A solid all-round descender (65.8° head angle, 140mm) — capable in the rough and steep without being an all-out bruiser.
Trance X E+ 2022
How current the bike is — newer chassis, motor and battery score higher. 10 = brand-new, 0 = legacy.

The Giant Trance X E+ (2022) was the alloy, full-power version of Giant's trail E-MTB family, sitting below the carbon Trance X Advanced E+ models. It uses an ALUXX SL-grade aluminium frame with 140mm of Maestro rear travel, a 150mm fork and a full 29in wheel setup, driven by the SyncDrive Pro motor (85Nm, co-developed with Yamaha). The frame carries a UDH rear axle, a flip chip for adjustable geometry and is compatible with the EnergyPak Plus 250 range extender.
The UK range ran four alloy trims off the same frame, motor and Maestro suspension. The Trance X E+ 1 at £6,299 was the flagship, with a Fox 36 Float Performance fork, Fox Float X air shock, Shimano Deore XT four-piston brakes (220mm front rotor), Deore XT 12-speed shifting and the larger 750Wh EnergyPak Smart battery. The Trance X E+ 2 at £5,699 used a Fox 36 Float Rhythm fork, Fox Float DPS shock, Tektro four-piston brakes on 203mm rotors, Shimano SLX shifting and a 625Wh battery; the Trance X E+ 2 750 at £5,849 was the same build upgraded to the 750Wh battery. The Trance X E+ 3 at £4,999 was the value entry, with a RockShox 35 Gold RL fork, RockShox Deluxe R shock, Shimano four-piston brakes, Deore shifting and the 625Wh battery.
Geometry is adjustable via the flip chip, giving a slacker, lower setting (around 65.7 to 65.8 degrees head angle, 30mm BB drop) and a steeper, higher setting (66.5 degrees, 20mm BB drop). Reach on a size L runs 482mm in Low and 489mm in High, with consistent 473mm chainstays across all sizes and a 1268 to 1301mm wheelbase, giving a stable trail position rather than an extreme one. All four trims share Maxxis Assegai (front) and Dissector (rear) 2.6in tyres and a Giant Contact 35 cockpit.
This generation is now discontinued and tends to appear at clearance pricing. It remains of interest as an affordable full-power 29er trail E-MTB with SyncDrive Pro power, available with either a 625Wh or a sizeable 750Wh battery depending on trim, in an alloy frame for riders who do not want to pay for the lighter carbon Advanced versions. No owner reliability or ride-quality data is recorded here, so this verdict is based on published specification only.
What the numbers mean on the trail
Computed from this bike's geometry, spec and build kit — reach, wheelbase, chainstay, head and seat angles, travel, motor, weight and the fork/tyre/brake spec — and worked out per size, because a fixed chainstay can make an S and an XL feel very different.
More planted than poppy — better on steep terrain than tight, fiddly singletrack.
Rear-long with a planted front in L (FC:RC 1.68) — easy to weight the front and quick to turn, though it can feel light at the back at real speed.
Giant SyncDrive Pro and a steep 76° seat angle keep the weight planted over the front — a proper winch. 500W of peak power and 85Nm of torque — a strong full-power motor.
Strong up and composed down — a do-it-all, not a specialist.
Brilliant on fast, rough, steep terrain; less fun on tight, mellow trails.
How it stacks up vs other Full Power · Trail bikes (from 248 bikes in the database)
Geometry · hover a row to highlight the measurement on the bike
| S | M | L | XL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reach | 447 mm | 462 mm | 489 mm | 517 mm |
| Stack | 601 mm | 605 mm | 614 mm | 624 mm |
| Seattube | 400 mm | 425 mm | 450 mm | 475 mm |
| Chainstay | 473 mm | 473 mm | 473 mm | 473 mm |
| Headtube Angle | 66.5° | 66.5° | 66.5° | 66.5° |
| Seattube Angle (eff) | 76.7° | 76.7° | 76.7° | 76.7° |
| Wheelbase | 1206 mm | 1237 mm | 1269 mm | 1301 mm |
| Headtube | 95 mm | 100 mm | 110 mm | 120 mm |
| Standover | 789 mm | 784 mm | 770 mm | 782 mm |
| Front Centre | 733 mm* | 764 mm* | 796 mm* | 828 mm* |
| FC:RC | 1.55 | 1.62 | 1.68 | 1.75 |
Trims · 4
3 £4,999 | 2 £5,699 | 2 750 £5,849 | 1 £6,299 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motor | Giant SyncDrive Pro · 85 Nm · all trims | |||
| Battery | Giant EnergyPak Smart 750 · 750 Wh · all trims | |||
| Travel F/R | 150/140 mm · all trims | |||
