Giant Stance E+1 or Trek Powerfly FS4

[Hedgehog]

I have narrowed down my search to the Giant Stance E+1 or the Trek Powerfly FS4 and was looking for advice between the two. I plan on riding mostly paved bike paths, dirt fire roads and very light single track And I’m approx. 250 lbs. These two bikes seem pretty close in specs with the exception of the Bosch 85nm motor versus the yamaha SyncDrive sport which produces 70nm. I got to spend sometime on the Giant but have never ridden the trek. The local Trek dealer doesn’t have any in stock and said for me to order one and if I didn’t like it they would give me a full refund. Any input would be appreciated

 

[Expidia]

No answers yet! I owned a 2021 Giant Explorer E+2 GTS (hard tail). Great bike. well made but I found the Yamaha motor to be overly rattly especially in the automatic ETMB mode or what ever they call that mode. Then I upgraded to a 2022 Trek Powerfly FS9 Equipped mostly because it was the FS model and had all upgraded components along with an 85 Nm motor and a 625 watt battery, but of course with a greater price tag $6,700 (with tax).

I would first assess which local bike store is closet to you and has the best reputation (local bike shops are far from equal when it comes to service after the sale).

Asthetic wise Giant make some nice looking frames, but one thing I don't like is how on some models (the Stance) their motor hangs way down and to me, looks like a pregnant Guppy when compared to the Powerfly. Trek also makes stunning looking ebikes with great paint and decals. I feel Trek has better customer service and a better warranty. I don't think a Giant's warranty (at least in the U.S.) is transferable to another owner incase you decide to sell it early (I bought 3 ebikes over a 3 months period and sold 2).

So the comparsion of the two models you asked about are pretty much very similar in price, features, specs and performance.

This is why I personally would put more weight on local bike shop convenience and then asthetics of the two ebikes.
I think that Trek's Powerfly FS4 model in their Crimson/Lithium Grey color scheme is a knock out!

 

[Hedgehog]

thank you for your response. As far as dealers go, I have a giant dealer within 45 minutes of me that use to be a motorcycle shop and now they also deal with many brands of e-bikes and he has a large inventory to try, I also have a bike shop that has been there for 50 years that got branded as a Giant dealership a few years ago but he doesn’t have any e-bikes in stock. Then the two local Trek dealers also don’t have any inventory to try that’s why I haven’t ridden a Trek yet. I also considered the hard tail powerfly4 because i don’t really care for the aesthetic look of the top tube of the frame on the fs4 but I was trying to compare equally spec bikes. So in a nut shell, I like the looks of the Giant better but like the motor system of the Trek better.

 

[Hedgehog]

Expidia, it’s funny I never noticed the pregnant guppy motor, now that’s all I can see. Lol

 

[Julie_X1]

The 2023 Stance has just been announced. (E.g. ) It looks better (IMO). So you might want to ask your Giant dealer about it.

 

[Hedgehog]

Thanks for the input on the new Giant Stance but I was looking at staying in the low $4k range since my other half is probably going to want one too. Right now both bikes I inquired about are around $4200

 

[jeanmarc]

I would definitely take a hard look into the new 2023 Stance (E+2) which seems to be within your budget. It has a renewed geometry, longer travels both front and rear, new motor (75Nm or 85Nm for the PRO model), colour display controller and better tires…
Good Luck!

Stance E+ (2023) | Giant Bicycles US

Ride trails with confidence, control and flat-out fun. This new E-bike has a powerful motor, plush suspension, and intuitive controls that can take your trail a...

www.giant-bicycles.com

 

[Hedgehog]

I’m gonna ad one more option into the mix, i just located a leftover 2021 Trek rail7 that was used for demo but looks like brand new, should this be an option or do you think buying a two year old model is a bad thing ?

 

[irie]

I’m gonna ad one more option into the mix, i just located a leftover 2021 Trek rail7 that was used for demo but looks like brand new, should this be an option or do you think buying a two year old model is a bad thing ?

Spec looks good with the Gen4 motor, so if it's a good price with full warranty then no problem IMO.

