New Giant Anthem Prototype

[justinafrika]

On 7/5/2021 at 11:31 AM, GHOST FACE said:

 

 

Quote

I think Giant realized that Maestro works exceptionally well in the mid to long travel bikes, like the Trance and Reign. In shorter travel bikes like the Anthem they can move to this single pivot platform and get nearly the same suspension benefit but save over 200grams and make it longer lasting (less bearings and linkages to replace).

 

On 7/5/2021 at 12:00 PM, DieselnDust said:

The current bike runs 90mm of travel because they do struggle to get more without lengthening the chainstays. Single pivot linkage takes all these problems away for no loss of performance.

Thanks. Just a few days ago some others now on this thread (you know who you are ) dismissed the Stance as a choice for lacking the Maestro linkage, with one even stating that Giant should NEVER have made the Stance (because of a lack of the Maestro). Nevermind that Giant had excellent sales of the Stance in North America and Europe and that it was chosen as one of Bicycling UK's Bikes of the Year. It's a great choice for someone on a R35K budget.

PS. A mate left his Stance with me while travelling for a few months and many trails were joyously shredded on it, single pivot linkage notwithstanding.

Edited July 6, 2021 by justinafrika

[Headshot]

4 hours ago, AllTerrain said:

But this is South Africa. Even tough we have miles and miles I’d terribly maintained gravel roads, immense expanses of mountainous country side, forestry areas and so on, with some great jeep tracks and old wagon trails and and and, and a couple of pretty amazing trail Centres all over the country. Trail bikes don’t sell. Down country (I really hate that term, can we just call them what they are they are still XC bikes, just better suited to joe average) bikes sell a little better but only slightly so. Your only a real cyclist if you ride a super compromised XC race machine, and keep trying to convince yourself you really have no interest in riding the technical lines at the bike park, because you enjoy just being out there riding, and you that it’s normal to be that sore and uncomfortable after a 100km ride, because the suffering is half the fun, or something like that. 
 

we like to suffer here. It’s started in the time of the great trek, and it seems to continue into choosing mountain bikes now. I mean why would you willingly cross the drakensberg, barefoot, with oxwagon in the grips of winter? Why didn’t they just make some simple shoes in preparation for the journey. (Before I upset someone, ek is n trotse Afrikaner, maar ons volk, het nogals n ding vir sukkel uit kuese uit, maar die rooinekke is ook so). 
 

I mean the same guy that kits his Bakkie out with every off-road upgrade under the sun, longer travel shocks, fat tires etc , which are mostly not needed, because it stays mostly on the road, will willingly by the least “capable” mountain bike, and insist on having the minimal amount of suspension, and the lightest duty tire possible…. Strange world

Count me out on the masochism but yes, people here have a very skewed idea what a mountain bike is. Over the pond, Ibis have just started making a USA built XC bike. The article raised the question whether they should be putting so much effort into a niche type of bike. Our mainstream bikes are niche almost everywhere else in the world. 

BTW I regularly ride 30-50k rides on a 170/180 enduro bike. Its worth it for the fun on the downs. 

[Headshot]

3 hours ago, Eldron said:

In certain parts of the Cape maybe but the vast majority of riders aren't interested in drop offs, jumps and such. They want to get out do some exercise, hang with their mates and enjoy their morning. 100mm on both ends is perfect for this. And 2 water bottles ????

 

In parts of KZN too, i.e places where there are actual real mountains to ride. Maybe we need a new term for the riding  elsewhere? Oops we do already, "Gravel Grinding" ????  

[Eldron]

1 hour ago, Headshot said:

In parts of KZN too, i.e places where there are actual real mountains to ride. Maybe we need a new term for the riding  elsewhere? Oops we do already, "Gravel Grinding" ????  

Mostly Gravel Grinding seems to be a term for regte manne to pretend that they're cooler than you.

[Hairy]

2 minutes ago, Eldron said:

Mostly Gravel Grinding seems to be a term for regte manne to pretend that they're cooler than you.

I think gravel riders are just people with a bag fetish who are coming out about it.

[PhilipV]

3 hours ago, Mountain Bru said:

Lets keep this thread on topic and discuss why station wagons aren't more popular in South Africa? I mean it's literally a mini-fortuner without all the hastle of getting in and out or parking a tank or the crappy fuel economy. How come every second mom dropping her kids off at the school down the road from me is in a fortuner, when a station wagon makes so much more sense?  

Potholes, social status and the need to look adventurous.  

Edited July 6, 2021 by PhilipV

[PhilipV]

It's about time that Giant updated the Anthem. 
I'm not surprised that Giant went the single-pivot-flexy-triangle route. It's so hot right now. And a smart way to lower weight. 

Giant seems to really like Live Valve. 

 

And let me remind you that the last world marathon champs was won on this single bottle bike. 

 

 

[Beerboy]

Who needs the second water bottle, when they've designed a reservoir in the frame!????

[Headshot]

1 hour ago, Eldron said:

Mostly Gravel Grinding seems to be a term for regte manne to pretend that they're cooler than you.

Or possibly to take a sledgehammer to the local rocks to make gravel...

[Headshot]

55 minutes ago, PhilipV said:

It's about time that Giant updated the Anthem. 
I'm not surprised that Giant went the single-pivot-flexy-triangle route. It's so hot right now. And a smart way to lower weight. 

Giant seems to really like Live Valve. 

 

And let me remind you that the last world marathon champs was won on this single bottle bike. 

 

 

i'm waiting for Spesh to ditch the brain nonsense. 

[Broodryk]

1 hour ago, Headshot said:

i'm waiting for Spesh to ditch the brain nonsense. 

Brain works, why would they abandon it?

 

[Mountain Bru]

1 hour ago, Headshot said:

i'm waiting for Spesh to ditch the brain nonsense. 

I hate servicing it, but love riding with it. I love that there's two less cables on my bike too. I hate the look of having a spider web of cables in front of my bars. 

[Wayne pudding Mol]

7 hours ago, Robbie Stewart said:

My last 6 rides according to Strava: they were all trail focussed. A mix of Banhoek, Plasir, Contermanskloof, Hoogekraal etc. Distance is not the key here as I spent alot of time sessioning techy sections on these trails, but the elevation gained in those short distances are not easily matched elsewhere. Should I do a 40km loop on these trails the climbing is well over 1000m.

 

But Robbie you push up hill so you don’t need as much water 

[Wayne pudding Mol]

3 hours ago, Hairy on a Davidson said:

I think gravel riders are just people with a bag fetish who are coming out about it.

Nice amount of water bottles 

[AllTerrain]

1 hour ago, Broodryk said:

Brain works, why would they abandon it?

 

Because the only thing more important than having 2 bottle cages, and never wearing a camelbak, is to hate on Spez at every opportunity you get. 
 

To be fir though, the early versions of brain weren’t great, and a manual lockout was better. But they sorted the brain out years ago already, it works pretty well now.

[Hairy]

1 hour ago, AllTerrain said:

Because the only thing more important than having 2 bottle cages, and never wearing a camelbak, is to hate on Spez at every opportunity you get. 
 

To be fir though, the early versions of brain weren’t great, and a manual lockout was better. But they sorted the brain out years ago already, it works pretty well now.

Or you can set up your suspension properly and not have to worry about a "brain" ... and brain is misleading, you would think it is "thinking and making decisions", but it is simply reacting to physical input after the F.A.C.T