Field Test: Giant Trance Advanced 29
PINKBIKE FIELD TEST
Giant Trance Advanced 29
115mm of travel coupled with a progressive geometry and aggressive component spec.
Words by Daniel Sapp, photography by Trevor Lyden
Giant Trance Advanced 29
115mm of travel coupled with a progressive geometry and aggressive component spec.
Words by Daniel Sapp, photography by Trevor Lyden
Now in its seventh generation, the Giant Trance has been reimagined with less travel, 29" wheels, and much more progressive geometry than the prior version.
The bike delivers 115mm of rear travel that's paired with a 130mm fork, which gives it a 66.5-degree head angle, 74.5-degree seat angle, 435mm chainstays, and a reach of 442mm (size medium). The Trance still uses the Maestro suspension layout that was found on the 27.5" version, but there's now a carbon upper link, which is said to save weight while increasing stiffness and strength.
There is an aggressive component spec that, on the top of the line build, uses DVO suspension, and throughout the line riders will find Maxxis Minion tires, wide 35mm diameter handlebars, and SRAM 1x drivetrains.
The bike delivers 115mm of rear travel that's paired with a 130mm fork, which gives it a 66.5-degree head angle, 74.5-degree seat angle, 435mm chainstays, and a reach of 442mm (size medium). The Trance still uses the Maestro suspension layout that was found on the 27.5" version, but there's now a carbon upper link, which is said to save weight while increasing stiffness and strength.
There is an aggressive component spec that, on the top of the line build, uses DVO suspension, and throughout the line riders will find Maxxis Minion tires, wide 35mm diameter handlebars, and SRAM 1x drivetrains.
Trance Advanced 29 Details
Intended use: trail
Rear wheel travel: 115mm
Wheel size: 29''
Frame construction: carbon fiber
Head angle: 66.5-degrees
Chainstay length: 435mm
Sizes: S, M (tested), L, XL
Weight: 26.7 lbs / 12.1 kg
Price: $8,715 USD
More info: www.giant-bicycles.com
Intended use: trail
Rear wheel travel: 115mm
Wheel size: 29''
Frame construction: carbon fiber
Head angle: 66.5-degrees
Chainstay length: 435mm
Sizes: S, M (tested), L, XL
Weight: 26.7 lbs / 12.1 kg
Price: $8,715 USD
More info: www.giant-bicycles.com
Climbing
A 115mm bike should pedal uphill exceptionally well and feel more like a cross-country race bike than a 160mm travel enduro rig, and the Trance does just that. With that being said, the seat tube angle is a little bit slack at 74.5-degrees. For me, with a long inseam, I found myself a bit over the back of the bike and squatting into the travel just a little when I had the pedaling platform wide open. There was enough support to keep the bike from going too deep into its travel while pedaling, although that compression switch can come in handy on longer, smoother climbs.
While I did at times wish I was a little more forward on the bike, I always found generous amounts of traction while heading uphill. The suspension stays very active, and with the short 115mm of travel, the Trance is easy to put right where you want it without feeling bogged down. For a bike that can handle some pretty aggressive terrain when pointed down, it doesn't feel held back at all when you're going up. It's a confident climber and a bike that won't wear you out in technical, undulating terrain.
Descending
Descending is where the Trance Advanced 29 really stands out. As a 115mm bike, the geometry helps it ride as if it has a little more than that in terms of travel. The other factor in keeping it a confident and capable descender is the parts spec. A Minion DHF/DHR II combo on wide rims, 800mm wide handlebars, and good brakes give the Trance some bite. The bike is stable and quick. It manages trail feedback well as long as you stay light and ride with some finesse over the top of the trail rather than going for the 'plow and pray' approach.
The Trance's small bump sensitivity is excellent, and the bike does a great job of smoothing out small and medium-sized hits. There's plenty of end-stroke ramp up - that last little bit of travel takes some work to get into, which is a good trait given that there's only 115mm of travel to work with.
As far as turning and picking lines goes, the relatively slack angles, short chainstays, and a 44mm offset fork help the bike corner impressively well. It's fast in and out of turns, when carving from one side of the trail to the other, and while pedaling up and over obstacles. The bottom line is that this is one lively and fun machine.
