2023 Giant Trance X E+ / E+ Elite

[thebradjohns]

Hey mate. Where can you get the -1 deg headset from? I'm running the original Fox Float 36 (Elite 2) with 160mm. Just interested to see what it would be like 1 deg slacker.
How can I find out about head set size? Is this the internal diameter? I can measure tonight.
But to be honest, the bike feels great on the low bb setting with the head angle as is and I was coming from 63.5.
I'm not sure if you need to over stroke the rear shock. The bike feels more like 150mm travel, it's very plush.
I run the shock with 250 PSI in the medium position (not fully open) and it feels similar to the 150mm travel on my Stumpy Evo.
One more tip, dial down the motor power in the app, you don't need more than 40-60 Nm / 150-250 KW to keep up with full powered eMTBs. It's somehow more powerful than you would expect and drains the battery quickly.
Can't wait to take the bike down to Rotorua soon.

Headset is this one provided the trance uses a 44mm upper, 56mm lower bearing. All the cables would need to be relocated from the stock thru headset setup to the port on the side of the frame so would be a bit of work.

Wolf Tooth Geoshift ZS44/ZS56 1 Degree Headset

Wolf Tooth Geoshift ZS44/ZS56 1 Degree Headset at Evo Cycles. TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR GEOMETRYAdjust the geometry of your bike by changing the head tube angle by 1º with the GeoShift Performance Angle Headset

www.evocycles.co.nz

Good to know about the rear being so good. I'm coming from an overforked V1 transition sentinel with CC rear link (148mm/170mm) which I imagine is a bit of a boat compared to the trance.

I was planning to dial back all the modes and just leave the highest setting at full power/assist for the odd little squirts. I'm close to 100kg so don't envisage getting much range at all running full power.

Pick my bike up Friday and I'm pretty excited to get out and rip it.

 

[Redfox]

Headset is this one provided the trance uses a 44mm upper, 56mm lower bearing. All the cables would need to be relocated from the stock thru headset setup to the port on the side of the frame so would be a bit of work.

Wolf Tooth Geoshift ZS44/ZS56 1 Degree Headset

Wolf Tooth Geoshift ZS44/ZS56 1 Degree Headset at Evo Cycles. TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR GEOMETRYAdjust the geometry of your bike by changing the head tube angle by 1º with the GeoShift Performance Angle Headset

www.evocycles.co.nz

Thanks for the link, I'll check the diameters top and bottom of the head tube tonight.
Brake and shifter cables won't be an issue, but the power up down switch might be a pain to move. Not sure which end the cable comes off, but I suspect it will be by the motor. The switch and cable at the handlebar look like a fixed unit.
If you're tall / frame size XL, I recommend swapping the handlebar to a 800mm for more stability, stock was 780 or even 760 on my bike.

 

[John_A]

It’s an sz56 sx56 headset. I wouldn’t worry bother with an angle set it feels slacker than the measurements suggest

Also you would need to ditch the headset cable routing so at least upgrade to Axs gearing as you only have one port for cables

Planned to do the same to mine but after riding it decided it was more than ok as it is

 

[Redfox]

It’s an sz56 sx56 headset. I wouldn’t worry bother with an angle set it feels slacker than the measurements suggest

Also you would need to ditch the headset cable routing so at least upgrade to Axs gearing as you only have one port for cables

Planned to do the same to mine but after riding it decided it was more than ok as it is

I just measured it, the bearings are both 52 mm. I've attached images of what it looks like as I'm not an expert with these things, not sure if I measured correctly. There seem to be two cups pressed into the frame, do these need to come out to get to the 56mm diameter?
The power mode switch will need to be redone, there's no easy way of disconnecting the cable.
Correct, currently there would be one cable too many for the side ports. Either remote dropper or AXS.
And I agree, the head tube angle adjustment is not really needed, certainly not at this cost.
The bike feels slacker than it is.

