Focusing on speed and efficiency, Giant has overhauled its carbon fiber frame Trance off-road vehicle, increasing suspension travel and adding more aggressive geometry

This game is now over

Giant seems to have been performing quick inspections on every bike produced in its Trance series (we saw the new Trance X Advanced Pro 29 and Trance X 29 last year, and then the brand launched the new Trance X and Trance X Advanced E+ e-mountain vehicle). Today, it's the Trance Advanced Pro 29 off-road vehicle.

This time, the new Trance Advanced Pro 29 gets a fully remodeled carbon fiber frame, more aggressive, adjustable geometry, more rear wheel travel, and some on-demand internal frame storage.

Giant stated that the focus of this new trail bike is speed and efficiency when dealing with technical terrain.

Giant first introduced Trance Advanced Pro 29 to us four years ago, placing it between the lightweight off-road racing car and the burly, heavy off-road vehicle.

At that time, you can say that it was one of the earliest short-distance off-road vehicles-now commonly referred to as off-road bikes.

Although the new bike sounds more aggressive, as the rear wheel travel increases and the geometry changes, its monorail killing intent is very similar.

One of the headlines here must be the new internal frame storage. Giant has a hatch on the upper side of the down tube. If you need roadside repairs, you can take out key tools.

The giant claims that there is enough space to store carbon dioxide inflators, inner tubes, multi-function tools, and even snacks, which can be wrapped in the included waterproof bag. The hatch cover also has a bottle cage accessory.

Well, yes, it is possible. Compared to the previous Trance Advanced Pro 29, the 5mm travel makes the rear wheel travel 120mm, which should help absorb a lot of the ending, but still keep it efficient and tight so that you can feel relaxed when you turn off the power.

120 mm of travel is provided by Giant's tried-and-reliable Maestro dual-link suspension system. This includes the new Advanced forged composite upper rocker link, which Giant claims is not only lighter than equivalent links made of aluminum, but also stronger and stronger.

For many years, we have been impressed with the Maestro system. Any long-term test bike we have used can withstand the test of various factors well, thanks in part to their double-sealed pivot bearings.

In addition to making larger and more compelling changes to Trance Advanced Pro 29, Giant has also adjusted this and that here and there to make it one of the top contenders on this road.

Giant claims that its new integrated cable ports (guide gear and dropper hose, and rear brake hose) look cleaner and help reduce any irritating cable rattle when dealing with rougher roads.

The seat stay has enough space to install 2.5-inch tires, and the ISCG-05 tabs around the bottom bracket allow you to install chain guides and guards, if you want to deal with more extreme terrain.

The neatly integrated frame protection helps protect the frame from rock impacts and debris, while eliminating any chain impact.

Like the common theme of other Trance models launched in the past year or so, Trance Advanced Pro 29 also welcomes the ability to adjust its geometry.

The flip chip located in the pivot of the seat stay/rocker arm link can be rotated to change the angle of the Trance Advanced Pro 29. There are two settings to choose from-high or low-the head and seat angles differ by 0.7 degrees, and the bottom bracket height is changed by 10 mm.

In the high setting, the head tube angle is said to be 66.2 degrees, while the seat angle is 77 degrees (78 degrees on the trolley frame). This setting also provides a 35 mm bottom bracket drop.

Shifting to a low gear, Giant claims that the head tube angle can be relaxed to 65.5 degrees, which makes it probably the most relaxing in the lower country bike category. The seat angle is indeed slightly loosened to 76.3 degrees, but it should still feel steep enough for effective pedaling when sitting down. The low setting provides a 45mm bottom bracket drop.

Giant has also expanded the coverage of Trance Advanced Pro 29, with numbers ranging from 430 mm for the small size to 515 mm for the extra-large size at high settings. When you switch to the low setting, the distance measurement is reduced by 8 mm.

To help create a centered and balanced riding experience, Giant chose to use 437 mm effective chainstays in all sizes. When the bike is in a low setting, these will grow to 439 mm.

