GIANT Trance X E+1 2022 in our 2022 budget eMTB group test – The best 2022 budget eMTB under € 6,500

For 2022, GIANT have gifted the Trance X E+1 with a new motor and bigger battery. The new GIANT SyncDrive Pro2 draws its power from a big 750 Wh battery and is even more powerful than its predecessor. But what is the new Trance X E+1 capable of? We put it through its paces to find out.

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best eMTB of 2022 for € 6,500 – 11 budget eMTBs in our eMTB group test

Remember that child in kindergarten who never wanted to play with the other kids and always preferred to climb trees on his own? That’s exactly how the new GIANT Trance X E+1 2022 behaved in this group test: it’s a tremendous climber with the right motor but can’t be bothered with any other disciplines! The new 85 Nm GIANT SyncDrive Pro2 motor is smaller, lighter and even more powerful than the 80 Nm SyncDrive Pro of the previous Trance X model but retains its basic characteristics. While the 2022 Trance X E+ is also available with a carbon frame, the top-spec alloy version in this test costs € 6,199 and tilts the scales at 25.46 kg (size L).

The GIANT Trance X E+ 1 2022 is damn stubborn and wants to climb high

Even with a tall stack of spacers under the stem, the pedalling position is front-heavy, putting a fair amount of pressure on your wrists. On steeper climbs, the position is nicely balanced, distributing the weight evenly between the wheels and keeping the 29″ front wheel planted on the ground. The super-active rear suspension controls 140 mm travel and sticks to the ground like velcro, generating tons of traction on technical climbs. Try and convince the GIANT to do anything other than climb, and it will refuse – just like that weird kid who wanted to stay on the tree. Downhill, the heavy front requires great physical effort and good riding skills, making it hard to bring the GIANT to life. At the same time, you’ll have to wrestle the long chainstays to pull manuals and pop into the air. While handlebars with more rise would definitely help, they wouldn’t eliminate the root cause of the problem: the geometry of the bike and short head tube. Although the even weight distribution keeps the front wheel tracking in open corners, the Trance X E+1 is a lot more fun uphill than it is downhill.

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Size	S	M	L	XL
Seat tube	400 mm	425 mm	450 mm	475 mm
Top tube	577 mm	610 mm	637 mm	667 mm
Head tube	95 mm	100 mm	110 mm	120 mm
Head angle	65.7/66.5°	65.8/66.5°	65.8/66.5°	65.8/66.5°
Seat angle	76.0/76.7°	76.0/76.7°	76.0/76.7°	76.0/76.7°
Chainstays	473 mm	473 mm	473 mm	473 mm
BB Drop	30 mm	30 mm	30 mm	30 mm
Wheelbase	1,205 mm	1,239 mm	1,268 mm	1,300 mm
Reach	439 mm	457 mm	482 mm	510 mm
Stack	606 mm	611 mm	621 mm	630 mm

The new SyncDrive Pro2 motor is based on Yamaha’s PW-X3 powerhouse and paired with GIANT’s in-house system components. The minimalist RideControl Ergo3 remote is well-positioned and sits flush with the left grip, but doesn’t provide the same excellent haptics as Shimano’s remote. However, the three small buttons can be freely assigned via the RideControl app. GIANT dispose with a display on the handlebar, integrating their minimalist RideControl GO multipurpose button in the top tube, which displays the charge level and riding modes. GIANT’s in-house 750 Wh battery can be easily removed from the down tube with a Torx key while an external range extender boosts battery capacity to 1,000 Wh.

Even Reinhold Messner would be impressed by the climbing performance of the GIANT Trance X E+1

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree – The latest generation of the GIANT Trance X E+1 in detail

GIANT also tuned the motor characteristics in-house. The progressive Automatic mode modulates support according to the riding situation but is a little shy at the first pedal stroke, leaving you to your own devices before the motor kicks in. In this regard, the Bosch eMTB mode plays in a different league. In the strongest support mode, however, the motor shoots forward as soon as you touch the pedal, developing plenty of power even at low speeds and allowing you to tackle very steep climbing sections. In addition, it’s far more forgiving of wrong gear choice than other motors but also highly sensitive to pedal input, which can take some getting used to. Despite its powerful motor, the GIANT can’t keep up with the excellent traction of the Moustache Trail 7, which proved the best climber in the entire group test.

Except for the motor, the GIANT has lots in common with its predecessor. Among other things, it has the same high 156 kg max. permissible weight (highest in test), leaving a whopping 130 kg payload for epic gear-laden eMTB Alpine crossings. Steep trails on a loaded bike call for powerful and reliable deceleration, which the Shimano XT brakes with a 220 mm rotor at the front deliver in great quantities. The shrunken motor blends in well with the frame while the curved edges soften the blunt squareness of the massive down tube. However, the massive weld seams and, above all, the alignment of the tubes, don’t make for a high quality impression. The flip chip, which we’ve already criticised with the previous version of the bike, still serves no purpose. Even in the slack setting, the seat angle is steep enough, pushing the rider towards the low front and thus making the high setting totally pointless.

Tuning tip: handlebars with plenty of rise

Conclusion

The transition to the new motor generation was a real success for the new GIANT Trance X E+1 2022! However, the latest iteration of GIANT’s eMTB relies on the same extreme geometry, which restricts its range of applications significantly. As a result, the new Trance X E+1 remains a bike for climbing freaks. With its front-heavy riding position, it’s less suited for fun trails, steep descents and long tours, where it struggles to keep up with the strong all-rounders in this group test.

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You can find out more about at giant-bicycles.com

The test field

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best eMTB of 2022 for € 6,500 – 11 budget eMTBs in our eMTB group test

All bikes in test: Bulls Sonic EVO AM-SL1 (Click for review) | Canyon Spectral:ON CF8 (Click for review) | Centurion Numinis R2700i (Click for review) | FOCUS JAM² 7.9 (Click for review) | Giant Trance X E+19 | MERIDA eONE-SIXTY 975 (Click for review) | Mondraker Crafty R (Click for review) | Moustache Trail 7 (Click for review) | Orbea Rise H15 (Click for review) | Rossignol Mandate Shift XT (Click for review) | SCOTT Patron eRide 920 (Click for review)

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Words: Rudolf Fischer Photos: Robin Schmitt, Mike Hunger