New forks fitted.

I’m not sure how you are getting to the opinion it’s to small ?

Might be something to do with the long discussion on the topic in a thread you started called “Is my bike to (sic) small?”

Stating the bloody obvious but that’s an all-mountain freerider enduro MTB you have right there and you are trying to make it a comfortable commuter.

Please stop doing this!

p.s. looks good with the black forks but you need to take it to a mountain (not the bloody shops)

So the stem is making its move downward…..

I’ve also rotated the bars forward a smidge and it seems to have opened up the cockpit length a bit which is good.

Cheers

Steve

Moving the stem down will increase your reach also. I’d have thought that the stem being that high, with a rise, with an extra 10mm on the fork than stock, plus the rider bar, would make the front end grip become quite poor.

How does it feel on flat corners?

thats not slack! no way…i should know…i love slack bikes!
it does look spot on though with those forks…but without knowing how tall you are i’d suggest dropping the stem a bit lower

Rickon. It actually feels pretty planted to be honest.

You have to remember that the trance sx comes with 160mm forks as standard and there are no problems with the climbing on that.

As I said I’m still playing with stem height and I’m thinking that the stem is going to be moved down even more.

Cheers gonzy.

I want to make sure that I am happy with stem height before I make the final steerer cut.

I’m 6 foot and riding a large. A lot of people on here think it’s to small for me as I’ve got loads of seatpost showing but judging by the pictures on this thread mine seems pretty average.

I’ve got more spacers than that under my stem on my ss (admittedly it’s only 125mm fork) and a decent amount of seatpost showing and that’s a 20″ frame (I’m 6’2″) no way am I going bigger than that. Only problem for me is getting 2nd hand forks as everyone else slams their stem and then cuts the steerer short. 220mm steerer/hens teeth.

Your seatpost does look quite long but that may well be the shape of the frame

renton – Member
Sir HC what size is yours and how tall are you ?
Was it hard to route the dropper post cable ?
Mine is a large, 6ft tall (33in inside leg), bars are 43inches from the ground (one 10mm spacer under the stem & 20mm rise renthal fatbars @ 780mm total bar width)

Dropper post cable was pretty easy tbh, threaded a gear cable inner down the seattube, followed by a gear outer, then use the red connector which comes with the reverb to attach the reverb hose to the gear cable.
http://forums.mtbr.com/giant/internal-cable-routing-curing-rattle-959781.html

I have never understood the whole seatpost too long thing.

What if you have long legs and a short body/arms, are you supposed to buy a bike that fits your legs where you can’t reach the bars? The seatpost is the most easily adjusted thing on a bike for a reason.

Buy a bike on the top tube length as you can’t adjust that. Swapping stem length affects the handling and doesn’t really make much of a difference to fit compared to the massive adjustability in the seatpost.

Cheers sir HC.

For some reason yours just looks spot on and perfect.

Are the forks at 150 or 160.

I take it your bars are lower than your saddle when the dropper is extended.

How do you find the bike then.

(I’ve replied in here, as my reply is more relevant to this post)

Forks are 150mm, which leaves the head angle at 66.5ish degrees. Was thinking of fitting an angleset, but won’t bother as the steering feels pretty good. I have fitted two bottomless tokens to the pike, can run them a bit softer and they ramp up more towards the end of the travel.

Bars are lower than the saddle when at full extension (125mm reverb). I did have 20mm under the stem for the start of the first ride, but the bars felt too high, slammed the stem and they felt to low, so settled on 10mm.

Currently mulling over rear shock options, ccdb air cs / monarch plus debonair. The monarch feels like its holding the bike back a bit and for the cost of a service and tune, I’m a good chunk towards a new shock.

I ache tell that to the critics on here that have been ribbing me.

Jmatlock and bongohooha to name a few.

Cheers sir HC. Very informative.

I must admit I am struggling with bar height but I think that’s down to my last bike having a massive head tube and an external headset.

Most of the trances I’ve seen have spacers under the stem and I’ve read a few reviews where people have said the stock bar height is quite low due to the very short head tube.

It seems that a lot of folk on here aren’t happy with that so like to rip the piss.

With regards to the rear shock, I blew my ctd up and it was leaking oil everywhere so I sent it to mojo under warranty and also got them to custom tune it at the same time to stop it blowing through its travel to easily.

First impression is that they have done a very good job although I need to get it off road for a full idea.

I want to make sure that I am happy with stem height before I make the final steerer cut.

you’re doing the right thing. ride it at different stem heights until you find the sweet spot…but when you do the final cut leave the steerer slightly longer so you still have room for further adjustments of needed…

^^ this is what i see as a slack head angle…it doesnt look too bad unweighted but once im on and the rear compresses to its sag height then the front does look super slack…but i love the way it rides and handles

Sir HC – Your bike looks perfect, proportions wise.

Your bike looks perfect, proportions wise.

be interesting to see it with the dropper raised.

