Some questions about the Giant Trance X4

jeannot18

Looking to maybe buy this

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.p ... 1b0s1p3504

I have some reviews and people rate the bike quite highly for the price. Don't want to sound too snoby but are the spec decent enough, I refer especially to the mech they have on it. And if anyone has that bike can they give me some feedback. The bike would be more than enough for me as my skills are far from being at the top and that budget would be really the maximum (+ they have free interest credit which would make it even more affordable for me).
Thanks
JC

steve_muzzy

good frame but terrible spec. however a slx group set would add a huge amount to the bike, you may find you can pick one up from Europe for a couple of hundred

shock is lots to replace too,however i loved my trance and it was a good do most things bike

jeannot18

steve_muzzy wrote:

good frame but terrible spec. however a slx group set would add a huge amount to the bike, you may find you can pick one up from Europe for a couple of hundred

shock is lots to replace too,however i loved my trance and it was a good do most things bike

Thanks Steve, what do you mean by "a six group set"? Thanks

JC

cooldad

He means SLX, but is wrong. Not worth spending a few hundred - you wouldn't notice much difference.

bartimaeus

Higher spec bits will be lighter and maybe feel smoother - and they may last longer, but I would not say no to the Trace just because it's Alivio/Deore and not Deore/SLX or SLX/XT. The 'terrible' Alivio is OK and is one rung down from the Deore I have on both my bikes. Deore is below SLX... above that is XT and then if you are very very rich you have XTR. And that's just in Shimano... there is a similar pecking order in SRAM.

Better a great bike with a so-so spec that a rubbish bike dripping with bling... the Trance is reputedly a great bike and this version has a Tora coil fork which is a bit heavy but properly damped and a decent bit of kit.

When your basic kit wears out you can 'upgrade'... but so far my Deore/SLX is showing no sign of giving me that excuse. I would love to have XT all over - I've tried most SRAM and Shimano up to X9 and XT and for my money XT is 'best'... but I won't be spending 'my money' till the Deore wears out as the more basic stuff is good enough.

bartimaeus

oops.. what was that! Double post!

winterhasarrived

Apart from price any reason to prefer the 2011 over the 2012?

jeannot18

bartimaeus wrote:

Higher spec bits will be lighter and maybe feel smoother - and they may last longer, but I would not say no to the Trace just because it's Alivio/Deore and not Deore/SLX or SLX/XT. The 'terrible' Alivio is OK and is one rung down from the Deore I have on both my bikes. Deore is below SLX... above that is XT and then if you are very very rich you have XTR. And that's just in Shimano... there is a similar pecking order in SRAM.

Better a great bike with a so-so spec that a rubbish bike dripping with bling... the Trance is reputedly a great bike and this version has a Tora coil fork which is a bit heavy but properly damped and a decent bit of kit.

When your basic kit wears out you can 'upgrade'... but so far my Deore/SLX is showing no sign of giving me that excuse. I would love to have XT all over - I've tried most SRAM and Shimano up to X9 and XT and for my money XT is 'best'... but I won't be spending 'my money' till the Deore wears out as the more basic stuff is good enough.

Thanks!
JC

tarbot18

i have an alivio rear mech and shifters on my bike and they do the job fine ill prob upgrade to deore when they brake but until then they do the job

chez_m356

winterhasarrived wrote:

Apart from price any reason to prefer the 2011 over the 2012?

better fork on the 2011