Got to demo a 29'er today courtesy of Bespoke, â¬6000 of Kashima coated sweetness, Santa Cruz Tall Boy. Jamie set the bike up for my weight, tyres to my preferred pressure, all very impressive.
It was apparent very early on the those wheels really iron out the trail, and once you build up some speed it seems easier to hold it. the Tall Boy has quite a short wheelbase so felt very agile and was well able for very tight stuff, it never felt too high or too long. It felt by similar to the Anthem, flighty and quite twitchy, which I like.
i also got a spin on Richies Trance X, same story again, just crushed the trail and being a Giant man it felt VERY familiar. Much more cushy than the SC, much longer wheelbase (L) and it did feel long, not sure how it would handle Benchcut as we had to abandon Djouce with all the snow. But once again, very fast and so plush.
Was quite surprised at how obvious the benefits were, both bikes made light work of roots and off camber stuff that would be work on a 26'er, at times it really feel like cheating. If these are anything to go for I can only imagine how quick and Anthem or HT must be. If you were big into racing you would be mad not to give them serious consideration.
I'm glad you liked the Demo Trance , Don, but bear in mind the one you were on is a large ! Even so Damo has ridden it with no problems at all..I have already ordered my 29'er Anthem..
yeah, I'd hate to be the goons still on 26'ers..they'll be like monkeys on bikes !! Don , I also have a medium Demo Anthem, somewhere..it went out of the shop last week and hasn't returned..last seen under the arse of a certain cuddly motorcycle mechanic !
Don, how'd you reckon the 29er would be as an enduro bike! I am on the hunt for a bike for the gravity enduro type stuff. Been looking at the Norco sight, PYGA onetwenty650b, Trance and morewood sukuma.
Morewood and S/Cruz pricing themselves out of my bracket ( unless I cash in the kids education fund), Sight was mtbr trail bike of the year last year and it and the PYGA come in 650b which is so tempting and I have been toying with that for ages now, but the trance has always been high on the list. I am just not sure it is that much different to the anthem in 26inch mode. ( shock and horror I run 120 upfront on the anthem gotta love those rockshox spacers which I will drop back to 100 for the marathon/Xc stuff when I get the new bike)
Debate is do I go longer travel and stay 26inch, would the 29er Trance do the gravity job or should I scratch the itch that is the 650b.
Richie has kindly offered me a go on his trance and once the knee is up for it I'll definitely take him up in that. Have a brand loyalty to Giant, my anthem has been a great fit for years and would like to keep my business local, am I missing any other great options.
Well Gary, bear in mind that you have been riding a 26" wheel for years you also think about the bike a lot and a 29'er takes some getting used to. From what I have seen and from what I've been told 26" is on the way out, its not going to suddenly make a comeback. 29'er Giants are selling out at an alarming rate though. I was lucky to get one of the Team bikes..sold out in the UK already !
For XC I'll never go back to 26" and I never thought I'd say that , for Gravity Enduro style , I haven't ridden a 29'er Trance yet so I can't comment. A lot of science has gone in to the design of the Giant 29'ers and I think they have gotten the geometry right . Thats the one thing I have realised about mtbs since the beginning of it, forget the parts, they can be replaced, the rider can be trained but if the geometry is wrong then its a disaster.
I have no doubt an Anthem 29 would be a savage bike, I'll take you up on that offer to try one Richie, could be dangerous....Gary, I'm not as convinced about the benefits for Enduro, where outright speed is dictated more by skill and balls. I also found at speed, while steering through really bumpy terrain that I was not mad on how the bars felt in my hands, that big front wheel at times was fighting where I wanted to put it. But I'm sure there is a learning curve. I certainly won't be changing my Trance anytime soon.
One thing is certain though, they are not a marketing gimmick, and soon they will be everywhere.
Yep Richie from what I read the 26er new model production is being down scaled all across the board.
I will have to replace my anthem at some stage and another anthem (most likely a 29er) is a definite for that, but for now the old girl is still a lot of fun.