| Frame | ALUXX SL-Grade Aluminum, Advanced Forged Composite linkage, 140mm Maestro Suspension System, 'Boost' 148x12 UDH derailleur hanger, Giant EnergyPak Plus Range Extender Compatible · all trims | |||
| Fork | RockShox 35 Gold RL DebonAir, 150mm travel, 44mm offset, MotionControlTM rebound and lockout control, 15x110 Boost, Maxle Stealth, e-MTB optimised | Fox 36 Float Rhythm, 150mm travel, 44mm offset, EVOL, Grip Damper, Sweep adjust, Boost 110x15QR, e-optimised | Fox 36 Float Rhythm, 150mm travel, 44mm offset, EVOL, Grip Damper, Sweep adjust, Boost 110x15QR, e-optimised | Fox 36 Float Performance, 150mm travel, 44mm offset, Grip Damper, Boost 110x15QR, e-optimised |
| Shock | Rock Shox Deluxe R, 185x52.5mm Trunnion mount, custom tuned | Fox Float DPS Performance, EVOL Large Volume sleeve, 3-position Lever, 185x52.5mm Trunnion mount, custom tuned | Fox Float DPS Performance, EVOL Large Volume sleeve, 3-position Lever, 185x52.5mm Trunnion mount, custom tuned | Fox Float X Performance, EVOL Large Volume sleeve, 3-Pos Lever, 185x52.5mm Trunnion mount |
| Stem | Giant Contact SL 35 · all trims | |||
| Handlebar | Giant Contact 35 Trail, 35x780mm · all trims | |||
| Grips | Giant Tactal Pro-E, single lock-on · all trims | |||
| Saddle | Giant Romero Trail · all trims | |||
| Seatpost | Giant Contact Switch, dropper, 30,9mm (S:125, M:150, L/XL:170) · all trims | |||
| Brakes | Shimano BR-M420, 4-piston, hydraulic disc, 203mm | Tektro HD-M545 4 piston hydraulic disc brakes, 203mm rotors | Tektro HD-M545 4 piston hydraulic disc brakes, 203mm rotors | Shimano Deore XT, BR-M8120, 4-piston, hydraulic disc, 220mm |
| Rear derailleur | Shimano Deore 12-speed, Shadow+ | Shimano Deore XT, 12-speed, Shadow+ | Shimano Deore XT, 12-speed, Shadow+ | Shimano Deore XT, 12-speed, Shadow+ |
| Crank | Praxis WaveTM 36T Cold Forged 4130 premium steel Praxis e-Cadet+ custom forged crankarm set (S:160, M/L:165, XL:170) | Praxis WaveTM 36T Cold Forged 4130 premium steel Praxis e-Cadet+ custom forged crankarm set (Q-factor=168, S:160, M/L:165, XL:170) | Praxis WaveTM 36T Cold Forged 4130 premium steel Praxis e-Cadet+ custom forged crankarm set (Q-factor=168, S:160, M/L:165, XL:170) | Praxis WaveTM 36T Cold Forged 4130 premium steel Praxis e-Cadet+ custom forged crankarm set (Q-factor=168, S:160, M/L:165, XL:170) |
| Shifters | Shimano Deore | Shimano SLX | Shimano SLX | Shimano Deore XT |
| Cassette | Shimano CS-M6100-12, 10-51T, 12-speed | Shimano CS-M6100-12, 10-51T, 12-speed | Shimano CS-M6100-12, 10-51T, 12-speed | Shimano CS-M7100-12, 10-51T, 12-speed |
| Chain | KMC e.12 Turbo, EcoProteq, e-bike optimised · all trims | |||
| Drivetrain | Shimano Deore 12-speed, Shadow+; Praxis WaveTM 36T Cold Forged 4130 premium steel Praxis e-Cadet+ custom forged crankarm set (S:160, M/L:165, XL:170); Shimano Deore; Shimano CS-M6100-12, 10-51T, 12-speed; KMC e.12 Turbo, EcoProteq, e-bike optimised | Shimano Deore XT, 12-speed, Shadow+; Praxis WaveTM 36T Cold Forged 4130 premium steel Praxis e-Cadet+ custom forged crankarm set (Q-factor=168, S:160, M/L:165, XL:170); Shimano SLX; Shimano CS-M6100-12, 10-51T, 12-speed; KMC e.12 Turbo, EcoProteq, e-bike optimised | Shimano Deore XT, 12-speed, Shadow+; Praxis WaveTM 36T Cold Forged 4130 premium steel Praxis e-Cadet+ custom forged crankarm set (Q-factor=168, S:160, M/L:165, XL:170); Shimano SLX; Shimano CS-M6100-12, 10-51T, 12-speed; KMC e.12 Turbo, EcoProteq, e-bike optimised | Shimano Deore XT, 12-speed, Shadow+; Praxis WaveTM 36T Cold Forged 4130 premium steel Praxis e-Cadet+ custom forged crankarm set (Q-factor=168, S:160, M/L:165, XL:170); Shimano Deore XT; Shimano CS-M7100-12, 10-51T, 12-speed; KMC e.12 Turbo, EcoProteq, e-bike optimised |
| Wheels | Giant AM 29", Tubeless ready, 30mm inner width · all trims | |||
| Tyres | Maxxis Assegai 29x2.6" foldable, Tubeless, EXO [F]; Maxxis Dissector 29x2.6" Foldable, Tubeless, EXO+ [R] | Maxxis Assegai 29x2.6" foldable, Tubeless, EXO [F]; Maxxis Dissector 29x2.6" Foldable, Tubeless, EXO+ [R] | Maxxis Assegai 29x2.6" foldable, Tubeless, EXO [F]; Maxxis Dissector 29x2.6" Foldable, Tubeless, EXO+ [R] | Maxxis Assegai 29x2.6" foldable, Tubeless, EXO, 3c MaxxTerra [F]; Maxxis Dissector 29x2.6" Foldable, Tubeless, EXO+, 120tpi 3C [R] |
| Price | £4,999 | £5,699 | £5,849 | £6,299 |
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