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Anthem X 29er 1 vs Anthem Advanced X 29'er 2 value in Canada?

11K views 16 replies 8 participants last post by  bikensand 
#1 · (Edited)
Is it worth it going for the Anthem X 29'er Advanced 2 instead of the Anthem X 29'er 1? Frame only options seem out of wack price wise.

I am 5 foot 9.5" tall and will weigh 165-180 riding season. I am recovering from a back injury. I ride cross country singletrack mostly with the odd obstacle or small easy jump but no all mountain or free riding. EG...if I ride a place like Buckwallow, there are loops I don't bother with due to hairy technical...lol...but who knows, maybe some day...

Ok, here is the Anthem X 29'er 1 vs the Anthem X 29'er Advanced 2 build MSRP pricing in Canada with frames and the alum X2 build thrown in for comparison.

Anthem X Advanced 29'er 2 $3099
Anthem X 29'er 1 ------------ $2799

Anthem X Advanced frame $2500
Anthem X 29'er 2 ------------ $2299
Anthem X 29'er Alum frame $1400

Ideally I want the lightest bike I can afford with the best components and 2 x drivetrain. Is it worth spending the extra for the Advanced X2? The differences between the Anthem X 29'er 2 and Advanced 29'er 2 seem to be in brakes, drivetrain and rear shock, while the alum X1 build has fox fork and shock. The Anthem X 29'er 2 has an Rock Shox RL shock while the Advanced 2 has an R shock.

Is the Advanced 2 lighter than the alum X1?

Any thoughts re comparisons and value etc? Is it better to take the alum X1 and upgrade/lighten it or start with the Advanced 2?
 
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#2 ·
The alu anthem x1 is "light enough" for me. You might get excited about spending a lot of extra money for a 1lb lighter bike but I don't.

Frankly, I made mine heavier by throwing on a dropper, hans dampf front tire, XT brakes/rotors, water bottle cage and carrying around a camelback and wearing clothes.

Plus, if your bike gets dirty it gets heavier. ;)

Though the carbon bike will get you way more chicks. I guess.
 
#3 ·
Personally, I'd stick with the alum version.

Not only are (IMHO) the shocks (front and rear) much better on the X29er 1 vs. the Advanced 2, but the rest of the components are better as well. Better brakes, quality shimano drivetrain, and better wheels (or at least better rims).

Aluminum might not be as sexy as CF but this bike is cheaper and better spec'd. Plus, the front triangle is the only CF part of the Advanced. The rear triangle is the same on both.

It's a no brainer.

BTW, I've ridden my 2011 x29 at buckwallow and it handled everything with aplomb, even if I didn't ;)
 
G
#4 ·
I'm in the US and bought an Advanced 1. But I was very close to buying the AL 1. At no point did I consider the Advanced 2 as I just didn't think it had the value of the AL 1 or the Advanced 1.

I love the Advanced 1. The stock wheelset has been great and I love the full XT and RS suspension bits. However, had I gone with a AL 1 and swapped to an Arch EX wheelset, some lighter cockpit bits, XT brakes, and saved $900, I think I would have been just as happy (and the bike weight would be really close).

The Fox-equipped bike is slightly more plush than my SID/Monarch bike. I prefer the firm RS bits myself, but the Fox bike was also very nice.
 
#5 ·
I think it comes down to the idea of long term investment. I know it may seem contrary to conventional thought but the Advanced 2 is a stiffer, stronger frame and a better platform to build on. I'd get the 2, tell the shop to upgrade the shifters to X7 before you take delivery and go from there. Over time, put some wheels on it and upgrade a few pieces here and there. The X1 is a nice bike (I rode one exclusively for several months) but I'm just not a fan of the Fox shocks front or rear on the Maestro Giants.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Just get the cheapest version with the lightest wheels or budget for a wheel up grade. Your wheels/ tire weight is buy far the most impotant difference on 29er handling and acceleration. The difference in weight and stiffness betwen these two frames is negligible.

I'd look for one with a fox fork and may be up grade the shock to a Monarch. Best combo for this frame IMHO.

If you want a bike to save your back i'd go with something with more rear travel, even a 26". Trance x 26" deals comes to mind. Coloardo cyclist have the frames for $799. The Tx 26" climbs and accelerates better than the Ax 29er anyway. I have a touch and go back and rear travel is a saviour sometimes when pedaling seated. It's the dips and g outs when seated which crunch your back. 29ers excel in smoothing the trail at speed, especially when descending,where your normally standing.Pedalling over a tree root seated on a 29er isn't a huge difference to a 26" bike of similar travel. Hit it at speed standing and then you'll feel a big difference.

The Ax is very good for it's travel in descending and also surpisingly good seated on the g outs [ monarch shock gets you more travel] but my Tx 26" is a lot better seated pedaling over g outs. My Meta 6 is in another league altogether and even though it's heavy is my pick for all day in the saddle rides.The Tx 26" actually has 130mm of travel. One of the reasons a 140mm fork upgrade is so popular.
 
#7 ·
I guess my thoughts were the X1 alum is a good enough value for its components and weight, but I don't really know just how much better the components are on the X1 vs the X2. Now that I think about it, how much heavier is the X2 alumit vs the X1 alum? Are the parts that much worse? Some say they are not as good.

I was just thinking I could save money and start with the X2 alum. Maybe the X2 is a good starting point?

Longer travel 26" is not a bad option, but I am looking for an Anthem X 29'er because I want to experience what a 29'er is like and the light weight and maestro suspension makes the Anthem X 29 well liked. For a longer travel bike I'd get either of the 650B KHS 3500 (120 mm) or the 6500 (140 mm).
 
G
#9 ·
They are all good values, Giant is known for that. You have to decide what pricepoint is right for you.

The difference in the AL and CF frames is about 1/2 a pound but the stiffness is actually noticeable.
 
#10 ·
I am thinking the carbon is too expensive for me either way I look at it. The wheels on the Advanced 1 are nice but it's out of my budget.

I should be focussing more on what I can afford.

What about the alum Anthem X29'er 1 vs the 2?

What's the big deciding factor there? Weigt? Components? Both?
 
#17 ·
I've owned both frames and currently have the Carbon. There is a difference. It wasn't a "holy crap this thing is so much lighter/stiffer difference"; more of an "in the zone/put the bike right where I wanted it to go" feeling. There is also the difference in damping that the carbon frame gives you that I enjoy.
 
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