Nicol Carstens and Marco Joubert rode the 2019 Absa Cape Epic together as Team Imbuko Giant. The pair put in a solid effort just missing out on a top ten finish with 11th place overall and bagging second in the African Jersey competition. As the team name suggests, they rode the race on Giant bikes, namely the Anthem Advanced 29.
Carstens’s bike is similar to the stock Giant Anthem Advanced Pro 29 0 retail bike with some preference changes to the tyres, gearing, and cockpit.
Nicol Carstens’s Giant Anthem Advanced 29
- FrameGiant Anthem Advanced
- ForkFox 32 Float SC Factory Live Valve
- ShockFox Float Factory Live Valve
- WheelsetGiant XCR 0 29 WheelSystem
- TyresMaxxis Ikon 2.2
- HandlebarGiant SLR Carbon 720mm
- GripsGiant Contact SLR
- StemGiant Contact SLR composite 70mm
- SeatpostGiant Contact SLR composite
- SaddleGiant SLR
- BrakesShimano XTR
- ShiftersShimano XTR 12-speed
- DerailleurShimano XTR 12-speed
- CassetteShimano XTR 12-speed
- CrankarmsShimano FC-MT900-1
- ChainringcSixx 36T
- PedalsShimano XTR
- Bottle cagesGiant Carbon side entry
The obvious talking point on the Imbuko Giant team bikes is the Fox Live Valve suspension. To put it simply, Live Valve uses sensors to adapt the suspension as the bike travels over terrain. The system consists of three parts: a control and battery unit (in this case mounted on the down tube); sensors in the control unit, on the fork and near the rear axle; and the live valves in the shock and fork. The sensors send signals to the control unit which interprets this data to operate the live damper valves in the shock and fork with millisecond speed.
The delivery of power is controlled by Shimano’s 12-speed XTR gearing with XTR brakes, and the non-series crankset Shimano is shipping to make up for manufacturing problems with the polished XTR cranks. The exception to the Shimano rule being a highly reflective cSixx 36T chainring.
The Anthem rolls on Giant’s own XCR 0 29 wheelset featuring carbon rims with a 25mm internal diameter. The tyres are Maxxis Ikon with a 2.2 inch width front and rear.
The cockpit is largely from Giant’s SLR range, much of it the carbon variety. Nicol has set up his bike with a 720mm wide handlebar and 70mm long stem.