As far as turning and picking lines goes, the relatively slack angles, short chainstays, and a 44mm offset fork help the bike corner impressively well. It's fast in and out of turns, when carving from one side of the trail to the other, and while pedaling up and over obstacles. The bottom line is that this is one lively and fun machine.
Shock issues?
The original DVO shock that came on our test bike failed, apparently due to a seal issue. Giant and DVO say the shock was an early test model and that it was not supposed to be on the bike we were testing. While "pre-production" is a common refrain when products fail, we did get the bike prior to its release and Giant supplied a new shock that we have been riding for several months now with no problems.
Mistakes happen, but it's worth mentioning and we'll update this if we have any issues with the replacement shock.
The original DVO shock that came on our test bike failed, apparently due to a seal issue. Giant and DVO say the shock was an early test model and that it was not supposed to be on the bike we were testing. While "pre-production" is a common refrain when products fail, we did get the bike prior to its release and Giant supplied a new shock that we have been riding for several months now with no problems.
Mistakes happen, but it's worth mentioning and we'll update this if we have any issues with the replacement shock.
The Trance is for the rider that wants to ride a variety of terrain on a bike with the ability to get in the air and play around. It's totally capable of taking on more technical terrain (withing reason), but still efficient enough to prevent former XC racers – who finally realized that riding bikes for fun is better than vomiting and cramping on a weekly basis – from feel like they're slugging around a bike built for dude-bros that shuttle short climbs and wear goggles with half shell helmets. It's a versatile bike I would choose for a large number of locations and variety of terrain.
Pros
+ Supple, effective suspension performance
+ Parts spec won't hold anyone back
+ Progressive head tube angle & reach for the category
Cons
- DVO dampers not proven (yet)
- Uncomfortable seat
- Seat tube angle could be steeper
Author Info:
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Down country wouldn't be a joke if someone put out a solid down country bike so I could buy it.
These kinds of bikes are remarkably awesome -mine is fun anywhere from tame beginner trails to the bike park, and even on the local pump track. They truly do represent an awesome one bike quiver for a huge range of riders, styles, and terrains. So can we finally dispense with the surprise that this should be so and just focus on which of them do which parts of the job best? And while it's not sexy - how about a comparison of all the current bikes in that niche; yes, the Smuggler is not new this year, for example - but I'd argue that just because the Giant is all new this year says more about it being late to the party than having made the rest of the segment obsolete.
The Giant is the first of these aggressive short travel bikes that is actually as light as some XC bikes (Epic Evo). And for $4500 you can get a Carbon frame and Carbon wheels.
But yes, it's sometimes like that whole revolution of slacker short travel 29ers never happened, so now they get awfully excited about Giant finally catching up.
...crazy...
Unlike most other frames out there, Trance 29 included.
I see this stuff about seat angles all the time in reviews, but it always sounds like you’re just trying to find something to write.
If we assume that 76 degrees is steep enough, then the difference between a bike with a 74.5 degree seat angle and one with a 76 degree one is about 15mms in terms of saddle to bars distance. Otherwise known as ‘in the tester’s head’.
I really don’t believe anyone is sensitive enough to bike setup to be able to notice a difference that’s under the 3% mark. I suspect any apparently differences of this kind are just confirmation bias.
JP
As for my ramblings further in the comment, it's just a general observation about things maybe getting better. Only for brands to kick in the dark again with a horribly bent seat tube (like Whyte is doing with some of their bikes for example).
@Jprestidge if you're around the M/L frame size, so 'an average joe', you can take the seat tube angle valuse like they come, since your seat is relatively close to the top of the head tube in height. And that's where the angles are measured. Once you go towards XS/XXL territory, the story changes - the smaller the frame, the steeper the angle and the larger the frame, the slacker the angle due to the way the frames are shaped. And the difference gets much more noticeable than 15 mm. I'd say you could easily get a difference of between 5 and 10 cm between a major brand's bike and the Pole Machine, wich has an insanely steep seat tube.
The other thing with all of this is that in the case of the (X)XL rider,t he weight is then further back, squishing the rear suspension on the ascents even more. Slackening the seat tube angle additionally. And you geat a seriously slack seat angle and that weird feeling.
