2014 Giant Trance 1 help

[AzonicNick]

Hi all,

Looking very seriously at picking up one of these.. am I correct in thinking that the 1 is a good upgrade over the 2, the forks, the drivetrain and brakes are the big ones.

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/bikes/model/trance.27.5.1/14919/66471/

But want to go into this with my eyes open.. A couple of quick questions..

Is the fork on the 1 a big step up? Talas on the 1 and Float on the 2. The guy in the shop said the Talas is a much better fork. The only thing on paper different is the travel adjustment on the talas? but the guy in the shop said it is much more adjustable? Is this right?

The fork is Giants OverDrive2. Now since I am planning on keeping this for a few years I am lead to believe by the local shop that if I want to change my forks down the line I will require new forks, headset and a stem. Is this correct? I don't want to be locked into OD2 forks moving forward.

Also the rear wheel is 135mm but the frame is 142mm, it has some sort of spacer. This shouldn't be a problem if I want to swap in some new wheels in the future? This would be the first big upgrade. There is mention of this in the flow review here.. http://flowmountainbike.com/tests/tested-giant-trance-1-27-5/

Finally if I wanted to get rid of the front detailer etc with the existing clutched rear derailer all I would need is a NW ring and possibly some shorter bolts correct?

Is there anything else I should know about before picking one of these up? I want to make sure I know what I am getting into before dropping $3400 on this thing! Thanks for all your help. Any feedback is appreciated both positive and negative.

Cheers,

Nick

 

[MRO]

I never use the height adjustability of my talas, i wouldnt bother about the talas, the float will be fine.

Wheels come in both sizes and 142 is probably more common now so you have a frame to suit and spacers if you need to, no problem here.

Not sure about other changes with fork but i think you have it right.

What you said about the NW chainring is correct.

 

[hoppy2]

I just picked up a Trance 1 27.5 last week.

My understanding is the 2014 Talas is it is basically a Float with the travel adjustment. The fork itself is a 110-140mm adjustable but Giant have it setup with some spacers to make it 140--> 120 or 125, which gives you about 1 degree steeper head angle.
Some more info on the 2014 Talas:
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/FOX-34-TALAS-FLOAT-X-FIRST-IMPRESSIONS.html
http://www.vitalmtb.com/features/Fi...-Float-X-Shock-The-Ultimate-Enduro-Launch,511

Yes, if you go to a non-OD2 fork, you will need a new headset (top half) and stem.

To swap between 135x10 rear hubs (which is what it ships with) and 142x12 you just need new dropouts (available from Giant). The hub widths between the 2 standards are basically the same:
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/12x142-explained.html

You'll have no troubles bolting a NW ring on the front. It does have a long cage rear mech but from what I've read, that still works fine.

The only thing I don't like about the bike is the frame colour, but I'm not going to get a bike based on that.

 

[AzonicNick]

Great, a bit more info..

Can somebody else confirm that the only difference with the fork is the travel adjust? If so I'm not too impressed with the salesmen talking rubbish in the shop! :crazy:

Also with the rear wheel do you need different dropouts? according to Flow there are inserts existing in the frame that would need to be removed, that is all?..

142x12mm compatible dropouts, though this particular model uses a quick release that threads into funky dropout reducers rather than a dedicated through-axle.

The dropouts on the Trance 1 are fitted with an insert that allows the use of the DT wind-up quick release skewer, but the frame will also work with a regular 142x12mm axle (you will need different hubs, of course).

Based on that I assume the dropouts are the same?

 

[hoppy2]

I double checked my bike, and you will definitely need new dropouts for 142x12. On the drive side, the current 135x10 dropout also incorporates the derailer hanger, so it needs to be replaced with the 142x12 specific one. I'm guessing LH side will also need to be replaced, since the frame shape doesn't look like it's setup to take an axle directly. You will also need a shimano 142x12 axle, which would normally come with the frame (about $50).

In terms of the Talas, I think they are great for adjusting the handling of the bike based on the terrain. In 120mm mode, with a 68 degree head angle, it just speeds up for the steering for less steep terrain. It's the main reason I stumped up the extra cash for the Trance 1 over the 2.

 

[herbman]

The main difference between the float and the talas is the spring. The float air spring is simple and can be played around with by almost anyone. The talas spring is far more complex and is meant to be more linear in its spring rate rather the progressive rate of the float, along with the travel adjust. But the fancy bits come at a cost, there is more drag in the talas spring from all the added seals and you feel it in the fork when riding.
I like the float close the feel of a coil fork and easy to work on. And on a bike with good angles you should not need to drop the fork down to climb.

 

[hoppy2]

Herbman, What you say about more seals and different spring rates is true for pre 2014 models. The 2014 TALAS has a different mechanism with only 1 dynamic seal, and if you believe the Fox marketing, very similar spring rates to the float. Plus they've made it easier to work on, with no unique tools required. All reviews I've seen seem to back this up.

I disagree about your comments on a bike with "good angles" not needing to be dropped to climb. All geometry is a compromise, that why DH bikes run mid to low 60's for head angles (better high speed stability), and XC bikes run closer to 70 (better climbing, and quicker changes of direction at lower speed). Changing the head angle will affect any bikes handling, and while you don't need to drop it on the climb, a steeper head angle will it will make a bike handle better while climbing and even on flat, tight terrain.

 

[whitey89]

The only other obvious thing to point out is you dont get a dropper post on the 2. IMO the better brakes, crankset and fork as well as the dropper all make it worth the extra cash, to turn it into an all mtn machine!

Also the fork is easy to swap out all you need is a new headset, i think "pro" does one pretty cheap

 

[Joel_32]

The wheels on the 1 are also sealed bearings with stronger rims compared to the Trance 2. Only problem I can see with upgrading the fork later is trying to on sell the original being that its has Giant's funky steerer size.

 

[AzonicNick]

Great posts from everybody. Leaning towards the one now. I also had a chat wit a nice dude at Giant Sydney and he confirmed apart from the travel adj not any difference between the forks.

Thinking coming from a hard tail with 100mm travel the Talas might help down the line. Plus maybes little eaiser to sell down the track?

Thanks for the advice on the wheels. I didn't know you would need a new axle (makes sense) and the sealed hubs are news also. I knew the wheels were different but was unsure why!

Thanks everybody for the help. Been a lot more helpful with more info than the local shop.

Nick

 

[herbman]

Herbman, What you say about more seals and different spring rates is true for pre 2014 models. The 2014 TALAS has a different mechanism with only 1 dynamic seal, and if you believe the Fox marketing, very similar spring rates to the float. Plus they've made it easier to work on, with no unique tools required. All reviews I've seen seem to back this up.

I disagree about your comments on a bike with "good angles" not needing to be dropped to climb. All geometry is a compromise, that why DH bikes run mid to low 60's for head angles (better high speed stability), and XC bikes run closer to 70 (better climbing, and quicker changes of direction at lower speed). Changing the head angle will affect any bikes handling, and while you don't need to drop it on the climb, a steeper head angle will it will make a bike handle better while climbing and even on flat, tight terrain.

A guy I ride with has a new 32 talas, tis a nice fork but my old float still feels nicer. But that could be the CTD damper crap in the talas

And a bike is the sum of all the angles. My hard tail climbs better with the angle set in giving it a Slacker head angle, but it also has a steeper seat tube, lower bar height and a longer wheel base that came with the slacker HA.

IMOH the seat tube angle and how far the riders weight is over the back wheel has more affect on how a bike climbs than the HA. Lock outs and travel adjusting are just band aids.