Originally Posted by
dminor
List on a Giant Anthem X 29er is around $2,600. That gets you the Maestro suspension, Fox at both ends and a serviceable SLX drivetrain.
$2,800 gets you a
Transition Covert 29 3. That gets you a Kashima Float rear, a Fox 34 front and a solid, well-picked component mix for the money.
Or for a little less, they've got the
Bandit 29 3; still with a Kashima Float shock, a little shorter 32 fork. Plus you get a company that's big enough to offer value and still small enough to care about their customers
.
Thanks for the comments. The Giant appeals to me. I've got a Giant road bike and find it's a great ride and very durable. Also, my ATF LBS sells Giant and Specialized so they'll work with me if I go after a Giant. Here's my one dilemma. At just shy of 5' 9", I ride a Small size frame on both my Stumpy MTBs. I find I'm faster and more stable on the small frame, but I like the Stumpy because the top tubes are just a tad longer on that model from Specialized. If I go Giant, or any other brand I don't want to move back to 17" frames. I know that's the size I'm SUPPOSED to ride, but I made the change to small frames over the last three years, I like it and don't want to go back. I'm looking at a lightly used 2013 Stumpy right now. But I'm going to look at the Giant Anthem too.