Trance 1, 27.5

Sorry in advance, for non-bike people this might just sound all gobbledygook, long and boring

I currently have 2 bikes (OK, 3, but that other one doesn’t count)…. OK, anyway, I have 2 bikes. A 2008 Giant Trance X1 26”, and a 2011 Giant Anthem X0 29”. Both extraordinarily well kitted bikes, full Shimano XT etc, but one I love, and the other I try to love …

One is a trail bike and has 26” wheels, and I love riding the trails of Rotorua, as in LOVE. One is more of a cross country (XC) bike and has 29” wheels, and I also love riding longer distances in the middle of nowhere. Problem is, they are two very different style of riding. So I got quite excited to hear that the Giant Trance was coming out in 27.5, said by some to be the perfect cross over between 26 and 29. Nimble and quick, relaxed riding position, but some of the benefit of 29” wheels, without the weight.

Today was the demo day and actually pretty good conditions, dry trails, hot and maybe a little windy but OK. What did I find?

Well, first impression was that the riding position was more like the Anthem. Lower, less “relaxed”. I think I’d need to get my riser bars on there. Also, like the Anthem, it felt a little “skittery” in the corners. I couldn’t throw I into the corners as I throw my 26, always feeling on the edge of falling off. On the other hand, the ride was smooth, like very smooth. The new suspension has 3 modes, and they worked well. And it had a dropper post, pretty nice. So how did it ride? Well, I sort of got over the skittery nature and started being more aggressive, it worked. The riding position, hmm, not sure. The ride, fantastic, the ability to handle rocks etc, yes, rather like a 29. So yes, in many respects it felt like a 29 and tried to ride like my 26. But didn’t quite. The ride at times was a bit rough, maybe the rebound wasn’t adjusted properly, and I have to say the gear on it, such as the SLX shifters etc just didn’t seem to perform like my old XT gear.

So I returned it and then repeated the ride on my 26, for a fair comparison. First thing I noticed, there was something wrong with the 26! What it was, narrow bars! My bars are 680mm wide as opposed to 730. Have to say, the wide bars felt good. Then it felt like I was riding a toy, had to peddle more and faster and it felt so small (which is good and bad), and then it felt a bit rougher at times as you hit rocks, but also smoother. Contradictory I know. I made a conscious effort to ride everything I rode on the 27, at roughly the same angle. Frankly, I ride it all equally well or better, but maybe not as elegantly …

So to cut a long story short, did I like it? Well, reading back over this, it sounds pretty good. But it wasn’t love at first sight. And it’s fair to say that while my 26 has some shortcomings, we’re still well and truly an item. She’s not perfect, but she puts a huge smile on my face when we ride together. After all these years, we’re still well and truly in love …

As to my 29, well, we have a different relationship. She does the business and we do the distance, but frankly, there isn’t that much love there between us ….

So, the dilemma. One does the business, one makes me smile. And now there’s a new one, that I was hoping would do both. I’m not sure to be honest … I was hoping to trade the old two for a new one, as you do. Obviously with a cash payment for the difference to the bike man. But I think the 27 is teasing me, she feels a bit like the 29 and not enough like the 26, my true love. I’ll sleep on it …

The rest of the day, yes … complex accounting with the kids to help determine how many weeks before we head to Canada (10) and therefore how much they need to save weekly to buy their iPads … Quite motivational, they were out helping maintain the pop top today, earning money, and listing stuff on TradeMe. Which also was funny, Adam was analysing how to get top of the search results. He’s 11, many of our clients (no disrespect) don’t even think like that!