X-Factor: Giant Trance X 29 gets a little bit rowdy
An alloy frame and more travel make for a trail bike that will take you further
Photo by:
Cameron Baird / Giant
When Giant remade its Trance line of trail bikes for 29″ wheels, the short travel / big wheel combo worked for most riders. Some, though, wanted a little bit more. Not so much more that they would upsize to the enduro-focused Reign, but just a little bit more. For those riders, Giant is adding the Trance X 29.
The Trance X 29 is like its short travel sibling, but a with an edge. It mixes the Trance 29’s responsive, playful characteristics with a little more edge and toughness.
X-Factor: Trance gets rowdy
The original Trance 29 mixed modern geo and big wheels with a minimalist approach to rear suspension. Giant argued the 29″ wheels added enough roll-over that it could drop the Trance’s suspension down to an efficient 115-mm rear wheel travel.
For the Trance X 29, that number bumps up all the way to 135mm. Giant extends the fork from 13omm to a cushy 150mm front wheel travel, too. Adding 20-mm of travel to both wheels makes the Trance X 29 more stable at speed and more capable and forgiving in rough sections of trail.
To make sure the Trance X 29 can back up that extra travel on rougher trails, Giant’s made the frame from Aluxx alloy.With clearance for meaty 2.5″ tires, you can fit heavy-duty rubber to survive even the rockiest trails.
Like the Liv Intrigue 29 that rolled out yesterday, this tougher Trance lets you customize your ride to suit your trails. A flip-chip in the composite rocker linkage. By adjusting the flip-chip changes the Trance X’s personality by adjusting the geometry. Headtube angle goes from 66.2 to 65.5-degrees, the seattube from 77.9 to 77.2-degrees and the bottom bracket drop increases from 30 to 40mm. How does this feel? The “low” setting is slacker, suited to faster riding in more open or steeper terrain. The “high” setting is recommended for slower or more technical terrain.
Giant keeps the bike well shy of enduro race territory still. The Trance X 29 keeps the short travel personality, but with a bit more edge. It adds the “X” factor. Its still a bike focused on fun, and shorter travel ride characteristics. It just brings that fun on a bit bigger and rougher trails.
2021 Trance X 29 2
Trance X 29 3
Giant Trance X 29 pricing and availability
Giant is offering the Trance X 29 in two builds.
The balsam green Trance X 29 2 is dressed in Shimano a Deore SLX 12-speed drivetrain and brakes. Fox handles the suspension, with a Float Rhythm 150mm fork and DPS Performace shock custom tuned to Giant’s Maestro suspsion. It retails for $3,800.
In black chrome, the Trance X 29 3 comes with SRAM’s SX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain. It’s outfitted with a RockShox 35 Gold fork with 150mm travel and the same Fox DPS Performance shock. It retails for $3,200.
Both frames come in sizes S, M, L and XL, and will be available soon.
