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 reviewed by guest on December 18, 2009
| Pros | I have a 2008 X1 and love it to bits. It was an upgrade from a giant VT1 and the difference is unbelievable. Most of my friendds brought Anthems but I have a bad back so went the Trance and am very happy. It is a smooth bike to ride over most conditions and climbs very well. I wish I'd brought the XO with upgraded wheels and shock but at the time it was hard to justify the extra $$$$. Being an intermediate rider it has really improved my riding style and speed. It is just a very comfortable well mannered bike and so much better value than it's higher priced competitors. A mate of mine brought a Specialized Ptich and he is very happy with it but the Trance is better at XC for sure. buy one, you won't regret it. | | Cons | Seat is rubbish - upgrade immediately and you'll be much happier. I persevered but met a couple of other guys who upgraded so realised it wasn't just me being a wuss.
The 'splash guard' behind the rear wheel is too narrow and I have had stones flicking up at me when I have gone from mud to stony path. One ever got stuck in my rear derailleur and jammed it. Only happened once & may have improved on later models.
Mid-range componentry (non-Shimano) not as good as I expected so wished I'd either brought and X2 and gradually upgraded or bit the bullet and got and XO. Next time I won't go mid-range. | | Verdict | Buy it, buy it now. Go top or bottom of range and upgrade as you go. |
| Pros | The low center of gravity makes this bike very stable over all kinds of terrain, and especially on switchbacks. This is my first full suspension, and it handles technical singletrack like a dream, but also climbs like a mountain goat.
Once I got the suspension dialed in, I can force a slight pedal bob when mashing the pedals hard while seated, but out of the saddle pedaling has zero bob, yet the rear suspension keeps the rear wheel glued to the ground over bumps and uneven trail surfaces. Propedal FTW! | | Cons | It's a little heavy (28 lbs for a small) but I got thornproof tubes with puncture sealant by mistake that are ridiculously heavy and stiff; I will be swapping those out.
Also, I am a clyde so I got WTB freeride rims that should never give me structural problems, but they are not as light as some of the XC rims that are out there.
If I swapped out the tubes and rims, I could get it down to about 26 lbs, which is actually quite respectable for a bike this capable.
The bottle cage lacks space for a full sized 24oz water bottle.
the suspension propedal adjuster is VERY hard to reach while riding.
The front derailleur is hard to reach for adjusting, and there is not a lot of room for installing it, finding one that fits can be challenging. (Hint: Shimano FD-M750 or FD-M760 are your best bet) The newer Trance has moved the rear shock and eliminated this issue. | | Verdict | I got this as a 2006 frame with RP3 shock and built it up myself with a Marzocchi fork and a mix of Race Face, XT and XTR components. One decision I am very happy with is getting top notch hydraulic disc brakes, as this bike will fly on technical downhill, and you will need massive the stopping power!
The frame geometry creates some challenges for adjusting as mentioned above, but once you get used it, it's tolerable. The flipside is that the squat suspension is very stable through the technical stuff. I've re-ridden two trails so far that I had previously done on my hardtail and it's like they are completely different trails!
As for the suspension popping out of propedal, I have only seen this when I attempted to engage the stiffest setting, but missed and pushed the lever too far into the "neutral space" around the top. According to the Fox manual, this no-man's land is equivalent to the softest setting, and won't hurt the shock at all.
Just make sure you fully engage the setting you want, and it WILL stay there. |
 reviewed by guest on March 16, 2009
| Pros | I have had the 2007 now for 2 yrs. It was a T3, now upgraded for the rough steep trails here. I don`t race it. It is my "All Mountain" rig, at wich it excels thanks to addition of rp23 and Rockshox Revaltion U-turn shock. The bike now goes down hill very well, and can the bikes steering can be tuned for any trail. This shock adjust travel from 85mm too 130mm, or ANY where in between, its also very smooth n reliable. This is a real do it all bike, with great low center of gravity and suspension that is still top notch today. This thing not only goes down hill very fast it climbs like a scalded monkey, even with the heavy build I have now. (close to 35 lbs probly)Bout the only thing I don`t do it north shore style drops n gap jumps etc., tho I guess it would do it if You where smoooth enough. It`ll handle a 3' flat drop ok tho without bottoming under my close to 200lbs, and that is set up trail ridin soft too. | | Cons | the stock components on the T3 packed it in quickly, the rims n tires went first as the rims bent too easy.The bontrager did not work well in mud er snow, now rinolites with 2.35 Pana Ramapages.(heavy but bombproof) Then the front shock (was a dart3) as it would not work in below freezing temps. I changed seat @post bars n rear shock as well, tho these all worked ok they er now lighter or better(rp23 is an awsome upgrade from the stock giant shock performance wise)I did kill one stock rear shock, but giant replaced it free. | | Verdict | If u are on a budget n find one of these frames grab it up, its hard to beat this one even today. It can be raced still or built into a real All Mountain /trail bike that will climb as well it decends. |
  reviewed by kashmore  on November 28, 2007
| Pros | Great balanced travel bike. I have a Trance Frameset custom build. The Trance 1 is the closest spec build to what I have set up. I have carbon FSA crankset, and an Manitou R7 Super 100mm with lockout. I have built up this bike at 28lbs race weight. Great XC machine that can do it all. Allthough heavier than a Cannandale Scalpel XC race machine, this bike can be used in amateur races and the long 4+ hour fun rides. I have raced this bike in Expert XC and placed top five (and I'm more of a roadie these days). | | Cons | Weight. THe new 2008 model has shaved a little weight, but it won't be much. FOX RP3 rear shock pops out of platform setting at first large bump hit. In order to keep it in "race" mode (platform), you have to lock it in place with a set screw. If you like to be able to use both during one ride, its frustrating. I keep it in platform mode, and it still feels plush enough for me. Made overseas. Who knows what kind of human and environmental conditions Giant uses to build these bikes. | | Verdict | Best bang for the buck in FS All mountain bikes, and best suspension. If you don't mind buying overseas-made bikes, you can't get any better value. |
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on March 28, 2009
