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Giant Trance 29 2 2020

Giant Trance Review

Price:

£2,099.00 - £5,999.00

Finance from:

£87.46/month (0% APR)

Carbon and alloy framed models
27.5” and 29” wheel versions
Suspension travel 150mm front / 140mm rear
SRAM & Shimano one-by drivetrains
Dropper seatpost on every model
Room for a bottle cage in the frame

Discipline:

Trail Mountain Bike

Weight:

13.8Kg (30lbs)*


The Giant Trance sets out to be that one do-it-all mountain bike that can take you from weekend trail rides all the way to alpine adventures and enduro races without batting an eye.

Updated: 7th October 2019

Overview

The Trance fits perfectly into Giant’s full suspension line-up as that mid-travel mountain bike to take on near any terrain. It’s the do-it-all trail bike that is great for hitting your local trails, riding XC loops, trail centres and even launching down enduro tracks. It’s quick, climbs efficiently, and is a confident descender. The Trance is a great all-rounder and is fun to ride on milder trails, as well as steeper and rougher terrain.

Our Giant Trance review of the whole range includes both the 29” and the 27.5” wheeled bikes. There are eight Trance models for 2020. At the top of the range are three carbon-framed Trance Advanced Pro 29 models. The more affordable alloy framed models are available in both wheel sizes with three Trance 29 models and two 27.5” wheeled Trance bikes.

Giant Trance frame detail

Frame

Dedicated 29er & 27.5” frames

While both the Trance - with 27.5” wheels - and the Trance 29 – with 29” wheels - are aimed at all-around trail riding, the geometry and suspension numbers are different. This is to offer the best on-the-trail performance for each wheel size. The 27.5” wheeled bikes have dialled but conventional trail bike geometry. The Trance 29s have more progressive geometry with a slacker head angle for a more stable ride, a steeper seat tube angle for more efficient climbing and short chainstays for a nimbler feel.

With the Trance 29, you have the choice of either a full carbon or an alloy frame. The Trance Advanced Pro 29ers get a full Advanced-Grade carbon composite frame. Both the three Trance 29 models and the two Trance 27.5 bikes get ALUXX SL alloy frames, this is Giant’s lightest mountain bike alloy. Al the frames are made in Giant’s very own factory which is why they can offer such good quality at reasonable price points.

Every model in the Trance line-up comes with the same Advanced Forged Technology one-piece rocker, which is used to activate the rear shock. It’s super lightweight and stiff, offering greater strength and reducing the weight. Both the alloy and carbon frames get internal cable routing, including the dropper post, and Boost spacing in the rear for plenty of tyre clearance.

The Trance nails that all-around trail bike vibe with a very comfortable riding position that feels instantly natural. Flow Mountain Bike

Giant Trance Geometry(Click to expand)

 Trance 29

Small

Medium

Large

X Large

Seat tube length (mm)

380

431

464

496

Seat tube angle

74.5°

74.5°

74.5°

74.5°

Top tube length (mm)

592

612

632

652

Head tube length (mm)

95

110

110

120

Head tube angle

66.5°

66.5°

66.5°

66.5°

Fork rake (mm)

44

44

44

44

Trail (mm)

116.8

116.8

116.8

116.8

Wheelbase (mm)

1154

1176

1196

1218

Chain stay length (mm)

435

435

435

435

Bottom bracket drop (mm)

35

35

35

35

Stack (mm)

599

613

613

622

Reach (mm)

426

442

462

480

Stand over height (mm)

708

740

761

785

Handlebar width (mm)

780

780

780

780

Stem length (mm)

40

40

50

60

Crank length (mm)

170

175

175

175

Wheel size

29"

29"

29"

29"

                

 

                

 

            

 Trance 27.5

Small

Medium

Large

X Large

Seat tube length (mm)

380

431

482

507

Seat tube angle

73.5°

73.5°

73.5°

73.5°

Top tube length (mm)

580

610

630

655

Head tube length (mm)

100

105

130

145

Head tube angle

67.0°

67.0°

67.0°

67.0°

Fork rake (mm)

42

42

42

42

Trail (mm)

104.2

104.2

104.2

104.2

Wheelbase (mm)

1129

1160

1183

1209

Chain stay length (mm)

435

435

435

435

Bottom bracket drop (mm)

15

15

15

15

Stack (mm)

587

591

614

628

Reach (mm)

406

435

448

469

Stand over height (mm)

701

723

768

788

Handlebar width (mm)

780

780

780

780

Stem length (mm)

50

50

50

60

Crank length (mm)

170

175

175

175

Wheel size

27.5"

27.5"

27.5"

27.5"

                

 

                

 

            

Giant Trance 29 2 suspension and frame detail

Suspension

Maestro suspension for fully active control

the suspension is superbly sensitive but it has ample progression and support so it never bottoms harshly. It’s not as poppy and playful as some 29ers but it is still incredibly agile. When things get rowdy, the inherent stability of the Trance 29 means it just keeps building speed, perfectly showcasing the advantages of bigger wheels. MBR

