Reece Wallace's Custom Painted Giant Trance Matches His Plane

Mar 29, 2022 at 12:54
by Giant Bicycles  
Liam Wallace photo

Words: Giant Bicycles

Canadian free rider Reece Wallace has always been inspired by aviation. From his vintage Piper Cub Rampage Glory, to his Search & Rescue inspired Reign, Reece has found ways to combine his passions of riding and flying.

Reece's new Trance X 1 27.5 is no exception. His bike is painted to match his 1956 Cessna 170b.


bigquotesI've always wanted to match a bike to my plane. I thought people may be over seeing my plane-themed bikes, but I don't care. Flying and riding is about fun for me and doing my own thing, so I leaned into this - Reece

Though the Trance X 1 is 66 years newer than his Cessna, they're both built primarily of aluminum and share similar design and construction attributes. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The 160x145mm bike is another fun tool in Reece's quiver and fits nicely in the back of Reece's 170 for adventures this year.

Charlie - Foxtrot Zulu Oscar Lima


Matching Industry Nine wheels

Matching 160mm Marzocchi Z1 air and Maxxis DHF 2.5 DD

Before Reece, the plane was owned for 30 years by a retired Kiwi pilot and Vancouver Island doctor who painted the plane to match Air New Zealand's fleet. Stephen, the previous owner, rebuilt the entire plane, including the new paint scheme in 1991. Since then, it's been flown all over North America and is now passed onto Reece.

bigquotesTo me, there's something special about the rich history of these old aircraft. Every component, scratch, detail, or dent preserve a story dating back to a post WWII era. I obviously love flying, but the story and lineage are a huge part too.

I've met up with Stephen on several occasions to learn some of the colourful history of FZOL. On our last visit, I took Stephen flying. Though he lost his medical certificate 10 years ago from a battle with cancer, he took the controls and didn't miss a step. He was teaching me the subtleties of the old bird - Reece

6900 feet—nice. #OnlyPlanez


"Love my aeroplane cuz she got style, she's a treetop flyer" - Stephen Stills

bigquotesThis is actually the first large frame I've had. I've always ridden shorter bikes for free ride, but being 5'11", the longer reach is more suiting. Even though I went with a large, it's the most playful and jibby bike I've ridden. The flip chip is a great feature too—I'm running it in the low setting. All I can say is this bike is fun, and for me that's what it's all about - Reece

Marzocchi CR in the rear, 450lb spring


Mike Aitken vibes on the limited edition Chromag saddle



bigquotesSome people choose Tacomas, I choose airplanes - Reece


Windstorm in the 80s when a hangar collapsed on the tail of the plane in Duncan, BC

