Giant Anthem 2 Review - BikeRadar

Jump on the Anthem and you'll immediately notice the fact that it's an incredibly light bike for the price (25.9lb).

This is mainly due to the fact that it's got a featherweight 5.3lb frame and a superb mixture of top-quality kit bolted onto it.

Although the Anthem frame on its own will set you back £899, Giant has done well with the onboard kit to ensure that you're getting your money's worth. For £1700 you get a Manitou R-Seven Elite fork, a SRL rear shock and a strong set of RaceFace Evolve cranks that are built to last, along with the mostly XT transmission. Also worth mentioning are the ultra light Mavic 717 wheel rims.

Despite the fact that you're riding a full susser here, it's still one of the fastest bikes we've ever ridden. The brakes aren't perfect and you could easily argue that the tyres are completely unsuited to British winter conditions, but these are small niggles when you're riding something this fast and enjoyable. Despite the low weight, the bike handles beautifully and we've ridden much whippier bikes for much more money.

If you're obsessed about weight loss, then it's actually possible to shave off even more ounces, but you're unlikely to find a nippier and more enjoyable bike at this price range, and you can't say fairer than that.

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