2013 Giant Trance X 29er 1
By Jeff Morgan
Recently
I have had the opportunity to check out Giant's 2013 Trance X 29er 1. This is the second tier model for this bike
but it still retains the high standards set by the previous Trance models. The main difference between this bike and the
old Trance is that this is a 29er. Giant
has taken their proven Trance X and adjusted the geometry to offer it as a big
wheeled bike with 5 inches of suspension.
Here is how it comes equipped:
-FRAME
Sizes XS, S, M,
L, XL
Colors Black/White/Red
Frame ALUXX
SL-Grade Aluminum, 5" Maestro Suspension
Fork Fox 32
Float 29 CTD w/ 15QR thru-axle, OverDrive 2, 120mm Travel
Shock Fox Float
CTD Boostvalve
-COMPONENTS
Handlebar Giant
Connect SL, Low Rise, 31.8
Stem Giant
Connect SL, OverDrive 2
Seatpost Giant
Contact Switch w/ Remote, 30.9
Saddle Giant
Performance MTB
Pedals N/A
-DRIVETRAIN
Shifters SRAM X7, 2x10 Speed
Front Derailleur SRAM X7
Rear Derailleur SRAM
X9 Type 2
Brakes Avid Elixir
3, [F] 180mm, [R] 160mm
Brake Levers Avid
Elixir 3
Cassette SRAM
PG 1030 11x36, 10-Speed
Chain KMC X10
Crankset SRAM
S1000, 24/38
Bottom Bracket SRAM,
Press Fit
WHEELS
Rims Giant
P-XC29er 2, Double Wall
Hubs [F] Giant
Tracker Sealed/CNC w/ 15mm Axle, [R] Giant Tracker Performance, 32h
Spokes DT Swiss
Competition, 14/15g
Tires Schwalbe
Nobby Nic, 29x2.25 TL Ready Evolution Folding
And here are the numbers:
SIZE HEAD
ANGLE SEAT ANGLE TOP TUBE HEAD
TUBE CHAIN STAY WHEEL BASE STANDOVER HEIGHT
Inches Degrees Degrees Inches Inches Inches Inches Inches
XS/14.5 69.5 74.0 21.7 4.1 17.8 42.9 25.2
S/16 69.5 73.0 22.4 4.1 17.8 43.1 25.4
M/18 69.5 73.0 23.4 4.1 17.8 44.1 26.4
L/20 69.5 73.0 24.1 4.1 17.8 44.9 27.2
XL/22 69.5 73.0 25.0 4.3 17.8 45.8 28.1
The Bike:
The Trance X 29er 1 comes loaded with some pretty nice
componentry. It is equipped with a Sram
X7/X9 2x10 drivetrain. The 2x10
drivetrain is a solid addition to this model, it provides you with all the
gearing you need to get to the top of any trail that your legs can make it up,
and even a few that you might think you can’t. The X7 shifters are not the flashy bling parts
that we all love, but they are solid and get the job done. Giant has put the Sram X9 type 2 rear
derailleur out back and it provides crisp shifting with very little chain slap. This combo shifts quickly and quietly and has
held up very well with little adjustment needed.
You will also find this bike equipped with a full
complement of Fox Float suspension. Up
front it has the Fox Float 29 CTD with a 15mm quick release thru-axel. Out back is the Fox Float with CTD boost
valve. The suspension on this bike gives
you five inches of travel, not bad for a big wheeled bike, but it actually
feels closer to six inches as you flow through the trails. Both the shock and fork feature Fox’s new CTD
technology. CTD stands for Climb, Trail,
Descend and is activated by a three position switch located on the shock and
fork where you would normally find your lockout or pro pedal switch. In climb mode the shock and fork are locked
out and the bike becomes almost rigid and it works great on paved or fire road
climbs. The trail mode is where I
usually found myself riding. In trail
mode the suspension is set so that you have some travel while climbing which
helps out with traction on those loose, steep singletrack climbs but still
gives you plenty of squish to rail the fast flat and light downhill
trails. In the trail mode the bike felt
like a five inch bike, fast and fun. The
descend mode really opens the suspension up and gives the bike a bottomless
feel. In this mode you can bomb a
downhill section, feel it was easy, then look at you travel ring on the fork
and you realize that you used every inch of travel and did not even notice. But, remember to switch back to trail mode
for the climb out because the bike will wallow while you grind your way
up. The way I found to climb on the
Trance X29er was to put the fork in climb mode and the shock in trail, setting
it up this way made it fly up everything.
For most descents I left the fork and shock in trail mode and found that
it worked great, but for the really nasty descents nothing beat the descend
mode.
The braking is handled by Avid in the form of the Elixir
3. I have never been a huge fan of Avid
brakes, most of them I have used make a lot of noise and in the hottest part of
the summer I saw Avid Elixer 3’s coming into the shop where I work frozen
closed. That said, I had no problem with
these brakes. The Elixers were able to
stop the bike when they needed to and made less noise than any Avid’s I have
used in the past. While I would rather
see this bike equipped Shimano XT brakes (my favorite brakes) I really can’t
say anything bad about the Elixer 3’s, they worked great!
Schwalbe and their Nobby Nic tires have been tasked with
traction. This bike is the first one
that I have used this tire on and I found it perfectly up to the loose, dusty
conditions of my local Southern California trails. There was always plenty of traction while
climbing, not a lot of slipping and sliding.
They seemed to grab really well in the turns when the bike was laid over
to one side or the other. The Nobby Nics
were a great choice for this bike, their grip gave me plenty of confidence to
really push hard into the corners and go for it on the descents. Great grip, great tire, great choice.
All in all the Trance X 29er is in my opinion an almost
perfect trailbike. It has a great array
of components, a comfortable cockpit, and great handling. There are some changes that could be made,
but most of them could be taken care of by getting the Trance X 29er 0 model
which comes fully equipped with Shimano XT components. The MSRP on the Trance X29er 1 is listed at
$2,775 and is a good match for the value that you get from this model. I you want a 29er but also want more than
four inches of travel then this might be the bike you are looking for!
