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Giant trance. It's a very efficient climber and slack enough to give you confidence down steep stuff. The anthem is a bit steeper and not as assured downhill.
I'm fairly sure the Trance will take a 140mm fork and also fairly sure this is a pretty common upgrade to them. Might be worth a Google for reviews as I'm fairly sure it will make it more enjoyable coming down. Might be worth a try rather than changing?
I've only had a quick spin on a Trance (which had a 140mm fork on) and it felt pretty keen to go up and seemed like it'd go down well too. Hard to be certain though from a quick spin.
Ridden a few Anthems, both climbed amazingly but both felt a bit held back coming down. Was faster up on the Anthem but always quicker down on my steel HT with 140mm forks.
Fuel must be in with a good shout although I'm not convinced it'll be miles away from the Trance. My main go to bike just now is the Remedy 9. It isn't the quickest thing I've ridden uphill but it more than makes up for it coming down. Even though it isn't the quickest I'd delighted with how it climbs for a big 150mm bike. Only other bike I currently own/ride that'd beat it up hill is a 29er Niner HT but round a lap of say Glentress Red I'd not say the overall times between the two would be much different.
The 140mm Mojo would be worth a look too, that was the other one in the running against the Remedy for me.
Another vote for the Transition Bandit tried on at a demo recently, at the moment it's a toss up between it and a Covert they both ride well but if climbing were my principle requirement then the Bandit does that better, I'm still thinking about the Covert, it was quite close and I like the downhill feel.
I went from a Trance to an Anthem X: the Anthem feels much better on the climbs and gives away very little on the descents. You need (IMO) to fit a 120mm fork to get the best out of it.
What gears suck said.
Seems to me that you should just stick with what you've got and ride it a bit more.
There is no magical bike that will transform your riding.
Just practise.
As a former (and current) roadie whose only been riding off-road seriously for a year
Don't take this as at dig at you but.
The more time you spend in situations that feel a bit out of you depth the quicker you'll become more confident in those situations.
It'll come with a bit of time on the bike. 🙂
What Rickon and Wobbliscott are saying rings true with me.
The Turner 5Spot I have does what they are portraying, climbs well with no pedal bob/chainsuck and descends superb with the correct setup. Run mine with a coil shock.
Oh, and don't forget their excellent warranty.
Previous to this I ran a Santa Cruz Heckler, did not climb any where near as good as the Turner.
I really do prefer four bar style/DW over single pivot.
I also have a Ellsworth Truth, that climbs at least 30% better than the 5Spot, but not as good on the downs.
Turner Burner?
My two pence, keep your money in your wallet for now. You have a good bike under you in the Trance, learn how to use it moar betterer.
Perhaps invest in a dropper post? Good efficient pedalling position for the ups, greater confidence on the downs from not having your seat invading you.
As well as climbing very well in the saddle, my turner flux is also very good/natural out of the saddle.
Good for climbing steep bits or quick sprinty climbs out of the saddle to avoid a gear change whilst on singletrack.
Also ridden a 5 spot and a Trance X - the Trans was more direct when climbing, felt more like a hard-tail, but I wasn't sure if that was the suspension not working like suspension when the chain was tensioned.
On the descents through the 5 spot was superior to the trance - the stiffness of the rear and the solidity of the bushing system being the reasons I think.
A 2010 5 spot might be better for climbing as they slackened off the head angle after that.
The Ellsworth Evolve 29er - I test rode it last week and it was amazing - climbs like that monkey with its bum on fire, and descends equally as competently. You need look no further. (And I don't have one... - yet!)
I replaced a 2011 5 spot with a [b]Banshee Spitfire[/b]. It's lighter and feels more nimble on the climbs and it's also more confidence inspiring on the downs. I've come from a DH orientated background and on a [b]Banshee Spitfire[/b] I can hit most descents near on as quick as I'd dare on an 8" travel bike, it's very stable and a touch longer than most bikes for their respective sizes due to the slack head angle. Might make up a bit for lack of skill on the downs.