 

[Montana St Alum]

Mine came stock with the RS 35 Gold fork. I did a fork service on it and it was easy to extend it from 150 to 160mm. I don't think it's worth the trouble to add the 10mm. It's not noticeable on the trail and there is a bit of a resultant "clunk" at the top of stroke extension. I may reduce it back on my next service.

 

[thebradjohns]

I just measured it, the bearings are both 52 mm. I've attached images of what it looks like as I'm not an expert with these things, not sure if I measured correctly. There seem to be two cups pressed into the frame, do these need to come out to get to the 56mm diameter?
The power mode switch will need to be redone, there's no easy way of disconnecting the cable.
Correct, currently there would be one cable too many for the side ports. Either remote dropper or AXS.
And I agree, the head tube angle adjustment is not really needed, certainly not at this cost.
The bike feels slacker than it is.

View attachment 140304 View attachment 140305

Yeah you would need to remove the pressed in cups. Looks like Works Components makes a 56/56 1 deg head set.

1.0 Degree ZS56-ZS56 Angle Headset- To Suit Tapered Steerer Tube

Change your bikes geometry to suit you - with our World Cup proven angle headsets you can alter stock geometry, changing the way your bike rides and

www.workscomponents.co.uk

Does look like its more work than its worth especially if you have to go to AXS dropper or shifting. I'm still gonna install my 160mm Lyrik as I already have it and it should be a good upgrade over the stock 35.

 

[thebradjohns]

Can anyone chuck up a photo of the frame cable entry port? Will it accept 3 x cables? Brake, dropper and shifting? I'm really not sold on the thru headset routing.

 

[John_A]

Can anyone chuck up a photo of the frame cable entry port? Will it accept 3 x cables? Brake, dropper and shifting? I'm really not sold on the thru headset routing.

The port on the bike has a blanking plate on it. The bike should have come with a plastic bag with reflectors and bits in it. In there you’ll find a selection of port covers and one of them has 3 holes. I hate the headset routing and changing it is on the to-do list

 

[John_A]

Here you go

 

[thebradjohns]

Finally got my bike delivered this weekend after waiting a few weeks. All I can say is damn it was worth the wait. First time owning an ebike and I'm 100% happy with my decision to get the trance. Made a few changes already and have a few more planned (suspension and brakes). Smiles per mile today were up there. Motor is very smooth, transition off power when you hit 32kph isn't like hitting a wall like some bikes, power in mode 5 is ridiculous. Range not the best but not that bad either. With the torque at 60nm and support at 200% it still felt plenty powerful enough for most riding conditions.

 

[Redfox]

Finally got my bike delivered this weekend after waiting a few weeks. All I can say is damn it was worth the wait. First time owning an ebike and I'm 100% happy with my decision to get the trance. Made a few changes already and have a few more planned (suspension and brakes). Smiles per mile today were up there. Motor is very smooth, transition off power when you hit 32kph isn't like hitting a wall like some bikes, power in mode 5 is ridiculous. Range not the best but not that bad either. With the torque at 60nm and support at 200% it still felt plenty powerful enough for most riding conditions.

View attachment 141534

Nice, I', glad you enjoy the bike. It's one of those bikes that seems to be more than just the numbers on the spec sheet.

 

[thebradjohns]

Anyone here running a 55mm stroke rear shock? I've installed my 160mm Lyrik on my E3 and now want to upgrade the rear from the basic RS Select. Looks like there is enough clearance to run the extra 2.5mm stroke.

 

[trailaddict]

No Problem with 55mm Stroke.
Running a RS SDU Air 185x55mm for 2 years now and zero problems.

 

[Beno]

View attachment 118157

Did you run the control wires through this? Any tips?

 

[mark1981]

Hi all, thinking of buying an Elite 2 and just after feedback from those who've had one a while on the reliability. I've read the whole thread and haven't picked up any concerns, which looks good.

Also interested in feedback regarding range and motor noise.

Finally anyone ridden the Specialised Levo SL 1.2 or Trek Fuel EXE and can provide a comparison.

 

[John_A]

Hi all, thinking of buying an Elite 2 and just after feedback from those who've had one a while on the reliability. I've read the whole thread and haven't picked up any concerns, which looks good.

