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I’m going to purchase a new bike today (August 8, 2016), but I’m stuck between two bikes.
The first bike is the Giant Anthem 27.5 2 ($2000 on sale) and the second bike is the Trek Fuel EX 5 27.5 Plus ($2400). Right now I have a Trek 4 Series.
I’m just beginning to do off road mountain biking. I think I’m becoming more of a downhill/enduro person with the parts of the tracks I’m enjoying most. I’m not sure if the wider tires on the Trek would be a good or bad thing for the tight turns.
Which bike would you suggest and why?
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I’d go for the Trek because that bike will also allow you to run 29″ wheels. With the Giant you can only run 27.5, no option to run plus. Personally, I prefer regular width tires to plus, but it is nice to have the option.
The Trek also has a bit more suspension than the Giant which will make it more capable on the descents.
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The guy I was talking to about the giant questioned the changeable tire size. He said that it probably means it’s made to be a 29er, it just allows you to put on 27.5 tires. He said he assumes it would be less comfortable.
There was a rubber ring around the shocks. He told me to ride it hard on the track a few times and then bring it back in. They could then adjust the air pressure to make it better for my riding style. Would that compromise for more suspension? Would it make the ride stiffer?
By the way, the guy said he went to school for working with bikes. I don’t know how much that really means for credibility.
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Sounds like the guy selling the Giant may be biased…
I’m not sure what he means about the bike being less comfortable though. Trek designed the new Fuel to work with either 27+ or 29 wheels. The frame uses what they call the Mino Link. What that does is allow you to change the geometry depending on what wheel size you are running. The Fuel is a well thought out bike. It’s not like Trek went, “Ah shit we need to cram some 27+ wheels on this 29er frame!” It was designed from the ground up to work with both wheel sizes. For the record, there are bikes like that out there, but the Fuel isn’t one of them.
As for the rubber rings on the suspension, those are to help you set the sag and also see how much travel you are using. With air suspension you can easily adjust the pressure with a shock pump to get the bike to make it firmer or softer, depending on your preference. Both bikes have air suspension, so you can get either to feel the way you want.
That said, the Giant has 110mm of rear travel and 120mm of front travel. The Trek has 130mm of rear travel and 140mm of front travel. It may not seem like much, but that extra suspension will make a big difference when things get steep and fast.
They are both great bikes, but serve slightly different purposes.
Can you test ride both bikes? That would be the best way to decide. Also, any quality shop should be setting the suspension up for your weight before you walk out the door. If they aren’t taking the time to properly set up the suspension for you before a test ride, I would be wary of purchasing a bike from them.
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The information you have provided is exactly what I thought.
It’s more expensive, but I’m pretty sure I will be buying the Trek. I don’t want to spend the extra money, I’m a college student right now, but I know it’s going to be worth it in the long run.
Thank you for helping me out!
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If you are thinking of more serious technical riding and leaning toward enduro/down hill, the Anthem is not the Giant to look at.. You should be looking at the Trance or Reign. And as far as 27.5 vs 29 vs 27.5+ I would consider sorting out which you want before you commit to buying.
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Big suspension bikes are too good these days not to go as big as you can especially if you’re already leaning towards enduro/DH. Depending on the shock, you could also insert volume reducers (like tokens for forks) to get a more progressive feel and less bottoming out. I’ve heard nice reports on both bikes, but agree with above that if you want to rage DH, the trance or reign is the ticket. As far as the Trek, the Fuel is their bread and butter and no doubt would get the job done, but don’t forget to take a peek at the Remedy – that bike is bada$$!! Good luck man! Oh, one more thing… not sure if it’s still a thing, but I though Giant had some different headset diameters requiring proprietary shims/sleeves to run a tapered fork. Check on that because if they’re still doing that, they suck!
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Yup! Giant calls it OverDrive and you have to put a “custom” wedge to fit a tapered fork into their headset… dumb.
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/technology/overdrive.2.overdrive/50/
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@ChrisDaniels – Giant stopped doing the OverDrive 2 thing a couple years ago after people were like, “Stop it, Giant.” And yes, OverDrive 2 was dumb. It never caught on, even though Giant tried for several years.
Now, they just use OverDrive, which is their marketing term for a tapered steerer tube.
Long story short, you wouldn’t have problems swapping forks on Giant’s new bikes.
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@mike877, those bikes in the article aren’t inexpensive but cheap. I bet only Diamondback Overdrive from all those described might survive a ride in Moab or Colorado. Don’t get me wrong, those bikes are good to get you started with little investment and get you out on gravel rides. But without frame size choices and weight it won’t be as enjoyable as on entry level correct size bike
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You get what you pay for! (Most of the time) The trek is the stuff! Do try the remedy. It is BA!
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Hey Greg85, have you ever looked into Specialized? I know that the two bikes you are considering are a Trek and Giant, but in my book those bicycle companies make typically inferior machines compared to the average Specialized made bike. Look at a Stumpjumper: they run from 2900 dollars up. I know that is about 500 dollars over the price of the Trek, but it is well worth it! Especially if you like dh/enduro riding. If you are not interested in the Specialized advice, go with the Trek.
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sorry, there is no way giant and trek are inferior to specialized. First off with aluminum frames giant makes 85% of all frames, even those for other major brands. Second the all use the same Shimano or Sram gears and
shifters, the same rockshox or fox suspension, and the same Shimano or tektro brakes.
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from what I can find, Specialized aluminum frames are made in Taiwan by Merida, Giant and Trek aluminum frames are made in Taiwan by Giant.
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What Alvin said! I love my treks. They are great bikes. I get the same stuff from my daughter with her specsh. All in what you like and I like my trek.
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<p style=”text-align: left;”>You obviously dont ride near as hard as most people on the average trail. Id break those bikes in the first ride, like a lot of people would.</p>
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