing to her apart from taking her for the free 3 month first service and set her up to suit me. I've kept her clean and well lubricated, kept the shocks pressurised and swapped the tyres on her at times, to suit where I'm riding and fitted Giant Ergocontact bar ends. I've changed none of the hardware on the bike. The hardware is only entry level race gear, so its more sturdy that the thoroughbred levels of gear.

Would I buy the same bike again (if that was possible), absolutely. She is an extremely nimble and comfortable bike to be on. I refuse to use her granny gear, it will make her feel old.

Warren.

 

[Capone]

you paid $2300 woops, i would be very cranky at my LBS for that.

you need to remember with giant that the frames are the same on the X3, X2 and X1 its only the parts, if you can afford to get into the series stuff (SLX, XT etc) then its worth doing so as the performance goes up another notch, and with regards to the entry level gear being more sturdy im not really going to buy that at all

 

[StanTheMan]

Hi all , I am looking at buying a bike that will be suitable for general trail rides and have been looking at the 2010 Giant Anthem X3 . I all have a Glory so i dont need another long travel like the Reign( mainly looking at Giants for the value for money ratio) bike but am wandering how much abuse the Anthem will take out on the trails. If any one has a Anthem can you please tell me what you think of it as it looks like good value for money but I am just wandering about its capabilities as a all rounder.

thanks

If you are cruising......It will take anything. If you are racing XC....she will shine. If you ride all mountain type of terrain....fast and hard. She will struggle. You may get the sensation you are OHB constantly. But that may not matter depending on your skill as a rider.

If you are planning on using her all day epics with your mates with some hard riding......you may find her limits sooner rather than later.

it all depends on your skill as well as your expectations.

If you get the Anthem to do all mountain type & downhill stuff. I wouldn't bother.
If you get the Anthem for racing, but happen to do some all mountain & downhill stuff occasionally. She'll be just fine.

 

[WildWassa]

you paid $2300 woops, i would be very cranky at my LBS for that.

Please be as cranky as you like. You appear to be overlooking the fact that the exchange rate when I bought the bike two years ago was only about 85 cents AU to the US dollar. If you relate that old rate to the new Anthem X3 with the RRP $1999 but now at 103 cents to the US dollar, I think you will see I wasn't unhappy at all. I didn't buy old stock, I purchased the bike in the first few days it became available ... and don't forget the Tubless Maxxis were about $90+ each back then. Not like they are today.

... im not really going to buy that at all

You don't appear to want to pay for anything. Did you not read that the gear on the bike remains faultless? Gear that requires less maintenance to keep it running perfectly over the maintenance requirements of top end stuff, that is my idea of sturdy. I view SLX as good entry level gear. I wonder what is on my bike.

Warren.

 

[Capone]

hmmmmmmmm k, you missed my points but good for you

 

[WildWassa]

hmmmmmmmm k, you missed my points but good for you

From your reaction you didn't miss my point ... but guessing is good and I'll always encourage those pseudo experts who like to guess.

By the way, what was your point, I did miss it? Was it that you wished that you could afford an an entry level Anthem but were too much of an expert to say so?


Warren.

 

[cleeshoy]

Please be as cranky as you like. You appear to be overlooking the fact that the exchange rate when I bought the bike two years ago was only about 85 cents AU to the US dollar. If you relate that old rate to the new Anthem X3 with the RRP $1999 but now at 103 cents to the US dollar, I think you will see I wasn't unhappy at all. I didn't buy old stock, I purchased the bike in the first few days it became available ... and don't forget the Tubless Maxxis were about $90+ each back then. Not like they are today.

if $2300 was the RRP for a 2010 Giant Anthem X3 then you got a decent deal - otherwise you got ripped off

You don't appear to want to pay for anything. Did you not read that the gear on the bike remains faultless? Gear that requires less maintenance to keep it running perfectly over the maintenance requirements of top end stuff, that is my idea of sturdy. I view SLX as good entry level gear. I wonder what is on my bike.

I would take my SRAM X-O over SLX. In terms of reliability, I had it on my old bike for 5 years and nothing ever went wrong. Have it on the new bike and same applies. However from a price point perspective, SLX is damn good value for money. If it works for you then stick with it

As for naming your bike, if you are a guy, well thats just ghey

 

[JessD]

As for naming your bike, if you are a guy, well thats just ghey

I know a shit load of people male and female that name their bikes Courtenay.

 

[quiggs]

My bikes get named all the time, generally as a reaction to how I'm fairing on them at the time!!

 

[cleeshoy]

My bikes get named all the time, generally as a reaction to how I'm fairing on them at the time!!

that would mean mine is constantly called "slow" I mean its clearly not the rider!

 

[mtb1611]

I would take my SRAM X-O over SLX. In terms of reliability, I had it on my old bike for 5 years and nothing ever went wrong. Have it on the new bike and same applies. However from a price point perspective, SLX is damn good value for money. If it works for you then stick with it

As for naming your bike, if you are a guy, well thats just ghey

Re: XO vs SLX - of course you'd take XO over SLX, that's a given. They're both entirely different groupsets, aimed at entirely different riders, with (funnily enough) entirely different price points. Having said that, I don't know 5 riders who've had the cage of their SLX rear derailleur ripped off. Can't say the same for the 5 riders I know who've had the carbon cage of their XO ripped off - goodbye $300...

Why do people a) use the word "ghey"? and b) persist, in this day and age, with labelling things as gay? You name your bike, therefore you're sexually enamoured with a member of your own gender.....okaaaaaay......

 

[cleeshoy]

I know a shit load of people male and female that name their bikes Courtenay.