This is where the gravity enduro issue comes in. Never done it want to try it, it looks a blast ( excuse the pun) but not sure the anthem will cut it and the budget won't allow for 2 new bikes AND crèche fees. I have been driving the wife mad with my vascilating on this issue. My concern is as Don says 29er for the twisty mucky steep stuff, not really convinced by what I have heard.
Don you have both, is the Trance very different to the Anthem for the gravity stuff?
Gary, the Anthem as you know is supremely capable, I've chucked it off most of our big mountains and it is a well able for it, but my Trance has way more travel and is just so much fun. I have mine at 150mm though and it really set up for descending. But if you only had the one bike, and it was a 29'er Anthem, I would say it would be more than able for any Enduro.
let me fill you in here..in 2 years 26" Wheels will be gone. From next year it will be all 29'er and 650B , of course there will still be 26er parts available..and I think you are wrong Don, I think the Trance 29'er will be the king of the Enduros..anybody who is not promoting 29" wheels is an idiot..we have no choice, they will be everywhere, you can call them Gay,Postmans bikes, just like I did but people need to wake up to the 29'er ..and Gary, buy a bleedin bike from a local supplier..otherwise you will have your head melted if you have warranty issues...
I'm pretty sure that more Irish CHamps in 2012 were on Giants than any other Brand..sure you can buy a Plektron 500 from some USA shed manufacturer and Joe Superstar is winning everything on it in Peru and the Mohave desert..but this is Eireann..Wet, Windy, coated in slime and most of the trails are bike cannibals..Don I love you, you know this but you have only ridden Giant, whereas I have ridden so many brands ( not Trek , nobody ever gave me one !!) I should have the Rust Pox.. so I have something to compare them against..why would you ride anything else..I've been on them all and its the only bike that I sit on and think.." Ma, i'm a f*ckin Mountainniker !!"
Well I'm sticking to my guns, the guy who does well in the Enduros will do so because they are sh1t hot, not because of what wheel he has on. I'll be there with my 'old' 26'er, the goal to whup as many 29'ers as I can!
However, if you are a mortal doing the NPS this year and don't have an XC 29'er, you are going to have your ass handed to you.
Ah shudup, I'm not arguing with you and your bottle of Blue Nun! Once upon a time you preached it was all about the rider, now it's 29 this and where are my pants that, you sold out man!
Got to demo a 29'er today courtesy of Bespoke, â¬6000 of Kashima coated sweetness, Santa Cruz Tall Boy. Jamie set the bike up for my weight, tyres to my preferred pressure, all very impressive.
It was apparent very early on the those wheels really iron out the trail, and once you build up some speed it seems easier to hold it. the Tall Boy has quite a short wheelbase so felt very agile and was well able for very tight stuff, it never felt too high or too long. It felt by similar to the Anthem, flighty and quite twitchy, which I like.
i also got a spin on Richies Trance X, same story again, just crushed the trail and being a Giant man it felt VERY familiar. Much more cushy than the SC, much longer wheelbase (L) and it did feel long, not sure how it would handle Benchcut as we had to abandon Djouce with all the snow. But once again, very fast and so plush.
Was quite surprised at how obvious the benefits were, both bikes made light work of roots and off camber stuff that would be work on a 26'er, at times it really feel like cheating. If these are anything to go for I can only imagine how quick and Anthem or HT must be. If you were big into racing you would be mad not to give them serious consideration.
I'm glad you liked the Demo Trance , Don, but bear in mind the one you were on is a large ! Even so Damo has ridden it with no problems at all..I have already ordered my 29'er Anthem..
yeah, I'd hate to be the goons still on 26'ers..they'll be like monkeys on bikes !! Don , I also have a medium Demo Anthem, somewhere..it went out of the shop last week and hasn't returned..last seen under the arse of a certain cuddly motorcycle mechanic !
