The new Giant Anthem Advanced SL range has been turning heads since its launch. From pro racing accolades—including Alan Hatherly’s 2025 Elite Men’s XC World Championship title and Dario Lillo’s hot start to the 2026 season—to a growing list of rave reviews from the world’s leading MTB media outlets, the lightest, fastest XC bike ever from Giant has earned its place as a category leader.
The range includes two series: the race-focused Anthem Advanced SL and the versatile Anthem X Advanced SL featuring a longer travel fork and components aimed at fast XC and trail riding.
"A Significant Leap Forward"
Flow MTB put the race-ready Anthem Advanced SL 1 through its most thorough test to date, and their long-term review made the verdict clear: “The new generation Giant Anthem represents a significant leap forward for the XC platform. Its reworked suspension layout finally provides room for two bottles, which is welcome, but more crucially, it’s improved reactivity and grip.”
After months of real-world testing on varied Australian terrain Flow editor Wil Barett wrote: “The New Anthem is undoubtedly a calmer and more comfortable bike to ride. It’s a significantly better descender too, in part due to the updated geometry and long-stroke dropper post. What’s particularly impressive is that it manages to achieve all of that while maintaining its low weight and actually increasing chassis stiffness. That’s enhanced by the high-zoot XCR wheels, which are fast, sturdy and responsive.”
Head-to-Head Winner
The authoritative German MTB media title Bike Magazin put the Anthem Advanced SL 0 head-to-head against the Yeti ASR T3. Both these flagship models ranked among the lightest XC frames ever tested by Bike.
Out on the trail, differences emerged. The Anthem’s ultralight XCR WheelSystem proved decisive in hard sprint efforts, with Bike editor Jan Timmerman noting that few full-suspension bikes feel as light on an XC racetrack. “Once nudged forward, the lightweight carbon wheels surge ahead despite 2.4-inch wide tires,” wrote Timmermann. “For hard sprint efforts on the XC circuit or the sprint to the finish line, the low wheel weight is a game changer.”
Bike found the FlexPoint Pro suspension equally impressive, with Timmermann describing it as “simultaneously sensitive and controlled, absorbing rough ground.”
Choosing between the two models, Timmerman wrote: "The Giant is the more uncompromising race bike and an ace in the fast cross-country sprint — the perfect fit for the hunt for a world championship title." The Anthem took the test win over the Yeti by a narrow margin, with Timmermann concluding that it offers more for the money and "shows its hand clearly: a thoroughbred race bike with the suspension for modern cross-country courses."
"Giant’s Best XC Bike Ever"
Respected tech editor James Huang posted to his n-1 substack page an in-depth review of the range plus a ride report on the Anthem Advanced SL series from the launch event in Taiwan and on his home trails in Colorado. His impressions were clear: “The suspension is fantastic. It’s exceptionally light. The geometry is spot-on.”
Detailing his ride experience, Huang continued: “Combined with the low weight (not to mention the fast-rolling 29x2.4” Maxxis Aspen tires), the Anthem SL is an absolute beast of a climber and gains elevation with impressive eagerness. Heading uphill on this thing is so legitimately fun that I nearly eclipsed two PRs at two very different trails that I’d set more than ten years ago—and not because I’d purposefully set out to do so, but just because I was having such a good time ripping around on this thing.”
His overall conclusion: “Not only Giant’s best XC bike ever, but likely one of the best in the category, period.”
Another Strong First Impression
Tom Marvin of BikeRadar also had the chance to see firsthand some of the manufacturing technologies behind the new Anthem range and test ride both the Anthem Advanced SL and Anthem X Advanced SL on trails near Giant’s headquarters in Taiwan. His first impression of the trail-focused Anthem X Advanced SL was clear: “It’s certainly a bit of a rocket ship on a wide range of trails, and doesn’t shy away from the steeps, whether they’re up or down.”
The climbing performance left a strong impression with efficient power transfer and no unwanted suspension movement. “Turn into an ascent and jump on the pedals, and the bike feels as though it wants to drive forward,” he wrote. “I never needed to reach down to the lockout lever on the Fox damper—and I didn’t miss the lack of a shock remote.”
The updated geometry and suspension setup offered confidence on varied terrain, Marvin noted. “The kinematics give a good platform to push against, so lofting the Anthem X into the air, or generating speed through rollers, is a satisfying process.”
Marvin concluded with a look forward to a more thorough review, summing up his early impression by writing: “There’s tons of potential here and it’s a bike I’d love to spend more time on. The geometry and specs package backs up what is a capable chassis, and I suspect this bike would feel great on a wide range of rides, from flat-out blasts to epics.”
For more, check out these links below. And for all the details on the new Anthem Advanced SL range, click here.