GIANT Anthem Advanced

Giant’s flagship cross-country racer will be the Anthem Advanced dual-suspension bike. They won’t be making a pro-level hardtail because, “the market for them has disappeared.” The Anthem Advanced uses a monocoque carbon fiber front section, mated to a triangulated carbon rear section that articulates on Giant’s dual-link Maestro suspension system. The paint is fantastic. Creamy white over transparent blue is a refreshing escape from basic black but it still lets your competitors know that you are riding carbon. Rather than mimic a tubular-aluminum frame, the ’07 Anthem’s structure is a seamless blend of wildly divergent shapes, each optimized to tackle the stress at its particular station on the chassis.

Overall, the Anthem Advanced’s design looks clean and contemporary. A Fox RP23 air shock gives the sub-24-pound racer 3.5 inches of rear wheel travel. The business end of the Giant sports a 100 millimeter-stroke Fox 32F-X fork. Giant has always been a loyal friend of Shimano, and that’s what you’ll find the most of on the Anthem; XTR throughout, with the exception of its must-see Mavic SLR tubeless wheels. We liked the smaller, XC-specific, 140-millimeter XTR rear-brake rotor and Giant’s surprising choice of RapidFire trigger shifters, instead of the more-ostentatious Dual-Control multifunction brake levers.

Expect to pay USD$6,000 for your copy and take pride in the fact that your Giant is the best carbon racer that money can buy and that you’ll still be saving a thousand or so off the retail cost of its S-brand competitors.

The owner bought this bike in Singapore for $8,200, but is willing to negotiate and offer lower than 50% of it's original purchase price.

For more info and personal viewing, please contact owner. Location: Chinatown Point area.