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Giant Fathom 2

Beefed-up On natural rides, XC hardtail is enjoyable, but its geometry limits it on challenging trails. A robust, 120mm-forked hardtail with wide 650B rims, large tyres, and broad bars is called the Giant Fathom 2. It is a dependable companion for long rides on flat ground, but tricky, winding trails are where the short, lofty geometry and subpar Suntour fork let it down.

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Overview

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Features

On paper, the Giant Fathom 2 appears to be a trendy item because it checks practically all of the must-have criteria. It features a dropper post, a 1x Shimano transmission, large disc brakes, and a fork with 120mm of travel. The icing on the cake is the fact that it also looks the part.

The bike’s 650b wheels are covered in 2.4-inch wide trail rubber and are tubeless ready out of the box, spanning the gap between plus- and standard-size tyres. I was expecting the bike to perform well on the trail because it doesn’t lack any essential components.

ALUXX SL Aluminum Frame

The sturdy, rigid frame is made of Giant’s ALUXX SL-Grade aluminum alloy. If you want to add extra gears, the bike has a place for a front mech, and the wires are run internally through the down tube before emerging right above the bottom bracket. They proceed from this point along the underside of the chainstays until they reach the mech and brake caliper.

Giant asserts that by joining the seatstays to the seat tube lower than the top tube, which is unusual, the bike’s ability to absorb bumps is increased and the back end feels smoother across difficult terrain.

A normal tapered head tube and a tapered fork are also included. Analyzing the figures reveals that Giant’s goals are somewhat ambiguous. Although Giant claims that the bike’s shape is trail-friendly, there are several numbers that caught me off guard. A 444mm reach and a 1,153mm wheelbase are a tad on the conservative side for the size big. Similar to how the 425mm chainstays imply that the bike is more dynamic than Giant initially disclosed,

Surprisingly, Giant chose a 67-degree head angle and a 45mm bottom bracket drop (with an off-the-floor height of 315mm), although I’d typically anticipate larger reach and wheelbase measurements to go along with those statistics.

Drive train a

The Shimano drivetrain doesn’t have a lot of range, but the Shadow+ Deore mech has a clutch, and I’ve used clutches before, so I know they’ll survive.

The Praxis Cadet cranks’ 30t narrow-wide-style chainring and the Shimano Deore 10-speed cassette’s gear range of 11 to 42 teeth should provide a sufficient gear range for the majority of trail conditions.

Tektro HDM discs with a 180mm front rotor and a 160mm rear rotor handle stopping.

Giant probably saves money by using Suntour for suspension functions instead of Fox or RockShox counterparts, however, at least on paper, the fork doesn’t fall short on features when compared to what the major brands have to offer.

During testing, the Shimano Deore drivetrain was found to be perfect, and the 11-42t cassette, when combined with the 30t chainring, provided more than enough gears for even the most tired legs or the toughest climbs.

Giant has accomplished a remarkable feat by using Shimano components throughout the drivetrain (apart from the cranks and chain), whereas other manufacturers choose less expensive cassettes to help with cost-cutting.

OverDrive

Technology for huge fork steerer tubes developed by Giant. The system’s enlarged headset bearings (1 1/4″ lower and 1 1/8″ upper for road, 1 1/2″ lower and 1 1/8″ higher for mountain) and tapered steerer tube work together to produce ideal steering rigidity. They are designed to provide precise front-end steering performance.

Tyres

The Maxxis Ardent tyres also manage to maintain an excellent balance between grip levels and rolling resistance, especially when worn tubeless. However, grip levels do decline noticeably as soon as conditions are very harsh, especially when very muddy.

Brakes

The bike’s Tektro brakes were undoubtedly the least impressive part because they lacked sufficient bite and force.

Their performance isn’t bad at all on flat ground, but as soon as the gradient increases or the speed increases, it’s possible to be caught off guard when approaching turns that call for significant speed to be scrubbed off rapidly.

Wheels, Tyres & Capability

It has reduced seat tubes to lessen the pain, however it’s debatable whether or not the 2.6-inch Maxxis Ardent Race tyres on Giant’s 30mm internal rims are more effective.

The EXO TR casing, which is naturally tubeless ready for even lower pressures, handles rocky impacts effectively while the tyres roll well even at low pressures.

The top tube slopes significantly for optimum standover clearance, but the bosses on the bottle cage prevent the Contact Switch dropper post from entirely squeezing into the seat tube; about 2.5 cm remain protruding. Although I tested a Large and am 185 cm, I had no trouble getting the saddle height correct at full extension, so the hassle was negligible.

Specifications

Giants Demonstration

Pros & Cons

Conclusion

The Giant Fathom 2 is a charming hardtail that prefers rolling, undemanding natural rides that are more cross country than trail, despite its bulky appearance.

Push hard in the corners and you’ll quickly reach the limitations of its short, tall geometry, the basic fork, and the brakes. However, the soft, large volume tyres on wide rims, and 120mm travel offer it decent survival when things do get tough.

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs:

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Our articles are developed after considerable research and studies online and also including seeking informational experience based tips from professional rides. Key sources of information are interviews, google search and youtube.