[brakejack]

If anyone knows any reason why I should not buy a Giant Trance, please speak now before I plunk my money down.

Is it a hyped-up piece of crap?
Is it going to stinkbug, brakejack, bob?
Is it an overweight undersprung pig?
Would I really be better off buying something else.

Please help. I don't want to make another bike purchase that I regret. First bike: Fisher Joshua -- bobs. Second bike: Giant NRS -- brakejacks, and practically a hardtail.

Should i buy trance? yes? no?

 

[Call_me_Clyde]

Check the Giant forum

If anyone knows any reason why I should not buy a Giant Trance, please speak now before I plunk my money down.

Is it a hyped-up piece of crap?
Is it going to stinkbug, brakejack, bob?
Is it an overweight undersprung pig?
Would I really be better off buying something else.

Please help. I don't want to make another bike purchase that I regret. First bike: Fisher Joshua -- bobs. Second bike: Giant NRS -- brakejacks, and practically a hardtail.

Should i buy trance? yes? no?

By all accounts, the Trance has lived up to the hype of the Maestro suspension. Check the Giant Forum as you'll have a much better chance of finding multiple owners there.

Good luck.

Bob

 

[LeopardDog]

I think the Trance is a pretty good bike but what do you plan to do with it? What else can you get your hands on? Have you test ridden it or any competitors? The Trance gets pretty good reviews here but every individual has there likes/dislikes.

 

[Guyechka]

decent low end FS

I talked my sister into getting a Trance, and she loves it. She was going to go with another hardtail until I persuaded her to at least try the FS. She tested some Konas and maybe some GFs and ended up with the Trance. Hers is the lowest end, but it has a decent shock and, even though it has rim brakes, it was set up to handle discs (they put on Avid brake levers and the hubs are for disc). Basically, she paid for a good bike that could be upgraded into a really good one. And it handles everything she has thrown at it.

 

[heatstroke]

yes - for the price they are hard to beat.

 

[DtEW]

Like others said, you should check out the Giant forum for people who are more familiar with this bike.

I think the Trance is a great bike, certainly within the top-tier of big-brand XC FS/trailbikes. The value that they represent is terrific, especially from the Trance 2 down. The Trance 1 is still a great value considering the racy components that come for the price.

I would have to say that the frame (I bought just a frame) strengths and weaknesses are:

Strength:
1. Lateral rigidity
2. Pedaling efficiency
3. Suspension quality
4. Great value for the money in both bike and frameset form.

Weaknesses:
1. 0.5-0.75 pound overweight
2. Soft paint

One thing that has to be noted is that the Trance is air-sprung, so it will feel different from some other frame that is coil-sprung. I've also noticed that my RP3 feels much plusher after being broken-in for a few months.

Looking at your past bikes, I need to comment on this:

The Fisher Joshua and Trek Y-bikes were bob monsters despite the URT. This is primarily because of a failure to understand the URT concept combined with 1) the need to skirt Castellano's patent and 2) the misguided lowering of the main pivot in an attempt to "improve" URT performance by making it more "active." They failed to understand that putting the pivot significantly inboard of the path of the pedals means that every downstroke (which is more likely than not stronger than the corresponding ustroke on the other side of the cranks) levers the swingarm upward, with the pivot as the fulcrum. They were simply bad designs.

The Giant NRS should not have had ANY brake jack. This is because that particular bike deviates from suspension norm in that it needed to be run with NO suspension sag. In other words, you should mount it and it should not compress whatsoever. If it is not compressed, it should not have room to extend, hence no "brake jack." It was designed explicitly to behave like a hardtail the vast majority of the time, as it was first and foremost an XC racing bike. This should have been explained to you when you were considering the bike. It was a good design for its intended usage.

 

[applegreenheckler]

Trance is a great bike and most people won't notice the little bit of extra weight.

 

[westin]

The Trance frame is a winner.

 

[brakejack]

The Giant NRS should not have had ANY brake jack. This is because that particular bike deviates from suspension norm in that it needed to be run with NO suspension sag. In other words, you should mount it and it should not compress whatsoever. If it is not compressed, it should not have room to extend, hence no "brake jack." It was designed explicitly to behave like a hardtail the vast majority of the time, as it was first and foremost an XC racing bike. This should have been explained to you when you were considering the bike. It was a good design for its intended usage.

technically no brake jack. however, the suspension stiffens significantly while braking. on the downhills right when you need suspension (you are braking because it is a rough section) the bike turns into a hardtail.

i bought the first generation nrs. i think the XC-racing-only spin came later. at that time the hype was no bob, shock doesn't move from pedaling but still soaks up bumps. nobody mentioned: you have to be not pedaling nor braking for the suspension to work.

