I always loved the feel and performance of the maestro suspension but felt it lacked a little at 127mm travel.
The new model has been upped to 140mm which would seem perfect. I was looking at a Stumpjumper fsr evo but now the trance has taken my eye.
It would mean 650b sneaks into my life though.
It's the last bit that's the issue isn't it!! For me at least - they look good but where are we on bloody wheel sizes.
I ride a Reign 0 which has 150mm, rides up just as well as it does down. I think Giant have discontinued the Reign 🙁 so was considering the Anthem sx for my next bike.
I'm quite happy on 26" wheels but as I'm buying a whole bike I guess now would be a good time to try 650b.
The stumpy fsr evo is 26" and I know I love the way they ride, but equally so the giant. It will get ridden in the peak area so maybe the extra 10mm travel is more important than wheel size.
The stumpy means I could also put my pike on as it is not 650b and I love that fork.
Chatting with owner of Giant store on Wednesday - speculations on 2014 specs....pikes for the trance??
I've got a 26" 150mm pike that would sit perfectly on the stumpy.
The trance has fox and I prefer the reliability of the pike. Also the 35mm stanchions feel far stiffer.
I had go on a few 650b bikes last Saturday and couldn't feel a blind bit of difference to any 26 wheelers I've ridden ..
Ive just bought a Trance 1. Coming from a 26" hardtail, the Giant is amazing. I can honestly say i do notice the difference in the 650b wheels. Much more stability, my front wheel lifts off the ground less while climbimg now, though that could just be the new Geometry. Its loads faster as well.
A great bike, i can highly recommend it.
They're good bikes. The suspension stiffens under braking but it's not the end of the world.
Can't speak for the Giant per se, but if most of your riding is in the Peaks then the advantages of larger wheels (better rolling over rubble, better on drops etc) would certainly apply in most cases. I now have a 650b bike and reckon it is an improvement (I also ride Peaks/Pennines), but then I'm 6'4" and a firm believer that wheel size should relate to frame size..
I'm 5ft7 so a 26" feels just about perfect.
It's usually the stand over that's the issue but the models I'm looking at have dropped or curved top tubes which helps.
I saw a Norco Range 7.1 and had a sit on it. Just think 160mm is too much.
150mm is just right.
Working in a shop that stock Giant meant we got to go on an employee demo day.
I'd never ridden anything other than 26 and ride an Orange Alpine so not exactly under biked.
Tried the trance 1 with the 650b wheels. Brilliant is the only word that can describe it. Even with useless nobby nice it gripped and rolled fantasticly.
It was so good that I will be ordering one when the 2015 models come out.
Not exactly a deal breaker but I hoped they would quietly ditch Overdrive2...as a bit of a fork/stem swapper, I'd prefer not to have the additional incompatibility of it
I like them, ridden one of the newer models but I think my 2012 anthem can do everything the trance can do but just faster. My opinion of course. Also plus 1 for for ditching overdrive 2 i am pleased mine is the older model with the original overdrive.
Talking as someone who gets to sell both the Stumpjumper and the Trance, Trance every time. It's a really good bike.
Yet to ride a 650b bike where I could tell any difference. But if you're buying a new bike it does make a lot of sense to go to the new size... OTOH the stumpy is bloody brilliant.
I've narrowed it down to 4 bikes:
Stumpjumper fsr evo comp
Giant Trance 2
Devinci Troy XP
Lapierre Zesty
I'm so used to riding 150mm rear travel I'm not sure how the 140mm troy and trance would hold up in the peak.
Saying that the Solo, sorry 5010, I test rode was 125mm and it was a cracker of a bike.
Ive just bought a Trance 1. Coming from a 26" hardtail, the Giant is amazing. I can honestly say i do notice the difference in the 650b wheels. Much more stability, my front wheel lifts off the ground less while climbimg now, though that could just be the new Geometry. Its loads faster as well.
Bigger wheels are more likely to cause front wheel lift on climbs, but its really nothing to do with the wheel size, it's weight distribution and geometry.
Stability is most likely due to head angle, BB height, and a whole range of other things, which have nothing to do with wheel size.
I've not ridden a 650b that feels any different to a 26.
New bikes always feel faster. Even if they're not.
You really should give an anthem a shot a-swell , its like a little less smooth but faster. But out of the list I would go with the trance. Zestys are not bad either but trance has the best money for value.
The April edition of What Mountain Bike claimed that the new Trance Advanced (carbon frame) was an outstanding ride and the new 650b wheelsize was really a good improvement over the original 26" wheels. I recall previous reviews of the Trance tend to give the lower models the highest ratings, probably because they still ride really well despite the very competitive price tags - so the '14 X2 is probably damn nice !
I love my 2011 X1 (brilliant frame design), but based on reviews of 650b bikes, I would probably go for a 2014 Trance, even though I'd previously not been a fan of all this big wheeled stuff.
Ive just bought a Trance 1. Coming from a 26" hardtail, the Giant is amazing. I can honestly say i do notice the difference in the 650b wheels. Much more stability, my front wheel lifts off the ground less while climbimg now, though that could just be the new Geometry. Its loads faster as well.
A great bike, i can highly recommend it.
