2022 Giant

Trance X E+ 2

The Giant Trance X Advanced E+ Elite 0 absolutely stands out amidst a sea of very capable eMTBs and a growing eBike Light category.

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Built around a sleek frame, a mullet setup and a 400Wh battery, is the Giant Trance X E+ Elite the Goldilocks of the lightweight e-MTB world?

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It should come as no surprise that the Trance X Advanced E+ 1 shares a lot of design cues with the analog Trance X Advanced. Both get full carbon frames with two geometry settings and 29in wheels, and both use Giant’s signature Maestro suspension design. So how does it perform and is it one of the best electric bikes on offer? Need to know: Flip-chips in the upper suspension link offer high and low geometry setting Full carbon frame and 29in carbon rims give an impressive 23.79kg (52.45lb) bike weight Fox LiveValve suspension, reads what is happening at the fork and auto adjusts the shock Shimano 4-piston XT brakes with 220mm rotors provide stacks of stopping power The key difference then, is that the E+ 1 has a Yamaha manufactured Giant SyncDrive Pro2 motor and an 800Wh removable battery. Given the size of the downtube, you’d be hard pressed to say the battery is hidden, but other nice features like the cables running through the lower link make for an altogether sleek design. No easy feat, given the additional wiring required for Fox’s LiveValve suspension technology. Another key differentiator then is geometry, specifically the chainstay length. We measured it at 474mm, almost 36mm longer than the analog version and 30mm longer than the Whyte E-160, the 29er with the shortest rear end in this test. And combined with the relatively short front centre, the Trance X Advanced E+ 1 has a more forward weight distribution and a less dynamic ride than any of its rivals. Suspension Giant pairs a 150mm travel Fox 36 Performance Elite LiveValve fork with the new Float X LiveValve shock to deliver 2mm more than the claimed 140mm travel. That puts frame travel similar to the Trek and Specialized, even if the Giant feels way less capable. How much of that has to do with LiveValve biassing the suspension towards the firmer end of the spectrum is hard to say. But what we can say with certainty, is that the Giant would benefit from a 160mm travel fork, as the extra height in the front end would help shift rider weight off the fork. Components With a relatively tall 485mm seat tube we couldn’t get the maximum saddle height low enough with the stock Tranz-X Rad+ post, even though it features 170-200mm adjustable drop. So the size L really needs the 140-170mm post from the next size down. That or Giant needs to find a way to improve seat post insertion depth. Giant’s e-TRX Carbon wheels reduce inertia, which is noticeable on tighter more stop-start trails, and the 30mm rims are not so stiff as to make the ride overly twitchy or harsh. Performance If we had to describe the riding position on the Giant in three words they would be; over the front. Thankfully we are not limited to soundbites so we can dig a little deeper. The combination of the long 474mm chainstays, steeper geometry and longish stem dictates the more forward weight distribution and riding …Continue reading »

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