• This topic has 94 replies, 27 voices, and was last updated 15 years ago by hora.
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  • Trance questions
  • dirtbiker100
    Free Member

    Looking at a 08 trance frame (4.2″ travel) as I’ve heard good stuff about them but got a couple of questions.

    how hard can I push it? would it cry if it saw jumps? not talking freeride drops or anything but could it handle a 4x track at a good speed? I can jump so there wouldn’t be flat landings etc.
    I presume I could take on british trail centres full pelt? (afan – whites level black run, cwmcarn has a real rocky stretch, golspie wildcat, etc)

    Also, anyone have any idea how much front travel it can take? 130mm 08 revelations too much for it? (comes with 100mm forks normally). contacted giant about that but might get a quicker reply from you guys.

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    if you’r after a 5″ bike why not oo at the trance X?

    MrTall
    Free Member

    I have an 06 and it’s been fine. I’ve kept the 100mm travel but i’ve heard of people running more with no issues.
    I’m 16st + and i’ve never had any issues with the bike not being able to cope with what i’ve thrown at it.

    MrSmith
    Free Member

    most people i know run 130 revs or even pikes on trances
    i have an X that i run with 130z1’s but am swapping to 130 revs which probably have a shorter A to C height. i think the full bikes come with 120mm forks but i would happily run new revs or fox’s at 140.(on an X)

    dirtbiker100
    Free Member

    thisisnotaspoon – I’m looking at getting the frame only and already have the rest of the bits which include 130mm rev’s.
    I want a good amount of travel on the front but enough to take the edge off at the back.

    Am thinking about an orange 5 but have seen an alright deal on an 08 trance frame. frame/ float r / 2008 Rockshox Recon SL air 100mm for £350 or maybe less. I know I can keep the 100mm but I’d prefer some more.

    I’m under 11 stone on a good day and have just read about others treating their frames to 3ft drops so think it’ll handle what i’ll throw at it.

    dirtbiker100
    Free Member

    ooooh, thanks MrSmith, 130 revs on the 4.2″ trance frame? not the 5″ frames? (just to confirm)

    shinsplints
    Full Member

    Get one – its an absolute weapon on singletrack.Run mine now with recon u turns,rides really nicely with 130mm & when they are wound down to 85mm it will climb the side of a house !!! Chapaking of this parish has the same frame as me (trance 3) with revs on his & he rates it.Cracking bikes.Not sure if they are built for jumping but mine has so far taken everything I have thrown at it in its stride.My mates reckon I am quicker on it too,but don’t know if they are just being polite !

    mboy
    Free Member

    dirtbiker100, for the uses you describe you’d be using it for, the Trance would be perfect.

    Trance’s have a low BB, and a slightly steep head angle as standard. Putting a 130mm fork on remedies both of these traits. So with a longer fork, it’s win win!

    Also, for a 4″ XC frame, the Trance’s are remarkably strong/overbuilt for most uses. I’ve seen several raced as 4X bikes, plenty used for some DH messing about even, and a spot of dirt jumping! It’s almost as if Giant designed a 4X race bike, then decided “well, we need to sell a few, so lets make some bigger sizes and make it into an XC bike”…

    dirtbiker100
    Free Member

    Right, expect to see some posts in classified this weekend of me trying to sell stuff to afford this frame!

    my rev’s are stuck at 130mm but hoping that won’t be tooo big a problem

    shinsplints
    Full Member

    You won’t regret it ! Run it with a nice shortish stem aswell (as I am sure you would for the riding you will be doing) mine came stock with a giant stem that was (& I kid you not) 375 miles long 😉

    dirtbiker100
    Free Member

    Ha that was actually another thing I was thinking about, but wouldn’t put me off getting the frame. my current stem is 70mm i think, just sold my 90mm. you saying that has eased my thoughts there.

    oh man, just read your post mboy. I really want this frame now.

    shinsplints
    Full Member

    70mm would be great,thats what I run,with some nice wide hussefelt bars,cracking.Its such an easy bike to ride fast – make sure you post some pics when its done !