Will these two settings provide two different ride characteristics? As they said, the evidence is always in the pudding, so as soon as we ride the bike, we will come back to report.

Giant stated that the high position should be good for slower and more technically difficult terrain, while the low position provides higher stability and speed.

In our experience, we generally prefer low settings and the confidence it provides, especially when turning. In other words, if you plan to ride on very thick, rocky trails that require sufficient pedal clearance, then the 10mm bottom bracket adjustment is nothing to worry about.

In the past few years, lightweight trails or village markets (or whatever you want to call them) have indeed gained momentum.

Although some brands use their off-road products as templates, and then increase the rear wheel travel and install stronger front forks and stronger tires (such as Cannondale Scalpel SE LTD or Specialized Epic EVO Expert we reviewed earlier this year), Nukeproof Waiting for other brands to cut the fat on their forest road bikes and create something like Reactor 290 Carbon ST.

Although the former method tends to produce ultra-fast, efficient bicycles that can quickly cover the ground, they may struggle on more demanding terrain. On the contrary, Nukeproof's method helps to create a bike that is more comfortable on rough technical terrain than at home, but does not have the muscular zippers like off-road bike frames.

Of course, there are some bicycles, such as the Transition Spur X01 that we reviewed earlier this year, and gave full marks. As a bicycle designed for this kind of riding (it is neither derived from a light cross-country bike nor a more sturdy trail bike), compromises are limited, and the end result is a bicycle rocket ship, whether it is pointed or Under the pointed head.

If we were Giant, we would firmly set our sights on bicycles such as Transition Spur and try to improve it. For now, it must be the leader of the category, and we think it sets the standard.

We can't ignore the Santa Cruz Tallboy, which matches the new Trance Advanced Pro 29 in terms of its fore and aft strokes and intentions on the trail.

Giant will provide three different Trance Advanced Pro 29 models for you to choose from in 2022.

All three models use the same Advanced-Grade composite frame, Fox suspension, easy-to-adjust TranzX dropper (120-150 mm post for small, 140-170 mm post for medium, and 140-170 mm for medium and large With 170-200 mm rear) and Shimano brakes.

The tires of all models are also the same. Giant wisely chose the front Maxxis Minion DHF 3C MaxxTerra EXO 29×2.5in WT and the rear Aggressor EXO 29×2.5in.

Frame: Advanced composite material, 120 mm travel

Impact: Fox Float X Factory

Fork: Fox 34 Factory GRIP2, 130mm stroke

Transmission system: SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS

Wheels: SRAM Zipp 3ZERO MOTO

Frame: Advanced composite material, 120 mm travel

Shock: Fox Performance Elite Live Valve

Fork: Fox 34 Performance Elite Live Valve, 130mm stroke

Frame: Advanced composite material, 120 mm travel

Impact: Fox Float DPS performance

Fork: Fox 34 Rhythm, 130mm stroke

Technical Editor Rob Weaver manages all tests for BikeRadar and our magazines Mountain Biking UK and Cycling Plus. Rob first appeared on the MBUK page as a freelancer in 2001 and began testing bikes for the championship title in 2007. In 2010, he joined the team full-time and has been paying close attention to everything related to testing ever since. Rob's extensive knowledge of bicycles stems from his passion for racing. In the early 90s, he started participating in cross-country mountain bike competitions, and then gained a foothold in downhill competitions. After years of racing on the British national circuit (including one year of trying to participate in the UCI DH World Cup), Rob realized that his expertise and passion for bicycle setup, technique and writing clearly exceeded his racing ability. A degree in sports technology and decades of riding experience all help Rob thoroughly understand the conditions needed to build a great bike or product. This helps him to be more enthusiastic about cycling than ever, and will spend a lot of free time reading almost all the bicycle-related publications he can get. Although Rob is essentially a mountain biker and has never been happier than sliding down a Welsh hillside, he is also happy to put his mileage on a road or gravel bike.

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