My entry into the 2012 Cape Epic mountain bike race in South Africa sent me on a quest to find the perfect mountain bike to complete the event on. I wanted something light, tough, efficient... hmm, then again, who doesn't?
I basically wanted a bike to replace my aging Santa Cruz Superlight, a bike that has been my loyal and unfailing companion through many adventures and travels. The Superlight has a reputation for being simple, reliable and light; and the bike I was looking for would have to fit those shoes and more. Was I asking for too much?
I'm a bit of a bike snob, and my search took me on a journey of bike discovery: exotic full carbon racing frames, hand-crafted, long-travel enduro machines, 29ers and more. I never thought I'd end up with a mass produced, aluminum Giant Anthem X.
My 2011 Anthem X frame is built up with a Shimano XT groupset and wheels, and a 120mm Fox fork holds up the front end. It rides great, and so far, it looks like it's filling the shoes of my old Superlight nicely. The only caveat is that is is a bit of a porker. Out of the shop, it tipped the scales at 26lbs (12kg). I'm hoping I'll be able to lighten it up a bit over the coming months for racing.
I basically wanted a bike to replace my aging Santa Cruz Superlight, a bike that has been my loyal and unfailing companion through many adventures and travels. The Superlight has a reputation for being simple, reliable and light; and the bike I was looking for would have to fit those shoes and more. Was I asking for too much?
I'm a bit of a bike snob, and my search took me on a journey of bike discovery: exotic full carbon racing frames, hand-crafted, long-travel enduro machines, 29ers and more. I never thought I'd end up with a mass produced, aluminum Giant Anthem X.
My 2011 Anthem X frame is built up with a Shimano XT groupset and wheels, and a 120mm Fox fork holds up the front end. It rides great, and so far, it looks like it's filling the shoes of my old Superlight nicely. The only caveat is that is is a bit of a porker. Out of the shop, it tipped the scales at 26lbs (12kg). I'm hoping I'll be able to lighten it up a bit over the coming months for racing.