Also interested in feedback regarding range and motor noise.

Finally anyone ridden the Specialised Levo SL 1.2 or Trek Fuel EXE and can provide a comparison.

I’ve got one and never had any issues at all but haven’t owned it long. Have a mate with one who’s had it about a year and been problem free. Noise is good. Better than Bosch similar to shimano. Range is great. Bought a range extender and never used it. Had 30 mile rides and been out 4 hours plus and still had battery left and I’m 90kg

Selling mine as I’m not using it much though, ultimately prefer an analogue bike and spend more time riding that

 

[Drewf]

Hi all, thinking of buying an Elite 2 and just after feedback from those who've had one a while on the reliability. I've read the whole thread and haven't picked up any concerns, which looks good.

Also interested in feedback regarding range and motor noise.

Finally anyone ridden the Specialised Levo SL 1.2 or Trek Fuel EXE and can provide a comparison.

I can chime in here and I have had the Giant EL3 since April 2023 and have ~1500 miles on my bike. I have had zero problems with the bike and love it. I have done various component upgrades, but the core bike frame and motor have been problem free. Before this bike I had the Rail 5 and then the Trek Fuel EXE and then the Giant EL3. The Fuel EXE was a nice bike but I couldn't deal with the low 50nm power, I wanted a fuel 85nm power bike. So thanks to Trek's amazing return policy, I returned the EXE and bought the Giant Elite 3. The Fuel EXE motor is completely silent. The Giant Elite motor is not silent, but compared to other e-mtbs I would call it quiet, not too loud at all. Bombing down a trail the bike and motor does not rattle at all in my experience. I also tested the previous gen Levo SL and the motor felt just like the EXE...not enough power for me.

Range on the Elite 3 got to me at first, but I was coming off a full fat e-mtb (Rail 5) so I was used to the larger battery. However, the battery life on the Elite 3 was not an issue at all. Most of my rides are 1-2 hours long (with 800-1000ft elevation gains on auto mode) and never run out of battery and I have done some really long 3+ hour rides and still no problems if I turn down the assist level. No need for the battery extender. the big change coming off a Rail 5 is now I charge my bike after every ride. no other concerns or issues.

I love the Giant Elite, and the only other bike on my radar is the Cannondale Moterra SL. If you are looking for light e-mtb (SL) and need/want full 85nm power, those are the only 2 bikes I would be looking at.

And if you are serious about buying the Giant Elite, you need to check out The Pros Closet, they currently have a bunch of the demo EL0 builds, which are the top the line $14K bikes selling for around $6800. Some of them have 1 charge cycle and 100 miles on them. I would buy one of those bikes if I was looking today.

 

[mark1981]

Thanks for the detailed reply. I now just need to decide between the 2023 and 2024 models. They look the same, the 2023 is just $400 cheaper.

I can chime in here and I have had the Giant EL3 since April 2023 and have ~1500 miles on my bike. I have had zero problems with the bike and love it. I have done various component upgrades, but the core bike frame and motor have been problem free. Before this bike I had the Rail 5 and then the Trek Fuel EXE and then the Giant EL3. The Fuel EXE was a nice bike but I couldn't deal with the low 50nm power, I wanted a fuel 85nm power bike. So thanks to Trek's amazing return policy, I returned the EXE and bought the Giant Elite 3. The Fuel EXE motor is completely silent. The Giant Elite motor is not silent, but compared to other e-mtbs I would call it quiet, not too loud at all. Bombing down a trail the bike and motor does not rattle at all in my experience. I also tested the previous gen Levo SL and the motor felt just like the EXE...not enough power for me.

Range on the Elite 3 got to me at first, but I was coming off a full fat e-mtb (Rail 5) so I was used to the larger battery. However, the battery life on the Elite 3 was not an issue at all. Most of my rides are 1-2 hours long (with 800-1000ft elevation gains on auto mode) and never run out of battery and I have done some really long 3+ hour rides and still no problems if I turn down the assist level. No need for the battery extender. the big change coming off a Rail 5 is now I charge my bike after every ride. no other concerns or issues.

