Giant Anthem v Specialized Epic

mikeyj28

Hi all

Which is better and why? The spesh epic or the giant anthem? They are both marketed as XC FS bikes with 100mm travel and can be raced.
Just would like to know what your takes are on them and which you have/ or prefer and why?

Shaggy_Dog

Both very popular bikes, I own neither and have ridden both (quite a lot) so before anyone else jumps in with "I own that one so it's the best" comments, the Epic is better than the Anthem for trail riding and the Anthem is better than the Epic for racing. They are both capable of doing both disciplines. The Trek Top Fuel splits the difference. Whatever you buy you will be happy

cloudynights

whats trail riding

Anonymous

cloudynights wrote:

whats trail riding

Just general riding.

*AL*

Shaggy_Dog wrote:

Epic is better than the Anthem for trail riding and the Anthem is better than the Epic for racing.

Personally, I'd say it's t'other way round (but I hasten to add it's very personal point of view)

I spend 99% of my time trail riding and I sold my Epic bought a EX9.

cloudynights

yeehaamcgee wrote:

cloudynights wrote:

whats trail riding

Just general riding.

o just xc then

Shaggy_Dog

Well yes, all-mountain is a type of XC if you ask me, but most people mean XC racing when they say XC

*AL*

cloudynights wrote:

yeehaamcgee wrote:

cloudynights wrote:

whats trail riding

Just general riding.

o just xc then

Depends.

If you set off at point A and ride to point B, that's cross country.
If you set off at point A, ride a loop and return to point A, that would be trail riding (ie cross country and return)

Anonymous

cloudynights wrote:

yeehaamcgee wrote:

cloudynights wrote:

whats trail riding

Just general riding.

o just xc then

Not really no. XC is what people use when they mean racing XC.
A lot of folxs seem to believe that Cross country is somehow the same as riding Across Some Countryside.

cloudynights

yeehaamcgee wrote:

cloudynights wrote:

yeehaamcgee wrote:

cloudynights wrote:

whats trail riding

Just general riding.

o just xc then

Not really no. XC is what people use when they mean racing XC.
A lot of folxs seem to believe that Cross country is somehow the same as riding Across Some Countryside.

lol it is. cross country is riding across country, xc racing is riding round a very large track

cooldad

Deja Vu anyone?

Anonymous

Yes, oh god yes. The HORROR, the HORROR.

paulbox

I was going to buy an Epic, tried a few vesions of the 2010 range, it is a great bike for riding across country using trails etc... :?

However, when I tried an Anthem I felt that it was much better.

Advice: Try them, and see which suits you best. Both manufacturers turn up at those demo days (and Trek so you can try their equiv') or will lend you a demonstrator from one of their own shops for the weekend.

njee20

Not the whole XC/trails thing again surely!

Re the Anthem/Epic debate it's a personal thing. They're both very capable bikes as race bikes or trail bikes. The Epic has had more racing success, so it's odd to say categorically the Anthem is a better race bike.

I also find it rather odd to say the Top Fuel fits in the middle, it's another lightweight 100mm travel bike...

Try both, buy the one you like more! I've had 3 Epics and 2 Top Fuels, personally think the 2011 Top Fuel is the best of the lot. A number of friends have Anthem Advanced 1s (I think, the XT ish one), they're a bit heavier, but have bolt through forks and what not, and everyone says front end stiffness is fantastic.

mikeyj28

Thanks to all of you who wrote a constructive reply. Really didn't fancy the whole XC/trails debate thing again.

Still undecided about the Epic. I'll have to try and ride one somewhere near to Cardiff/south wales. The Anthem was good when i tried it but need opinions regarding the Epic. How is the Epic less of a race XC bike when spesh market it as one and a lot of people do buy them.

Just bit miffed why some people seem to want a heavier bike to grind up some climbs. yes going downhill is good but i'd rather not be half dead climbing.

Shaggy_Dog

It's just as much a race bike as the Anthem, the handling is just less "racy". Let's put this into context though, no bike will win you an XC race, a bad one might lose it for you but once you have a reasonably light, reasonably efficient bike, it's all down to you.

Taking said reasonably light and efficient bike to a professional and qualified bike fitter will have more impact on your performance than whether one bike is very slightly better than another.

njee20

How is the Epic less of a race XC bike when spesh market it as one and a lot of people do buy them.

It was the first FS bike to win a world championship, it is among the (if not the single) most popular race bike in this country. It's no less of a race bike than the Top Fuel, the Anthem, the Spark etc.

You can read all the opinions you want, but really you just need to try one and see if you like it.

Anonymous

Njee, serious question. Wasn't the mount vision the first full suss to be victorious at XC racing? Something like that anyway.

njee20

First to win a UK Nat Champ (under Paul Lasenby), Christophe Sauser was the first to win a world cup/world champs on FS though.

Let's be honest, by and large the FS/hardtail debate is going to be personal, particularly these days where the vast majority of FS bikes are very good indeed. There are not too many places where I genuinely think I'm hindered by not riding a hardtail, it suits my style!

Anonymous

I wasn't trying to ressurect the HT/FS debate, I just knew that something had been claimed about the mount vision, but couldn't remember what

njee20

Nope, wasn't meaning it like that, was just basically saying that claims about FS bikes being the first to do X are fairly meaningless as a yardstick of their quality, as it's a personal preference and there are no really bad bikes!

Well remembered though. TBH I only know that because I remember the Marin advert in MBUK of Paul crossing the line in victory!

theuncharmed

I was looking at the Epic for racing / pure XC, the EX9 for trail riding and the Anthem for a bit in between.

The Anthem felt great and still had the speed edge. I've modified it now with a 120mm fork and it's a real treat on the trails. Light too.

Anonymous

I know it's not important in this day and age, but at the time it was a landmark event, because it showed that a well designed full suss bike COULD win.

njee20

Very true, it was quite a while ago too, must be 8-9 years or so.

Anonymous

More than that, my old wolfridge is 13 years old, and the Original mount vision on which it was based was a few years before that.

njee20

Nah, can't be that long ago! It was the grey ano one with the monocoque top tube, and the TARA adjustment on some models. Maybe 2001, but no earlier.

The one before was the polished one with the colour co-ordinated stem/forks/swingarm, they were always very popular, mentally high BBs I recall.

Anonymous

Pretty sure it was the first or second year one that caught the claim for being the furst succesfull full suss XC bike.
It was certainly before I got the wolfridge anyway, and I got it brand new. TARA didn't come out for a few years.

njee20

It was 2000 by the looks of it, not sure which bike that makes it!

mikeyj28

Shaggy_Dog wrote:

It's just as much a race bike as the Anthem, the handling is just less "racy". Let's put this into context though, no bike will win you an XC race, a bad one might lose it for you but once you have a reasonably light, reasonably efficient bike, it's all down to you.

Taking said reasonably light and efficient bike to a professional and qualified bike fitter will have more impact on your performance than whether one bike is very slightly better than another.

A very good point. After a ceratin stage it depends on the motor driving the bike and not entirtely the bike itself. Still something that is light and capable does help.

dp1

I think yeehaamcgee is right because i bought that Marin in June 1999 and the guy in the shop told me it was the first to win a world championship. It was a bike ahead of its time. If you google gumtree oxford you will see one for sale although its the Rift Zone it was one down from the Mount Vision and was the same frame / design [/url]

Anonymous

My original one was 1998, and the XC success was already much hyped by then (which is not why I bought it, incidentally - it was just a far better and more capable machine that the bike I had been lusting after at the time, a GT LTS )