2023 GIANT TRANCE X ADV. E+ 29 Review

Giant’s Trance X Advanced E+ is their take on a trail eBike, with 140mm of rear travel, 150mm fork and a pair of 29” wheels. Featuring Giant’s own Syncdrive Pro motor powered by Yamaha; Fox’s eBike integrated Live Valve suspension, and an Advanced Composite frame with their classic Maestro dual-link suspension, there’s a lot of unique and interesting elements to talk about with Giant’s premium full-power trail eMTB. We were excited to put it to the test as part of our 2023 eMTB shootout, and after plenty of riding, we’re ready to share our thoughts.

2023 EMTB SHOOTOUT SERIES – This bike was one of 13 that our staff thoroughly tested with absolute objectivity in mind. From different types of riders to terrain, our goal is to present the best and most honest information possible to help you make your best decision. Of course, we’d love to thank Fox Racing and Schwalbe Tires for being invaluable partners to this series and making it happen.

Check the rest of the series out here.

THE LAB

Frame and Features – The Trance X Advanced E+ is the carbon fiber full-power trail eMTB in the Giant electric mountain bike range. Out back, 140mm of rear travel is delivered by their Maestro dual-link suspension system and is paired to a 150mm fork to cushion the 29” wheels. The higher tier models add further tech in the form of the E-bike integrated Fox Live Valve suspension control, which controls the damping of the rear suspension to increase the pedaling support when required.

The Giant Trance X Advanced E+ is available in three build specs from 2 to the top-tier 0 reviewed here. All models use Giant’s “Advanced Composite” carbon fiber frame, including an Advanced Forged Composite upper rocker to increase stiffness and minimize weight. Giant continues to use their signature Maestro dual-link suspension system on the Trance X Adv E+, with a solid rear triangle connected to the frame by two co-rotating links, and the shock driven by the upper rocker and fixed on the same axle as the lower link. Giant says their Maestro system allowed them to produce the “Most active, efficient and independent suspension system on the trail,” and when combined with the Live Valve electronic suspension damping control it takes efficiency to another level. In the upper rocker, a flip chip can be used to tailor the geometry between a High and Low position, tweaking the ride characteristics to the trail.

Cable routing on the Giant is all internal, with bolt-on ports helping to clamp the various cables in place to reduce the chance of rattling. Within the front triangle is ample room for a water bottle; the lower portion of the downtube and the chainstay are given ribbed rubber protectors to prevent damage and noise; and there’s a full-length plastic removable hatch on the downtube to give access to the battery. The Live Valve control center sits on the underside of the top tube, just above the rear shock, and sensors are located on the fork crown and at the rear brake to feed the crucial information.

Drive Unit and Electronics – The Trance X Adv E+ uses a Giant-exclusive SyncDrive Pro drive system, powered by Yamaha and produces 85Nm of torque with up to 400% power output. Powering the system is a 625Wh EnergyPak removable integrated battery. More juice can be provided by the optional 250Wh EnergyPak Plus range extender. The battery is secured into the frame with a T25 Torx key, which features an inbuilt torque limiter to prevent damage or the battery from being under torqued.

The RideControl system controls the Syncdrive Pro motor, with a neatly integrated RideControl Go control center in the top tube, and the RideControl Ergo 3 handlebar control button integrated into the lock-ring of the grip. The RideControl App is used to connect to the Giant, allowing your phone to display ride data; to tweak the various assistance of the five different power modes (Eco, Tour, Active, Sport and Power), and to update the system with the latest firmware.

The Trance X Advanced E+ features Giant’s Hybrid Cycling Technology concept, which Giant claims to produce a “Smart, natural and powerful E-bike riding experience”. Giant wanted to ensure there was no delay in the assistance kicking in, so they worked with Yamaha to ensure there was high torque at very low cadence. Smart Assist uses six sensors to precisely measure the power applied at the pedals, helping the motor to generate the desired level of assistance to create a natural ride feel. This gives the power needed when it’s asked for, and helps to save energy when to maximize battery life.

The geometry of the Giant Trance X Advanced is largely on-par with more XC/Trail focused 140mm bikes. It has a stability-inducing long wheelbase produced by the relatively long rear end. A steeper head angle and lower stack height than many in the class helps to retain some agility at low speeds, but removes a touch of composure at the highest speeds.

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Geometry – Giant gave the Trance X Advanced E+ a flip chip to allow for the geometry to be tailored to the terrain on the menu of the day. Generally the geometry sits in the aggressive trail category, with numbers that should be equally happy on the way up as the way down. To obtain the most stable and aggressive handling on the way down, we spent most of the time in the low setting of the flip chip. Consistent across the Small to Extra Large size range are a 65.8 degree head tube angle; 30mm bottom bracket drop and very long 473mm chainstay. The effective seat tube angle is 76 degrees for the largest three sizes, and 77.2 degrees for the size Small. The size Large has a 482mm reach, 621mm stack, 450mm seat tube and wheelbase totaling 1268mm.

Models – Giant offers the Trance X Advanced E+ in four build specs: 2, 1, 0 (tested) and LTD. Each of these share the same frame and drive system (though the LTD gets an 800Wh battery) but differ in the components attached. All builds feature a Fox suspension package, with the 1, 0  and LTD builds coming equipped with Live Valve and the 2 build a conventional suspension system. The 2 build comes in at $7,200, and the LTD tops out at $15,000, with the 0 tested retailing for $9,500.

Jumping up to $9,500 gets you the Fox Live Valve E-integrated suspension control system to tailor the damping of the Fox Factory Float 36 150mm fork and Float X Trunnion shock to the trail. The drivetrain and brakes are Shimano’s Deore XT, with a 10-51t 12-speed cassette and four-piston brake stopping on a pair of 203mm rotors. There are Praxis Carbon cranks with a steel 36t chainring; a KMC e.12 Turbo e-bike optimized chain, and an MRP HD2 chain guide with bash guard. Giant supplies the majority of the finishing kit. The wheels are their e-TRX alloy 29ers with 30mm inner width; there’s a Contact SLR carbon bar; Contact SL 35 stem; Contact Switch dropper in size-specific lengths from 125mm-170mm; and a Giant Romero SL saddle.

As standard the Giant Trance X Advanced E+ 0 comes with a pair of 29×2.6” Maxxis tires, with the Assegai EXO MaxxTerra up front and Dissector EXO+ 3C in the rear. For this year’s shootout Schwalbe supplied their Magic Mary and Big Betty Soft Super Gravity tires, so that we could equip each bike with a consistent and reliable tire spec that would provide us with an even playing field on the ground and allow for an easier comparison.