Don, how'd you reckon the 29er would be as an enduro bike! I am on the hunt for a bike for the gravity enduro type stuff. Been looking at the Norco sight, PYGA onetwenty650b, Trance and morewood sukuma.
Morewood and S/Cruz pricing themselves out of my bracket ( unless I cash in the kids education fund), Sight was mtbr trail bike of the year last year and it and the PYGA come in 650b which is so tempting and I have been toying with that for ages now, but the trance has always been high on the list. I am just not sure it is that much different to the anthem in 26inch mode. ( shock and horror I run 120 upfront on the anthem gotta love those rockshox spacers which I will drop back to 100 for the marathon/Xc stuff when I get the new bike)
Debate is do I go longer travel and stay 26inch, would the 29er Trance do the gravity job or should I scratch the itch that is the 650b.
Richie has kindly offered me a go on his trance and once the knee is up for it I'll definitely take him up in that. Have a brand loyalty to Giant, my anthem has been a great fit for years and would like to keep my business local, am I missing any other great options.
Well Gary, bear in mind that you have been riding a 26" wheel for years you also think about the bike a lot and a 29'er takes some getting used to. From what I have seen and from what I've been told 26" is on the way out, its not going to suddenly make a comeback. 29'er Giants are selling out at an alarming rate though. I was lucky to get one of the Team bikes..sold out in the UK already !
For XC I'll never go back to 26" and I never thought I'd say that , for Gravity Enduro style , I haven't ridden a 29'er Trance yet so I can't comment. A lot of science has gone in to the design of the Giant 29'ers and I think they have gotten the geometry right . Thats the one thing I have realised about mtbs since the beginning of it, forget the parts, they can be replaced, the rider can be trained but if the geometry is wrong then its a disaster.
I have no doubt an Anthem 29 would be a savage bike, I'll take you up on that offer to try one Richie, could be dangerous....Gary, I'm not as convinced about the benefits for Enduro, where outright speed is dictated more by skill and balls. I also found at speed, while steering through really bumpy terrain that I was not mad on how the bars felt in my hands, that big front wheel at times was fighting where I wanted to put it. But I'm sure there is a learning curve. I certainly won't be changing my Trance anytime soon.
One thing is certain though, they are not a marketing gimmick, and soon they will be everywhere.
Yep Richie from what I read the 26er new model production is being down scaled all across the board.
I will have to replace my anthem at some stage and another anthem (most likely a 29er) is a definite for that, but for now the old girl is still a lot of fun.
This is where the gravity enduro issue comes in. Never done it want to try it, it looks a blast ( excuse the pun) but not sure the anthem will cut it and the budget won't allow for 2 new bikes AND crèche fees. I have been driving the wife mad with my vascilating on this issue. My concern is as Don says 29er for the twisty mucky steep stuff, not really convinced by what I have heard.
Don you have both, is the Trance very different to the Anthem for the gravity stuff?
Gary, the Anthem as you know is supremely capable, I've chucked it off most of our big mountains and it is a well able for it, but my Trance has way more travel and is just so much fun. I have mine at 150mm though and it really set up for descending. But if you only had the one bike, and it was a 29'er Anthem, I would say it would be more than able for any Enduro.
let me fill you in here..in 2 years 26" Wheels will be gone. From next year it will be all 29'er and 650B , of course there will still be 26er parts available..and I think you are wrong Don, I think the Trance 29'er will be the king of the Enduros..anybody who is not promoting 29" wheels is an idiot..we have no choice, they will be everywhere, you can call them Gay,Postmans bikes, just like I did but people need to wake up to the 29'er ..and Gary, buy a bleedin bike from a local supplier..otherwise you will have your head melted if you have warranty issues...
I'm pretty sure that more Irish CHamps in 2012 were on Giants than any other Brand..sure you can buy a Plektron 500 from some USA shed manufacturer and Joe Superstar is winning everything on it in Peru and the Mohave desert..but this is Eireann..Wet, Windy, coated in slime and most of the trails are bike cannibals..Don I love you, you know this but you have only ridden Giant, whereas I have ridden so many brands ( not Trek , nobody ever gave me one !!) I should have the Rust Pox.. so I have something to compare them against..why would you ride anything else..I've been on them all and its the only bike that I sit on and think.." Ma, i'm a f*ckin Mountainniker !!"
