Bike Test: Giant Trance X 29er 0
With the majority of 29ers, there is just no hiding the fact that you are riding 29-inch wheels. Experienced riders raised on 26-inch wheels can articulate the pros (less affected by the trail surface, increased momentum and amazing traction) and cons (additional wheel weight and great momentum until you lose it) after a short ride. That’s not so easy with the Giant Trance X 29er 0. This is a bike that is breaking down 26/29 barriers.
WHO IS IT MADE FOR? The Trance has always been Giant’s go-to platform for serious trail riders. These are riders who would rather wave to people on the chairlift from the trail below than take a seat with them. They only enjoy the downhill if they paid their dues to get to the top. The addition of 29-inch wheels to the platform doesn’t change that.
WHAT IS IT MADE FROM?
WHICH COMPONENTS STAND OUT?
A Giant Contact Switch dropper seatpost with remote is stock equipment. The Giant bar/stem/grip combo is no afterthought. You get expensive Schwalbe tires and a Shimano XT drivetrain with the chain-silencing Shadow Plus feature. A Fizik saddle is the final touch that says, “We are not cutting corners.”
Setup: The Trance feels ideally balanced with 20-percent suspension sag, front or rear. The Maestro rear suspension is not a finicky design. If it is a bit soft or too firm, it will still work well. That’s a plus for the klutz or rider who is not a suspension technician.
Ergonomics: The Trance positions the rider more like a cross-country racer, with the weight biased toward the rear, than an upright trail rider. No, you are not flat-backed, but you won’t catch your helmet on branches either. Think trail rider with a bit of attitude.
Moving out: The Trance has an energetic feel from the minute you push on the pedals. The drivetrain is dialed. The Maestro suspension with the shock in trail mode doesn’t bob, and the wheels just don’t feel all that bigand we mean that in a good way.
Cornering: The Schwalbe Nobby Nic tires, Giant wheels, and a rear suspension that doesn’t firm during braking make the Trance X a blast in the corners. Drop the saddle and it is even more fun. On our dry, dusty, rocky trails, the Trance X inspires. Put it on tacky trails and your brake pads will last two years because you won’t be using them.
In the rough: Some of the cornering magic comes from the Trance’s low bottom bracket height, so that means pedal clearance will be an issue on rough trails. We’ll take that as a tradeoff for such great handling. Time your pedaling, modify your line and don’t be afraid to ride over stuff you’ve avoided in the past. If you put the effort down and commit, this bike rewards.
Climbing: Watch the pedal clearance, get creative with line choices, find a gear that you can stay on top of and power to the top. You paid to get the weight down, and this is where it is worth every penny.
Descending: The Trance X never feels like a full 5-inch-travel bike, but don’t take that as a dig. We found ourselves intentionally picking steeper lines, riding drops others had ridden around and flowing like the tires would never give up their grip. All the time, the bike retained a lively feel, and lofting the front wheel was almost as easy as on a 26er. The other bonus is that except for a little cable tapping in front of the bar, this thing descends in silence.
Braking: The Maestro suspension stays active under braking. We always preach to brake before the corner, but the Maestro lets you get lazy and brake any time you want. Still, it’s best to brake early and use the great handling to rail the corner.
It is a long reach to the shock, so choosing between Fox’s climb, trail and descend (CTD) settings is awkward. It is not a problem on the Trance, though, because you can set it in trail and forget about it. We liked the fork left in descend mode.
Speaking of the fork, the CTD failed a few hours into our testing. The problem was traced to a steel pin that was not pressed in properly and came loose. If this happens to you, the shop where you purchased the bike can remedy the problem, although it might mean a weekend or two of missed rides.
BUYING ADVICE
This is not a cheap bike, but it is an exceptional value for a 29er with 5 inches of travel that comes in under 29 pounds (and that’s with tubes in the wheels and a dropper post). It has the advantages of the larger wheels, but keeping the rear wheel tucked in, the bottom bracket low and the steering angle just right results in a bike that won’t require a 26er rider to change his riding technique and welcomes new riders with flawless performance. Giant really nailed it with this bike.