I love the Giant Elite, and the only other bike on my radar is the Cannondale Moterra SL. If you are looking for light e-mtb (SL) and need/want full 85nm power, those are the only 2 bikes I would be looking at.

And if you are serious about buying the Giant Elite, you need to check out The Pros Closet, they currently have a bunch of the demo EL0 builds, which are the top the line $14K bikes selling for around $6800. Some of them have 1 charge cycle and 100 miles on them. I would buy one of those bikes if I was looking to

 

[Larsey]

Thanks for the detailed reply. I now just need to decide between the 2023 and 2024 models. They look the same, the 2023 is just $400 cheaper.

My understanding is the 2024 has magnesium motor cases for weight savings. Colors I believe are the only other major change

 

[Ender]

My understanding is the 2024 has magnesium motor cases for weight savings. Colors I believe are the only other major change

I had a crush on this sparkly blue one for a while.

 

[mark1981]

I had a crush on this sparkly blue one for a while.
View attachment 144008

Took the plunge and put a deposit on this bike today. Can’t wait to pick it up.

 

[thebradjohns]

Had mine a few months now and put a few KS on it. No issues. Range completely depends on terrain and how you ride. I can drain my battery in 1-1.5 hours doing DH laps on full power or turn it down and get an easy 3 hours riding, probably 4hours if I turned the assist right down. Noise is there but not too loud. Quieter than the wife's Orbea Rise with Shimano, about the same as a mates Levo SL.

 

[Cyberwolf]

Hi,

Is anyone aware of success stories relating to speed chips/unrestriction of these bikes yet? - Maybe this is more a UK/EU specific issue.


I have the 2023 Elite 3 (Syncdrive Pro 2) and having just come from a Trek Rail 5 (Bosch Cx Gen1 - w/ speedbox chip) I "need" more power.


I've communicated with SpeedBox RE their chip and they don't have a suitable option at the moment for this motor:

"if you have 2023 model, we rather do not recommend to use any tuning. This is because Giant has implemented tuning detection into it's new models/updates so even though the chip fits and may work, there is also a chance of getting detection error."


Similar story with VolSpeed and their V4 chip for Giant motors:

"However, please note the specified restriction regarding the Smart Gateway software version. If your bike's software has been updated since March 2024, we strongly advise against using this tuning module."


It just feels like you hit that wall so quickly, and you're carrying Ebike weight around for no reason when you're doing all the work. - I'm a bit of a mixed rider in that I'll take my bike anywhere, road, gravel tracks, trails, fields - just general "let's get out and go" kind of adventures. Perhaps I'm just spoiled by the no complications of my previous bike experience.

I just wanted less weight and similar power with no complications

 

[parityclaws]

I am looking for some advice on what model Trance I should get, I am in Australia and the following models are available to me that I am considering:

2023 Trance X Advanced + Elite 1 $9999 (6495USD)

or

2024 Trance X Advanced + Elite 2 $ 8500 (5521USD)

On the one hand the 2024 model is cheaper. On the other it does come with some upgrades (being a 1) such as AXS and Carbon rims. The potential downside of the 2023 E1 is that it has Live Valve shock and fork (I am pretty non-plussed about this either way).

Are there other changes on the 2024 that really matter, or other pros/cons of the 2023 that should weigh into it?

edit: We ended up going the 2023 E1, got a great deal on 1 Trance E1 and 1 Intrigue E1, taking the gamble with Live Valve

 

[glovemtb77]

My understanding is the 2024 has magnesium motor cases for weight savings. Colors I believe are the only other major change

