Single track bike choice

I am looking to buy my first soft tail off of craiglist which also happens to be my first bike in 6 years. I am very new to the mtn biking world.

Im in specific, asking about bike capabilities of the specific Giant anthem X2.

I would mostly be riding the same terrain as I am now,on my hardtail specialized(2006?). Mostly single track with jumps up to 10' I am looking at a used anthem X2 online for a good price and my concern is it will shatter on impact. A couple of my wealthy friends say I need a more expensive bike. And Im doubting them.

Any input would be helpful.

Thanks.

The anthem is not made for jumping, it is very much a cross country race bike. If you plan on getting off the ground at all I would suggest something with 5" or more of travel. I would say 5" is good for all around riding even if you aren't going off of jumps. 10' jumps are really big, do you meant that you'll be going about 10' horizontally or the jumps are 10' tall???

I would suggest passing on the Anthem and do a lot of researching, buying a new bike is really nice because it comes with a warranty. . .

Thanks for the reply!
10 ' horizontal would be my estimate of longest I've seen at the track I ride. Highest I couldn't tell, maybe 5'? Are most soft tail bikes these days made for specific tasks only? Because my hard tail I don't think it's made for jumping, but I can take it off these 10' jumps. I'd mostly be riding xcountry/single track?, but their are about 10 jumps on the loops I do. And at the same time I don't want to buy a strictly jumping bike. Is a 5" travel shock the middle ground?

The bottom line is you will never know or understand until you spend some time on different bikes.

Suspension travel is only one factor of many. Head tube angle, frame size, wheel diameter, frame size, stand over height, bottom bracket height, frame size, etc, etc, frame size, etc, can all be a make or brake decision. The technology is all over the place now. One bike that excels at down hill can be crap for climbing. A good cross country bike might send you to the hospital because you tried to keep up with the guy on the santa cruz nomad.

The best thing to do is rent or demo a variety of bikes to see what fits best for the type of riding you do.

Bikes are friggin expensive now, and if you make a snap decision then you could easily end up wasting money on a Yugo instead of a Porche.

Edited on the 10' instead of 10" jumps (yes I need glasses). Anthem wont handle 10' jumps.

As a final note, the frame size from one manufacturer to the next can vary widely. Don't assume it will fit.

How about a used Santa Cruz Heckler? Or it you don't absolutely have to have full suspension, check out the Chameleon. Both of these frames are built like tanks. Not the absolute lightest in the world, but both would easily handle anything you will do to them.

Luke to Zuke wrote:Thanks for the reply! 10 ' horizontal would be my estimate of longest I've seen at the track I ride. Highest I couldn't tell, maybe 5'? Are most soft tail bikes these days made for specific tasks only?

10' (feet) horizontal isn't terribly far, but I still think that the Anthem is designed to move fast and stay on the ground. Also (FYI) we call them full suspension bikes not soft tail bikes, semantics for sure, but this will help you not appear as noobish as you may be.

5" is, typically, just a good all around bike that can ride 90% of trails, go up or down in suspension travel if you have ride rougher or smoother terrain.

You could likely buy the Anthem and have a great time on it, but only if you have decent riding technique, it would also help if you are a lightweight person, otherwise you will bend your wheels and wear out other components and suspension pivots really fast.

There are 4 main categories of bikes nowadays: XC, Trail, All Mountain and Downhill (there are sub-categories for these, of course)

Typically a 2013-2015 model bike will have the following design:

XC: Light weight, made for going fast (RACING) and not necessarily for comfort
Rear Suspension Travel from: 0" to 4" (0-100mm)
Geometry: Steep-meaning the headtube is closer to vertical than on more downhill oriented bikes, this makes the bike steer faster (More Info About Geometry)
Wheel size: Most xc bikes have 29" wheels, but there are a lot of 27.5" wheeled xc bikes coming out.

Trail: Pretty much a XC bike that can handle a beating, good all day bike that helps keep your back from getting hammered, good for areas that are relatively smooth and don't have a ton of down hill trails (think 18 roads in Fruita, St. George area "XC" trails)
Rear Suspension Travel from: 0" to 5" (there are hardtail bikes designed with steeper geometry that still rip on techy trails like the Canfield Nimble 9, Transition TransAm)
The geometry on these bikes are slacker than a XC bike and can handle hitting jumps and riding almost any trail out there (under an experienced rider)
Wheelsize is typically 27.5 and 29"

All Mountain (AM): These bikes are going to be heavier than Trail and XC bikes, they are quickly becoming what most "mountain bikers" are considering a mountain bike, you should be able to pedal one of these bikes up hill and still be able to handle very techy, rocky terrain and jumps with an AM bike. The build is typically made up of parts that will last, including big tires and strong rims, a dropper post is typical on an AM bike as well.
Travel is around 5 to 7"
Geometry is much more relaxed, for stability on the downhills
Wheel size: 26" to 29", wheel size sort of goes with height on AM bikes, but the wheel size also affects how quick a person can get up to speed (smaller accelerate easier) and bigger wheels roll over obstacles a little bit easier (I have a 29" AM bike, the Banshee Prime, I am 6'4" tall, but I would love to have a second 26" AM bike. . .) Bigger wheels also tend to be harder to turn on steep switchbacks, but shorter chainstays and good technique help with that. . .