Actual seat tube angles are, in most cases, slacker than this measurement due to an offset at the BB (if the tube is straight and goes all the way towards the BB. Here the seat tube centerline doesn't pierce the BB axis of rotation, but goes towards the ground more forwards. Example: Santa Cruz) or due to the seat tube being bent (for example, there's a vertical section coming off the BB that then bends backwards and has the seat post inserted - most bikes go for this solution nowadays. Example: Trance 29 or any other full susses Giant has made in the past few years).
As mentioned, all is well if your inseam is around 70 cm. When you get to much longer (90+ cm inseams, for riders in the XL category), there's a noticeable difference between the advertised seat tube angle and the actual seat tube angle, which would be measured to the line between the BB and the top of the seat where you actually seat (where the seat post line would pierce the seat - sliding the seat on the rails changes this angle again).
With your center of gravity being higher (since you are taller), the weight transfer when going uphill will be greater already (moment being a ratio of force and lever with the lever being larger here). It's a safe assumption taller riders will also be heavier, so you also increase the force. You then give to a rider, that is already twice at a disadvantage another disadvantage by giving him a slacker seat post angle, moving his butt (and CoG) closer to the rear axle. So there are three reasons an XL frame will squat more (when set up properly) when going uphill, slackening the frame even more. So giving another disadvantage. It's a nasty catch-22.
In all actuality smaller frames should have slacker and larger frames steeper seat tube angles. The same frame in different sizes would then be wildly different from each other, which is expensive to make. And we would have even less XS and (X)XL frames than we have now, since it's catering to a smaller market. But that's what we have now.
And yes - I bought a Fezzari La Sal Peak. I love it, though it's been put away for winter. I crushed climbs (both short tech and long grinds) that had me off the bike previously, and I was the obnoxious guy in my group finishing a ride and pushing to go for another lap. A steep *ACTUAL* seat tube angle is a revelation if you're a tall guy and/or have a long inseam.
It's not that bikes are getting drastically longer, as it might seem with all the masturbation around reach numbers, they are just getting better. But the cockpit lengths (well... more or less effective top tube lengths, which change much less than reach numbers do) are staying the same.
That is the reason i am always yelling around the internet why the reach number is so useless on anything other than a DH bike.
The Trance was my favorite for XC trail riding.
SB100 was too XC for my liking, it got overwhelmed in tech sections, and is really an XC race bike with slightly slacker angles. Best climber of the bunch on smooth trails. Surprisingly it was also the most fun on smooth jump lines. Geo and fit is perfect for jump/dual slalom type bike in addition to XC.
Pivot felt a bit dead and unresponsive for the tamer XC terrain I am intending to ride the bike on, but was the best tech descender of the bunch, like a mini enduro bike.
Tallboy rode similar to the Trance, but the fit and geo on the Trance worked better for me.
Trance was light, responsive, and playful on XC trails, with just enough beast mode for tech sections. Geometry was spot on for me. Best climber of the bunch on rough tech climbs, and sits right in the middle between SB100 and Pivot in tech descending capability.
Edit - I see why you're probably getting so many - the Enduro has a 352mm BB. That's higher than most of the trail bikes of the past 2 years, so it's probably just something you'd get used to after a while.
How much big-line capability is this bike leaving on the table with such a short travel read end?
Looks to me the seat is slid farther back in the post. At least put the saddle in the middle position before commenting on the seat angle.
I am a little disappointed that only the higher end RA0 and TA0 come with the Diamond D1 that has the adjustabilty of the OTT knob so greatly touted by DVO as the bees knees. The "lower" end RA1 and TA1 use a Diamond D2 that doesn't come with an OTT knob, instead with a pre-tuned internal setting "custom tuned". But since I'm not a suspension geek, I quickly got over it after a few rides. Turns out I only missed it on the internet while I was reading up on how to set up the DVO.
I believe you can order any part as an upgrade through DVO. Still its annoying that OEM parts tend to be stripped down versions of the after market parts. in the name of saving money at the expense of the consumer.
Glad you are enjoying your DVO fork
What's the factory norm for DVO in terms of out of the box lubrication? My RS always got greased as soon as I had time to open them up.