Well I'm sticking to my guns, the guy who does well in the Enduros will do so because they are sh1t hot, not because of what wheel he has on. I'll be there with my 'old' 26'er, the goal to whup as many 29'ers as I can!
However, if you are a mortal doing the NPS this year and don't have an XC 29'er, you are going to have your ass handed to you.
Ah shudup, I'm not arguing with you and your bottle of Blue Nun! Once upon a time you preached it was all about the rider, now it's 29 this and where are my pants that, you sold out man!
Got to demo a 29'er today courtesy of Bespoke, â¬6000 of Kashima coated sweetness, Santa Cruz Tall Boy. Jamie set the bike up for my weight, tyres to my preferred pressure, all very impressive.
It was apparent very early on the those wheels really iron out the trail, and once you build up some speed it seems easier to hold it. the Tall Boy has quite a short wheelbase so felt very agile and was well able for very tight stuff, it never felt too high or too long. It felt by similar to the Anthem, flighty and quite twitchy, which I like.
i also got a spin on Richies Trance X, same story again, just crushed the trail and being a Giant man it felt VERY familiar. Much more cushy than the SC, much longer wheelbase (L) and it did feel long, not sure how it would handle Benchcut as we had to abandon Djouce with all the snow. But once again, very fast and so plush.
Was quite surprised at how obvious the benefits were, both bikes made light work of roots and off camber stuff that would be work on a 26'er, at times it really feel like cheating. If these are anything to go for I can only imagine how quick and Anthem or HT must be. If you were big into racing you would be mad not to give them serious consideration.
I'm glad you liked the Demo Trance , Don, but bear in mind the one you were on is a large ! Even so Damo has ridden it with no problems at all..I have already ordered my 29'er Anthem..
yeah, I'd hate to be the goons still on 26'ers..they'll be like monkeys on bikes !! Don , I also have a medium Demo Anthem, somewhere..it went out of the shop last week and hasn't returned..last seen under the arse of a certain cuddly motorcycle mechanic !
Don, how'd you reckon the 29er would be as an enduro bike! I am on the hunt for a bike for the gravity enduro type stuff. Been looking at the Norco sight, PYGA onetwenty650b, Trance and morewood sukuma.
Morewood and S/Cruz pricing themselves out of my bracket ( unless I cash in the kids education fund), Sight was mtbr trail bike of the year last year and it and the PYGA come in 650b which is so tempting and I have been toying with that for ages now, but the trance has always been high on the list. I am just not sure it is that much different to the anthem in 26inch mode. ( shock and horror I run 120 upfront on the anthem gotta love those rockshox spacers which I will drop back to 100 for the marathon/Xc stuff when I get the new bike)
Debate is do I go longer travel and stay 26inch, would the 29er Trance do the gravity job or should I scratch the itch that is the 650b.
Richie has kindly offered me a go on his trance and once the knee is up for it I'll definitely take him up in that. Have a brand loyalty to Giant, my anthem has been a great fit for years and would like to keep my business local, am I missing any other great options.
Well Gary, bear in mind that you have been riding a 26" wheel for years you also think about the bike a lot and a 29'er takes some getting used to. From what I have seen and from what I've been told 26" is on the way out, its not going to suddenly make a comeback. 29'er Giants are selling out at an alarming rate though. I was lucky to get one of the Team bikes..sold out in the UK already !
For XC I'll never go back to 26" and I never thought I'd say that , for Gravity Enduro style , I haven't ridden a 29'er Trance yet so I can't comment. A lot of science has gone in to the design of the Giant 29'ers and I think they have gotten the geometry right . Thats the one thing I have realised about mtbs since the beginning of it, forget the parts, they can be replaced, the rider can be trained but if the geometry is wrong then its a disaster.
