Shortly before it’s official launch, South Africa’s Alan Hatherly successfully defended his UCI XCO Elite Men’s World Championship title on the new Giant Anthem. It was both immediate justification for Giant’s somewhat surprise signing of Hatherly to their team and a brilliant marketing campaign. Never have we been as keen to test ride a Giant. Here’s what we think of Giant’s new XCO and Marathon machine.
In the early 2000’s Giant Anthem was one of the benchmark cross-country race bikes. According to the rider survey, it was also the most popular bike at the Cape Epic. Around 2011, when 26-inch wheels were being discarded by the category, Giant committed fully to 27.5-inch when most rival brands staked their design claims on 29-inch wheels. Although Giant eventually went to 29-inch wheels, the Anthem never really regained its top-bike status. Until 2025 and the launch of the new Anthem…
This latest Anthem Advanced SL 0 isn’t simply an evolution of its predecessor. It represents a fundamental rethink of what a modern XC race bike should be. Developed alongside Giant’s elite XC athletes, including Hatherly – who had just won the 2024 World Championship on a Cannondale Scalpel – and shaped by the ever-increasing technical demands of World Cup racing, it is lighter, more capable and more refined than any Anthem before it.
The centrepiece is Giant’s all-new Advanced SL Composite frameset. Constructed using the company’s highest-grade carbon fibre and most advanced manufacturing process, the frame weighs a claimed 1 530g in a medium size, making it the lightest full-suspension frame Giant has ever produced. But reducing weight wasn’t the only objective. Engineers also focused on improving pedalling efficiency, increasing chassis stiffness and optimising the frame layout to suit today’s faster and considerably more technical race courses.
One of the biggest talking points is the introduction of Giant’s new FlexPoint Pro suspension platform. After two decades of offering the Maestro system, Giant moved to a linkage-driven single-pivot design that delivers 120mm of rear wheel travel while significantly reducing both weight and mechanical complexity. Rather than relying on a rear pivot, the carbon seatstays are engineered to flex by a carefully controlled amount through the suspension’s travel. This eliminates hardware, bearings and weight while maintaining precise suspension performance.
The revised suspension layout also creates a cleaner frame profile. The RockShox SIDLuxe Ultimate rear shock is positioned low and beneath the top tube, creating enough space inside the front triangle to carry two full-size water bottles. For marathon- and stage-racers and riders tackling long training days, that’s a practical improvement that will be appreciated almost as much as the performance gains.
Suspension travel has grown to 120mm front and rear, reflecting the evolution of modern cross-country racing. Up front sits RockShox’s SID Ultimate fork, equipped with the latest Charger Race Day damper, while SRAM’s TwistLoc remote, with Open, Pedal and Lock modes, allows simultaneous control of both fork and shock from the handlebars. The result is a bike that can be instantly adapted from fully open for technical descents to a firmer, more efficient platform for smooth climbs and sprint efforts.
Geometry has also moved with the times. The head angle has slackened to 67-degrees to improve confidence on steep descents and high-speed rock gardens, while the steeper 76-degree seat tube angle places the rider in a more efficient pedalling position for technical climbing. Reach has increased across the size range, creating greater stability without sacrificing the responsive handling that has always characterised the Anthem. A two-position flip chip in the rear linkage allows riders to fine-tune the geometry according to trail conditions or personal preference, adjusting the head and seat tube angles by 0.5-degrees together with 7mm of bottom bracket height.
The component specification leaves little room for improvement. SRAM’s XX SL Eagle Transmission groupset represents the pinnacle of wireless electronic mountain bike shifting, designed around the UDH interface to provide exceptional shift quality even under heavy pedalling loads. The direct-mount rear derailleur is both stronger and more precise than previous generations, while the XX SL carbon crankset incorporates a Quarq power meter as standard, providing accurate training and race data straight out of the box.
Braking duties are handled by SRAM’s Motive Ultimate hydraulic disc brakes, a system that bridges the gap between featherweight XC brakes and more powerful trail options. Combined with 180mm front and 160mm rear HS2 rotors, they promise the stopping power required for today’s increasingly demanding race courses without compromising the bike’s low overall weight.