DH bikes are typically monsters that are made exclusively for going down steep hills, travel is typically around 8" and geometry is slackest on these bikes, wheel size is 26" to 27.5".

I think what you should look for is a modern day trail or AM bike. If you think that this is possibly a passing fad then don't spend much, but if you see yourself riding weekly then look at spending $3-$5,000. I know that sounds rediculous, but making bikes with this much suspension light enough to pedal requires a lot of high end metallurgy and composite work, which isn't cheap.

But also remember that bikes are fun no matter how much you spend, until something breaks when you are 10 miles from a trail, all alone. . .

If the furthest you plan on jumping is ten feet and you ride mostly cross country I would not waste my money on a full suspension bike. You loose to much pedal efficiency with suspension you can jump ten feet on a fully rigid bike all day, and you become a much better rider while not being able to cover up your mistakes with suspension. Just my two cents.....

I don't mean this as an attack, but wouldn't you be better off asking this question on a biking forum...?

Also you can get on a nice full suspension new for 3000 and under no need to spend 5000....

Taylor J wrote:Also you can get on a nice full suspension new for 3000 and under no need to spend 5000....

Define nice. . .to me nice is a decent set of wheels, $400-$600, quality suspension components, ($700-1,000 for just the fork) and at the VERY LEAST slx, but preferably XT components. . . but opinions are like a$$holes, everyone has one and none are as great as mine.

GhaMby wrote: Define nice. . .to me nice is a decent set of wheels, $400-$600, quality suspension components, ($700-1,000 for just the fork) and at the VERY LEAST slx, but preferably XT components. . . but opinions are like a$$holes, everyone has one and none are as great as mine.

Yea for someone who rides daily that's all nice but for a recreational rider unnecessary. But this is also coming from someone who runs a bike shop so what do I know, I also only ride a fully rigid single speed, you don't need all that jazz if you know how to ride.

GhaMby wrote: Define nice. . .to me nice is a decent set of wheels, $400-$600, quality suspension components, ($700-1,000 for just the fork) and at the VERY LEAST slx, but preferably XT components. . . but opinions are like a$$holes, everyone has one and none are as great as mine.

But if you must know my definition of nice would anything built by this guy...
jonesbikes.com/

Taylor J wrote: But if you must know my definition of nice would anything built by this guy... jonesbikes.com/

I have been called a gear junkie, more than once, and even more often: a gear snob!

I just like stuff that works really well, lasts and is built for the conditions I intend to use them.

I used to work at a bike shop, and I've been riding mountain bikes since the late 80's. I know from experience that you don't have to spend a lot to have fun on a bike, but if you are going to really ride much, and live where there are mountains, then I suggest full SLX and good suspension.

I have no idea what the riding in alaska is like, but in Oregon I had fun on hardtail 29er from Motobecane, and still had fun on it at Mammoth Mtn when I moved to Bishop, but I am having a lot more fun on my Banshee Prime. I had a Transition Trans Am 29 in between the 2 bikes and would suggest people look into that, or a similar bike if they don't have insanely rocky trails like Bootleg Canyon. Full suspension is not magic, but I enjoy the feeling of floating over sections that I used to pick my way through, much like wearing downturned climbing shoes on steep rock feels like cheating compared to a flat stiff shoe. . .

I live at 9000 ft in the mountains of southern New Mexico, its nothing but elevation change and rocks here and I get by on a rigid bike just fine. To each their own my friend. I like nice gear as well just no need for every rider to drop 5000 on a bike, not that my bike is cheap but I ride a lot.

Taylor J wrote:I live at 9000 ft in the mountains of southern New Mexico, its nothing but elevation change and rocks here and I get by on a rigid bike just fine. To each their own my friend. I like nice gear as well just no need for every rider to drop 5000 on a bike, not that my bike is cheap but I ride a lot.

Yeah, but you know how to ride. . .and you are awesome.

GhaMby wrote: Yeah, but you know how to ride. . .and you are awesome.

true

Yo L to the Z!
DEMO DEMO DEMO
I'd recommend visiting every bike shop in your area and test ride as many bikes that you can. Talk to the salespeople about sizing a bike for your riding preferences.

If you buy a bike that isn't properly sized for you there will be pain and discomfort if you're in the saddle for extended periods.

Get a feel for the size of bike your body dictates before buying one on craigslist.

For what it's worth, I am 5'-11" 185 lbs and ride a full suspension All Mountain lg. framed Giant Reign 2 with Sun single track rims.

I got tired of bending rear rims on my hard tail all the time on technical trails. (Poor technique no doubt) but I am an aggressive rider that likes long technical trails.

Good luck with your purchase and safe riding.