Is it possible to manual a Giant Trance E+?

[sambonator]

I have been trying but cannot get the front-end up high enough to manual. Are others able to manual this bike?

 

[Rawry]

I have been trying but cannot get the front-end up high enough to manual. Are others able to manual this bike?

Me neither

 

[DrStupid]

Yes, at least I can now manual to a dismount off the back. I cant balance ride it for more than 10 to 15 feet, but after months of getting stronger i can say without doubt it's possible. I could not believe it possible in the beginning.

Riser bars helped.

I have bikes with shorter CS and cant balance ride the manual much better with them than the trance, but they are easier to pull over the top to a dismount.

 

[MinusPrevious]

Yeah, its the long 470mm CS that is making it difficult. Very few bikes have CS that long

Heres a great E-Trance review where the manual is addressed (entertaining review BTW)

See 3:40 here:

 

[118]

Or.....

 

[RickBullotta]

Taller bars, a big pull, and be ready on the rear brake to reign her in. I can get my Pivot Shuttle to manual but it's not easy to hold there. To be fair, I kinda suck at manuals on my Santa Cruz too. But definitely harder with the weight distribution on an eMTB.

 

[sambonator]

Thanks everyone, I ordered an inexpensive 35mm riser bar with 31.8mm clamp and cheap short stem 35mm long to see if that helps with both the low bars and heavy front. At least I know manual is doable somehow. ?

 

[Pukmeister]

With the long chainstay and my fat arse, I have no chance.

 

[Mikerb]

I am practising the manual at the moment and have reached the stage where I can lift the front wheel pretty high. Getting to the balance point and holding it there is a different issue. It is in my experience more about technique and lots of practise than anything else. There are loads of yt videos to help but the most useful ones in my opinion are where guys say how they learnt....rather than the experts!

 

[DrStupid]

Thanks everyone, I ordered an inexpensive 35mm riser bar with 31.8mm clamp and cheap short stem 35mm

Curious to see if it helps. The stem alone didnt help me, but the bars did. The two combined made the bike way more playful and easier to lift from the front, almost eliminating the long CS effect, but it lost a little front end grip, and I didnt like that so much.

 

[Mikerb]

.....but in effect what those changes do is move your weight distribution a little further back so it will impact on all of your riding as the previous poster said. I found it helps if you just stand on the pedals with the bike in a floor stand then get your hips over or just behind the rear axle and your backside nearly touching the tyre to get a feel for the position you need to get to when you push your hips back. It also helps a lot to video your attempts. I thought I was getting low and back but the video showed me my legs were not bent nearly enough! Like a lot of motor skills it takes a lot of repetition to develop the muscle memory.

 

[ggx]

Those guys can...
WES Catalunya Round 04

 

[Mikerb]

Maybe lycra is the answer!

 

[Gary]

With the long chainstay and my fat arse, I have no chance.

A fat arse actually helps

 

[Gary]

It's not all about chainstay length. looong front centres are far harder to manny too. as are HeavyAF bikes. Eebs generally have a lot of the wrong traits for good manualability.
it's still mainly technique. but rider size also plays a part. I'm a fairly average 5'11" and the only Emtb I've found I couldn't manny was an XL Mondraker with shit loads of coil sprung suspension massively long wheelbase and it weighed about 60 fucking pounds. FWIW I can't manual a POLE evolink either (Massive wheelbase long travel 29er enduro regular mtb) and it doesn't even have long chainstays

I'm guessing a lot of Emtb riders can't manual too well in the first place

Oh.. .and Lycra actually will help. you can be way more cat like ninja dressed in lycra than baggy crotch restrictive pants/troos/shorts with a stupid Emtb specific backpack on

 

[Gary]

Those guys can...
WES Catalunya Round 04

Where?
The guy at 1:06 who drops the front before the line?

 

[Mikerb]

Unweighting/lifting the front wheel is all that is needed for bunny hops and jumping etc so chasing a "held" full manual is not that important for me at least.

 

[iainc]

It’s just a case of practise, ideally get a friend to help you find the balance point while stationary, by them lifting front of bike. As a BC coach I can get kids to manual their CX bikes from the drops.....It’s not about the bike ... ?

 

[GrandPaBrogan]

Oh.. .and Lycra actually will help. you can be way more cat like ninja dressed in lycra than baggy crotch restrictive pants/troos/shorts with a stupid Emtb specific backpack on

I can see it now - to be released on next year’s tradeshows... emtb specific baggy shorts optimised and guaranteed to make you manual better - with raised Lycra crotch patch. Comes with complimentary tattoo leg sleeve, various designs to choose from, matches all skin tones. Buy two and get 50% off ‘manual-specific’ backpack and saddle combo. Pre-orders now open. Be quick!

 

[GrandPaBrogan]

I suck at manualling but I can bunny hop a Trance e+ 0pro with platform pedals at my LBS car park... but only just, so heavy.

Bought a e+3Pro instead and now I can’t do it. Must be the missing Kashima coating!
It’s either that or the lack of bragging rights saps what little strength I’ve got left - at my age.

Without the Kashima, I’m powerless. Might as well forget manualling!

 

[The Flying Dutchman]

YES YOU CAN!!

You just need to commit with your life!

The manual 'sweet spot' is pretty far back and the tipping point is inches away. Practice on soft grass, and a little speed is your friend and perhaps initiate the manual off a feature like a roller where the front naturally wants to lift. Once you know where the spot is, it's relatively easy to find but does take some effort. Oh and cover that back brake!!

 

[DaveMatthews]

I read the manual...
That is all...

 

[Mikerb]

I have spent hours learning to Bunny Hop my Levo Comp. Not interested in a held manual...more interested in skills I can use on a trail. As a first stage I just focused on lifting the front wheel. The method I found worked best was to approach in the action position, squat down and compress the rear shock then push my hips back low over the back axle. The biggest problem I found was that unless the front wheel is lifted quite high it tends to slam back down pulling me up on the bike as a result. So once I could consistently get the front wheel high, that action needs to be immediately followed by both a "pop" up on straight legs whilst pulling the bars further into my waist, and bending the legs again whilst quite violently pushing the bars away. There just seems to be less time to blend the steps together than on my analogue bike...and its a lot more physical. At the moment my height is limited by the amount of rear wheel lift and is only a bout 150mm. So need to work on more height now.
I know the OP asked a bout a different bike to mine but when I started practising I felt there was no way I could hop my bike whereas I could on my Cube Stereo analogue bike. It was a matter of adapting to the difference in weight/ weight distribution of the bike and essentially starting from scratch. So I am sure with persistence and practise it is possible on the Giant.