I have no doubt an Anthem 29 would be a savage bike, I'll take you up on that offer to try one Richie, could be dangerous....Gary, I'm not as convinced about the benefits for Enduro, where outright speed is dictated more by skill and balls. I also found at speed, while steering through really bumpy terrain that I was not mad on how the bars felt in my hands, that big front wheel at times was fighting where I wanted to put it. But I'm sure there is a learning curve. I certainly won't be changing my Trance anytime soon.
One thing is certain though, they are not a marketing gimmick, and soon they will be everywhere.
Yep Richie from what I read the 26er new model production is being down scaled all across the board.
I will have to replace my anthem at some stage and another anthem (most likely a 29er) is a definite for that, but for now the old girl is still a lot of fun.
This is where the gravity enduro issue comes in. Never done it want to try it, it looks a blast ( excuse the pun) but not sure the anthem will cut it and the budget won't allow for 2 new bikes AND crèche fees. I have been driving the wife mad with my vascilating on this issue. My concern is as Don says 29er for the twisty mucky steep stuff, not really convinced by what I have heard.
Don you have both, is the Trance very different to the Anthem for the gravity stuff?
Gary, the Anthem as you know is supremely capable, I've chucked it off most of our big mountains and it is a well able for it, but my Trance has way more travel and is just so much fun. I have mine at 150mm though and it really set up for descending. But if you only had the one bike, and it was a 29'er Anthem, I would say it would be more than able for any Enduro.
let me fill you in here..in 2 years 26" Wheels will be gone. From next year it will be all 29'er and 650B , of course there will still be 26er parts available..and I think you are wrong Don, I think the Trance 29'er will be the king of the Enduros..anybody who is not promoting 29" wheels is an idiot..we have no choice, they will be everywhere, you can call them Gay,Postmans bikes, just like I did but people need to wake up to the 29'er ..and Gary, buy a bleedin bike from a local supplier..otherwise you will have your head melted if you have warranty issues...
I'm pretty sure that more Irish CHamps in 2012 were on Giants than any other Brand..sure you can buy a Plektron 500 from some USA shed manufacturer and Joe Superstar is winning everything on it in Peru and the Mohave desert..but this is Eireann..Wet, Windy, coated in slime and most of the trails are bike cannibals..Don I love you, you know this but you have only ridden Giant, whereas I have ridden so many brands ( not Trek , nobody ever gave me one !!) I should have the Rust Pox.. so I have something to compare them against..why would you ride anything else..I've been on them all and its the only bike that I sit on and think.." Ma, i'm a f*ckin Mountainniker !!"
Well I'm sticking to my guns, the guy who does well in the Enduros will do so because they are sh1t hot, not because of what wheel he has on. I'll be there with my 'old' 26'er, the goal to whup as many 29'ers as I can!
However, if you are a mortal doing the NPS this year and don't have an XC 29'er, you are going to have your ass handed to you.
Ah shudup, I'm not arguing with you and your bottle of Blue Nun! Once upon a time you preached it was all about the rider, now it's 29 this and where are my pants that, you sold out man!
Got to demo a 29'er today courtesy of Bespoke, â¬6000 of Kashima coated sweetness, Santa Cruz Tall Boy. Jamie set the bike up for my weight, tyres to my preferred pressure, all very impressive.
It was apparent very early on the those wheels really iron out the trail, and once you build up some speed it seems easier to hold it. the Tall Boy has quite a short wheelbase so felt very agile and was well able for very tight stuff, it never felt too high or too long. It felt by similar to the Anthem, flighty and quite twitchy, which I like.
i also got a spin on Richies Trance X, same story again, just crushed the trail and being a Giant man it felt VERY familiar. Much more cushy than the SC, much longer wheelbase (L) and it did feel long, not sure how it would handle Benchcut as we had to abandon Djouce with all the snow. But once again, very fast and so plush.