    MrTall
    Free Member

    This is making me regret the fact that i’ve sold my uturn revs today when i could have put them onto my Trance and sold the Fox 100mm ones it came with! Doh! Never thought about longer forks making the bottom bracket higher as that is about the only issue i have with the bike.

    greasystain
    Free Member

    Good to read this guys, I’ve just got hold of some 454 Pikes to go on my 05 Trance…. can’t wait ’til the weekend!

    shinsplints
    Full Member

    f*** these lot on here with the Pitch group meet,how about a Trance love in ?????

    mboy
    Free Member

    f*** these lot on here with the Pitch group meet,how about a Trance love in ?????

    Can we extend that to all Giant Maestro bikes… Owner of a Reign X here, which I tend to just refer to as “a Trance on Steroids” when people who don’t know what it is ask me about it.

    Slap
    Free Member

    It’s all good. That makes great reading for me as I’ve just bought a 2nd hand 06 Trance frame and have some 08 revs for the build. 🙂

    My frame needs a new headset and I was looking at getting an FSA Orbit Z unless anyone has any other recommendations.

    Any chance of a few pics as well?

    benz
    Free Member

    06 Trance, initially ran 120mm MX Pro’s then swapped to 130mm Rev’s. 80mm stem ideal for me.

    Just do it. It’s a perfect combo.

    shinsplints
    Full Member

    @mboy – yeah of course,I think you’d be allowed in !!!!!

    @slap
    – planning on taking some pics of mine as soon as I can find the lead for the camera !
    So where would be the perfect place to spend a day with a gang of fellow Trance riders ? Wales ?

    hugh_b
    Free Member

    i’m running 130mm fox float rl’s on my 06 trance 2 (managed to get a brand new complete bike which was old stock a few weeks back) I’ve jumped it, dropped it, light dh, trail’s etc etc, handles it all amazingly. Got it set-up just right now with hope mono mini’s, maxxis highroller 2.35’s etc.

    You’ll love the ride, the maestro linkage works amazingly too!

    Hugh

    sootyandjim
    Free Member

    I run a set of Pace RC40 XCAM folks on my Trance and because they are adjustable between 100mm and 130mm I can set my bike up to the type of riding I’m doing.

    If I’m out to have a quick blast about, nothing too technical, just XC whippet type stuff then I crank them down to 100mm but usually I leave them at 130mm.

    They are fantastic bikes, since I’ve owned mine I’ve not even considered getting a new full-sus, it suits me just fine.

    I might get it re-sprayed this year though as Giant do have a habit of producing some gopping paint jobs!

    I_did_dab
    Free Member

    Mines running Marzocchi XC700s 90-130 on the 06 model. Usually set at about halfway. 130 downhill is fine. Hope internal headset works well.

    click for picture

    Sponging-Machine
    Free Member

    I had a 1st Generation Trance which I ran with 130mm up front – fantastic for chucking about the woods. I’m ~115kg and had no problems at all, including regular drops up to about 3′. Didn’t climb brilliantly though, although I still got about fine. An adjustable fork would have been great (as has been previously mentioned).

    I was so happy with the frame that I bought a new 08 one a couple of months ago. I’m running that with 100mm up front as I’m a lot more xc orientated nowadays (I also went up a size to the 21″), but it still wallops through singletrack with ease. I have no problems keeping up with my mates on their 5-6″ bikes.

    If anyone reading this fancies a well used 20″ Trance frame at a bargain price, I’m about to sell the old one (just need to give it a clean).

    I’d also be up for a Trance love-in, and I thought the paint jobs on the 06 models were ace!

    db
    Full Member

    Ooooo Trance love in?! New Trance X owner here can I have group hug too?

    db

    sootyandjim
    Free Member

    No, Trance X owners are not allowed in this clique.

    Having an extra inch is not big or clever.

    😉

    chakaping
    Free Member

    As Shinsplints said, I have an ’08 with 130mm Revs at the moment – and like it very much.

