BENJI’S GIANT TRANCE X 29 2
MONTH 1: Giant hasn’t broken the Trance with gratuitous innovation... and a good thing too
When writing the news story for mbr.co.uk about this new range of bikes, I used the headline: “New Giant Trance X snubs its nose at down-country bandwagon”. If there’s one thing you can’t really ever accuse Giant of, it’s bandwagon jumping.
OK, so it did take that misstep a few years ago when it ditched all 29ers and went all-in with the then-newish 27.5in wheel size. But apart from that curveball, Giant has always been the classic dependable ‘MOR rock radio station’ of the mountain bike world. It isn’t going to go all tragically hip and trend-ape the down-country craze.
Thank God. I have zero interest in bikes with meagre suspension that can’t cash the cheques that their progressive geometry writes. It’s 2021; we can have our cake and eat it now. Fast everywhere. That’s what I expect this bike to be.
And while 135mm of rear travel may not sound generous, this age of Trunnion mounts and large negative air chamber shocks is a far cry from the 135mm days of old. Supple off the top. Ample support in the mid range. Tuneable-to-your-taste end stroke.
Just imagine being a time-travelling mountain biker from 2011 and seeing this 2021 Giant Trance X 29 2. It would blow your mind and make your adrenal glands explode at the possibilities it offers. And the money saving. For a quid under three grand you have all the mountain bike you need, for everything. Even the head tube accepts - yes, I’m going to bang on about this again - an angle-adjust headset if you feel the 65.5° head angle to be unacceptably steep. Which, truth be told, is an extremist standpoint that I have some sympathy for.
I’m prefacing my ensuing niggles in this way because I feel it should be made clear that niggles are just that. Niggles. They are not major flaws or experienceruining shortcomings like those which were commonplace 10 years ago.
So yeah, I probably am going to bitch about the head angle (just make it 63.5° already) and mew about the slightly short head tube (110mm on this large) and whine about the dropper post that’s ‘only’ 160mm and roll my eyes at the 50mm stem (how long?) and shake my head at the low-rise (20mm) handlebar. And, because it is part of the MTB Journalist Code of Ethics, I need to bemoan the Press-fit BB92 bottom bracket even though I have personally never had an issue with one.
But all of these niggles are nothing in the grand scheme of things. The bike has great suspension, ample reach (486mm on a large), properly steep 77.3° seat angle, water bottle mount, gears and brakes that just… work. Sure, I can find faults if I have to (which I do) but this bike is a great statement of where mtb design is in 2021 and our bike bank balance has never looked healthier.
Shock
Wheels
Brakes