Cannot recommend one enough and having been a serial bike changer over the years I can honestly say this is staying until it breaks or the whole world has moved to 29" wheels and I take up golf due to not being able to get 26" tyres. 😉
Genuinely feels like it has made me a faster rider, proper rocket ship!
Oh and I would recommend you run 150mm forks if you get one as they are in my opinion the right length for the bike although some people go 10mm either way on that.
I have a Trance X. Great bike, but as others has said I would keep your Trance. You could always fit a slightly longer fork (as lots of folk do with Trance and Trance X) and of wide bars, chunky tyre in the front etc which I personally have found help with confidence descending (certainly made a big difference on my hardtail).
However, best upgrade when I only had my hardtail was £90 on tuition. Really helped focus and make the best out of the bike I had, good fun and learnt quite a few new skills.
There are bikes out there for as much as you want to spend, but I think you have got a good bike to start with on which to either upgrade bits ( if necessary) or just get more confident on. Another way to spend the cash would be an uplift day, weekend or week away somewhere with proper hills or regularly dry days. If you are north of the border it is all on you doorstep, apart from the dry weather perhaps.
I had a Trance with a 140mm fork. Was good going up, good going down. Only sold it as it was slightly too small for me and I had the cash for a new bike.
Consider upgrading your Trance or at least having someone who knows what they're doing set the suspension up as that may also help a lot.
Exactly as mike said, go and ride a few with different geometry and you'll understand what I'm saying. There is no panacea
Cheers for the vote of confidence, as the OP wisely said - not what you ride as that is what everyone says regardless. It's all so personal that I recon you need to go through a few to work it out. I felt lucky/unlucky that I got the 04 S-Works Enduro as my first full sus, it set a bar very high. May be why single pivots just don't make my list of proper bikes (the heckler is good but not as good as the VPP offerings - just way cheaper than the 5...) try is key, everyone likes what they have and has a lust after bike just have to find what works as what works for one is screwed for others by having to use an extra long stem etc.
for 26" wheel I would go for a head angle 68 - 66 degrees. I had Giant and came to Zesty from RM. Zesty has them beat up and down.
I dont think
has anything to do with how the bike goes up and comes down plus thats wrong about spares there are no issues.lapierre wouldn't be on my list as sell on price is going to be hit hard by the fact that they wont sell spares to anyone but the original owner!
IMHO up and down is combination of mostly skill and fitness and a bit of bike. Look at geometry not makes. Everything will be acomprimise, short - long stem, short or long chain stays all have positive or negative affects depending on going up or down. But you can change cling ons.
Eg I have 55mm stem on zesty so going up I need to ride well over the front to keep the wheel planted but a short stem is ideal for technical downs. So you can change some stuff and get a ride to suit how you want to ride. What you cant change is the bike frame. Hence comments about bike frame geo being important. 4 bar suspension IMHO is the best overal for climbing and downs.
In response to weight being a red herring....
This is in response to the OP's current bike, not other bikes. The single limiting factor that can be changed in their current situation - except the rider - is the weight and drag of the bike.
Dropping some weight, and putting faster tyres on *will* make the bike climb faster for any given effort, without additional ride input.
To save money, I'd be upgrading the Trance. If it all goes wrong, buy a secondhand frame and switch the parts over 🙂
in all honesty the trance is one of the best climbing bikes you can get, we (daughter and I had trances at seperate times) ran it with 140mm forks very very capable bike.
Try a travel adjust fork mine was a talas and able to drop to 100mm was good.
Second hand
Maverick ml7.5 and durance with 140mm forks very long and very stable.
Yeti 5 or 7....I have a 7 and it just one bike i will be keeping weighs 33lbs but tecnical can climb and compensates for my lack of skill. 5 is a very capable trail bike
Ellsworth ephinany lightweigth 5 inch travel
I have an anthem waiting to be ridden which I hope will be light enough buut sturdy for my bulk.