Rebuilt in all its glory in 1991

Safety tucked inside at the Nanaimo Flying Club on Vancouver Island, BC

Follow Reece on Instagram for more adventures

Photos: Liam Wallace
Paint: Fresh Paints Whistler

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129 Comments

  • 217 8
 I'd expect nothing less for a World Champ!
  • 119 13
 Quite literally the Flying Scotsman!
  • 10 97
flag agnostic (Mar 30, 2022 at 9:24) (Below Threshold)
 @tim-from-pa: he is from Duncan BC Canada.
  • 11 67
flag arrowheadrush (Mar 30, 2022 at 9:37) (Below Threshold)
 @agnostic: hes from Calgary
  • 20 107
flag SACBALLZ (Mar 30, 2022 at 9:42) (Below Threshold)
 Guys, you got the wrong Reece. This dude is a freerider, and he's Canadian. Reece WILSON is the Scotsman world champ.
  • 41 2
 @SACBALLZ: you are obviously wrong, in some way. Hahaha
  • 62 1
 ^ Flying right over your heads like Reece! I’ll let you decide which one though…
  • 112 2
 @tim-from-pa: Well my family is Scottish and I do fly, soooo
  • 11 23
flag SACBALLZ (Mar 30, 2022 at 10:20) (Below Threshold)
 @Lagr1980: this is why I don't come here any more lol carry on boys, ignorance is bliss I suppose
  • 22 1
 @SACBALLZ: I'd say you don't come here enough....
  • 27 0
 Whooooooooosh…. Could be the sound of a plane, but it’s actually the ongoing joke going over a few peoples heads.
  • 11 3
 iT Is tHe wROnG rEecE !!
  • 12 0
 @arrowheadrush: he's from his mom
  • 9 12
 @whackflyer: men can have babies too #millennial-life #babies-r-racist #communism-rules #but-putin-bad #screwbigpharma #getvaxed
  • 1 0
 @reecewallace: do you are the same Reece, KNEW IT!!
  • 3 1
 @reecewallace: I'm just starting to get my private pilot licenses. Flying and riding are the best things to do!
  • 12 0
 @Mtbog2025: You should try sex
  • 1 0
 @gnarnaimo: lmao
  • 1 0
 @Mtbog2025: Big Grin
  • 2 0
 @reecewallace: Lovely paintjob, just a shame they couldn't work the ol' rainbow stripes in there somewhere Wink
  • 1 0
 @reecewallace: I bet the Volvo engine is the only new part there , #livingofsponsors
  • 2 7
flag NYShred (Mar 31, 2022 at 8:57) (Below Threshold)
 Record profits for bike companies, sponsored riders having their bike frames match their private planes.... but yea, we need to raise prices because reasons...

Oh btw, sick paint job on that $10k+ bike dude got for free. Cant wait to see the matching EDC, Yeti kit and Mercedese Camper Van build to follow.

Ego stroking ftw!
  • 3 1
 @NYShred: You mad bro?
  • 2 12
flag NYShred (Mar 31, 2022 at 9:43) (Below Threshold)
 Nope. Making far more annually than you and your parents, got a beautiful family and friends. The joke here is the industry, and 26yr old clowns like yourself mouthing off to strangers on the internet.
  • 4 0
 @NYShred: 26 is dead.
  • 2 0
 @NYShred: Boooo
  • 5 0
 @NYShred: Man, what's it like to have such a large d**k?
  • 88 0
 Looks like a Cessna
  • 8 3
 Underrated comment
  • 10 0
 Sesh? , "Na"
  • 85 1
 These days the plane is probably cheaper than a Tacoma.
  • 9 5
 Ya but imagine the bill for fill up, Jet A is currently $2.35 CAN per liter, 190 liter tank in the Cessna, almost $450 CAN to fill up!
  • 51 2
 @Bomadics: yeah but I bet milage is still better than Tacoma Big Grin
  • 3 20
flag nickfranko (Mar 30, 2022 at 9:59) (Below Threshold)
 Not really. Not when you consider the cost of annuals and maintenance. Planes are a sport for people with money, because everything is costly.
  • 5 0
 @Bomadics: Not far off from filling up my cummins.
  • 11 0
 @Bomadics: good thing it isn’t a turbine then.
  • 10 1
 @Bomadics good thing that runs on 100LL ~$1.62 CAN for NFC members factor in ferries and travel time from Nanaimo I bet it’s more efficient than my tundra, never mind the fun factor
  • 5 0
 And cheeper than a bike.. although i am pleasantly surprised by GX cassette and marzocchis
  • 2 0
 @loosegoat: You burn about 9-9.6 gallon/hour flying at 100knots (with ground speed obviously dependent on wind conditions). 100LL is $2.14 CAD for NFC members, so you'll probably spend $34-40 CAD to fly each way if you have good wind conditions.
  • 2 0
 @loosegoat: that’s a good rate. We had 5,000L delivered this week at 1.98cad/L. Delivery only adds about 5c/L at those quantities iirc.
  • 3 1
 @nickfranko: so is MTB...
  • 1 0
 @Bomadics: don't think this takes jet A, but still prob not far off
  • 1 0
 @Afterschoolsports @nickfranko I was wrong on that initial one, flightaware was confusing, $2.14 is correct for members. I think we can all agree smiles per gallon is hard to beat though. I think Reece needs to find out how to mount his bike(s) on the outside like Mike Patey. 2 bikes and people to the trail planepooling? Aeropool?
  • 1 0
 @Bomadics: $1200 American to fill up a semi truck.
  • 40 0
 @loosegoat: My plane has 37us/gal tanks (140L). It burns 7gal/hr of 100LL which right now costs $2.14/L in Nanaimo, puts me at about $56/hr to fly. $300 to fill from bone dry, but I never let it get below 1/3 tank.

