First ride review: Giant Trance E+ 0 SX Pro
If the Giant Trance E+ isn’t enough eMTB for you, the new, top of the range Giant Trance E+ SX PRO is an eMTB at home on even the harshest terrain. To put it to the test, we took it for a test ride on the rough, dusty trails of South Tyrol.
The Trance E+ SX Pro is like the Trance E+ on steroids. Speccing it with a longer fork, Giant changes the geometry of the bike, and with the addition of coil shock, they’ve trimmed it towards downhill performance. With a 160 mm fork at the front and the Maestro linkage offering 140 mm of travel at the rear, the € 5,999 Trance E+ SX 0 Pro looks to be at home even on rough, demanding tracks.
The Giant Trance E+ SX 0 Pro in detail
Obviously Giant, and an eye-catcher at that. The contours of the Trance E+ SX Pro with its Maestro rear end and the slim, integrated battery distinctly recall its non-motorised counterpart.
We love the bottle cage. Unfortunately, it only fits on the size L and XL Trance E+ SX Pro
The chainstay guard only covers a small part of the chainstay. This results in the paint being chipped off and loud chain slapping.
The speed sensor is very exposed and can easily be damaged by rocks and branches. We would like to see better integration into the frame design.
No cable clutter or huge display. The cockpit is tidy, and all the levers are easy to reach and use.
The spec of the Giant Trance E+ SX 0 Pro
With the Trance E+ SX 0 Pro Giant relies on only the finest components, trimming the eMTB towards downhill performance. The FOX Factory suspension consisting of a 36 fork and DHX2 coil shock leaves nothing to be desired on the trail but makes setting up difficult. To adjust the shock to the rider’s weight, you’ll have to swap out the steel coil. Stopping power is provided by SRAM CODE R brakes with 200 mm rotors at the front and rear. For the cockpit, Giant relies on in-house components, as well as for the wheels and the 150 mm dropper seat post. The Yamaha SyncDrive Pro provides a lot of power, which, thanks to special electronics, responds very quickly to your input. All Trance E+ SX Pro models roll on 2.6″ MAXXIS Minion tyres with EXO casing.
With the coil shock, the Giant’s suspension is super plush and reacts to the smallest unevenness on the trail.
Even at a low cadence, the SyncDrive Pro offers a powerful push and is very responsive to the rider’s input
The EXO casing of the tyres isn’t a good match for the Trance E+ SX Pro and limits the bike
The MRP chain guide is custom made for the Trance E+ and works flawlessly
The geometry of the Giant Trance E+ SX
| Size | XS | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube | 380 mm | 406 mm | 445 mm | 482 mm | 507 mm |
| Top tube | 570 mm | 585 mm | 610 mm | 630 mm | 655 mm |
| Head tube | 95 mm | 95 mm | 100 mm | 110 mm | 130 mm |
| Head angle | 66° | 66° | 66° | 66° | 66° |
| Seat angle | 73.5° | 73.5° | 73.5° | 73.5° | 73.5° |
| Chainstay | 470 mm | 470 mm | 470 mm | 470 mm | 470 mm |
| BB Drop | 11 mm | 11 mm | 11 mm | 11 mm | 11 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1177 mm | 1185 mm | 1211 mm | 1233 mm | 1260 mm |
| Reach | 403 mm | 411 mm | 435 mm | 452 mm | 472 mm |
| Stack | 586 mm | 586 mm | 590 mm | 599 mm | 618 mm |
The Giant Trance E+ SX 0 Pro on the trail
Although the SX Pro version of the Trance E+ leans more towards downhill riding, extended tours and technical climbs pose no problem for the bike. The longer fork slackens the seat tube angle slightly. You can cancel this out, however, by pushing the saddle a little further forward. Once you’ve done so, the sitting position on the SX Pro is comfortable, putting you in an efficient position to pedal from.
The SyncDrive Pro motor reveals its character from the first turn of the cranks. It provides a lot of power even at a very low cadence and reacts super fast to the rider’s input, making the Trance E+ SX 0 Pro very easy to crank up forest roads. The bike performs just as well up technical climbs over roots and rocks. The sensitive FOX suspension and the wide, grippy MAXXIS tyres provide sufficient traction so that most obstacles can simply be rolled over. For big steps you’ll have to work a little harder though; when you ride towards a large obstacle and pedal hard to build up momentum, the motor offers less power at the higher cadence.
The spec will have you guessing it already: the heart of the Trance E+ SX 0 Pro beats for the descent. Due to the raised front you’re well integrated into the bike, so no matter how steep the terrain, there is no over the bars feeling.
Although the rear end of the Trance E+ SX Pro has two centimetres less travel than the front, the balance of the suspension is good. In combination with the FOX DHX2 coil shock, the Maestro linkage reacts exceptionally sensitively to the smallest impacts, and the rear wheel sticks to the ground. Nevertheless, the suspension is supportive enough to provide sufficient feedback, allowing the bike to easily hop off the ground. And big hits are swallowed up by the eMTB with ease. But the Trance+ SX Pro remains manoeuvrable, allowing itself to playfully be chucked through corners.
The 27.5″ x 2.6″ MAXXIS Minion tyres generate a lot of grip without becoming too spongy or folding over. However, riders with a very aggressive riding style will quickly reach the limits of the thin EXO casing.
The Giant Trance E+ SX 0 Pro is very versatile. It is agile and playful on flowing tracks, yet it has sufficient reserves and composure to go really fast on rough trails. It also climbs with confidence, not least thanks to the powerful motor. We would only have liked a little more attention to detail with the integration of the speed sensor and the chainstay protector.
With the new Stance E+ and Trance E+, Giant has brought its eMTB range back up to date. Beginners, as well as very experienced riders, will find a Giant to suit them. The integrated batteries make room for a water bottle which makes the Stance E+ and Trance E+ suitable for longer tours. By dispensing with a display, the cockpit of the new bikes is kept clean and tidy. We’re curious to see how the new bikes will perform on the trails.
All Giant Trance E+ SX Pro models
Giant Trance E+ SX 0 Pro
Fork FOX 36 Factory eBike optimized 160 mm
Schock FOX Factory DHX2 Coil 140 mm
Motor/battery Giant SyncDrive Pro 500 Wh EnergyPack
Drivetrain SRAM X01 Eagle
Brakes SRAM CODE R 200 mm
Seatpost Giant Contact Switch 150 mm
Stem Giant Contact SL 35 50 mm
Handlebar Giant Contact SL 35 Trail 800 mm
Wheelset Giant AM 27,5+
Tires Maxxis Minion DHF/DHRII EXO 27,5″ x 2,6″
Price € 5,999
Giant Trance E+ SX 1 Pro
Fork FOX 36 Performance eBike optimized 160 mm
Schock FOX Performance Elite DHX2 Coil 140 mm
Motor/battery Giant SyncDrive Pro 500 Wh EnergyPack
Drivetrain Shimano XT/SLX
Brakes Shimano XT 4-Kolben 200 mm
Seatpost Giant Contact Switch 150 mm
Stem Giant Contact SL 35 50 mm
Handlebar Giant Contact SL 35 Trail 800 mm
Wheelset Giant AM 27,5+
Tires Maxxis Minion DHF/DHRII EXO 27,5″ x 2,6″
Price € 4,599
Mor info at giant-bicycles.com
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