Some other pretty significant changes, correct me if i am wrong but they went from a 600 (or 800WH) battery to a 400 watt battery in '24 to meet their target weight reduction in 2024 of about 10 lbs ! Which is allot lol. Also, notice that the 2024's are mullet with a 650b rear wheel. To me 400w is just not enough to get the job done on my 5-6 hour rides that I do fine on the 600w battery. You can always add their aux battery but it is F&%king ridiculously expensive.
Notice they say here a *800 watt battery but I believe that to be a misprint and think it is the same as mine at 600. Not sure though, they do crazy stuff sometimes. I have found huge errors in their detailed specs before in previous models. That said, I love 5/3 level of assistance in their firmware (next best thing to 0-100% which is what they all should have don't get me started) and they have finally got the meat grinder noise from 2022 as a thing of the past. These new motors are so quiet. (Not sure if that applies to the mag casings as I have not ridden one but mag at least transmits less vibration. Also, not sure how threads hold up tapped into mag lol. But have loved the Yama motors durability vs my others Shim Steps and Bosch's) (my main complaint with Bosh is sorry 1-4 levels of assistance (with no sub-levels) (and gestapo like tampering firmware that will brick your bike if you don't get a good tuner such as speedbox 3's)
The other annoying change for me in '24 giant went to was a mullet design is not that big a deal for some and you can always put a 29er back there because it is the same rear triangle as previous models.

2022

Trance X Advanced E+ 2 20MPH (2022) | Trail bike | Giant Bicycles US

www.giant-bicycles.com

2023
* 800 ? Trance X Advanced E+ Elite (2023) | Giant Bicycles US

2024

Trance X Advanced E+ Elite 2 (2024) | Trail bike | Giant Bicycles US

www.giant-bicycles.com

Btw, you can pick the 2022's up from wheelworld in USA California for 4,699.99 with a like 80 dollars (I think) shipping fee but no sales tax.
Earlier in the year they had them on sale for 3999. My total driveout (bought 3 of them 2 for me for 2 different homes and one for my wife) was 4184 each. The no sales tax thing was like a 320 georgia and 280 Colorado dollar savings reduced by 80 for shipping....
Legal deal and dealer as I easily registered them on the giant website.
Wheelworld also give 5 (so adds 3 years to giants) years on the battery and 10 years (adds 8 years to giants) on the motor. They have been in business since the mid 40's. I think like 1945 was their first store.

Buying at Wheel World is the Smartest Choice!

www.wheelworld.com

 

[Rando_12345]

You are mixing up the trance and the trance elite. Despite the names they are completely different bikes, kinda like the Levo and Levo SL. Both types of bike are still in the catalogue.

The Elites have 400Wh non replaceable batteries, carbon only frames, and 27.5 rear wheel only (no chance of fitting a 29).

Since 2023 most giant full fat bikes use 800Wh rather than 630Wh batteries.

 

[Cory]

The Trance Elite 2 is a great bike for the money, I’ve been riding it for 8 months and have had no major issues. 400watts gets me around 18-20km, depending on the elevation gain., but I did purchase the extender (200 additional watts) to ease my range anxiety.
My previous bike was the Trance advanced (confusing having basically the same name), but at 56lbs it doesn’t compare to the Elite 2 carbon. At around 46lbs. It feels like an analog bike. Highly recommend!

 

[Feawen]

And if you are serious about buying the Giant Elite, you need to check out The Pros Closet, they currently have a bunch of the demo EL0 builds, which are the top the line $14K bikes selling for around $6800. Some of them have 1 charge cycle and 100 miles on them. I would buy one of those bikes if I was looking today.

Cheers for this beta, I just picked one up with 100 miles and 9 charge cycles on it for $4400 OTD (and free shipping) with the labor day sale. Cannot wait to shred with my new bike next weekend!

(FWIW there's 3 or 4 more left)

 

[Redlemon]

Just a quick heads up as the information could be useful for some people shopping these bikes.

The whole 2024 Trance X E+ Elite line up will carry over to 2025, no model change, update or new colors.

If you find a deal on a 2024 go for it as you'll basically have a 2025.

 

[Cory]

Just a quick heads up as the information could be useful for some people shopping these bikes.

The whole 2024 Trance X E+ Elite line up will carry over to 2025, no model change, update or new colors.

If you find a deal on a 2024 go for it as you'll basically have a 2025.

That’s good news but It would be nice if they offered a larger built in battery option like the new Amflow coming out.