Giant has been on a roll releasing new 2022 bikes like the motor-assisted
Trance X Advanced E+,
Anthem Pro 29 XC-race rocket, the
27.5" wheeled Trance X , and now the Trance Advanced Pro 29. Filling the void between those two analog bikes to cover the light-duty trail bracket is the revamped Trance Pro 29 that rolls on 29" wheels, with the rear wheel travel bumped up to 120 mm and a 130 mm fork.
Unlike the Anthem Pro 29 that saw a migration to a flex-stay suspension design for weight savings, the Trance retains the dual link Maestro package. Giant worked tirelessly with ambassador Adam Craig to fine tune the kinematics and shock tunes to make this bike into more than just an over-forked XC or downcountry bike, but a purpose built short travel trail ripper.
Details • Wheel size: 29"
• Travel: 120 mm rear, 130 mm fork
• Carbon frame
• Internal downtube storage compartment
• 65.5º / 66.2º head tube angle (low / high)
• 76.3º / 77.0º seat tube angle
• 439 / 437 mm chainstay
• Sizes: S-XL
• Price: $6,000 - $10,500 USD
•
www.giant-bicycles.com Adjustable angles are on offer via a flip-chip at the seatstay for 0.7-degrees of adjustment - the low setting tips the head angle to 65.5-degree. The Trance's geometry and travel amounts position it perfectly to fit in the downcountry segment of our Fall Field Test, so keep your eyes peeled for that series to unfold.
Frame Details One of the most exciting highlights for the Trance Advanced Pro 29 is an internal storage area in the downtube. Once you've toggled the latch and removed the door, you'll find a water-resistant bag to fit tools and snacks inside. Bolted to the door is the bottle cage to make repositioning the hatch a breeze. Standard practice for highness frames these days are ample chain damping on the stays and protection on the underside of the downtube and the Trance is no different. New cable ports are said to lock down the housings for a quieter ride and cleaner appearance.
GeometrySubtle changes to the 2022 Trance Pro 29's geometry make it more capable without hindering its singletrack manners. At the front end the head angle drops a degree to moderately slack 65.5º in the low setting and the seat tube angle rests at 76.3º. Those numbers can be pushed steeper by 0.7º with that seatstay flip-chip, which has shown up on all of Giant's new 2022 bikes except the race-specific Anthem Advanced Pro 29.
Reach numbers now span a larger range of rider heights despite continuing to offer four sizes, introduced in part by the longer, lower, slacker trend, but also due to the steeper seat angle. That means that the size small has shrunk a few millimeters to 422 mm and the extra large has grown substantially from 480 mm to 507 in the low setting. That flip-chip will also stretch the reach another 8 mm and shorten the fixed chainstays from 437 to 439 mm, which remain the same across the sizes. The BB drop is also worth noting on the Trance Advanced Pro 29 because it measures at 45 mm in the low setting and 35 mm in the high. Numbers aren't always what they seem on paper versus the trail, so you can be sure the geometry will be discussed further in the Field Test.
Models and PricingGiant Trance Advanced 29 Pro 0 - $10,500 USD :Fox 34 Factory Grip2 fork, Fox Float X Factory 2-position shock, SRAM XX1 Eagle 12-speed drivetrain, Shimano XTR brakes, Zipp 3ZERO MOTO 29 carbon wheels, Maxxis Minion DHF 29 x 2.5" EXO / Maxxis Aggressor 29 x 2.5" EXO tires
Giant Trance Advanced 29 Pro 1 - $7,000 USD :Fox 34 Live Valve fork and shock, Shimano XT 12-speed drivetrain, Shimano XT brakes, Giant TRX2 carbon wheels, Maxxis Minion DHF 29 x 2.5" EXO / Maxxis Aggressor 29 x 2.5" EXO tires
Giant Trance Advanced 29 Pro 2 - $6,000 USD :Fox 34 Float Rhythm Grip fork, Fox Float DPS shock, Shimano Deore brakes and SLX drivetrain, Giant TRX2 carbon wheels, Maxxis Minion DHF 29 x 2.5" EXO / Maxxis Aggressor 29 x 2.5" EXO tires
Interesting, too, that live valve is not on the top end model. Not confident in its appeal? Pretty good value on the top model, ironically (if that's indeed an AXS from the picture).
Oh and yea seems like you need to pay giant to take out the live-valve, now that's smart marketing.