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2005 Giant Trance review
Note: The Maestro bikes that are available in 2006 to consumers living in Europe and Australia are the same as the 2005 North American models.
When Giant first introduced their Maestro-equipped bikes to the media and general public, riders loved the way the general level of performance of the entire line. After cutting through all of the marketing hype, many folks decided that Giant had indeed delivered a suspension that performed as advertised.
The first three Maestro models — Faith, Reign, Trance — were joined this year by the Anthem, a dedicated 3.5″ cross country racer that replaces the venerable NRS race bike, and the Glory, a full on downhill rig with plenty of travel.
Also for 2006, Giant made a couple of changes to the general frame design, the most significant of which was the replacement of the earlier, rather complicated shock mount area with a simpler, cleaner option that pierces the downtube. Giant also relaxed the head angle on the Trance by a little bit, responding to criticisms from riders and helping consumers differentiate between the xc-focused Anthem and the trail-leaning Trance.
The Trance, identified by Giant as a trail bike, is a versatile ride that offers 110mm (4.2″) of rear wheel travel. It was designed around a 110mm travel fork, but many riders (including myself) are running forks that have a little more travel to make things more comfortable on the way down. Most people should easily be able to build up a complete bike to between 27 and 30 pounds, depending on personal preference and budget. 2005 was the first production year for the Trance and the bike was made available in four different versions, starting with the high end Trance 1 and ending with the lower spec Trance 4.
Earlier in the year, I tracked down an ‘05 Trance 4 at a year end clearance and picked it up with then intention of stripping down the bike and replacing the stock components with a select group of parts that I’d put together for this very purpose. Over the next couple of months, I rode the Trance as an aggressive trail / all-mountain bike, riding it over a range of terrain in mostly wet conditions.
The Specs
Stripped down to its bare bones, the Trance frame that I’ve been riding is made up of a 30.9mm seatpost, an internal-cup headset, and a Fox Float R rear shock. The final build/s I put together for this bike highlights the versatility of the Trance.
Front suspension is currently handled by the Manitou Minute 4:00, an SPV-equipped fork that offers up to 130mm of adjustable travel. As mentioned above, rear suspension is handled by the Fox Float R, and the air-sprung shock does a decent job of working with the Maestro-linkage to provide a supple ride.
The drivetrain is a combination of Shimano and SRAM, with Shimano’s Deore XT cranks up front and paired with a SRAM 991 chain and cassette (11-32). Shifting is handled by a 2006 SRAM X0 rear derailleur (long cage) and ‘06 SRAM twist shifters. Braking is handled by Avid Juicy 5s with 6″ rotors.
As for wheels, I’m currently running two different sets, according to the type of riding I’ve chosen on the day. For more technical, all mountain style trails, I’m running Azonic Outlaw wheels with Michelin downhill tires. When I’m heading out for a long cross country ride, I opt for a wheelset built from Mavic 717s and Shimano XT hubs. Tire clearance is good, and I had plenty of room to spare for the Michelins, which were sized at 2.2″.
2006 MSRP: Frame only: $1250 CAD
Manufacturer website: www.giantbicycles.com
Other resources: A good place to start for information regarding the Giant Trance is the Giant forum on mtbr.com. There are answers to nearly every question you might have about the Trance on this site.
The good
Smooth travel, linear travel. The Maestro suspension platform creates a great feeling ride. The Trance moves through its suspension smoothly and in a very linear fashion, something that contributes to the bottomless feel that many riders often comment about when first getting accustomed to the bike.
Efficient pedalling. It’s hard to recognize the relative lack of pedal bob when you’re on the bike because the rear suspension remains active at all times, but if you look at someone from the side while they’re on the Trance, you can really see how firm the bike seems when it’s being pedalled. You will get some movement when you’re using really low gearing but, again, it’s not that big a deal.
Decent climber. The Trance is a decent climber, with the rear wheel keeping in near-constant contact with the ground. My all mountain build and relative lack of fitness took away from its prowess but it did the job and handled everything without complaint.
Low center of gravity. On groomed runs that feature berms and smooth track, the Trance is smoking fast. The bike loads up through the corners and shoots you out without very much effort and a whole lot of speed.
Great on wide open descents. The Trance shines on wide open singletrack and doubletrack, blowing through any sort of small debris when you’re looking for a fast, enjoyable rip.
The not so good
Linear travel. While the suspension system is designed to be linear, something that helps create the Trance’s supple feeling ride, I found that I sometimes blow through the frame’s travel and bottom it out harshly. It certainly doesn’t feel too great and I can’t imagine prolonged repetition would help the durability of the frame.
Cable housing movement. Cable routing on the 18″ Trance used in this test is fairly straightforward but I found that the rear derailleur cable housing would move in a way that was distracting and remedied only after I strapped the misbehaving line to the frame. It’s not the most elegant solution, but it works.