Most places I fly to are less than an hour—Sunshine Coast, Pemberton, Squamish, Vancouver etc. Smiles per mile is unbeatable, and is cheaper than taking the ferry (5x faster too). That said, it seems for every 1 hour of flying, I'm wrenching on it for 5. Maintenance on anything 66 years old is going to be extensive, but I do a lot of it myself to save $.
  • 3 0
 @whackflyer: No, MTB is not even remotely close to expensive compared to flying. Flying experimentals might be more affordable compared to something like our Piper Arrow, but even then MTB looks like a budget sport in comparison.
MTB may be considered expensive compared to other things, but not compared to flying.
  • 2 1
 @brassinne: FJB LGB
  • 1 0
 @reecewallace: I'm thinking VFR not IFR? Still, why would you fly IFR when it's for fun? We were driving down the Sea to Sky hwy from Whistler to Vancouver and thought a float plane would be spot on (when the wx is VFR of course).
  • 2 0
 @valrock: Tacoma mileage sucks!!!! My Tacoma get worse mpg than my f150 and has 1/2 the power
  • 2 0
 @nickfranko: right because all Bush pilots are loaded right...
  • 60 2
 How do you know if someone's a pilot? Don't worry, they'll tell you
  • 134 0
 Don't worry, I'm a pilot
  • 64 0
 Not a pilot, but I’m doing CrossFit
  • 37 2
 It’s the vegan lifestyle that brings true happiness.
  • 17 1
 @cubika: Im not a pilot and don’t do crossfit, but I am vegan.
  • 6 1
 @reecewallace: phew, woulda never known.
  • 9 0
 Straight Edge fixie rider, here.....
  • 3 0
 @suspended-flesh: I can fix your teeth, and my bike has six bar suspension.
  • 7 1
 An Atheist, a Cross-fitter and a vegan walk into a bar.....
  • 4 0
 Something, something... engineer!
  • 7 0
 @lehott: well you see, *leans back in chair* *pushes glasses up bridge of nose* as an engineer...
  • 2 1
 Not a vegan but I just started intermittent fasting, it's great
  • 5 0
 wait till I tell you about my background
  • 49 6
 Flying Scotsman indeed, looks sick champ!
  • 28 0
 I’m not over seeing plane themed bikes. Very nice!
  • 20 0
 Now to find a roof rack to fit a Cessna and he's set!
  • 6 0
 honestly, I would go with hitch mounted one, better aerodynamics Big Grin
  • 11 0
 www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a20009151/cycling-inventions
  • 1 0
 1Up, up, up and away!
  • 15 0
 I had my plane painted to match my Yeti.
  • 8 1
 I had my yeti repainted to match my patients dental chair.
  • 3 0
 same with my buttplugs - that's how I know I am getting fucked by these prices.
  • 1 0
 @stumphumper92: Why pay for buttplugs if you have stumps?
  • 12 1
 I like it better than the guy who matched his bike to the Porsche. No particular reason why. Probably because the color scheme is more my taste than that crazy bright green lol… sweet toys Reece! Enjoy them!!
  • 12 0
 I'd subscribe to Reece's #OnlyPlanez.
  • 9 0
 Marzocchi now... So that's why he's had so many DVO products for sale in PB Buy&Sell over the past few months.
  • 9 0
 Please Marzocchi make that colour available.
  • 1 0
 Colour matching the fork always takes a paint job to the next level!
  • 1 3
 @AndrewHornor: nope. black forks are the way. at least for the lower legs.
  • 5 0
 Guy matches his bike to his plane and everybody is fine. Yeti releases shorts to match their bikes and everybody loses their shit over "dentist shorts".
  • 6 0
 The world champ can do what he likes.
  • 6 0
 Richard Cunningham I am thinking you should investigate.
  • 6 3
 I've said it before I'll say it again... It's great to see all these pros getting their brand new custom bikes while I just saw the first GX eagle derailleur in the shop since dec 2020
