Giant has completed its rapid overhaul of the Trance line-up with the new Trance 29. Offered in Giant’s ALUXX-SL aluminium, the new Trance 29 inherits most of the features of its carbon sibling, including updated and adjustable geometry and increased rear-wheel travel to 120mm from 115mm, paired with a 130mm fork.
The Taiwanese brand overhauled its flagship Advanced Pro carbon frame last December. This was in addition to carbon and aluminium offerings of its rowdier relative, the Trance X, earlier in the autumn. The news also follows the update to Giant's sister brand Liv’s Embolden.
While the term ‘downcountry’ might spring to mind when looking at the bike's suspension travel, Giant asserts that the Trance 29 is a trail bike made for tackling technical terrain, only faster.
Updated and adjustable geometry
The Trance 29’s geometry is updated from its predecessor, and is almost identical to its carbon sibling.
Like its carbon sibling, the Trance 29 features adjustable geometry via a set of flip chips on the rocker arm/seatstay junction.
There are ‘High’ and ‘Low’ settings to choose from. These will alter the head tube and seat tube angles by 0.7 degrees, the bottom bracket drop by a significant 10mm and the reach by 8mm.
In its high setting on a size large, the Trance 29 sports a 66.2-degree head tube angle, with a bottom bracket drop of 35mm, coupled with a steep seat tube angle of 77 degrees and a reach of 480mm.
In the low setting, the head tube angle is reduced to 65.5 degrees and the bottom bracket drop increases to 45mm, so it’s lower to the ground and has less clearance. The seat tube angle slackens to 76.3 degrees and the reach reduces to 472mm.
The only difference in geometry between this alloy offering and its carbon sibling is a slightly increased standover height (by 3 or 4mm, depending on which flip chip setting you are using).
The brand says that the updated geometry should translate to a ride that rolls over rough terrain with balance and stability, combined with momentum for climbing performance.
| Frame | S (Low) | S (High) | M (Low) | M (High) | L (Low | L (High) | XL (Low) | XL (High) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube length (mm) | 420 | 420 | 430 | 430 | 465 | 465 | 496 | 496 |
| Seat tube angle (degrees) | 77.2 | 78 | 76.3 | 77 | 76.3 | 77 | 76.3 | 77 |
| Top tube length (mm) | 561 | 559 | 599 | 597 | 626 | 624 | 663 | 661 |
| Head tube length (mm) | 100 | 100 | 110 | 110 | 120 | 120 | 130 | 130 |
| Head tube angle (degrees) | 65.4 | 66.2 | 65.5 | 66.2 | 65.5 | 66.2 | 65.5 | 66.2 |
| Fork rake (mm) | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Trail (mm) | 126 | 120 | 126 | 120 | 126 | 120 | 126 | 120 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 1,166 | 1,165 | 1,195 | 1,194 | 1,124 | 1,123 | 1,263 | 1,262 |
| Chainstay length (mm) | 439 | 437 | 439 | 437 | 439 | 437 | 439 | 437 |
| Bottom bracket drop (mm) | 45 | 35 | 45 | 35 | 45 | 35 | 45 | 35 |
| Stack (mm) | 610 | 604 | 619 | 613 | 628 | 622 | 637 | 631 |
| Reach (mm) | 422 | 430 | 447 | 455 | 472 | 480 | 507 | 515 |
| Standover height (mm) | 730 | 738 | 725 | 734 | 749 | 759 | 771 | 780 |
| Handlebar width (mm) | 780 | 780 | 780 | 780 | 780 | 780 | 780 | 780 |
| Stem length (mm) | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
| Crank length (mm) | 165 | 165 | 170 | 170 | 170 | 170 | 170 | 170 |
Frame and suspension features
The updated Trance 29 utilises Giant’s long-standing Maestro suspension system, a twin-link design, where the rear triangle is connected to the front by a pair of links. It features an upper carbon rocker link, which Giant dubs ‘Advanced Forge Composite’ to deliver its 120mm of rear travel. The brand says the Fox Float DPS Performance rear shock has been custom-tuned for the frame.
The frame features a mounting point on the underside of the top tube for tool caddies, and there is space for up to a 650ml bottle on the single down-tube bottle cage.
The Trance 29 also utilises the newer design of cable guides its carbon sibling uses, which have a neater appearance and should run quieter.
Giant includes two areas of rubber frame protection, one on the underside of the down tube and bottom bracket area to guard the frame against rock strikes and another ribbed protector on the driveside chainstay.
There is an ISCG-05 interface should you wish to install a chain guide or bash guard. Tyre clearance is rated up to 29x2.5in.
A spec fit for the trails
Giant is offering two models of the Trance 29 for 2022.
Both feature predominantly Shimano 1x12 groupsets and Shimano hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors front and rear.
Giant supplies its own finishing kit, as well as its Contact Switch dropper seatpost on both builds (S: 125mm drop, M: 150mm, L and XL: 170mm).
Maxxis Minion DHF tyres are fitted up-front, with their 3C MaxxTerra compound and EXO casing. An Aggressor is on duty at the back, also in EXO casing, and both are in the frame’s maximum 29x2.5in width.
Additionally, both tyres come tubeless-ready and already seated and set up out of the box.
Giant Trance 29 2
- Frame: ALUXX SL-Grade Aluminium
- Shock: Fox Float DPS Performance, 120mm travel
- Fork: Marzocchi Z2, RAIL damper, 130mm travel
- Drivetrain: Shimano Deore M6100 1x12, KMC X12 chain, Praxis Cadet M24 chainset and press-fit bottom bracket
- Brakes: Shimano BL-MT401
- Price: £2,699 (EUR and USD pricing to be confirmed, not available in Australia)
- Colour: Metallic Black
Giant Trance 29 1
- Frame: ALUXX SL-Grade Aluminium
- Shock: Fox Float DPS Performance, 120mm travel
- Fork: Fox 34 Performance, GRIP damper, 130mm travel
- Drivetrain: Shimano SLX M7100 1x12, KMC X12 chain
- Brakes: Shimano BL-MT501
- Price: £3,199 / AU$4,799 (EUR and USD pricing to be confirmed)
- Colour: Phantom Green
- Buy the 2022 Giant Trance 29 1 from Tredz
