In terms of the chassis, the Giant Anthem has long been one of the top mountain bikes in the marathon league. The problem: many other things seemed to be Anthem revised for the last time in 2018 somewhat unharmonious and outdated. The steering and seat angles are "old school", the reach is long, the front is low and the handlebars are wide. As a result, you sat very stretched out on the racing bike and pedalled quickly from behind when the saddle was raised.
The new Giant Anthem for 2022 is a completely different bike. Balanced, harmonious, modern. The geometry is pleasantly sporty, the frame is now really light. This is also thanks to the new rear triangle design, which saves weight compared to its predecessor with flexing seat stays. This rear triangle is now combined in Taiwan with a thicker fork which, in combination with a long Vario seat post, makes wild trail rides possible.
The new Giant Anthem 2022 at a glance
- Range of use: XC-Race, Marathon
- Wheel size: 29 inch
- Suspension travel: 110/100 millimetres
- Chassis: Fox Live Valve
- Weight: 11.26 kilograms (BIKE measurement)
- Frame weight: 1761 grams without shock (BIKE measurement)
- Two carbon models for 5199 euros and 7699 euros.
- Telescopic supports (30.9 mm) with 150 millimetre stroke as standard for frame size L
Modern but manoeuvrable: The geometry of the Giant Anthem 2022
With a head angle of 69 degrees and a seat angle of 73.5 degrees, the geometry of the previous Anthem was no longer up to date. This is now a thing of the past. With the new Anthem, Giant says goodbye to the geometry of classic race bikes and sets its own accents. At 67.5 degrees, the head angle of the new marathon bike is significantly slacker than before, while the seat angle is noticeably steeper at 75.5 degrees.
The reach has been extended by 15 millimetres so that the rider is still not sitting too short. Thanks to the longer fork, the front is now one centimetre higher than on the low, sporty predecessor. Shorter chainstays (431 instead of 437 millimetres) are intended to preserve the agile character of the Racefullys.
Turning away from Maestro: New rear triangle with flexing struts
In favour of weight, Giant has also dispensed with the familiar Maestro rear triangle on the new Anthem. The elaborate design with two rockers and a floating shock had proven its worth in the past, but was at the expense of weight and durability due to the large number of joints. The new rear triangle comes in a classic race bike design with a vertical shock and flexing struts and is intended to combine the qualities of the previous suspension with a lower weight.
Controlled and playful: The Giant Anthem on the trail
Higher front end, steeper seat angle, short chainstays: Does this make the Giant Anthem Down-Country-Bike? We were able to get a first impression of the new race bike from Taiwan on muddy, slippery trails. What immediately stands out: the high feel-good factor. The new Anthem has a much more modern and front-wheel orientated seat than its predecessor. The slightly higher front is more comfortable for the rider, without the front wheel becoming too light too quickly on steeper sections.
This allows the Anthem to be steered intuitively both uphill and downhill, even on slippery trails, and remains quite manoeuvrable overall. The Anthem's acceleration is pleasantly sporty and direct, also thanks to the lightweight wheels, which effectively conceal the overall weight of the bike when sprinting.
Despite the new design, the suspension seems to retain the qualities of the old bike. Quiet when seated, even when pedalling out of the saddle, yet sensitive to small bumps. Only the new version of the Fox Live Valve system leaves some question marks. Although it reacts quickly and can be intuitively adjusted to your own preferences, it is noticeably firm even in open mode. Whether the additional weight and the high price really justify the slight increase in efficiency on the Racefully, or whether you prefer a classic remote on the handlebars, is up to you to decide.
A detailed test with all the lab data and ride report will soon be available in BIKE 2/2022 - on sale from 4 January
Adrian Kaether
Editor