Was quite surprised at how obvious the benefits were, both bikes made light work of roots and off camber stuff that would be work on a 26'er, at times it really feel like cheating. If these are anything to go for I can only imagine how quick and Anthem or HT must be. If you were big into racing you would be mad not to give them serious consideration.
I'm glad you liked the Demo Trance , Don, but bear in mind the one you were on is a large ! Even so Damo has ridden it with no problems at all..I have already ordered my 29'er Anthem..
yeah, I'd hate to be the goons still on 26'ers..they'll be like monkeys on bikes !! Don , I also have a medium Demo Anthem, somewhere..it went out of the shop last week and hasn't returned..last seen under the arse of a certain cuddly motorcycle mechanic !
Don, how'd you reckon the 29er would be as an enduro bike! I am on the hunt for a bike for the gravity enduro type stuff. Been looking at the Norco sight, PYGA onetwenty650b, Trance and morewood sukuma.
Morewood and S/Cruz pricing themselves out of my bracket ( unless I cash in the kids education fund), Sight was mtbr trail bike of the year last year and it and the PYGA come in 650b which is so tempting and I have been toying with that for ages now, but the trance has always been high on the list. I am just not sure it is that much different to the anthem in 26inch mode. ( shock and horror I run 120 upfront on the anthem gotta love those rockshox spacers which I will drop back to 100 for the marathon/Xc stuff when I get the new bike)
Debate is do I go longer travel and stay 26inch, would the 29er Trance do the gravity job or should I scratch the itch that is the 650b.
Richie has kindly offered me a go on his trance and once the knee is up for it I'll definitely take him up in that. Have a brand loyalty to Giant, my anthem has been a great fit for years and would like to keep my business local, am I missing any other great options.
Well Gary, bear in mind that you have been riding a 26" wheel for years you also think about the bike a lot and a 29'er takes some getting used to. From what I have seen and from what I've been told 26" is on the way out, its not going to suddenly make a comeback. 29'er Giants are selling out at an alarming rate though. I was lucky to get one of the Team bikes..sold out in the UK already !
For XC I'll never go back to 26" and I never thought I'd say that , for Gravity Enduro style , I haven't ridden a 29'er Trance yet so I can't comment. A lot of science has gone in to the design of the Giant 29'ers and I think they have gotten the geometry right . Thats the one thing I have realised about mtbs since the beginning of it, forget the parts, they can be replaced, the rider can be trained but if the geometry is wrong then its a disaster.
I have no doubt an Anthem 29 would be a savage bike, I'll take you up on that offer to try one Richie, could be dangerous....Gary, I'm not as convinced about the benefits for Enduro, where outright speed is dictated more by skill and balls. I also found at speed, while steering through really bumpy terrain that I was not mad on how the bars felt in my hands, that big front wheel at times was fighting where I wanted to put it. But I'm sure there is a learning curve. I certainly won't be changing my Trance anytime soon.
One thing is certain though, they are not a marketing gimmick, and soon they will be everywhere.
Yep Richie from what I read the 26er new model production is being down scaled all across the board.
I will have to replace my anthem at some stage and another anthem (most likely a 29er) is a definite for that, but for now the old girl is still a lot of fun.
This is where the gravity enduro issue comes in. Never done it want to try it, it looks a blast ( excuse the pun) but not sure the anthem will cut it and the budget won't allow for 2 new bikes AND crèche fees. I have been driving the wife mad with my vascilating on this issue. My concern is as Don says 29er for the twisty mucky steep stuff, not really convinced by what I have heard.
Don you have both, is the Trance very different to the Anthem for the gravity stuff?
