Giant trance test ride your views please

winter_zombie

Hi All

im thinking about getting a giant trance 4 or 3 in a 27.5 next year
i dont belong to any clubs or have a biking buddy so i dont know what a full sus bike is like to ride other than what ive read and watched
my current bike is the Boardman Pro HT 2013-14 model

ive noticed on the giant website they offer test rides
you pick the bike your interested in and they point you to who stocks them with contact details
their is a cost involved like a hire price but you get to borrow the bike for the day to test it out
so ive phoned my local bike stop as i know they are a giant dealer and asked about this test ride Program.
they are going to contact giant to see if they have a trance as a demo bike with all info and pricing for me.

so my question is have any of you done this before ? what was your experience like and how much was you charged

thanks for your time

The Rookie

You're confused, Liv is their women's specific brand, its not a programme.

Their test ride programme applies to Giant and Liv branded bikes.

My local Giant (only) shop does 24 hour test rides using the programme, as we are only an hour from Cannock many of the MTB's get taken there, the shop know this and are quite happy with it, I don't know what the charge is but it is deductible from the purchase if you end up buying the bike (then making it free).

As the Trance is one of their biggest sellers I'd be amazed if they didn't have some, may not get the exact model you are looking at though I guess.

http://www.test-ride.co.uk/bikes/view/2 ... rance-27-5

Gromson

Yes, Liv is Giant's women's range. Five women in my club have one and absolutely love them.
The male equivalent of the upper Liv range is probably the Propel IRC.

winter_zombie

Thank You @The Rookie & @Gromson. i have edited my title.

i just want to know price area i may be charged and any giant trance owners views on their bike

rockmonkeysc

I had one on test for a weekend a couple years ago. It was great, I took it to a couple places and gave it some proper abuse. The only reason I didn't buy one was that the fork fitted at the time was absolutely rubbish and they used overdrive 2 headsets. The frame is still the same but they've improved the fork and it has a standard headset. Great frame.

neilus

I have a 2015 Trance 1 and i love it. Not a huge fan of the RS Revelation which feels a bit noodly and the 100mm dropper drives me mad but handling is fantastic. When i replace it in a few years i may well get another one.

JBA

I bought a 2016 Trance 2 in September and love it.
My last bike was a Spesh Stumpjumper FSR which I loved but the Trance is nicer. It feels more planted and I feel as if I am more in control. The suspension is very good, although it did take me a while to get it sorted. The bike climbs well and descends even better. It is also a comfy bike for long treks and XC.
I changed the bars on mine as soon as I got it as I was used to wider bars and the stock 690mm felt too narrow. I now have 760mm bars on it. (The 2017 models have 730mm bars.)

I can't comment on test ride costs, sorry. I rode mine around the block and decided I wanted it.

kirby700

I looked into a demo a couple of years ago. I'm sure it was about £30

sam-323

Depending on your budget, as the 2017 are coming into stock now. The 2016 models are now cheaper as shops clear them out. I was in the a similar position I didn't want to buy something I hadn't ride. I now have many times as I bought one. Coming from a hardtail to my first full sus, I can only say it was a great why to go. I've done a few demo days and rode the entire orange range I feel in love with the five. Which was surpassed by the Saracen Ariel what a bike that was such a suprise and so well specced for the price.

But I've always been a giant fan so I've been out and got myself a 2016 trance 2 for £1400 with some pedals thrown in for good measure. Before I did this when talking with my local bike shop they informed me you could get a bike for 4 days, to test. You had to leave a deposit and sign to say you would cover damage cost. Luckily for me a chap in the shop is a massive giant fan and was able to provide loads of advice. He did say the only real difference between the 2017 and 2016 models was the head angle had been made slacker.

I think mine was diffently the smart money. It climbs well, decends better, being able to drop the seat is awesome. The fact that I can push push with the new shimano gears is great. I don't feel the need to replace bits straight away. Having 140mm travel on the front and rear is more than sufficient for the type of riding I do.

winter_zombie

Sam-323 wrote:

Depending on your budget, as the 2017 are coming into stock now. The 2016 models are now cheaper as shops clear them out. I was in the a similar position I didn't want to buy something I hadn't ride. I now have many times as I bought one. Coming from a hardtail to my first full sus, I can only say it was a great why to go. I've done a few demo days and rode the entire orange range I feel in love with the five. Which was surpassed by the Saracen Ariel what a bike that was such a suprise and so well specced for the price.

But I've always been a giant fan so I've been out and got myself a 2016 trance 2 for £1400 with some pedals thrown in for good measure. Before I did this when talking with my local bike shop they informed me you could get a bike for 4 days, to test. You had to leave a deposit and sign to say you would cover damage cost. Luckily for me a chap in the shop is a massive giant fan and was able to provide loads of advice. He did say the only real difference between the 2017 and 2016 models was the head angle had been made slacker.

I think mine was diffently the smart money. It climbs well, decends better, being able to drop the seat is awesome. The fact that I can push push with the new shimano gears is great. I don't feel the need to replace bits straight away. Having 140mm travel on the front and rear is more than sufficient for the type of riding I do.

thanks for the info buddy
im still waiting on sherwood pines my local giant store to contact me about the test ride.
i too have been looking at the 2016 models as they are in the sale and look great for the money, but not been on a full sus before i don't know what to expect or how it fill feel. but thanks for your advise