ilostmypassword
Active member
I've ridden mountain bikes since the 90's and in 2011 got disillusioned with the sport and quite frankly got bored with it.
This year I picked up my first Ebike the Trance X E+1 and it was a gamble. There were no test bikes to check out and the long, low and slack geo with big wheels was like learning to ride a mountain bike all over again. In small it felt HUGE and 5 foot 4 and 73KG.
The first few months I had the biggest crashes i've ever had on a bike and lucky to walk away from a few if the truth be known. I also had to build up my skills and technique all over again and this time on a bike that not only weighed in heavy and could not be lifted off the ground easily- but also with assistance and huge wheels it felt like an acquired taste at first. Buzzin your nuts on the rear tyre wakes you up thats for sure
Starting off with standard tubeless setup I pinch flatted instantly on the rear. I swapped out the tyre for a new one and same thing. Swapping to tubes and higher pressures- I was still getting pinch flats weekly. The weight of the bike on the brutal technical and rocky tracks I love to ride was not a good combo. Riding with solid tyres also took the fun out of the experience so I moved to cushcore and never looked back. I'm now on the same trails running 25 rear and 20 front and it's like riding a new bike. A new wheel set with Hope hubs and better engagement is also a valued upgrade to ride up and over the rocks trails here in Christchurch New Zealand.
The final lesson to learn was the low BB and cranks/ pedals hitting everything. Of course this happens but every ride it was like I could not even pedal without bottoming out the bike. The solution? Some new pedals and setting up the front and rear suspension properly and sitting more in the start of the travel vs lots of sag. Like the cushcore- the bike feels like another bike sat higher in travel- even with the flip chip set to low and slack.
Anyway, 2022 and falling back in love with mountain biking has been bloody fantastic. Yes it has taken me close to 7 months and close to 2000 KM to get used to the newer geo and wheel size- set it up properly and pay out for cushcore. Overall I can't be happier with this Giant Trance X E+1 and my bike skills have really turned corner having a bike that rides 3 times faster than my previous old school rides- and utterly SHREDS.
Some negatives? Well, the original dropper was too long so that was swapped out at my expense straight away. The Shimano XT gears are really clunky. I was always a SRAM user for this reason TBH- but I'll wait until the setup breaks before spending anymore. Also the Deore hubs showed play within the first few weeks and needed attention every few months which was really dissapointing.
I would never go back to the old fashioned bikes and totally hooked on E-Biking. I cant wait to explore more over the Summer now I'm really comfortable on this bike and happy with how it feels. It took longer to get used to and dial it in- but, worth it and I highly recommend this bike to people considering it as a do it all bike.
All the best for 2023 and happy trails everyone and thanks for a nice friendly forum.
This year I picked up my first Ebike the Trance X E+1 and it was a gamble. There were no test bikes to check out and the long, low and slack geo with big wheels was like learning to ride a mountain bike all over again. In small it felt HUGE and 5 foot 4 and 73KG.
The first few months I had the biggest crashes i've ever had on a bike and lucky to walk away from a few if the truth be known. I also had to build up my skills and technique all over again and this time on a bike that not only weighed in heavy and could not be lifted off the ground easily- but also with assistance and huge wheels it felt like an acquired taste at first. Buzzin your nuts on the rear tyre wakes you up thats for sure
Starting off with standard tubeless setup I pinch flatted instantly on the rear. I swapped out the tyre for a new one and same thing. Swapping to tubes and higher pressures- I was still getting pinch flats weekly. The weight of the bike on the brutal technical and rocky tracks I love to ride was not a good combo. Riding with solid tyres also took the fun out of the experience so I moved to cushcore and never looked back. I'm now on the same trails running 25 rear and 20 front and it's like riding a new bike. A new wheel set with Hope hubs and better engagement is also a valued upgrade to ride up and over the rocks trails here in Christchurch New Zealand.
The final lesson to learn was the low BB and cranks/ pedals hitting everything. Of course this happens but every ride it was like I could not even pedal without bottoming out the bike. The solution? Some new pedals and setting up the front and rear suspension properly and sitting more in the start of the travel vs lots of sag. Like the cushcore- the bike feels like another bike sat higher in travel- even with the flip chip set to low and slack.
Anyway, 2022 and falling back in love with mountain biking has been bloody fantastic. Yes it has taken me close to 7 months and close to 2000 KM to get used to the newer geo and wheel size- set it up properly and pay out for cushcore. Overall I can't be happier with this Giant Trance X E+1 and my bike skills have really turned corner having a bike that rides 3 times faster than my previous old school rides- and utterly SHREDS.
Some negatives? Well, the original dropper was too long so that was swapped out at my expense straight away. The Shimano XT gears are really clunky. I was always a SRAM user for this reason TBH- but I'll wait until the setup breaks before spending anymore. Also the Deore hubs showed play within the first few weeks and needed attention every few months which was really dissapointing.
I would never go back to the old fashioned bikes and totally hooked on E-Biking. I cant wait to explore more over the Summer now I'm really comfortable on this bike and happy with how it feels. It took longer to get used to and dial it in- but, worth it and I highly recommend this bike to people considering it as a do it all bike.
All the best for 2023 and happy trails everyone and thanks for a nice friendly forum.
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