Fox Float R. It’s not that I’m totally unimpressed by the Float R — it works fine — I do feel that the Fox Float RP3 would be a really solid upgrade for most riders. I really like having the option to adjust the ride characteristics of bikes that I ride and, whenever I can do it at the flick of a lever, the happier I am on the trail.
Sketchy when the going gets rough. While the Trance really shines on fast, flowy singletrack and bombs down double track access roads, it’s not as capable on really steep, rocky descents. Yes, you can ride this type of terrain without issue, but don’t expect to bomb down it at the same speed as a ride with more descent-friendly geometry. Note: the 2006 Trance features a slightly more relaxed head angle than its predecessor that should help with descending.
Difficult to clean. There Trance suspension linkage is complicated and it gives dirt and mud many places to hide. Even the most careful Trance owners will be hard pressed to get every chunk of dirt off their frame after a ride, especially on the frame’s lower suspension linkage.
Pedal clearance. The Trance is the first frame where I’ve had noticeable pedal clearance issues. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t bash my feet or my pedals on the ground a whole lot, but I do come into contact with more rocks and obstacles than I have on other bikes.
Limited choice of aftermarket rear shocks. The location and dimensions of the Trance’s shock mount limit the number of different rear shocks you can mount on your bike. Giant Canada wasn’t sure if a Swinger 3-Way Air shock would fit the frame and offerings from other companies weren’t available during the test period. Fortunately, both the Fox Float R and the RP3 are capable performers and most riders will be happy with one of the other of these options.
It’s also important to remember that the Maestro system is designed to be have linear travel movement with an active suspension at all times (including climbing) — something that a platform-equipped shock inhibits.
Scoring
First impressions. 8/10. Out of the box, the Trance looks fast. It has nice lines and the finish looks pretty good. I’m not crazy about the retro decals on the top tube of the ‘05 model, but it’s something I can live with.
Performance. 35/40. The Trance is almost everything I expected. It pedals well and feels great going up and down but I do feel as though it was occasionally overmatched by steep, rocky grades. A 7″ rotor up front may have helped but I didn’t have one on hand.
Durability. 16/20. So far, so good. I did need to do a one-over and tighten all of the pivot bolts shortly after I built up the frame, but no real problems to date. I’m a little concerned that bottoming the rear suspension out will influence the durability of the frame, but I’ll keep an eye on it and update this review as necessary. I’m always amazed at how fast a rubbing cable will mar a bike’s paint job — make sure you tape off any potential trouble spots before they occur.
Pricing. 18/20. Like all of Giant’s bicycles, the Trance is priced very competitively. Available as a frame only ($1250 cad) or in one of four models, the Trance gives good value to its owners.
Wild card. 8/10. I’ve had a few issues with cable routing and I’m still not a fan of the option-limiting internal cup headset.
Overall: 85/100.
Conclusion
The Giant Trance is not an exceptional cross country performer or the perfect all mountain ride, but it does a lot of things really well. Equipped with a 110mm (4.2″) fork, you can use the Trance to climb pretty much everything you need and, if you have an adjustable fork, you can slack the bike out to make it fully capable on all but the most gnarly descents. The Trance most definitely is not a freeride bike, but don’t be afraid to take it off the odd drop or jump with any fear of frame failure (Giant team rider Tara Llanes used a 2005 Trance in 4x competitions).
By and large, the Maestro suspension platform performs as advertised, although I do feel that the linear qualities of the design does place some limits on the sort of activity you can do with the bike. With an adjustable rear shock like the Fox RP3, you’d have a system that you could adjust on the fly and tweak to meet the demands of your current ride.
The thing that most impresses me about the Trance is its versatility. I can throw a heavy set of wheels onto the bike and take it for an old-school technical ride and then swap those with lighter hoops for an all-day trek into the back country. With an adjustable-travel fork, I can tweak the bike’s geometry to match the type of ride I’m planning and go from there.
I’m not a racer but I do like to get in the miles on occasion and the Trance lets me do that. With a 130mm travel fork, the bike also gives me the chance to ride the steep, technical trails that are available near the place where I live.
The Giant Trance can be a great bike when combined with a thoughtful build. Whether you opt for the higher end Trance 1, the lower priced Trance 4, or the frame-only option, you can rest assured knowing that you’re getting a well-rounded trail bike that is as equally at home on a cross country ride as it is on and old-school technical trail.
1. Posted by Cory | 8:53 pm, 9 April 2006
One more thing, there have been rumours that Giant will release a carbon version of the Trance for 2007. Since there’s already evidence that there’s a carbon Giant Anthem floating around, there may be a shade of truth to these whispers.