We first caught sight of
Giant's updated Trance a few weeks ago in Kirchberg, Austria, the bike's first public debut after a three year development process. The new version still has 140mm of rear travel and 27.5" wheels, but both the frame's design and geometry have undergone numerous updates.
According to Giant's marketing spiel, this latest iteration will allow riders to "climb like an XC racer and descend like an enduro pro." Those are some mighty bold claims, so in order to get better acquainted with the new ride, and to dive deeper into the details behind its creation we headed to the South Chilcotin mountains, located 2.5 hours north of Pemberton, British Columbia.
Giant Trance Advanced Details• Intended use: trail / all-mountain
• Rear wheel travel: 140mm
• Wheel size: 27.5''
• 67º head angle w/ 150mm fork
• Carbon front triangle / alloy swingarm
• Metric shock sizing
• Boost hub spacing
• MSRP: $4,125 - $8,050 USD (complete). Frame w/shock: $2,700 USD.
•
www.giant-bicycles.com,
@giantbicycles Updating the TranceWhen Giant's designers began to work on the next iteration of the Trance they had two main goals: to make a bike that felt more balanced than its predecessor, and to improve the bike's overall aesthetics. The first step was to revise the bike's rear suspension configuration in order to give it a lower leverage ratio. Previous versions had required riders to run very high pressures, which made it harder to achieve the desired balance of support and small bump sensitivity.
As it turned out, Giant's design goals overlapped with what RockShox was hoping to achieve with their yet-to-be-released Deluxe and Super Deluxe shocks, and after numerous test sessions (more than with any other bike in Giant's history) the decision was made to go with a trunnion mount, where the shock is attached to the frame on each side of its body, rather than using a single DU bushing in an eyelet at the top of the shock. This design allowed Giant to use a longer shock shaft in the same amount of space as before, and achieve the desired lower leverage ratio. The new shock is also claimed to have a wider range of useable rebound adjustments, which should make it easier for riders to dial in the exact settings they want.
The upper link is now constructed from molded carbon, and weighs half as much as the previous alloy link. The main pivot is also now positioned lower on the seat tube, creating more room for the longer dropper posts that are fast becoming the norm (Giant's own 150mm Contact SL dropper post is spec'd on the Trance).
Other details include the use of a bolt on 12x148mm thru-axle to secure the rear wheel, and a 15x110mm Maxle Stealth for the front. That means you'll need a 6mm allen key on hand if you want to remove a wheel, but it also means there are fewer parts sticking out from the bike where they could potentially get damaged by rocks or other trail side hazards.
Geometry To go along with frame updates, Giant also gave the Trance's geometry a few slight tweaks. The reach has been extended by 10mm, and is now 448mm for a size large. The chainstays were shortened by 5mm to 435mm, and the bottom bracket sits 5mm lower than before. While in the past there had been versions of the Trance that came with a 160mm fork, the new version was designed with a 150mm fork in mind, which results in a 67-degree head angle.
The two days I spent on the Trance were filled with punchy climbs and fast, swoopy descents punctuated with the occasional surprise rock garden or snakelike tree root. This time of the year the trails in the Chilcotins can be dry and dusty, but an unseasonably wet summer meant that the higher elevation trails were full of mud puddles, knee-deep stream crossings, and sections of perfect milk chocolate-colored dirt.
The Trance Advanced 0 that I was aboard is the top dog in the lineup, and comes equipped with SRAM's 12-speed Eagle drivetrain, Guide Ultimate brakes and Giant's new TRX 0 carbon wheels shod with Schwalbe Nobby Nic tires. RockShox handles the suspension, with a Pike RCT3 up front and a Super Deluxe RC3 in the rear. The fact that the large frame comes with a 70mm stem and 750mm bars seems like an oversight, especially now that the bike's reach has been increased – at the very least, a shorter stem should have been spec'd, and a wider bar would have been nice to see as well.
The first day's ride began with a steep climb interspersed with sections of hike-a-bike, and from the start, it was clear that the Trance's climbing manners have improved. There's a much more supportive feel when the shock is in the fully open position, and I rarely found myself reaching down to change compression settings no matter the angle of the trail. Not needing to futz around with the shock settings greatly decreases the chance that you'll find yourself performing the classic “I bet I can reach that compression lever while riding one handed at a high rate of speed” maneuver, which doesn't always go as planned.
The Trance's handling reminded me a bit of the Santa Cruz 5010, with similarly quick and lively manners. That makes sense since both bikes have the same reach and head angle numbers, but the Trance's extra travel gives it a greater margin for error, which came in handy while charging down trails I'd never ridden before. The Super Deluxe shock gives the rear end an impressive amount of traction, and even in loose, gravelly corners it was easy to carve a nice clean arc (or get both wheels to slide if I decided to go that route).
I'll admit, I did find myself wondering how a version of the Trance with 29” wheels would feel. This year we've seen a number of excellent mid-travel 29ers hit the market, and it seems like a big-wheeled version of the Trance would fit right in with bikes like the Santa Cruz Hightower and Trek Fuel EX. But that's just my own little daydream – Giant's still sticking with their message that 27.5” wheels are the ideal wheel size, at least for the near future.