Gary, the Anthem as you know is supremely capable, I've chucked it off most of our big mountains and it is a well able for it, but my Trance has way more travel and is just so much fun. I have mine at 150mm though and it really set up for descending. But if you only had the one bike, and it was a 29'er Anthem, I would say it would be more than able for any Enduro.
let me fill you in here..in 2 years 26" Wheels will be gone. From next year it will be all 29'er and 650B , of course there will still be 26er parts available..and I think you are wrong Don, I think the Trance 29'er will be the king of the Enduros..anybody who is not promoting 29" wheels is an idiot..we have no choice, they will be everywhere, you can call them Gay,Postmans bikes, just like I did but people need to wake up to the 29'er ..and Gary, buy a bleedin bike from a local supplier..otherwise you will have your head melted if you have warranty issues...
I'm pretty sure that more Irish CHamps in 2012 were on Giants than any other Brand..sure you can buy a Plektron 500 from some USA shed manufacturer and Joe Superstar is winning everything on it in Peru and the Mohave desert..but this is Eireann..Wet, Windy, coated in slime and most of the trails are bike cannibals..Don I love you, you know this but you have only ridden Giant, whereas I have ridden so many brands ( not Trek , nobody ever gave me one !!) I should have the Rust Pox.. so I have something to compare them against..why would you ride anything else..I've been on them all and its the only bike that I sit on and think.." Ma, i'm a f*ckin Mountainniker !!"
Well I'm sticking to my guns, the guy who does well in the Enduros will do so because they are sh1t hot, not because of what wheel he has on. I'll be there with my 'old' 26'er, the goal to whup as many 29'ers as I can!
However, if you are a mortal doing the NPS this year and don't have an XC 29'er, you are going to have your ass handed to you.
Ah shudup, I'm not arguing with you and your bottle of Blue Nun! Once upon a time you preached it was all about the rider, now it's 29 this and where are my pants that, you sold out man!
Got to demo a 29'er today courtesy of Bespoke, â¬6000 of Kashima coated sweetness, Santa Cruz Tall Boy. Jamie set the bike up for my weight, tyres to my preferred pressure, all very impressive.
It was apparent very early on the those wheels really iron out the trail, and once you build up some speed it seems easier to hold it. the Tall Boy has quite a short wheelbase so felt very agile and was well able for very tight stuff, it never felt too high or too long. It felt by similar to the Anthem, flighty and quite twitchy, which I like.
i also got a spin on Richies Trance X, same story again, just crushed the trail and being a Giant man it felt VERY familiar. Much more cushy than the SC, much longer wheelbase (L) and it did feel long, not sure how it would handle Benchcut as we had to abandon Djouce with all the snow. But once again, very fast and so plush.
Was quite surprised at how obvious the benefits were, both bikes made light work of roots and off camber stuff that would be work on a 26'er, at times it really feel like cheating. If these are anything to go for I can only imagine how quick and Anthem or HT must be. If you were big into racing you would be mad not to give them serious consideration.
I'm glad you liked the Demo Trance , Don, but bear in mind the one you were on is a large ! Even so Damo has ridden it with no problems at all..I have already ordered my 29'er Anthem..
yeah, I'd hate to be the goons still on 26'ers..they'll be like monkeys on bikes !! Don , I also have a medium Demo Anthem, somewhere..it went out of the shop last week and hasn't returned..last seen under the arse of a certain cuddly motorcycle mechanic !
Don, how'd you reckon the 29er would be as an enduro bike! I am on the hunt for a bike for the gravity enduro type stuff. Been looking at the Norco sight, PYGA onetwenty650b, Trance and morewood sukuma.
Morewood and S/Cruz pricing themselves out of my bracket ( unless I cash in the kids education fund), Sight was mtbr trail bike of the year last year and it and the PYGA come in 650b which is so tempting and I have been toying with that for ages now, but the trance has always been high on the list. I am just not sure it is that much different to the anthem in 26inch mode. ( shock and horror I run 120 upfront on the anthem gotta love those rockshox spacers which I will drop back to 100 for the marathon/Xc stuff when I get the new bike)
Debate is do I go longer travel and stay 26inch, would the 29er Trance do the gravity job or should I scratch the itch that is the 650b.