  • 1 0
 thats due to Shipping and not the part being available. Sram was like Trek and kept their orders in during the start of 2020.
Here in NZ 95% of the time have all parts available. regardless of brands
  • 3 0
 Anyone else see the 69 joke in the altimeter? Even though it's kind of hard to tell with the 100' and 1000' pointers being way too hard to differentiate.
  • 2 1
 I believe it actually reads 9,600
  • 3 0
 @Telemahn: well its OVER 9000
  • 3 0
 This is awesome, but that red marzocchi sticker is tainting it. I couldn't not replace that with a blue sticker and paint the gold caps as well.
  • 4 0
 The marzocchi fork looks like it should have already been that color. Freaking beautiful!!
  • 2 0
 Any experience with a Coil shock in a trance x?
I got a 29er trance x (2021) and wonder if would be good with Coil. There seems to be not much progression cause with the standard air shock i bottom out quite easily...
  • 3 0
 And you think a coil is going to help that?
  • 1 0
 @watermonkey:
I'm asking for experience with coil on that bike.
You dont have to explain me the difference between coil and air spring.
  • 4 0
 I'd just add another volume spacer before moving to a coil.
  • 1 0
 @pumpjumpnflow: pretty much maxed out allready. 2nd biggest spacer cured the bottoming out. Wondering how a coil would do anyway. Heck ill just give it a try.
  • 1 0
 These 55mm progressive springs should do the trick. Stock shock is 185mm x 55mm.
www.jensonusa.com/Cane-Creek-Valt-Coil-Spring-Progressive-Rate-3?loc=usa&pt_source=googleads&pt_medium=cpc&pt_campaign=&pt_keyword=&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_4-SBhCgARIsAAlegrU9gm5tVK64RMd9w-PmejXGgzS9uKgeuPTyhTjuoZ-w89UdT3a6izgaAhw_EALw_wcB
  • 2 0
 His bike needs a "real" altimeter, already has the landing gear and the pilot...
  • 2 0
 Very cool Reece, any story behind the similar to the Air New Zealand koru on the tail of the '91 rebuild?
  • 1 0
 Ummmm.....
  • 5 0
 Sorry! Looked at pictures before I read it. Ex kiwi owned.
  • 8 0
 @Heckles: Stephen (Kiwi) painted the koru on the tail in '91. There was an owner between the two of us and he painted over it unfortunately
  • 3 0
 Nice. Real pilots fly taildraggers.
  • 3 0
 As someone with a BMX background, I enjoy the subtle Mike Aitken nod.
  • 1 0
 I never thought aboit matching a bike to my plane. Never thought about having a plane. That said, congrats tô Reece, nice nike and nice plane.
  • 2 0
 So nicely done - both the plane and the bike.
  • 1 0
 Is he using a fork with the regular grip damper? I don’t know anything about marzocchi forks.
  • 4 3
 And thats why they call him The Flying Scotsman.
  • 1 0
 What’s he got to do with an old train ???
  • 2 1
 So sick! Must make getting to Lourdes and back much easier too
  • 4 4
 Forget the outdated and heldback Trance...This dude has a plane...A PLANE !
  • 1 0
 To use aircraft lingo, it's a nice looking special livery.
  • 1 0
 Awesome colors & graphics!
  • 1 0
 That’s a lot of sexy bike parts flying in tight formation!
  • 1 0
 Love planes, flying and that killer tribute to your 170b! Stunning!
  • 1 0
 What's the link to Air New Zealand (Koru spotted on the tail)?
  • 1 0
 Would love to know what that bike weighs with the coil and Bomber on it.
  • 1 0
 hope this thing will fly just as good
  • 1 0
 Colour scheme looks amazing on both!!
  • 1 0
 Good thing Giant have Reece for FRESH stuff
  • 1 0
 sick!
  • 1 1
 That stand over!
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