Giant Trance X5 2010 ..?

jayjaymozza

Hi all, I am wanting to get into down hill mountain biking ... I have came across a giant trance x5 2010 model for a pretty good price.
What the thoughts on these as a first full sus bike for down the hills?
Also what would be first upgrades ? Cheers

Rookie1986

Do you have a link to the bike as the results I'm seeing through a Google search would lead me to believe it's more an XC bike rather than DH (geometry, travel etc etc). Remember that just because it's full sus doesn't mean it's a DH bike!

jayjaymozza

So how do I know if it's a downhill bike if I'm new to this ?
Thanks

The Rookie

A Downhill bike will have circa 180-200mm of travel, will be pretty heavy and absolutely useless for doing anything but riding downhill (so you'll be uplifting it), also there are very few places in the UK (including the UK Downhill series) where you need a Downhill bike.

The Trance is a trail bike, it will perfectly rideable on that flat and uphill and cope with reasonable aggressive downhill tracks (noting all tracks have some downhill, doesn't make it Downhill).

So where did you think you were going to ride and how aggressively and we can perhaps make some suggestions.

jayjaymozza

I wasn't planning on strictly downhill ride.
I need something that will be nice to ride on flat surface aswell as off road, also a little bit of downhill riding ... Nothing too aggressive though.

The Rookie

OK, so not downhill at all.

Where (name a place as an easy way of understanding) will you be riding?

jayjaymozza

merida one twenty 300 d any good?
I will be riding around middlesbrough

The Rookie

With 120mm travel the Merida is a Cross country to trail bike, the Trance is a bit harder hitting, Trail plus a bit.
It helps to supply links to the bikes you are looking at and prices.

I don't know what it's like round Middlesborough

RockmonkeySC

I had a 2010 Trance. Firstly, they didn't make the X5 model after 2009. Secondly, it's purely an xc bike, too twitchy and unstable for downhill. Great bike though.

supersonic

What is your budget?

jayjaymozza

I have about 500 to spend,
I have been offered two full sus bike both for the same price...
First is the Marin rift zone XC
And the second is a saracen (just says areil 14x frame)

This is the Saracen http://m.imgur.com/gallery/i7e8Hep

This is the Marin
http://imgur.com/1dlmBU6

jayjaymozza

Anyone? Which is the best for what I need out of these two?

Rookie1986

For Middlesbrough your closest places to ride are:

Hamsterley Forest - http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/hamsterl ... p_2015.pdf
Dalby Forest - http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/eng-dalb ... tb-map.pdf
Guisborough Woods - Can't seem to find a map for this...

But your not limited to just these, there are loads of bridal paths, old railways and country paths etc etc in the local area too!! (Castle Eden Walkway / North Yorkshire Moors / Kildale Ring to name a few).

supersonic

The Rift Zone is a cross country bike - it will be fast for that, but nervous and out of its depth in rougher stuff.

The Ariel is more of an all rounder, but looks to have too short a fork on it.