Richie has kindly offered me a go on his trance and once the knee is up for it I'll definitely take him up in that. Have a brand loyalty to Giant, my anthem has been a great fit for years and would like to keep my business local, am I missing any other great options.
Well Gary, bear in mind that you have been riding a 26" wheel for years you also think about the bike a lot and a 29'er takes some getting used to. From what I have seen and from what I've been told 26" is on the way out, its not going to suddenly make a comeback. 29'er Giants are selling out at an alarming rate though. I was lucky to get one of the Team bikes..sold out in the UK already !
For XC I'll never go back to 26" and I never thought I'd say that , for Gravity Enduro style , I haven't ridden a 29'er Trance yet so I can't comment. A lot of science has gone in to the design of the Giant 29'ers and I think they have gotten the geometry right . Thats the one thing I have realised about mtbs since the beginning of it, forget the parts, they can be replaced, the rider can be trained but if the geometry is wrong then its a disaster.
I have no doubt an Anthem 29 would be a savage bike, I'll take you up on that offer to try one Richie, could be dangerous....Gary, I'm not as convinced about the benefits for Enduro, where outright speed is dictated more by skill and balls. I also found at speed, while steering through really bumpy terrain that I was not mad on how the bars felt in my hands, that big front wheel at times was fighting where I wanted to put it. But I'm sure there is a learning curve. I certainly won't be changing my Trance anytime soon.
One thing is certain though, they are not a marketing gimmick, and soon they will be everywhere.
Yep Richie from what I read the 26er new model production is being down scaled all across the board.
I will have to replace my anthem at some stage and another anthem (most likely a 29er) is a definite for that, but for now the old girl is still a lot of fun.
This is where the gravity enduro issue comes in. Never done it want to try it, it looks a blast ( excuse the pun) but not sure the anthem will cut it and the budget won't allow for 2 new bikes AND crèche fees. I have been driving the wife mad with my vascilating on this issue. My concern is as Don says 29er for the twisty mucky steep stuff, not really convinced by what I have heard.
Don you have both, is the Trance very different to the Anthem for the gravity stuff?
Gary, the Anthem as you know is supremely capable, I've chucked it off most of our big mountains and it is a well able for it, but my Trance has way more travel and is just so much fun. I have mine at 150mm though and it really set up for descending. But if you only had the one bike, and it was a 29'er Anthem, I would say it would be more than able for any Enduro.
let me fill you in here..in 2 years 26" Wheels will be gone. From next year it will be all 29'er and 650B , of course there will still be 26er parts available..and I think you are wrong Don, I think the Trance 29'er will be the king of the Enduros..anybody who is not promoting 29" wheels is an idiot..we have no choice, they will be everywhere, you can call them Gay,Postmans bikes, just like I did but people need to wake up to the 29'er ..and Gary, buy a bleedin bike from a local supplier..otherwise you will have your head melted if you have warranty issues...
I'm pretty sure that more Irish CHamps in 2012 were on Giants than any other Brand..sure you can buy a Plektron 500 from some USA shed manufacturer and Joe Superstar is winning everything on it in Peru and the Mohave desert..but this is Eireann..Wet, Windy, coated in slime and most of the trails are bike cannibals..Don I love you, you know this but you have only ridden Giant, whereas I have ridden so many brands ( not Trek , nobody ever gave me one !!) I should have the Rust Pox.. so I have something to compare them against..why would you ride anything else..I've been on them all and its the only bike that I sit on and think.." Ma, i'm a f*ckin Mountainniker !!"
Well I'm sticking to my guns, the guy who does well in the Enduros will do so because they are sh1t hot, not because of what wheel he has on. I'll be there with my 'old' 26'er, the goal to whup as many 29'ers as I can!
However, if you are a mortal doing the NPS this year and don't have an XC 29'er, you are going to have your ass handed to you.
Ah shudup, I'm not arguing with you and your bottle of Blue Nun! Once upon a time you preached it was all about the rider, now it's 29 this and where are my pants that, you sold out man!