Rolling stock comes in the form of Giant’s XCR carbon WheelSystem, featuring lightweight carbon rims, carbon spokes and precision hubs designed to maximise acceleration and steering accuracy. Wrapped in Maxxis Aspen 29×2.4-inch tubeless tyres, the wheel package reflects the current trend towards higher-volume race tyres that offer improved grip, comfort and control while retaining impressively low rolling resistance.
The finishing kit continues the premium theme. Giant’s new Integrated XC carbon cockpit combines handlebar and stem into a single moulded unit that reduces weight while increasing front-end stiffness and steering precision. Internal cable routing further enhances the bike’s clean appearance, while the Contact Switch SL dropper post acknowledges the reality of modern cross-country racing, where the fastest riders are often those willing to attack technical descents as aggressively as they climb.
You can see the full spec here.
THE RIDE
We spent around seven weeks riding the Giant Anthem Advanced SL 0, mostly at Gauteng’s popular mountain bike trail parks, including Northern Farm, Asidlale, Hennops and Taroko, before taking it to Berg & Bush Descent, a three-day mountain bike stage race featuring long climbs and equally long descents.
The first thing we noticed was just how stable the Anthem feels. You sense it from the first pedal stroke. It’s not really surprising though. Its broad top tube, boxy main pivot junction, 92mm-wide press-fit bottom bracket and 1.5-inch head tube all project strength. It’s surprisingly burly for a bike this light. We weighed it at 11.23kg (including sealant, bottle cages and pedals), which isn’t the lightest XC bike we’ve ridden, but it’s right up there in the 10-11kg sweet spot.
Part of that is likely because Giant moulds the main frame triangle as a single piece. As one of the few bicycle brands that manufactures its own carbon frames in-house, Giant has complete control over the process. The result is something you can both see and feel. That stability is evident everywhere – on descents, climbs and through corners. It’s especially reassuring when the trail gets technical.
Dragon Sports, Giant’s South African distributor, supplied us with a size Medium, which fortunately suited all of our test riders. That’s important because the bike comes fitted with Giant’s one-piece bar-and-stem combination, which offers no adjustment.
The integrated cockpit certainly enhances the bike’s appearance, creating an exceptionally clean front end with the cables routed through the handlebar and into the head tube. Some mechanics might groan at the thought, but seriously, this is 2026. Some cars are a nightmare to service too, yet nobody buys one based on how quickly a mechanic can work on it. If you can afford a bike at this level, you can probably afford the occasional extra hour of workshop labour needed to route the cables through the front end.
Just be sure that you get the right size Anthem. The one-piece bar/stem may not suit everyone’s ideal riding position, so spend some extra time with your local Giant dealer exploring your sizing options.
The Anthem Advanced SL 0’s raw carbon finish, with both gloss and matte sections, can either be described as understated or stealthy. After riding it, we’d definitely go with the latter.
Let’s start with climbing, because that was already a strength of the previous Anthem. Well, Giant’s engineers have struck ascending gold. This bike climbs ridiculously well. It’s exceptionally responsive to rider input on both smooth and rough surfaces, with impressively direct power transfer. The suspension offers excellent small-bump compliance, which translates into outstanding traction on technical climbs.
We rode almost exclusively in the Pedal setting, where suspension movement under pedalling load is minimal. Replay Alan Hatherly’s 2025 World Championship victory and you’ll see this climbing efficiency on full display. Point this bike up climbs littered with roots, rocks and ruts and it simply motors upwards with remarkable composure and pace.
While it climbs with aplomb, the Anthem Advanced SL 0 descends with equal confidence. This became especially apparent on the long Berg & Bush descents, where our tester recorded top-20 times on most of the descending Strava segments, including several top-10 rankings. Even over rough terrain, the bike remained exceptionally composed. It still feels like a marathon race bike rather than a trail bike, but you never feel overwhelmed by the trail.
An XCO race bike isn’t designed around comfort, yet the Anthem still delivered a surprisingly reasonable long-ride quality. Our local trail rides lasted between two and three hours, while the Berg & Bush stages ranged from 3:15 to 4:15. That extra hour is usually where discomfort starts creeping in.
Our tester did experience some hand discomfort late in each stage, although that was probably more a reflection of his lack of conditioning for rougher terrain than any shortcoming of the bike itself. Ultimately, this is a high-end race machine built for speed, and it rewards fit, well-conditioned riders.