 

[LeopardDog]

technically no brake jack. however, the suspension stiffens significantly while braking. on the downhills right when you need suspension (you are braking because it is a rough section) the bike turns into a hardtail.

i bought the first generation nrs. i think the XC-racing-only spin came later. at that time the hype was no bob, shock doesn't move from pedaling but still soaks up bumps. nobody mentioned: you have to be not pedaling nor braking for the suspension to work.

One word, DOH!

Seriously though is this from personal experience? Or is this written, IE mag review etc. It's the first I've heard of any issues with the Maestro. All I've read is how wonderful it is. Not that I'm a skeptic just wondering if it truly lives up to all the hype.

 

[DtEW]

It's the first I've heard of any issues with the Maestro. All I've read is how wonderful it is. Not that I'm a skeptic just wondering if it truly lives up to all the hype.

The NRS does not feature the Maestro suspension.

i bought the first generation nrs. i think the XC-racing-only spin came later. at that time the hype was no bob, shock doesn't move from pedaling but still soaks up bumps. nobody mentioned: you have to be not pedaling nor braking for the suspension to work.

 

[KC.K.]

buy one if you love Taiwan, and dont care for a warranty.

 

[DtEW]

buy one if you love Taiwan, and dont care for a warranty.

Yes, we should overlook the quality/performance of the actual product, dismiss both professional and non-professional reviews, and from now on base our purchases solely on where it is made. Where it is made is the one and only thing that determines whether we will enjoy our bikes, no matter fit, performance, quality nor value. That's the attitude and subversion of free-market competiton that'll coddle American industry to world domination with K-cars and ponycar reskins.

And Giant bike frames carry a lifetime original-owner warranty that seems to be decent as far as MTBR threads seem to indicate.

 

[brakejack]

buy one if you love Taiwan, and dont care for a warranty.

I do love Taiwan. I'm asian. I have 2 Giant bikes. Thanks for the advice. I guess i'll get another one.

 

[el_chupo_]

http://www.nsmb.com/gear/giant_preview06_10_05.php

I found this yesterday looking arround. Go toward the bottom of the story, the writer is a Canadian freerider that got a trance and built it, he gives you his impressions. Its from a different perspective, so I thought it was interesting.

Matt

 

[antonio]

i remember reading somewhere on this forum that the maestro design is a rip-off of ironhorse's dw link design. before buying a trance (i've never ridden one but all reviews i've read are positive) i would look into the validity of this claim and, if it looked to be true, i'd try out bikes in the ironhorse line first. if giant's interpretation of the suspension design is better on the trail i'd get the trance, but i'd at least give the legal owners of the design a shot at earning my money.

ant

 

[cruso414]

Yeah, maybe give the guy who actually came up with the design

i remember reading somewhere on this forum that the maestro design is a rip-off of ironhorse's dw link design. before buying a trance (i've never ridden one but all reviews i've read are positive) i would look into the validity of this claim and, if it looked to be true, i'd try out bikes in the ironhorse line first. if giant's interpretation of the suspension design is better on the trail i'd get the trance, but i'd at least give the legal owners of the design a shot at earning my money.

ant

a chance at your business. There are a couple of companies (Independent Fab, Ibis) that have licensed the design legally without just ripping it til Dave gets his patent. The IH mkIII is the same bike but actually designed by Dave.

 

[matbaugh]

Would this be a decent bike for a 200 lb person?

 

[cigargreg]

Would this be a decent bike for a 200 lb person?

I am 270 and Love my Trance, this bike rocks!

 

[gehulme]

Great Bike If You Don't Pay Too Much For It

If anyone knows any reason why I should not buy a Giant Trance, please speak now before I plunk my money down.

The problem with these bikes is it is a great Vpp/DW copy but about a pound heavier in the frame than a blur. But, much cheaper if you are smart. The only problem is I see idiots paying retail for tai made copy frames that you should be picking up at around 650.00 or XT equiped at around 1100. (For instance here is trance frames at 699.00 closeout bobs-bicycles.com)