    Yesterday I did half my ride at 100m and the rest at 120mm. Now at 100mm it’s quite fast and confident, but with the forks wound out a bit it’s much more fun – makes me drop off of little bits I’d normally roll, take more adventurous lines over obstacles, that sort of thing.

    I had a 140mm Rev w/maxle for a bit, and 140mm did seem a bit too much travel tbh, so I’ve just picked up a Reba Team 120mm w/maxle to replace it.

    Mostly ridden it down south – but did a loop of Dalby on it and it was perfectly suited. Also handled a big ride in the Dales very well.

    At the price you’re looking I’d say go for it, you’re unlikely to be disappointed.

    hora
    Free Member

    sootyandjim, do it. I recently went down the powdercoat and new stickers route. You feel like you have a brand new (and special) frame 🙂

    chakaping
    Free Member

    Here’s a snap of mine shortly after I got it, taken up on the Dales. Brilliant ride!

    theotherjonv
    Full Member

    I had an original model year Trance. Like many others I swapped the fork out, in my case for an AM1 with Travel adjust. I found 130mm too long actually for most XC / trail stuff; but then again Marz are slightly longer axle to crown for a given travel than others anyway. Wound down to about 115-120mm it was fine. Then the fork went kaput and I swapped back to the stock 100mm Reba but moved the internal spacers to get it to 115mm and loved it.

    I only swapped it out earlier this year for a Fuel Ex partly because I wanted a change and partly because the Trance I had was a bit heavy, particularly before they started hydroforming tubes and machining out the shock mounts, etc. The only reason i didn’t get another was becuase I don’t like the aesthetic of that pot-bellied down tube. I’m still sometimes a bit unsure I made the right choice….

    As to the geometry / fork length question; I quizzed the Giant guys at MM a couple of years back why they continue to spec 100mm forks on these when everyone I knew swapped them out for longer, and their answer was that that was how it was designed, as a steep angled XC bike. The Trance X, which was just coming out was supposed to fill the niche that people were using their Trances for. Still doesn’t quite fit right imho, I’d had said the Anthem was their XC bike but it’s their choice and their marketing after all.

    I’d wholeheartedly recommend at least a test ride on one.

    ransos
    Free Member

    I have an 06/7 Trance with 130mm Pace RC41s. It’s a great bike and I’ve never felt the need to change it. Perfect for trail centres (it was a blast at Afan last year) or just messing about in the woods. I always seem to reach my limit before the bike does!

    db
    Full Member

    sootyandjim – I will laugh at your poor little Trances as I ride over them aboard my X. Long live the Trance X!

    😆

    chakaping
    Free Member

    I will laugh at your poor little Trances as I ride over them aboard my X. Long live the Trance X!

    If your Trance X is going then my Reign should get an invite too!

    But one of my Maestro beauties would end up feeling left out if the other one went for a meet-ride anyway.

    I_did_dab
    Free Member

    …do we let the shaven-legged Anthem riders in as well?

    Sonor
    Free Member

    I’ve got an 05 trance2. While this particular frame is a little heavy, I haven’t found anything newer yet that can match it. I still use the original Reba forks that came with the bike, but I’ve removed the travel spacer to make them 115mm.

    My brother in law has a Reign, while the Trance is a weapon, the Reign is a full on attack helicopter.

    shinsplints
    Full Member

    So whens & wheres then ?

    emac65
    Free Member

    07 Trance with 130mm Revs on it,no need to wind them down as it climbs like a goat anyway,they’re strong too….

    eviljoe
    Free Member

    Trance in Brown

    running 120mm Mx forms and quite happy with it 😉

    eviljoe
    Free Member

    trying again…

    I do miss the preview button….

    MrSmith
    Free Member

    i wonder how much more frames would cost if they had a trendy name on them? i think people dismiss them too easily

    people have brought last years ones from pauls cycles and flogged all the bits and replaced them with their better spec components from a hardtail, the frame usually ends up costing them a few hundred quid.

    VanHalen
    Full Member

    i think the new trances are not as strong as early ones. they are certainly alot lighter.

    if you like to mess about on more serious riding i`d look for an early one.

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