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Thread: Looking for a new mountain bike

  1. #1
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    Looking for a new mountain bike

    Does anyone have any experience with the Trek Superfly or Giant Anthem? Right now i'm considering these two as their in my price range and available locally.

  2. #2
    Which models? F/S? 27.5 v 29? What type of riding and terrain?

    For $2K there are a number of manufacturers I'd be looking at.

  3. #3
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    Superfly FS7, Anthem 27.5 3. Mostly Cross Country, there's some climbing and descending but nothing to extreme. Basically just looking for a good all around trail bike.

  4. #4
    Site Supporter Det1397's Avatar
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    Have a look here: http://www.bikeradar.com/us/gear/cat...&productBrand=

    And FWIW, 29er's are not the only rage any longer, although still quite ridable, manufacturers are producing 27.5s and the old standby 26s...

  5. #5
    Site Supporter EricM's Avatar
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    Man...Dropper post? 2x10? 29"? I feel old now...and I want a new bike.

  6. #6
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    I haven't shopped for a bike for a while, I still have a 26 Stumpjumper fsr from 2006. I would guess those two bikes (the superfly and the anthem) are both a little steep angled, fast climbers, but may not be as forgiving. I looked at a used superfly back in 2011. I thought it would be a neat second bike, kind of a fast racer (I don't race anymore, but still...). It was a 26-inch though, so maybe things are a little different. (I haven't bought into the 29er trend, the bikes just seem too tall for me).

    In the Trek lines, I always think the Fuel or Fuel ex's are a little more trail oriented, and the Giant Trance to be the trail bike in the Giant lineup. Doesn't mean I wouldn't consider buying an anthem or a superfly for some of the buffer trails, or trails with lots of switchbacks. That's actually the kind of riding I prefer -- I'm old and the rough stuff gets old.
    I always like MTBR.com as a place to read about what bikes work and what don't.

  7. #7
    They're both good bikes, they both lean towards an XC race bike but will both ride well. The 29 vs 27.5 argument is gonna rage for a while longer. Some say the 27.5 is jack of all trades and master of none, some say the 29 is too heavy. Different people will have a leaning one way or another, I wouldn't worry too much about wheel size.

    I would say test ride both bikes.

    If you can find a demo day that has them both (or a similar model in each brand's line) that would be ideal, ride them both on the same trail and make a choice from there.

    If you can't demo them out on a trail, test ride them as much as the stores will allow (normally a short ride on local roads) and do your best to differentiate between the two.

    Little things to look for, did the shop set up the sag on the fork and shock before you test rode? If they don't take the few minutes to set the sag and talk you thru it, be mindful of the store, they aren't taking due care to set the bike up to work for you. When looking at two bikes from major brands like Trek and Giant, the bikes have a lot of thought and effort put into them, it's hard to go wrong, but I'd always say buy from a store that gives you confidence and acts like they give a ****.

    Giant has gone full on with 27.5, Trek I think are getting on board but their heritage is thru Gary Fisher, for whom the Superfly model has been around for many years. Fisher was one of the pioneers of 29ers and have been developing and dialing in the bikes/wheel size for a while. They're both what I would consider top tier brands.

    I'll repeat it, test ride both in the right size (if you're unsure which size works best for you, narrow it down to two and sit on/test ride both), look at how the bike feels under you, that you can transfer weight easily from front to rear and don't feel either too stretched out or scrunched up, that the bike feels nimble underneath you and works with you. I know it's kinda vague words when posted on a forum but PM me and we can talk in more detail.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by idahojess View Post
    I would guess those two bikes (the superfly and the anthem) are both a little steep angled, fast climbers, but may not be as forgiving.
    Quote Originally Posted by hiro View Post
    They're both good bikes, they both lean towards an XC race bike but will both ride well.

    Quote Originally Posted by idahojess View Post
    In the Trek lines, I always think the Fuel or Fuel ex's are a little more trail oriented, and the Giant Trance to be the trail bike in the Giant lineup.

    Quote Originally Posted by hiro View Post
    When looking at two bikes from major brands like Trek and Giant, the bikes have a lot of thought and effort put into them, it's hard to go wrong, but I'd always say buy from a store that gives you confidence and acts like they give a ****.
    There's some good advice above. Not being familiar with the terrain in your area –*along with your body type and personal riding style – it's hard to gauge whether you'd be better off with a more race (Superbly / Anthem) v trail (Fuel / Trance) oriented setup. In the past, I'd seen some QC issues with Gary Fisher ("Scary Fissure") but haven't kept up with whether or not that's improved since they've been folded into Trek. Likely you won't go wrong with either brand.

    If you decided to explore a more trail-focused option, I think the Santa Cruz Heckler is a pretty sweet option in that price range to check out as well.

    MTBR.com is an excellent resource. If you haven't spent any time there, just like this forum, it will probably initially open up an entire floodgate of questions. Lots to sift through.

    I wouldn't get too hung up on 27.5 v 29. Personally my feeling is that if you're over 6' tall, a 29er is usually "scaled" better to those body types. I also find that a 29er works better for momentum-based riding rather than those that spin a lot. But again that comes down to personal preference and riding style.

    Full disclosure: I am a former bike shop employee / mechanic at a dealer that sold both Giant and Gary Fisher.

  9. #9
    Fisher merged with Trek back in 93 or 94, I don't recall exactly when (I worked for the UK distributor back in 89/90). Like any man made product there are lemons but they don't stand out, there are other brands with noticeable failure rates, Trek/Fisher isn't one of them in my experience. Fisher is now fully absorbed in the Trek line up, its the Gary Fisher Collection these days, the bikes are now Trek branded.

    Trail bikes are more popular and better suited to most people, longer travel (up to around 5" front and rear tho there are longer travel trail bikes and 29ers tend to be about 4" - bigger wheels needs less travel), a more relaxed riding position equally suited to climbing and descending and more comfortable for longer rides. The gearing range tends to be lower and aimed at single track use, there are still triple chain sets around but a 2 by 10 would be my preference/recommendation. As jc000 says, your riding style, the trails you want to ride, fitness and physique are part of your considerations when choosing the bike. A good shop/salesperson will be asking you about this stuff to help you choose.
    Last edited by hiro; 07-01-2015 at 10:29 AM. Reason: changed best to better!

  10. #10
    Member orionz06's Avatar
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    Bike shops tend to be significantly better with advice than most hobby shops so I'd talk with a few and see what's up with regards to the area. I prefer 5" of travel on an "all mountain" bike, if those still exist, but your area may not take advantage of it.
    Think for yourself. Question authority.

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