Giant AnthemX 29er Short-Term Review

Just before the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde I decided to sell my Santa Tallboy frame and try the new Giant AnthemX 29er. I bought a large AnthemX 29er frame from Fitzy’s and moved all of my parts over from the Tallboy frame. It was an easy swap and I was able to get the new frame built up in time to take it to the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde where I completed five laps on it (plus two laps on the singlespeed). The bike immediately felt comfortable and being able to crank out 80 miles on the first outing is good sign.


Specs:
100mm of travel front & rear
Fox RP23 Shock is standard
Sold as a complete bike or frame only
Tapered head tube

Q) Aren’t aluminum 29er full-suspension bikes heavy?
A) The AnthemX 29er frame was only .09 lbs heavier than my carbon Tallboy frame. The complete bike weighed in at a very respectable 24.2 lbs.


Q) How does the Maestro suspension compare to the Tallboy’s VPP suspension?
A) I am not an engineer or a suspension geek but I do like the way the AnthemX 29er rides “taller” in its travel. It makes the bike feel snappy and also gives you the feeling that you are using more of its travel on bigger hits. I haven’t felt the need to run the Fox’s ProPedal setting higher than “1” to compensate for pedal bob.


Q) Can you run SRAM 2x10 on the AnthemX 29er?
A) Yes, there is plenty of chainring clearance to run a 24t, 26t, or 28t in the front.


The AnthemX 29er has an open front triangle with a ton of room. If and when you are mentally blown in a race, it will still be easy to reach down and shove a bottle into its cage. This may seem like a little thing but I have already come to appreciate this feature.


I am stoked that the Fitzy Team now has a great option for a full-suspension 29er race bike. On top of that, the AnthemX 29er might be the best value out there for a full-suspension 29er.