The Trance features Giant’s Maestro Suspension, which uses two rotating links that work in unison to deliver a fully active, floating suspension system. The Trance 29 has 115mm of rear-wheel travel while the 27.5 bikes frame boast 140mm travel. This puts them perfectly in line to balance climbing efficiency and descending prowess. Up front, a 130mm (29) or 150mm (27.5) travel fork is fitted. Boost spacing makes the wheels a little stiffer, giving you a bit more capability when descending. All the rear shocks are trunnion mounted, meaning they are bolted lower down in the shock, allowing a longer stroke shock to be used in a smaller area. As well as offering a smoother action this leaves plenty of room in the front triangle for a bottle cage.

Fox forks and shocks are fitted to most of the bikes, but there are a couple of notable exceptions at both ends of the range. The Trance 3 29 has a Marzocchi Z2 fork. This features a Fox GRIP damper and offers exceptional performance at this price point. The 27.5” wheeled Trance 3 has a RockShox 35 Gold fork which uses technology trickled down from the Pike making is a fantastic performer for the money. Taking performance a step further most of the other bikes get a Fox 34 fork combined with a Fox DPS shock. With the Trance Advanced Pro 0 29 you get the top-of-the-range RockShox Pike fork and Super Deluxe shock to give you the ultimate off-the-shelf suspension performance.

Giant Trance SRAM Eagle drivetrain

Groupset

1x drivetrains with wide range cassettes

For 2020 every Giant Trance has a 12 speed one-by drivetrain, so you get a very wide range of gears with easy, intuitive shifting on every model. The Trance 3 gets SRAMs entry-level SX Eagle 12 speed drivetrain while the other alloy framed bikes have Shimano SLX of XT 12 speed. The carbon-framed Trance Advanced bikes all have SRAM Eagle gearing, starting with NX on the 2 moving up through GX to X01 on the Advanced Pro 0. All the SRAM equipped bikes have matching SRAM hydraulic disc brakes. The other bikes get Shimano stoppers to match the groupset.

Most of the Trance range has Giant Contact components and a short stem/wide handlebar cockpit. Giant Contact Switch dropper posts make sure that every Trance rider can climb and descend with their saddle in the right place. The Trance Advanced Pro 0 is the exception and is fitted with TruVativ Descendant carbon bars and a RockShox Reverb Stealth AXS wireless dropper post to give you the very best performance.

Giant is pretty darn good at speccing their bikes right for the cause, and the Trance is an excellent example of picking the right tools for the job. It’s hard to fault the spec at all, especially considering the very fair price tag. Flow Mountain Bike

Giant Trance wheels with Maxxis High Roller tyres

Wheels

Giant WheelSystems on every model

wheel weight [TRX 1] is low too, and the freehub picks up fast and spins silently, which stealth fans will love. Bike Radar

As well as making the frames, Giant also make the wheels for the Trance. This is how they can offer these bikes at such competitive prices, without compromising performance. All the carbon-framed Trance Advanced bikes get Giant TRX-1 or TRX-0 carbon wheels. These lightweight trail-specific wheels feature wide rims and are built tough enough for the very roughest terrain. The other bikes in the range all get high-quality Giant alloy wheels. The Trance 29 1 gets Giant’s TR-1 Wheels with features similar to the TRX with an alloy rim instead of carbon.

Tyres are often the first thing people change on their mountain bikes, but not on the Trance as these bikes come with high-quality rubber ready fitted. Maxxis High Roller II and Minion tubeless tyres with tough EXO casing and dual-compound rubber come on every model, giving you excellent traction from the very start. Every Trance is set up ready for tubeless running, so you don’t need to do anything to take advantage of this puncture reducing technology.

Giant Trance 29 2

Best for

That one do-it-all mountain bike

The Giant Trance sets out to be that one do-it-all mountain bike that can take you from weekend trail rides all the way to alpine adventures and enduro races without batting an eye. While both the Trance and the Trance 29 are designed for trail riding each has a distinct character. With its 27.5” wheels and extra suspension travel, the Trance offers confident performance on trail centre loops and can even take on steeper enduro trails. The Trance 29 is also great on centre tracks but will be less confident on rough, steep tracks. This bike really comes into its element on fast flowing single track where it is quicker than its smaller wheeled sibling.

Offering similar performance levels to the Specialized Stumpjumper, the Giant Trance starts at a much lower price point which is great for those just getting into the sport. The Trance isn’t a budget bike though, and the Advanced Pro models give the very best full-carbon boutique MTBs a good run for their money.

Giant Trance 29 saddle Giant Trance 29 forged carbon rocker link
Giant Trance 29 frame detail Giant Trance 29 frame detail
Giant Trance Maxxis High Roller front tyre tread detail Giant Trance RockSHox 35 Gold compression damping dial

Giant Trance models

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