Jess, as you can tell I am not one of them
I know a couple of girls who name their bikes, but no guys - I guess I don't know enough people

 

[cleeshoy]

Re: XO vs SLX - of course you'd take XO over SLX, that's a given. They're both entirely different groupsets, aimed at entirely different riders, with (funnily enough) entirely different price points

My interpretation was WildWassa was happy with his SLX because it was so reliable. I mentioned X0 as another reliable option. Of course its a different price point, hence my usage of the term "price point perspective, SLX is damn good value for money".

Having said that, I don't know 5 riders who've had the cage of their SLX rear derailleur ripped off. Can't say the same for the 5 riders I know who've had the carbon cage of their XO ripped off - goodbye $300...

Do you know 5 riders with an SLX derailleur? If not then it would make that comparison pretty hard wouldn't it? With the 5 riders who did have their X0 derailleur ripped off, I imagine no matter what derailleur they had, be it SLX, XTR, XX, etc, the result would have been the same.

I have seen LX, XT, XO, etc (ie. all varieties and different price points) derailleurs all ripped off - bottom line, no derailleur is indestructable, but some are more reliable (in terms of shifting) then others.

Why do people a) use the word "ghey"? and b) persist, in this day and age, with labelling things as gay? You name your bike, therefore you're sexually enamoured with a member of your own gender.....okaaaaaay......

And I am sure you're a complete angel who NEVER makes a politiclaly incorrect statement ever.
ghey - Usurping the traditional term GAY to take the homosexual meaning out and leaving in the lame.

 

[JessD]

Xo

I have lost maybe 3-4 XO carbon cages on my RD - yes, ....all it takes is a tough woody twig and you are rat shit!

 

[Capone]

From your reaction you didn't miss my point ... but guessing is good and I'll always encourage those pseudo experts who like to guess.

By the way, what was your point, I did miss it? Was it that you wished that you could afford an an entry level Anthem but were too much of an expert to say so?


Warren.

Thanks for the comments warren, i do wish i could afford the entry level, however im lucky enough to be able to go up the range, My anthem with Crossmark ST wheels is a hoot and i will take XT or XTR all day long, they are well made and last forever. I was wondering can i borrow those sexy pannies for my Glory i think it would really finish the build off

 

[mtb1611]

My interpretation was WildWassa was happy with his SLX because it was so reliable. I mentioned X0 as another reliable option. Of course its a different price point, hence my usage of the term "price point perspective, SLX is damn good value for money".



Do you know 5 riders with an SLX derailleur? Yes.

I have seen LX, XT, XO, etc (ie. all varieties and different price points) derailleurs all ripped off - bottom line, no derailleur is indestructable, but some are more reliable (in terms of shifting) then others. True: however of the 5 XO "snapees" that I know, 3 were during their first outing.



And I am sure you're a complete angel who NEVER makes a politiclaly incorrect statement ever. Thank you!
ghey - Usurping the traditional term GAY to take the homosexual meaning out and leaving in the lame. Leaving in the "lame"? Grammatically speaking, is there actually a "lame" component of the word "gay"?

See ghey parts in red.

 

[WildWassa]

As for naming your bike, if you are a guy, well thats just ghey

If naming a bike is ghey? Take a look at you reflection next time you ride past a shop window at that pooncy gear you are wearing in your thumbnail. I won't dumb down gay to ghey on that one. You really are the tea cosy calling the kettle shiny. I suggest you don't go riding through the 'cross wearing that gear ... OK!

My bikes get named all the time, generally as a reaction to how I'm fairing on them at the time!!

Exactly Quiggs. I called my bike Icycle because sitting in a Fi'zi:k Tundra saddle for longer than 10 minutes ... will give anyone polaroids. I had to change the bike's name. The way I ride I can hardly call my bike a Giant or an Anthem ... unless the greater powers change our Anthem to Waltzing Matilda. The panniers I have are called 'Roadmasters', wow, now that is cool but again, totally inappropriate.

My anthem with Crossmark ST wheels is a hoot and i will take XT or XTR all day long, they are well made and last forever. I was wondering can i borrow those sexy pannies for my Glory i think it would really finish the build off

Edward Omagbemi (Buff Australia) is the Aussi distributor of the Extrawheel. Edward told me that he put an Extrawheel on his DH bike and rode one of the downhill courses. That is full-on. He said that the trailer over the jumps was tracking through the air exactly the same as his downhill bike. I think Edward would have the yellow Extrawheel panniers not the stunning orange Roadmasters. Don't put the panniers on your DH bike get two Extrawheel Voyager Solos and hook them up like a B-Double. Or then why even stop at two linked up, buy half a dozen Extrawheel Voyagers and turn your Glory into a real roadtrain.

I hope this helps.

Warren.

 

[cleeshoy]

If naming a bike is ghey? Have you seen how butt ugly that pooncy gear you are wearing in your thumbnail, under your name is? I won't dumb down gay to ghey on that one. You really are the tea cosy calling the kettle shiny. I suggest you don't go riding through the 'cross wearing that gear.

I suggest you don't ride through the 'cross annoucing to everyone you name your bike icycle.
re: the gear, its just stock standard cycling clothing (bibs, jersey, helmet, sunnies). If you have a problem with my gear, it means you must have a problem with a fairly large percentage of the cycling community (roadies, XC riders, etc) given a large chunk of them wear this "pooncy gear". I suppose you reckon Cadel's gear is pooncy also? Back to Boganville for you Wazza. Don't forget to pick up your centrelink cheque on the way home either. You'l need it to pay for your next mullet perm