Keep the trance.....
I don't think you're going to get something that climbs as well as the Trance but descends better without spending some mega bucks. I think going for the light wiegth route to make the bike easier to climb might be the way forward.
The Giant Maestro system is a very good pedalling system and Giants geo is on the conservative side compared to the modern super slack angles we are seeing today.
I tried a the Trek Fuel EX and Remedy as well as the Giant Trance X and Reign last year. While I personally preferred the Trek's they we not massively different they were both roughly in the same ball park. the Giants slightly preferred to go up while the Treks slightly preferred to go down.
I did find that the Trek suspension was a lot more composed in its action and I felt I could have ridden the roughest of trails even on the fuel ex not needed the extra travel of the Remedy.
In the end I went for a Transition Bandit. It has a a very playful nature making the ride more fun. while this appealed to me I don't think its right for your needs.
Go into a shop, and say the secret code, SB66c. If you do it in Superdrug, they'll probably chuck you out, for being weird. But if you do it in a bike shop, they'll wink and take you round the back and down into the secret bunker, full of amazing bikes.
Another vote for an Ellsworth, I have an Evolution which is the 120mm model, currently running mine with a 140mm Rev and slack bushes and a 65mm stem. It has a steep head angle and long stays which are terribly unfashionable right now. Despite that it climbs as well as an evolve and comes down very well!
I've spent years racing xc on Scott Sparks etc and I love my Ellsworth, about to take it to South Africa to do a 9 day stage race. The only changes I've made from my "fun" set up is some faster tyres.
Thanks for all the responses. There are certainly enough options there to slow me down a bit, even if some of you did break the rules and recommend your own bike 🙂
I'm reassured by the number of people recommending keeping the Trance as that may well be what I end up doing (for now at least). Although I didn't know much about riding off-road when I bought it last year I did do my research and it looks as though I picked something pretty close to ideal for my riding.
I also need to reflect on the large number trails that I can get up or down now that would have had me walking last year. As my riding ability is probably still changing fairly fast (and the skills course is booked for May) I should probably wait for that to plateau before looking at what bike I want next as my requirements may change.
I am still 29er curious and am testing a few (including the 29er Trance) this month. There is little point going over the 29er arguments again, but I can see that a larger wheel might give more traction going up and more confidence going down, so I'll be interested to test that theory.
As my riding ability is probably still changing fairly fast
Just keep at it. 🙂
The more experience you gain the more of an understanding you'll have of what you want a bike to do for you.
Thanks,
That's what I was trying to say, but you put it much better 🙂
Again I think it is your skills you need to work on. I'm currently on an ASR5 but had a trance previously - the ASR5 climbs like a goat but the trance was less bobby at the rear and less floaty on the front on really steep climbs, the Trance suspension really is great for climbing. Descent wise unless you are genuinely pushing the extremes of what is rideable on a Trance/5 or wanting to race, I can't see how the trance or 5 will be holding you back, unless you are really caning it or hitting genuinely big stuff really hard.
Just changed the 2012 bandit 29 for the covert 29,the bandit was possibly the best all round bike I have ever ridden, just required a little more muscle for more aggressive trails. the covert does exactly that, an awesome bit of kit. anyone not sure of the capabilities of a good 29r should demo a spesh camber and then sling a leg over the bandit or covert, the difference is mind blowing.
Two rides into my Covert 29 and I'm well impressed. A great bike that feels like it can take on whatever you wanted to thow at it. Can't wait till tomorrow's ride.
Best way to spend your money and get greater safety on the descents -
Get a hardtail or DJ or BMX and spend lots of hard work and time improving your skills in a car park and at a bmx/pump track.
Key to it is hard work and accepting you're going to fall off and it is going to hurt.
More suspension = a harder time learning bike handling
Bike handling skills is the best way of making things safer. That and taking up some form of martial arts so you master the art of falling.