FAST FORWARD

The Anthem X Advanced SL: A convergence of speed, adventure and unconventional thinking

Adam Craig is not your average cross-country racer. A New England native whose first sport was alpine skiing, he lives to push boundaries. He experiments with equipment, descends like a demon, and racks up pro and national championship victories in multiple disciplines of the sport. While his competitors are resting their legs the day before a big cross-country event, Adam is out getting his thrills by racing (and winning) Super D races.

Adam’s spirit of flouting convention and pursuing new ways to ride faster—and have more fun—are etched into the DNA of Giant’s newest cross-country race bike, the prototype Anthem X Advanced SL. The merging of Giant’s award-winning Maestro suspension system and its unmatched capabilities in composite technology have resulted in the lightest, best-performing machine Adam has ever ridden.

“After field-testing prototype versions of this bike the past few months, I can say without question that it’s the most capable XC bike I’ve ever ridden,” Adam says. “The stiff, lightweight and comfortable feel of the composite frame combined with the Anthem X Maestro suspension system makes for a bike that’s World Cup fast but also ready to rip on real mountain bike trails.”

Nine months ago, about the same time Adam was debuting the first production model of the aluminum frame 2009 Anthem X—the lightest full-suspension bike ever produced by Giant—with his winning ride at the XC national championships in Vermont, Giant engineers were already deep into the project of creating a composite version of the championship-winning bike.

“We wanted to incorporate some of the technical features and advantages of our composite road frame technology—the massive downtube shape and the super-stiff bottom bracket area for example—and blend these with our suspension technology to create the best-performing, most versatile cross-country race bike possible,” said Dennis Lane, Giant’s global product development manager.

Athleticism, technical prowess and a love for shredding dicey singletrack trails as fast as humanly possible are the traits that have driven Adam Craig to national titles in both Super D and Cross-Country. With Giant, he has the perfect partner in his constant quest to ride faster—and have more fun. And with the prototype Anthem X Advanced SL, Adam has the right tool for the job.