Two days on a bike doesn't equal a long term review, and I'd be interested to see how the Trance handles steeper, rougher terrain, but my first impressions are that Giant have created a very capable trail ripper, the type of versatile all-rounder that just about any rider could have a good time on.
Visit the high-res gallery for more images from this First Look.
Man, I did NOT see that coming!
My girlfriend could "allow" me to take Scarlett Johansson out but trust me, it aint gonna happen.
All I know is that bike is sexy.
Ps. I totally would Race XC on my trance and have raced enduro(and placed second to a guy on an equally light bike in a field on mostly enduro bikes)
But I still really like being able to quickly, and tool-lessly, take off one or both wheels to either put my bike in the trunk of a car, or to fix a flat quicker.
Also, I forgot what year it was cause I'm on pain killers. My Trance is a 2016. I'll use that as an excuse for coming across as a dick as well.
Also, did we cover water bottle mounts in this one? I'd hate for someone to get dehydrated on their cool lunchtime shop ride.
That being said, unless you're clipped and pedal perfectly round like a roadie. There is always a vertical component independent from the chain tension where a climb switch becomes useful.
Even with a short stem its on the too big side, currently got bikes with a 420-425 ish reach and they are comfortably long with a 35 stem.
Problem is I'm 5"6 with really long legs so I need a shorter reach but not that short I hit my knees off the bars while pedaling ha
Why they are persisting with Overdrive 2 on road bikes is beyond me. That seems like a reason to discount buying one to my mind, but I doubt anyone ever bought one *because* of it.
It stiffens up the front end significantly. Glad they abandoned it in mountain however. Impossible to sell that fork but who doesn't ride a road bike with the stock fork? Silly ppl
Meh
Stems a stem. Giant carbon stems are also pretty dope.
Also thank god it's gone boost, from a shop point of view I need things to be the same. Having to have boost and non boost wheels in stock in a pain.
And @lepak1corner, the actual BB shell dimensions remain the same with Boost frames - the chainline is corrected by an offset chainring, not by a different BB size.
I'd lick that.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/13774246
Considering a switch to Shimano 1x11 XT M8000 when the current drivetrain bites the bullet, which is pretty soon.
My 09 Trance X0, was rrp AUD$6999 (I paid 1/3 of that for ex-demo)
'16 Trance equivalent is AUD$7499, thats only a 7% increase over 7 years... Thats impressive.
E.g. current 2016 Trance Advanced 27.5.0 is listed on the respective countries Giant Site with an RRP of USD$7700 / CAD$7899. Using your exchange rate logic it should cost ($10106 Canadian).
Your negative comments were based on the assumption this bike was going to cost $10500 Canadian, It will not. I am merely pointing out it would cost considerably less if bought in Canada.
Honestly, the Trance is an amazing bike. Climbs great and depends way better than I thought it would. My last ride was The Whole Enchilada, where it smashed my last lap there on the Spartan by 30 minutes. The bike was also more playful and fun the whole ride through, plus I wasn't totally wiped at the end of the ride.
It's a super fun and poppy bike, loads of fun everywhere.
I upgraded the tires, stem, and bars to my liking (which I think most of us do anyway).
BTW, the bike weighs in at 27 lbs 4 oz, w/Atlas pedals.
You get a Yari fork which is heavier and the dated motion control damper a Sram drivetrain and Guide brakes
www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/reign.advanced.0/26027/92816/#specifications
I don't get how these guys don't have a fricken scale available. It's simple. Before throwing a leg over for your test, weigh the damn thing. Actual weights would give so much street cred.
Can you pls get off a really high horse and make a 29 version of this bike, pls?
Oh well, the Canfield Riot may be in my future.
Mike can we get a review on that bike?
I've had my Reign 1 for over 2 years now.. and I'm keeping it because its not only so damn good to ride, but that lifetime warranty just gives me faith in the product.. and even if a crack did develop.. it wouldn't put me off the brand for life.
There are loads of big companies that have frames go... and with online forums and the speed in which reviews get posted around the world.. companies cannot afford to let major problems go un-noted.
Id like to think that if I ever got rid of my bike and were choosing another brand, unless there were lists of catastrophic failures, I would buy it based on a brief bit of research and a test ride not on one bike in however many thousand breaking. Just my 2 Cents.
Went riding with my mate the other day at a local shuttle uplift for a few runs in the evening. He' got a blessed old 2010 Genius LT, The geo is a little dated and he cant wait to get a new bike... he's had countless new shocks for it but he's still cracking on with it and can live with the best of them on the descents.. there are obviously going to be loads of bikes that feel the same to ride (I love my reign, but would LOVE the new patrol) judging by the linkage, both bikes would probably ride the same.. If I knew someone had snapped a patrol, would it put me off buying one if I liked the ride of it? F-No.. Look at It!! Stunning bike.. and that's what I think it should all be about.. your feeling on the bike, and your feeling towards the bike. you arn't gonna buy something that's pig ugly, and you shouldn't be swain from something you would love to own just because 1/300 people had bad luck with a weld.
f*ck companies that don't stand behind their products.