So jmatlock … my bike is the same size as that and has the same travel forks.

The only difference I can see is that I’ve left my steerer a bit longer to play with stem height.

I’m the same size as sirHC as well.

Yet you still come on here slagging me off trying to make me look a dick.

What a nice chap you really are.

Better picture….

I think it’s starting to look well smart.

renton – Member
So jmatlock … my bike is the same size as that and has the same travel forks.

The only difference I can see is that I’ve left my steerer a bit longer to play with stem height.

I’m the same size as sirHC as well.

Yet you still come on here slagging me off trying to make me look a dick.

What a nice chap you really are.

You are such a little whiner.

His looks spot on, I didnt realise his dropper post was down and not up, that would change it.

The stance of his looks right, exactly how I would set mine up.

Stop getting all jealous of him.

I think it’s starting to look well smart.

Which is all that really matters, when it comes down to it.

You’ll be able to devote some time to your fence now you’re happy with the bike 😉

Wwaswas… not my fence I’m afraid. It is a bit crap though.

Jmatlock….not jealous at all,just wondering how you reach your amazing conclusions.

Such a little whiner…… lol. How old are you.

Renton, it looks like you’re getting there. Good advice to cut a bit long for future adjustment. You’ll know when you hit the sweet spot as the bike will just suddenly feel right. The Trance is a great bike and I don’t think you’ll go wrong with it. Mine is only four rides in and I’ve played with stem height, length, seat post height, saddle fore/aft, fork and shock settings, often trail side. It’s all part of the fun of building your own bike and very satisfying when you get things just how you want them. Keep at it!

Cheers Dom.

I’ve had my shock custom tuned by mojo already as it was blowing its travel all the time.

As requested.

Jmatlock’s going to hate it 😉

It’s a huge seat to bar drop.

You guys have crazy long legs.

Serious question, why not (if possible) go up a size in the bike.
I can’t post pics of my Camber. It’s a size large and I am 6ft with a 31 leg.

I have nowhere like that post showing.

So long as your set up works for you, do you.

A lot of newer bikes are coming quite long but with shorter seat tubes so people can run long travel dropper posts.

It just looks like even with the dropper dropped the seat would still be in the way.

I have a 125mm dropper on mine and when the seat it dropped its right down, but fully up its at the right height to pedal XC.

It seems like in both cases the frame is too small.

Why not (again, in an ideal world) go for the next size frame. Short stem and wide bars.

What downside am I missing.

Jmatlock’s going to hate it

Jealously is a cruel mistress!

I test rode an xl, and with a 50mm stem felt too long for what I have become used to, needed to lean over the front a lot more on climbs.
I would consider a large reign though, bit its more suited to winching up, plumetting down. I wanted a trail bike at the time of buying the trance.

Bikes are tending to have shorter seat tubes to allow for better stand over (or manoeuvrability when on it) and as a result, seat posts look longer.

You would be horrified if you saw my Reign if these offend you, 150mm dropper & seat way above the bars.

Yet, the Reign is one of the longer bikes on the market. The reach on a large is longer than most XL bikes.

That said, there is no excuse for that stack of stem spacers earlier!

Seat doesn’t get in the way at all, with a 150mm dropped on my mega (which is similar geo), I often felt the seat was too low when dropped!

Only one way to settle this!

I am 6ft with a 31 leg

Your penguin-esque proportions may explain why you think these saddle-to-bar drops are ‘huge’.

Jmatlock would you believe me if I said my large trance frame is bigger in both seat tube and top tube than your camber……

Jmatlock has just exploded.

I have leant a lot from this. The frames on both those Giants look tiny.

I do have short ish legs for my height. My seat is higher than the bars a bit, not by loads like you guys.

Front end set up on my camber is

50mm stem
740mm bars
20mm rise
6 degree stem

The front end on the silver giant looks more like my Camber, I only run 5mm spacer under my stem.

I still think the silver and the blue Giant look too small for the riders (all thigh I appreciate the riders disagree and know more than me)

They probably look tiny as they have slightly bigger wheels than your camber.

I looked at sizing very carefully before buying.

Apart from a lower front end height and a slacker head angle the trance is near enough the same size as my previous xl five spot.

Still doesn’t give you the excuse to rip into me on the forum jmatlock. Bang out of order.

My camber has 29″ wheels so they have slightly smaller wheels.

I hardly ‘ripped into you’ , let’s not exaggerate now.

My trail bike looks ridiculous with the seat all the way up too, but that’s because it has a massively dropped (more than that giant) top tube for standover and knee room, and I’m only a 5’7 (+1/2!) midget!

Being that it only ever has the seat all the way up when I’m spinning around between fun stuff I don’t really care much, but I can’t leave it in the house with the seat up or it annoys me everytime I walk past it, despite fitting me perfectly reach wise and when out of the saddle!

Really, so when other posters are saying there is no need for your posts that’s not ripping into me. …….