My current mtb is a 2012 Anthem X stock XT model, the only upgrade was not long after new I put fatter Nobby Nic tyres on. Over recent years I have fallen out of love with mtb partially due to a number of over the bar offs and doing more running.
Last week in Canada I hired a Giant Talon hardtail ( the only bike available). Being a hardtail I thought it would be a harsh ride and slow because of the (to me) wide tyres
Unfortunately now is not the time for me to be spending £2k on a new toy !s.
I was amazed, the tyres had no more rolling resistance if not less than my current ones and loads more grip, the ride was nearly as plush as my full susser.
The wide bars made control a doddle and one decent with a rocky / rutted corner that would have had me off on the Anthem it just made easy work of.
My fork on my Anthem has never been serviced so I know it won’t be performing great but even this Suntour fork performed better.
Ive checked the geometry of my Anthem and the head angle is 72.5. The Talon was 68, and new Anthems are 67.5 which is a massive difference!
I was a sceptic of all these new developments actually making a difference, last week though made me realise that bigger wheels, tubeless, slacker angles, wider bars do make a massive difference. I guess a dropper too...
Dam forum not allowing you to write properly on an iPhone !!
Is it worth trying to upgrade a 2012 bike with 26” wheels etc etc or just start saving the pennies ?
72.5 degree head angle? :-0
I think you've answered your own question tbh. It's not surprising a plus tyre hardtail feels more capable than a 100mm travel 6 year old full sus bike. Geometry has moved on a lot in the last few years. wider bars, slacker head angles, longer reaches, longer travel, more efficient suspension systems, tubeless, dropper posts, steeper seat angles, all these things have made mountain bikes much safer to ride and more capable. You don't need to go to the extreme long and slack bikes either, a modern (semi) long trail bike is perfect for most riding people do.
Get yourself on a modern 140mm/150mm trail FS bike with a 66-67 head angle and 'modern' reach measurements and you'll see just how capable they are. However, if you don't want to spend much then you can pick up a 2.6" tyre, 140mm hardtail with modern geo for well under £1k.
Basically, no - not even XC bikes have that steep a HA now, upgrading it won't change the geometry and as you've found out geometry makes a huge difference to confidence and the ability to ride stuff that pushes you out of your comfort zone.
The answer to that question is always Yes!
I changed from a Titus X Carbon of a similar vintage/geometry to your Anthem to a Pivot Mach 429 Trail and the difference between the two is significant. My old bike was/is fun but it's such a handful compared to my current one, which is much more confidence inspiring and capable (and the Pivot is not a real nu-skool long/low/slack machine). You won't get a steep-angled 2012 bike to ride like a modern bike with "upgrades" as so much is tied in with the geometry.
But while you are saving, tubeless conversion, wider bar and shorter stem are fairly cheap.
Is it worth trying to upgrade a 2012 bike with 26” wheels etc etc or just start saving the pennies ?
In a word, no, don't bother upgrading the Giant. Last 26er I had was a Anthem (might have been a 2010), and as soon as I went to a slightly more modern 29er it just felt slow and ponderous, and my interest in riding it diminished very quickly.
The answer is always yes to that question! Especially if you have a 72.5 degree head angle. Thats fine for cross country, fairly slow natural trails. However things have got more extreme in terms of features on trails (if you use trail centres) and people are travelling faster downhill generally.
Nobby Nics from when you bought the bike weren’t very good - even cheap tyres from on one like the chunky monkey / smogasbord run rings around those.
As well as my ‘on trend’ fs bike I have a 2004 Kona Caldera hardtail - even that has a 69.5 degree headangle (although I think it has a short reach and slack seat angle). I rode it round Cwmcarn Twrch trail a month or so ago and t was fine until I came to the fast rocky downhill bit when it felt a bit nervous. I think the 700mm handlebar inout on it a few years ago is already feeling narrownin comparison to the 780 one on my other bike - and a new bar will help out the stability.
If money is tight you could just stick on a wider bar and some stickier on one tyres just to improve it a bit whilst you save for something overall better - but I wouldn’t throw much money at the anthem.
If your employer does the cycle to work scheme you could get a decent hardtail within the £1k limit....
Are you sure about the head angle on your Anthem? It sounds unlikely and the Giant archive says 71. Still, makes no difference to what’s been said up there ^
I just made move from Sanderson Breath 26" and older XC angles to Marin Nail Trail with sorta fatter, slacker and 27.5" plus 1x and dropper.
Yes it is lovely, so much more stable and more control. I do miss my 2x now and again, and a dropper is nice but not *must* have.
If you can get the money, yes it is worth it. Second hand? Some decent 27.5" slackerer HT's now appearing in classifieds here and pinkbike for not too much.
Similar situation here.
Went to a Cotic demo at easter to convince myself that a new hardtail wouldn't be that much better than my 10y old Cove HandJ.......oops
It was and now my wallet is a lot lighter but I do have a lovely new Soul that just demands to be ridden fast enough to scare me downhill and loves twisty woodland trails - no regrets 🙂
Is it worth trying to upgrade a 2012 bike with 26” wheels etc etc or just start saving the pennies ?
The problem with upgrading is twofold
1) You will actually spend a considerable number of those pennies buying quality upgrades that genuinely make a difference
2) Those upgrades will result in what is actually quite a good bike which makes it even more difficult to justify a new one.
So you have no money and an old bike that would cost in excess of many £k to replace.
New bike - change a few parts without making it Olympic spec - ride. Rinse - repeat
Definitely get a newer bike but go used route or discounted.
I rode one of those Anthems back to back against a Trance years back when they were new and even then the Trance was just so much more capable and confidence inspiring with a slacker head angle. Things have moved on even more since then.
People were putting 120mm forks, wider bars, grippier tyres on those Anthem's to help make them ride better but as has been said money spent could just go to a newer bike.
If cash is an issue a new Vodoo Bizango is around £600 while at £1k you could choose from a Sonder Transmitter and lots more. Discounted Marin Nail Trail can be had for £750. All well reviewed capable bikes
Who do you ride with? If you ride with fast mates and you're struggling at their pace, or if you're riding at trail centres and you want to be passed less, get a new bike.
If you ride on your own, with mates who aren't vanishing down the trail from you, or you're not put off by the number of people who pass you at trail centres, save your pennies anyway and keep riding what you've got. It's just as good as it ever was.
I find the best cure for upgradeitis is just to rag around what I've already got!
Nedrapier - good points.
I would see a new bike as a good skills compensator. Mid 40's riding less, and breaking more easily when I fall I could see a new bike as helping me to ride stuff with less chance of injury etc.
But yes it is trail centres (not that I ride many) where I really notice the difference.
Will start saving.
I might change the tyres though on the existing bike as I was surprised how good the new ones were (and not even expensive tyres)
Also not sure where I got 72.5 head angle from, looked again and Giant shows 71 !
I was amazed, the tyres had no more rolling resistance if not less than my current ones and loads more grip, the ride was nearly as plush as my full susser.
Tyre width itself actuially reduces rolling resistance (slightly). Sounds like your suspension set up is off!
Sounds like your suspension set up is off!
I think the front Fox fork is knackered...positively dives in to holes.
