Trance Advanced
Origin
The Trance has been Giant's mid-travel trail bike since 2005 and the most popular carbon model in the brand's MTB lineup for years. It uses the four-bar Maestro suspension that sits at the heart of every Giant full-sus platform. The Trance Advanced (carbon mainframe) was significantly refreshed in 2021 with longer reach, a slacker ~65.5° head angle, steeper seat angle, and a trunnion-mount shock, moving it from XC-trail toward modern aggressive-trail territory. The platform now exists as Trance Advanced (27.5, 140 mm rear / 150 mm front) for tight technical riding and Trance X Advanced (29, 150/160 mm) for longer, faster trails. Frames are built in Giant's Taichung composite factory.
Specifications
- Frame
- Advanced-Grade Composite carbon mainframe (monocoque front triangle) with ALUXX SL-grade aluminium rear stays; trunnion-mount shock and Advanced Forged Composite rocker arm
- Weight
- kg
- Drivetrain
- Shimano SLX / XT 1x12; SRAM GX Eagle 1x12 / GX AXS on higher trims (early Advanced 0 ran SRAM X01 Eagle 1x12)
- Brakes
- Hydraulic disc, 180 mm front / 160 mm rear (SRAM Guide / Shimano depending on trim)
- Wheels
- Giant TRX composite / alloy wheelset; 27.5" on the Trance Advanced (29" on Trance X Advanced), Boost hubs, tubeless-ready
The verdict
- Excellent grip and a supportive, active Maestro rear end that 'doesn't just collapse beneath you' on technical singletrack
- Light for the travel class — carbon mainframe keeps top builds around 11.5-12.3 kg
- Versatile geometry: flip chips adjust head angle and reach, and the platform supports 27.5"/29" rear-wheel swaps (Trance X)
- Strong all-round climber/descender balance — a genuine 'one bike for everything' trail rig
- Integrated down-tube storage on current generation carries trail essentials inside the frame
- Pedaling efficiency degrades with noticeable squat/bob under power after Giant lowered the pivot by ~8 mm for 1x drivetrains
- Techy, steep climbs are not its forte on the older 67° head-angle geometry
- Stock cockpit is dated/conservative — narrow 750 mm bar with an overly long 60 mm stem on earlier trims
- Stock Giant Contact dropper post works but is mediocre and an early upgrade candidate
- Narrow stock rims — reviewers recommend wider (≥27 mm internal) rims to get the most from the tyres
Who it’s for
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