Giant Fathom 2 2020 Mountain Bike Review

Get your dose of singletrack with more confidence and control. The combination of a lightweight hardtail frame 120mm suspension fork 27.5 wheels with wide rims and cushy high-volume tyres delivers loads of traction speed and fun on the trail. The Giant Fathom 2 isn’t going to break the bank while you’re looking for a new MTB, but it is going to give you all the features you’d want from a new 650b mountain bike.

— 15 BITS OF BAD CYCLING ADVICE TO IGNORE —

Giant put a lot of working into the design and engineering of the new Fathom e-bike that recently dropped. But it’s good to see them still working on the original bikes we love from the Giant range. Giant claim the bike is tenacious on steep climbs and confident through the quick, single track descents. With an all round smooth rolling feel, this hardtail is set to deliver a balanced ride quality as the terrain gets more difficult.

Cross country riders are also on the hunt for bikes that can climb efficiently and hold the speed on the flats. This comes from a combination of lightweight technology and careful design.

The Features:

With its lightweight ALUXX SL aluminium frame 27.5 wheels and high-volume tyres the new Fathom is a great choice for technical terrain and singletrack shredding. It blends the efficient ride quality of a classic hardtail with the confident ride quality of larger tyres that absorb bumps and give you more traction—so you can tackle rougher trails with total control. A Giant Contact Switch dropper post with remote, 30.9mm, gives you all the flexibility of comfort that you’ll need.

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The new frame is designed with trail-friendly geometry that includes a more relaxed head angle made for a 120mm suspension fork. The bike comes fitted with SRAM SX Eagle QR shifters and a SRAM Eagle SX DUB, 30t crank set to match. You can unlock a whole variety of terrain with an 11×50 cassette on the back of the bike. Maxxis Ardent Race 27.5×2.6, folding tubeless ready tyres keep you rolling smoothly over the terrain with Giant’s own hubs inside the wheel. As always Giant are keeping the costs down and the performance high by using their own in hour components.

If it’s the aesthetics of the bike that you’re more worried about, then we’ve got good news. Available in two colours, you’re not just getting what you’re given. Gunmetal Black / Metallic Gray or Desert Sand are the options and there’s quite a stark difference between the two schemes.

— THE RIDE CONCEPTS BRAND —

The Verdict:

An all round solid performer, this bike will unlock exactly what you want it to without any hesitation. We have to say, we prefer the 29er version of the bike, as it’s slightly comfier, smoother & bigger (obviously). Though we’d definitely recommend this bike to anyone looking for a new hardtail companion.