Edge540 Posted July 5, 2014 Share Being new to mtb I recently got a 2014 Anthem X29er 1 which I absolutely love . I intend getting the Giant dropper post for it but what would be other worthwhile upgrades for it if any. It's SLX throughout with XT rd. Would any upgrades be noticeable to me with my limited experience in mtb ? Your commets will be greatly appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arendoog Posted July 5, 2014 Share Ride it ! .Punish it ! Excellent as is ! KENDA, IH8MUD, StevieL and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palaeodom Posted July 5, 2014 Share Always the first and most worthwhile upgrade is wheels. Not sure what the standard wheels are, but I think giant alu rims. Good wheels make a big difference Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palaeodom Posted July 5, 2014 Share Always the first and most worthwhile upgrade is wheels. Not sure what the standard wheels are, but I think giant alu rims. Good wheels make a big difference PoiZoNouZ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IH8MUD Posted July 5, 2014 Share Just ride it . . . nothing on that bike is holding you back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edge540 Posted July 5, 2014 Share Always the first and most worthwhile upgrade is wheels. Not sure what the standard wheels are, but I think giant alu rims. Good wheels make a big difference The standard wheels are Giant PXC2 double wall. What would a suitable upgrade be? What would the gains be from different wheels? Weight? Edited July 5, 2014 by EDF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoiZoNouZ Posted July 6, 2014 Share Less weight, less to spin up as you pedal. Â Something like ZTR Crest, and then do tubeless on the bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wepat Posted July 6, 2014 Share +1 I have this bike changed wheels to ZTR Crest with EVO Hubs made a noticeable change also once worn out get Geaax Seguaro tryes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieT Posted July 6, 2014 Share Wheels. I have Mavic Crossmax SLR's, lightweight, I saved nearly a kg. Bit espensive but check out the classifieds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Search Posted July 6, 2014 Share You can upgrade the wheels. I got the ZTR ArchEX wheels =1698g. A little bit heavier than Crest but you can punish them a little bit more. Also better if you are heavier than 85kg. BUT are you willing to spend more than R5000 to save 500g? I still got my Giant wheels, they are actually brilliant. They are also cheap on maintenance and converts well to tubeless. SLX is a brilliant groupset. Save your money for races and exploring. BenReaper, StevieL and Da Vinci 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimpleDom Posted July 6, 2014 Share I have the same bike. I have upgraded the wheels to Arch Ex, and added a dropper. Also changed to 1x10. My order of upgrade benefits is:Â 1. Dropper2. 1x10 (I just love it, but don't have a good reason...) 3. Wheels. Â The OEM giant wheels are good enough. It the only upgrade I feel that I could have spent the money better... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted July 6, 2014 Share The OEM Giant wheels are bulletproof. The current ones, that is. Previous incarnations were a little noodly, but the new ones (2013 onwards afaik) are great. Heavier than the likes of your Crest / Flow / Arch & Hope combo, but not by much. Their durability is excellent, and they're easier to service. I wouldn't upgrade them yet. First thing I'd get is a dropper. Even die-hard anti-dropper snobbies are loving them and wondering how they survived without one. Yes, they add weight. But the 200g or 300g that they do add is faaar outweighed by their functionality. Get one. SLX is a perfect gruppo. You won't be gaining anything by going up to XT, except the loss of a few grams here and there.  2nd upgrade would be to get a tubeless conversion done, and get rid of the standard Schwalbes on there, swapping them out with the Schwalbe SNAKESKIN TLR tires of your choice (Nobby Nic up front and Rocket Ron out back, maybe, seeing as you're down here in Tokai - they offer reasonable levels of grip without being stupidly expensive, and are far better than the Racing Ralph guys when the going gets tough. From there... the only tangible upgrade would be the rims. But then you're spending stupid money to get the durability of the Giants while losing the weight. So - dropper. DEFINITELYTubeless conversion with proper tiresWheels. But only after the dropper & tubeless conversion. SimpleDom 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fanievb Posted July 6, 2014 Share The OEM Giant wheels are bulletproof. The current ones, that is. Previous incarnations were a little noodly, but the new ones (2013 onwards afaik) are great. Heavier than the likes of your Crest / Flow / Arch & Hope combo, but not by much. Their durability is excellent, and they're easier to service. I wouldn't upgrade them yet. First thing I'd get is a dropper. Even die-hard anti-dropper snobbies are loving them and wondering how they survived without one. Yes, they add weight. But the 200g or 300g that they do add is faaar outweighed by their functionality. Get one. SLX is a perfect gruppo. You won't be gaining anything by going up to XT, except the loss of a few grams here and there.  2nd upgrade would be to get a tubeless conversion done, and get rid of the standard Schwalbes on there, swapping them out with the Schwalbe SNAKESKIN TLR tires of your choice (Nobby Nic up front and Rocket Ron out back, maybe, seeing as you're down here in Tokai - they offer reasonable levels of grip without being stupidly expensive, and are far better than the Racing Ralph guys when the going gets tough. From there... the only tangible upgrade would be the rims. But then you're spending stupid money to get the durability of the Giants while losing the weight. So - dropper. DEFINITELYTubeless conversion with proper tiresWheels. But only after the dropper & tubeless conversion.Quick question are those standard tires TR? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubber88 Posted July 6, 2014 Share My vote goes for a Crest wheelset. It transformed my Giant into another bike. More playful and easier to maneuver with a more lively feel. One thing about having a bike that works great is not buying the most expensive groupset or fork for a upgrade. It's about understanding how to service your bike properly, for example servicing shifter cables will fix your sifting not a new RD... SLX brakes are more than adequate if you don't contaminate your disc rotors and understand how to bleed brakes, with Shimano being the easiest of them all. So I will suggest get tools to service what you have and give your equipment a longer life and the best possible performance they can deliver which will be more than adequate. SLX cassettes/chains are basically the price of XT components a year or two back, keep that in mind when your upgraded components are due for replacement. Edited July 6, 2014 by Dubber88 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Fastbastard Mayhem Posted July 6, 2014 Share Quick question are those standard tires TR? No, but they can be easily converted with a tubeless kit, or duct tape and a tubeless valve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fanievb Posted July 6, 2014 Share  No, but they can be easily converted with a tubeless kit, or duct tape and a tubeless valve.Cool thanks I wasn't sure if they will work tubeless as I know the rims are TR. Just hope the tires (sidewalls) last long enough for me to save up and buy proper ust/tubeless tires Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now