Close to the end of summer 2008 I bought a used bicycle. The bike I choose was a 2006 Giant Anthem 2 and I rode it as often as I could before it started to snow. Now that spring is coming I thought it would be a good time to review the Giant Anthem 2 for anyone out there that might be in the market for a really good used mountain bike.
Now for a little background on why I was in the market for a new bike. After riding my cheap, heavy hard tail mountain bike with my friends I realized I had to get a better bike just to keep up with them. I also had plans on going mountain biking but didn’t want to use the old bike because I was concerned about breaking some of the cheap components on the bike.
I had been keeping an eye on Craigslist (check out my post on Buying a used bike on Craigslist) for a better Mountain bike and one day I noticed someone was selling their 2006 Giant Anthem 2. Before I even called the seller I did some research. Both online and at the local bike shops. In 2006 the Anthem 2 Mountain Bike was the second from the top of the line Mountain Bike for Giant and in 2009 the Anthem Frame is still used as Giant’s top of the line Mountain Bike. The bike was in perfect condition and looked like it had barely been used. In 2006 the MSRP was around $2,300 because of the bikes high end components. And that is also why it is so much lighter than my other bike and it weights around 26 pounds (which is pretty light for a Mountain bike). This bike is lighter than many of my friend’s hard tails. I guess it’s true – you get what you pay for.
The only thing I have changed on the bike is the seat. The bike came with a cheap pair of pedals (higher end bicycles typically do not come with pedals) so I added a pair of clipless pedals. I also put on a Specialized Elite Cycling computer on. And when the sun goes down I attach lights so I can see where I’m going and other people can see me.
I have to tell you I absolutely love this bike and I have been very pleased with this bike with the bikes performance. I would also highly recommend this bike to anyone who is serious about mountain biking. The bike is light and performs very well on paved trails and off road mountain bike trails. And the suspension soaks up the bumps extremely well and the suspension is adjustable both front and rear and they even have lockouts.
The frame on this bike is aluminum, not carbon fiber. It doesn’t seem to affect the performance of this bike but I have never ridden a carbon fiber mountain bike. I should also let you know I am not a professional Mountain Biker so I don’t have anything else to compare this bike to other than my cheap hard tail. But I have been biking seriously since 2007 so I’m not a novice. I don’t feel that the aluminum frame is a drawback for this bike but I thought it should be pointed out just in case you have your heart set on a carbon fiber bike.
I plan on using this bike for at least one mountain bike race this summer. Plus there are many mountain bike trails in my area so check back for more updates on this bike and the mountain bike trails in the Twin Cities area.
By: Dennis Gertgen
About the Author:
Dennis Gertgen is an intermediate bicycle rider. He has been Bicycling [http://www.dennisgertgen.com/Bicycling.html] seriously since the summer of 2007. He rides both road bikes and Mountain bikes as often as he can. And he is sharing some of his experiences with biking, trails and equipment. You can check out this article and his personal blog here: Bicycling Blog [http://www.dennisgertgen.com/blog/?p=454]