The mechanical Giant Switch SL dropper worked well. It had 140mm of movement and it’s either fully dropped or fully extended, no increments, which may bother some riders. Incremental droppers are useful when tackling low-speed technical ascents or when needing to briefly rest weary muscles in long races or stages.
One of the biggest improvements over the previous Anthem is the ability to carry two full-size water bottles inside the front triangle. In South Africa, that’s an important feature. Hydration packs may have made something of a comeback, but many riders still prefer two large bottles, especially during spring and summer.
Our test bike arrived fitted with Giant bottle cages, which proved excellent throughout. They held bottles securely without making them difficult to remove or replace.
Carbon-spoked wheels are no longer reserved for boutique brands such as CADEX, Berd and Lightweight. With its XCR WheelSystem, Giant has brought the technology to a mainstream production XC race bike. It’s another sign that carbon spokes are becoming increasingly common in elite cross-country racing rather than remaining an exotic upgrade. This wheelset is fitted to the Anthem Advanced SL 0, the SL SE flagship model above and the SL 1 model below.
Giant says it designed the wheelset, frameset and cockpit as a single integrated performance system, and it’s difficult to argue otherwise. The wheels are obviously light at just 1349g and impressively stiff, making them excellent climbers. They also exhibit very little lateral flex, which results in precise tracking through high-speed corners, something we noticed particularly on hard-packed berms.
The XCR WheelSystem also incorporates Giant’s Wide Rim technology, featuring a reinforced 30mm internal rim with 5mm-thick rounded sidewalls. Giant says this improves resistance to rock strikes while reducing the likelihood of pinch flats. The wheels were fitted with Maxxis Aspen tyres, which are light, low-profile and high-volume.
We didn’t suffer a single puncture during the test period, although we did break two rear spokes when a stray branch flicked into the wheel. Given the relatively low spoke count and unusual lacing pattern, we expected our ride to be over. Instead, the wheel remained impressively rideable, with only a slight wobble and no noticeable reduction in performance. Carbon spokes still aren’t commonplace, so sourcing replacements isn’t as straightforward as conventional stainless-steel spokes. Even so, it was a freak incident that’s unlikely to trouble most owners.
One final point about the wheelset: the freehub is loud. Very loud. Quite possibly the loudest we’ve experienced. There’s absolutely no sneaking up on slower riders because they’ll hear you coming long before you’re close enough to speak.
The rear hub is a completely new design. Instead of Giant’s previous ratchet mechanism, the XCR uses a 120-tooth Helical-Bevel Ratchet Drive System featuring:
- 3° engagement
- helical teeth that engage progressively rather than abruptly
- reduced stress on the ratchet mechanism
- smoother load transfer
- a wave spring that maintains even engagement pressure
According to Giant, the result is almost instantaneous engagement, making the bike particularly effective when accelerating out of corners or ratcheting through technical rock gardens – and you definitely feel it.
Every one of our test riders came away impressed by the new Giant Anthem Advanced SL 0. Sitting one model below the range-topping SL SE (R269,990), it forgoes the flagship’s RockShox Flight Attendant suspension and wireless AXS dropper post.
At R184,990, the Anthem Advanced SL 0 sits firmly in the premium price category, but there’s no question it’s a thoroughbred race bike. Giant has long built its reputation on delivering value for money, and while that remains true across much of its range, the Anthem is unapologetically performance-first. This isn’t a bike designed to meet a price point. It’s a bike designed to win races.
If that’s well beyond your budget, consider the SL 3 (R74 990), which comes with the exact same frame, but is specced with Fox suspension and a Shimano Deore drivetrain among other spec differences.
SUMMARY
The Giant Anthem Advanced SL 0 is one of the most complete cross-country race bikes we’ve ridden. It’s evident that Giant didn’t simply modernise the old Anthem. They designed an entirely new platform from the ground up. It climbs with exceptional efficiency, descends with reassuring composure and combines impressive stability with race-winning responsiveness. The addition of two full-size bottle mounts and Giant’s impressive carbon-spoked XCR WheelSystem make an already accomplished platform even better. At R184 990 it’s undoubtedly a premium investment, but if outright performance is your priority, the Anthem Advanced SL 0 delivers in every respect.
PRICE: R184 990
SIZES: S, M (tested), L and XL
COLOUR: Gloss Raw Carbon/Matte Raw Carbon
MORE DETAILS: Click here.