Slack seat angles make bikes feel like you're pedalling a recumbent uphills and it is such an easy thing to fix. Measuring SA at stack height is pretty useless though, because if the manufacturer has enough kick in the seat tube you can have a 76º+ SA and still end up over the back axle at full seat post extension.
Thanks for the great reviews PB!
I absolutely love my Trance 29! It is a great bike for 90% of my everyday type riding. It really does ride bigger than 115mm and its light and efficient enough to pedal all day. Mine weighed in very light at 26lbs 5oz, however it feels as solid as an enduro rig. The DVO suspension is incredible all the way from the top to the bottom of the stroke.
The seat tube angle is a non factor in my opinion, however I only have a 31" inseam. My seat rails are right in the middle of their range.
Since all modern trial and enduro bikes are super low, I opt to use 170mm cranks on all my bikes. I also swapped the 40mm stem for a roomier 50mm. Otherwise it is perfect out of the box.
I got suckered into a pretty big 2+ hour XC type ride in the U.P. and ended up with some locals hitting 25+ ft doubles on this bike. Handles the big jumps surprisingly well .
No one needs the downtime waiting for a replacement frame when you can fix it yourself.
But the thing with shocks especially, is how flimsy the seals are, irrespective of brand and in a lot of cases, age/use. So a seal failure doesn't necessarily mean a bad product to me (although it pisses me off to no end, especially if rebuilding requires proprietary tools).
and his name is John Ceeeenaa
No problem if you aren't allowed to answer.
Thanks,
Tom
...Can we have 29er Reign please???
Whats wrong with googles and half-shell helmets now? Not cool dude-bro!
Easy serviceability is a great thing to have, but in my experience the Giants don't particularly need it. In the 7 years I had on my 07 reign 1, and 5 years on my Trance Advanced 1, I've never had to service the bearings (the Reign did go through DU bushes on the shock every year or two). In contrast my buddy has had to replace the bearings nearly every year on his Santa Cruz Tallboy since 2014. Free bearings for life, sure, but that's also days in the shop every year while they get fitted.
Maybe I didn't here about brakes in the last 3 video reviews and I had my head up my Brakes. I been racing all my life and most of the time people talk about what kind of stoppers are on a bike & car or what ever your piloting . I do like the new videos although this one on the Giant seemed kind of on the vanilla side I like strong opinions even if I don't agree with the reviews .
Cons : put some spice in your opinions
Cons : No brake review ?
Cons : review more bikes that go down that need brakes
Pros : I like the guy with all the tattoos
Pros : I like the guy with all the tattoos what happened to him ?
"The bike delivers 115mm of rear travel that's paired with a 130mm fork"
"Trance Advanced 29 Details
Intended use: trail
Rear wheel travel: 150mm "
Here's a DVO custom made for Giant squish setup. Couldn't find a Rockshox version for you though, sorry, but the % sag recommendations are for the Maestro, not the suspension model.
tech.dvosuspension.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Giant-setup-guide-2.pdf
That said, you can get this Trance Advanced 29 with a lower-spec build for under $5K.
Am I really the only one who noticed this?
Both fork and shock are fully bottomed out, both tires are compressed nearly to the point of rims touching ground.
Maybe this is where the DVO shock seal failed . . . test rider bouncing up and down w/ shock at 20psi, repeatedly bottoming out?
Huck to flat?? (but bike is on a road, so from what, out of a pickup bed in the middle of the road?)
Trek doesn't make anything in Waterloo anymore, and Specialized has never owned a manufacturing facility for anything other than water bottles and helmets (and they don't even do that anymore). The days of small brands making anything but a profit are also long, long gone-Frank the Welder ain't laying hands on your new Yeti frame.
Ohlins bicycle suspension forks have been plagued with reliability problems. This review aside, DVO has earned a reputation for solid product and exceptional customer service. Aside from misguided snobbery about what makes for a good high-end bike, and why go with the small brand frame Ohlins combo?!
On a final note-this is a top-shelf "dream build". The same frame with a slightly lesser spec is about half the price and only weighs about 500g more.
I had 2017 Trance advanced 27.5 with 140mm travel and loved it except..74.5 seat angle.