2014 trance sx vs 2015 canon dale trigger 3

Gixermark

Hi guys,

Having just sold my giant reign... Which I never got on with (Geometry felt wrong for me.. Sitting too far back, and felt it bobbed/soft)

Local guy has a lovely trance sx for sale... Close to mint.. Few small upgrade over already good std spec, narrowwide chain ring, wider bars.. And short cage clutch rear mech. A mate has a trance.. And I do like the geometry/feel

The trigger just seems great value for a new bike... Prob the only thing I'd ideally like would be a single chain ring on it.. Great value at this;

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s183p5687/CANNONDALE-TRIGGER-3-27-5-2015

Has anyone experience of both? How does the trigger feel compared to a trance?

The 2nd hand trance is pretty much same money as the trigger.... The trance is in the lovely gold colour :-) lovely bike

rockmonkeysc

I would probably go for the Trance. The Fox 32 fork and SRAM X7 gearing would put me off the Canondale. The fork is just too flexy and X7 is fairly poor quality compared to even Shimano Deore.
What fork is on the Trance?

Gixermark

The trance has 160/140 talas forks..

Much as I think the trance is (for what little I know) a great do it all bike.... And probably easy to sell on again.. I am struggling to see the value of it given its 2014 and obviously used.. Vs a brand new trigger (albeit not quite the same spec) but the trigger was still a £3k retail bike.. So seems a bargain.

This trigger is well speced, although not sure carbon is a good idea on an off road machine! If it had single chain. Ring set up would certainly tick the boxes... But again, never sat on a trigger to know

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s183p5688/CANNONDALE-TRIGGER-CARBON-2-27-5-2015

Is a 2nd hand trance sx 2014 worth £13-1400 in today's market?

The Rookie

Carbon is a better material for an MTB frame than Al alloy, stiffer, lighter and better impact resistance.

Whichever you buy will be second hand after the first ride, so the fact the Trance is used wouldn't put me off.

A friend ar work has the Trigger mind you and loves it, same model.

Gixermark

Cheers.. You mean the trigger 3 or the carbon? I'd love to hear from someone that has ridden both trigger & trance frames to comment on differences pro/cons

That trigger 3 seems great value for a brand new bike

rockmonkeysc

The Trigger was really poor value at full price, it's about right now.
The Trance may be used but is definitely the best bike. Try riding quickly down hill on the trigger and those spindly forks are going to be a real let down and make it difficult to hold a line. Although the Talas isn't a great fork at least it's suitably rigid for the sort of hard riding the bike is designed for.

Gixermark

Cheers... Yes, the Trance is a bike I think fits with what I want to do.. And in the bronze colour looks fab.. Also has all the things I want I.e. Single chain ring, reverb.. And all decent components, I'm just struggling to get my head around how much is. A fair price, I'm a roady primarily, I know most 2nd hand trance bikes go for 6-800 quid... I'm ignorantly just not sue how much extra an SX is worth.

From std spec is has had these parts fitted.. Although he would like token the bars and fit some nukeproof bars (still wider than std)

Oneup Components 32t Narrow Wide
Custom 50mm Fireeye Stem
Shimano Zee Short Cage Clutch Mech
Schwalbe Rock Razor Super Gravity Tyre
Raceface Atlas Handlebar

Gixermark

Gcheers lads... Sounds like the trance is getting the nod from the experts!

What sort of approx range in price to you guys feel a well maintained 2014 sx model either std or with the extras I list above be worth? I'm happy to buy it if I know it's on the money...

rockmonkeysc

Are you going to be better off with the SX than the standard Trance? For most riders the standard model is better, unless you're smashing rock gardens and hitting big jumps.

eric_draven

Went to look at an ex-demo 2015 Trance SX about 2 weeks ago,that was £1800 in a shop

The 2015 SX has Rockshox pikes on it

Gixermark

A standard trance would most likely do me fine.. But in my wish list is a dropper and single chainring.. The sx just seems/looks to have it all... Genuinely interested to know why you thing a std trance would be 'better' ? Do you mean that it would do job.. And be cheaper just?

Thanks for the tips on pricing too.. I sort of felt 1000-1200 was its level

rockmonkeysc

I test rode an SX because I thought it would be ideal for what I wanted and I like Giants.
The longer fork has a negative effect on cornering stability compared to the standard model and also means you have to drop the fork for climbing where the standard one just works perfectly everywhere as it is.
If you're buying used most will probably have a dropper post by now anyway and probably quite a few with upgraded forks as well

Gixermark

Good input... Cheers. I have also found a 2014 trance 2 that is std apart from a dropper... So that may well be a better (and cheaper) option

The Rookie

Friend has the Trigger 3 Carbon, despite what RMSC says the lefty fork is stiffer than many conventional forks, also the damping is now much improved making it a genuinely competitive option, that said its more an XC-trail bike than the Trance which is trail towards lighter AM, so it depends what you really want to use it for.

Gixermark

Cheers... Mostly for red/black single track trails really.

To be fair probably won't make a massive difference to me.. I just never got on with the geometry/feel if the reign..

I want a decent bike that I don't need to upgrade/spend on.. Just have for a few years.. I only use very occasionally.

rockmonkeysc

The Trigger in the link above has a Fox 32. The Lefty is very stiff and is a good fork.
Just noticed that the link is to a Trigger 2 carbon.

Gixermark

Yea.. The cheap trigger (3) in that link tempts me as it seems a lot of bike for the cash... I think the carbon trigger 2 is way too much bike for me... But is probably a great bike for 2k hence tempting me to spend a few quid.

Decent spec/condition bikes 2nd hand are few and far between.. So might just pull the trigger (pardon the pun) on a new one in the new year..

The Rookie

Sorry I was looking at the link!

Gixermark

Can't help looking at all the run out bikes that these guys have...this one seems a great spec for the money...

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s183p5683/CANNONDALE-JEKYLL-3-27-5-2015

Gixermark

Yup... It's a lot of bike for the money..

Never tried a 29er. And I know they mostly being replaced by 27.5 bikes now... But can't help think this is an awesome value bike... I can't see why you could ride this for a year and get 750 easy !

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s154p4838/GIANT-TRANCE-X-29ER-2-2013

Spoilt for. Choice... That's the problem.

I think it's either buy something cheap like that trance 29er.. Or get one of the higher spec 27.5 bikes on a cycle to work voucher

rockmonkeysc

29ers aren't being replaced by 27.5, there's still plenty of them and new ones coming along.
More hardcore short travel 29ers seem to be getting more popular, bikes like the Banshee Prime and Transition Transition Smuggler. They're quite popular as enduro bikes as well, the Specialized Enduro 29 is just brilliant.

Gixermark

Might try to hire a 29er just to see how it feels....that 29er trance is an utter bargain I think..

I think I am down to the bargain trance 29er or one of the canondale trigger/Jekyll (27.5")

Gixermark

Ended up buying the Jekyll 3, had it out for the first time today... And wow!

Absolutely blown out away by it... Need to add more pressure to rear shock next time.. But the beauty of the shock 'lock out' meant I could run it at the lower 85mm travel and it improved things for today's ventures..

The bike is just amazing.. Soooo glad I bought it :-)