Copy and pasted specification:

Product Trek Rail 7 E-Bike
Model Year 2021
Riding Type
Enduro / All-Mountain
Rider
Unisex
Sizes and Geometry
SM (high, low)

MD (high, low)

LG (high, low)

XL (high, low)

Wheel Size
29"
E-Bike Class
Class 1: Pedal Assist (Pedelecs)
Motor Bosch Performance CX, magnesium motor body, 250W, 75 Nm torque
Battery Bosch PowerTube 625, integrated, removable
Battery Capacity 625 Wh
Display/Remote Bosch Purion
Modes Turbo, Sport/eMTB, Tour, Eco, Walk Assist
Max Speed with Assist
20 mph (32 km/h)
Frame Material
Aluminum
Frame Material Details Alpha Platinum Aluminum, magnesium rocker link, Motor Armor, molded chainstay protection
Rear Travel
150mm
Rear Shock RockShox Deluxe Select+, 230mm x 57.5mm
Fork RockShox Yari RC, DebonAir spring, Motion Control RC damper, e-MTB optimized, 42mm offset
Fork Travel 160mm
Head Tube Diameter Tapered, 1.125" top, 1.5" bottom
Headset Trek Knock Block
Handlebar Bontrager Rhythm Comp, alloy, 31.8mm clamp diameter, 15mm rise, 780mm width
Stem Bontrager Rhythm Comp, 31.8mm bar clamp, Knock Block compatible, 0° rise, 50mm length
Grips Bontrager XR Trail Comp, nylon lock-on
Brakes Shimano, 4-piston, Shimano RT76 6-bolt 203mm rotors
Brake Levers Shimano
Drivetrain
1x
Shifters Shimano SLX M7100, 12-speed
Front Derailleur None
Rear Derailleur Shimano Deore XT M8100, 12-speed, long cage
Chainguide
Cranks e*thirteen e*spec Plus, 165mm length
Chainrings e*thirteen e*spec Plus, 34 tooth
Pedals VP-536 nylon platform
Chain Shimano SLX M7100, 12-speed
Cassette Shimano SLX M7100, 12-speed, 10-51 tooth
Rims Bontrager Line Comp 30, tubeless ready
Hubs Bontrager Line Comp 30 wheelset, sealed bearing, 6-bolt rotor mounts, 15x110mm Boost front, 12x148mm Boost rear with MICRO SPLINE driver
Spokes Bontrager Line Comp 30 wheelset
Tires Bontrager XR5 Team Issue, tubeless ready, Inner Strength sidewall, aramid bead, 120 TPI, 29" x 2.6"
Saddle Bontrager Arvada, steel rails, 138mm width
Seatpost TranzX JD-YSP18 dropper
Drop: 100mm (SM), 130mm (MD/LG/XL)
Seatpost Diameter 31.6mm
Seatpost Clamp Single bolt, 36.4mm
Rear Dropout / Hub Dimensions 12x148mm Boost
Max. Tire Size 29" x 2.6"
Bottle Cage Mounts One inside front triangle
Colors Dnister Black/Rage Red, Miami Green/Nautical Navy
Warranty Lifetime frame and wheels; 2 years Trek/Bontrager parts, suspension linkage components, and paint/decals
Weight
52 lb 0.1 oz (23,590 g)
Miscellaneous Removable Integrated Battery (RIB) system
ABP (Active Braking Pivot) suspension system
Geometry adjustable via Mino Link flip chip in rear rocker link pivot
Straight Shot frame design with Knock Block steerer stop
Control Freak internal cable routing
Weight given for MD frame with tubes
Includes Bosch standard 4A (100-240V) charger

 

[Hedgehog]

Irie, I believe it only has the 500 watt battery and it is marked down to $4100. Should I be concerned about the age of the battery?

 

[irie]

Irie, I believe it only has the 500 watt battery and it is marked down to $4100. Should I be concerned about the age of the battery?

The above Spec says it should have a 625Wh battery.

We have 500Wh batteries which are fine for what we do, but can't speak for you of course.

Perhaps ask the Trek shop to check battery condition using the "Bosch eBike Capacity Tester"?

Edit link: Post in thread 'Odometer validity on used emtb (Bosch gen4) and how to test battery on used ebike?' Odometer validity on used emtb (Bosch gen4) and how to test battery on used ebike?

 

[Hedgehog]

Do you think this is a fair price of should I get a new Giant or Trek?

 

[Julie_X1]

I would take a Rail 7 over the Powerfly or Stance.

 

[Hedgehog]

So, I think I’m gonna go with the Giant stance. The local shop that sells a lot of ‘emtb brands including giant has been very helpful with lots of test riding between me and my wife. Trek dealer has nothing in stock to ride and can’t even tell me if they can get me a leftover Powerfly in my size. My wife likes the Liv Tempt+ and I’m trying to decide between the stance e+1 and the stance e+2. I love the color and obviously the $500 cheaper price but I’m willing to pay more for the e+1 if it’s necessary. So is the 625 wh battery, color display, better components and dropper post worn the extra $500 ? My plans once again are paved bike paths, dirt trails and roads, nothing too hardcore.
thank you again in advance

 

[jeanmarc]

YES!
Dropper & battery more than worth it in my opinion.