Giant teases new Anthem XC bike – and it looks nothing like the current model

Giant has begun teasing a new version of its Anthem cross-country race bike, featuring 120mm of travel and a significant update to its suspension layout.

The bike has been developed in close collaboration with current World Champion and Giant-sponsored rider Alan Hatherly.

Unlike the current-generation Anthem, this prototype moves the shock higher, suspending it beneath the top tube. It’s a configuration now common among cross-country bikes, offering improved space within the front triangle.

This change enables the bike to accommodate two full-sized water bottles inside the main frame – a must-have for marathon-length cross-country races and increasingly expected on modern XC platforms.

While the overall silhouette is expected to remain largely unchanged, Giant says development of the frame's layup will continue to refine stiffness, ride quality and overall performance.

The frame appears to use Giant’s Advanced SL carbon layup – the brand’s lightest and stiffest construction – alongside a one-piece carbon cockpit. 

Cables are routed internally through the bar and stem, entering the frame via a channel moulded into the underside of the bar and through the headset.

The prototype was also fitted with a pair of unbranded carbon wheels. 

While no official confirmation has been given, they bear a significant resemblance to designs from Cadex – Giant’s premium components brand. If confirmed, these would mark Cadex’s first foray into mountain bike wheels.

Further details of the new Anthem are expected later this year.