I can't tell the difference between 26 & 650b - I've tried, but just can't. I'm amazed that you can attribute the extra stability etc. to the wheel size when, arguably, they're totally different types of bike & wheel size is just one of a whole host of differences.
Bigger wheels are more likely to cause front wheel lift on climbs,
Not that it really matters but that's nonsense.
Yes, the trance 3. I'm 5'8" and would want to fire a short stem on the large to see how it feels as I have to have the seat post out about 15mm past the insertion line of the standard post when clipped in. I'm thinking the large with less post out and a short stem might suit me better, but would have to try it. I get on fine with the medium but a new post would have to be fitted straight away. I know someone that's just bought a small one and they've also got the seat post out past the mark.. but at the same time they couldn't ride the medium. Sizing and being aware of having too much post out (hanging too far over the rear) has been talked about in the past on these bikes but it's just a case of getting the right size for you.
I was thinking of the trance 2 as it's nicely kitted out,looks spot on and more importantly,rides well. The overdrive is not something I'd choose, but I can live with it. The rest of the bike more than makes up for that wee niggle.
Climbing - felt a bit more sluggish than my own 26" wheel bike with the same travel, but the trance is a bit heavier. My bike being a zesty 514, I'm guessing the maestro system being more efficient so I'm not sure if it's really the wheel size that's the problem. Hardly any size difference in them and the weight is neither here or there as far as the wheels go. I just put it down to the slightly bigger wheel and a few extra pounds in bike weight.
Moving on, and over the brow of the hill... I found the bike a rocket ship. As soon as I finished each climb and hit the flat (then onto the descents), it felt like it was quicker than the zesty. Also quicker than my lighter weight short travel bike.
The stability once up to speed seemed better than my own bike with a similar sized tapered front end with a similar fork and it makes me wonder if it was the wheel size/little extra spinning weight stabilizing the front end. I put it down to that, mainly because every 29er I've owned or ridden feels so stable at speed up front. I may be wrong.. it could have all been the overdrive ;O)
All I know, is that I'd consider replacing my 140mm 26" wheeled bike for one. Even the low end model and it's extra weight feels nippier than my own bike.
Then you ride an anthem 27.5 (rode a small one earlier for a nip around the block) and it feels even livelier (and half the price of my Zesty, which bugs me!). Possibly more my type of bike for the riding I do and more than capable of what I'd put it through at the likes of Torridon (I don't hammer bikes)
Get a demo of a Trance and see what you think.
I have an old trance with 127mm travel and don't have a problem in the Peak. If the new is supposedly improved then 140 should be more than enough
That's good to know cheers podge.
I'll try and sort a few demo rides out.
Rode one as a rental bike in NZ. Was riding the trails at rotorua, twisty woodland single track type stuff.
i was v impressed by the bike, stiff, good sus platform, climbed and descended well and held a line v well.
i did notice that it took a little more 'body english' to get turned in to tight corners than i was used to. I put this down to the wheelsize, given i ride a mojo sl at home. Quickly adjusted my inputs and had a great time though.
i did notice that it took a little more 'body english' to get turned in to tight corners than i was used to. I put this down to the wheelsize, given i ride a mojo sl
Or it could be the 2 degree slacker HA.
I would prefer 150mm front travel which puts me firmly in the Stumpjumper/Troy XP camp.
I can't help thinking I should be going 650b though if buying a full bike.
I really need a test ride on the Troy, after riding and loving the Dixon the Troy seems to be perfect. 150/140 travel. Great numbers and looks good to boot.
A mate at work has just bought a brand new Trance and, wheel debates aside, it does look really bloody good. Can't speak for how it goes over the rough stuff, but he's very happy with it...
If you want 150mm up front then the trance sx has that and uses the same frame, so don't see why you can't put a bigger fork on the trance 2
The problem with that is costs. Buying the trance then putting a bigger fork on it pushes it up to near Troy/stumpy territory so I might as well go with one of them.
The stumpy 650b is a horrible looking thing and I have to admit I want it to look nice.
Demo'd one last month (the black one) whilst it did every thing well I don't think I'd buy one, for one the Evo forks are not great same as the cheaper Shimano brakes. Probably still a good buy for the money though. My mate has one and he finds it rattles through the travel quickly even with volume reducers in the shock, strangely he wants to try it with 26" wheels as he finds it a bit dull.
I would definitely discount the 650b SJ Evo. If you want a Stumpy buy the 26/29".
The Troy is nice and the suspension is better overall than the Trance but they're short/square bikes. You'll probably need to go up a size and have a road bike seat tube length.
At 5ft 7 I'm sure the seatpost won't be an issue.
If it rides as excellent as my old trance x2 did it will be a winner.
You might have the opposite problem. Reverb collar bottoming out on seat tube above your seat height.
I will, the stealth will be coming off and sold. I've not found a dropper yet that works on a full suss and let's me get the right seated hight.
My legs are just too short.
What do you mean by square mate? With a 67 degree head angle and a 73 seat that seems to be very similar to most trail/am bikes out there.
Short reach with a long seat tube. Check a Process for a longer, lower option.
Is a 16.1" seat tube a short seat tube? Most smalls are 15/15.5"
Looking like a medium will be the way to go.
I've got short arms and short legs. A 16.1" seat tube is plenty.