First Look: Giant's Aluminum Stance E+ Uses Flex-Stays

Mar 14, 2023
by Matt Beer  
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If you’re familiar with Giant’s bikes then you’ve likely seen their dual link Maestro suspension layout, but the Stance E+ e-MTB simplifies the design to offer a more affordable platform. Starting at $4,000 USD, the Stance E+ rolls on two 29” wheels and is aimed at less aggressive riding, slotting into their range next to the Trance X E+.

The aluminum frame uses a single-pivot flex-stay Giant calls FlexPoint, a design primarily seen on carbon frames. Compared to its predecessor, the new Stance E+ has boosted motor output and a totally redesigned battery with more juice.

There are also two models that blend a full-suspension hybrid commuter with off-road capabilities. These builds use a mixed-wheeled configuration, integrated accessories, and lower rolling resistance tires.

Giant Stance E+ Details
• Wheel size: 29"
• Alloy frame w/ flex-stays
• Travel: 125mm rear / 140mm fork
• Motor: 85Nm Yamaha SyncDrive Pro2 (select models)
• Battery: 800Wh 22700 cell type (select models)
• 65.5° head tube angle
• Reach: 425, 450, 480, 510mm
• Chainstay length: 468mm
• Sizes: S, M, L, XL
• Pricing: $4,000-5,300 USD / €3,999-5499 EUR
giant-bicycles.com

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Frame Details

One of the main talking points with the Stance has to be the flex-stay that drives the rocker link to produce 125mm of rear wheel travel that's paired with a 140mm fork. Giant is one of the few companies building an aluminum bike with this suspension design. FlexPoint forgoes their dual-link Maestro design, eliminating hardware and likely reducing manufacturing costs.

Another feature that clearly stands out on the Stance E+ is the improved motor clearance. Giant has also beefed up the rear axle to a 12mm diameter and run the cables inside the downtube giving a sturdier appearance. Adding to the girth of the frame, the recent E-bike oversize head tube standard comes into play with a 1.5-1.8” tapered steer tube while a built-in fork bumper guards the downtube.

Due to the mixed disciplines that the Stance covers, the EX models come stock with accessories like fenders, pannier racks, and a kickstand can be bolted to the specific mounting points. The hybrid EX builds also use a 27.5" rear wheel.

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Unfortunately, the thru-headset cable routing trend doesn't show any signs of slowing down.
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Battery and Motor

Yamaha continues to take care of Giant’s motor manufacturing needs with their SyncDrive Pro that gains up to a 400% support ratio. The unit itself weighs 2.5kg and produces 85Nm, 15 more than the previous model.

The battery capacity of the EnergyPak has also been increased substaintially from 500 to 800 Wh in an exclusive design for Giant that uses a 22700 cell type, whereas most other E-bike feature the common 21700 and 18650 type.

As for the connectivity, a RideControl Ergo 2 remote wirelessly connects with the RideControl App and displays on the bar-mounted screen. An integrated fender-mounted tail light connects to the main battery, as well as a bar mounted head light for commuting or night rides.


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Geometry

Giant has taken the longer, lower, slacker approach and relaxed the head tube angle from 67 to 65.5-degrees and steepened the seat tube angle to 76 degrees. 29” wheels are used throughout all four frame sizes where the reach spans from 425 to 510mm. Out back, the chainstay lengths measures 468mm exclusively, even on the smaller size frames.

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Models & Pricing

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E+ Pro 0 - €5499: SyncDrive Pro2 85Nm motor, EnergyPak Smart 800 battery, RockShox 35 Gold RL fork, RockShox Deluxe Select+ RT, Shimano Deore XT LinkGlide 11-speed derailleur/shifter, Shimano SLX 4-piston brakes, Giant Connect bar, Contact stem/dropper post, Giant AM29 rims/Shimano MT410 hubs, Maxxis Minion DHF/Dissector EXO 29x2.4" tires.
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E+ Pro EX - €5499: SyncDrive Pro2 85Nm motor, EnergyPak Smart 800Wh battery, RockShox 35 Silver fork, SR Suntour Raidon R shock, Shimano Deore XT LinkGlide 11-speed derailleur/shifter, Shimano BR-M420 4-piston brakes, Giant Connect bar, Contact stem/dropper post, Giant AM rims/Shimano MT410 hubs, Maxxis Rekon 29x2.4" front/27.5x2.4" rear tires.


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E+ Pro 1 - €4999, $5,300 USD, $5,999 CAD: SyncDrive Pro 85Nm motor, EnergyPak Smart 800Wh battery, RockShox 35 Silver fork, SR Suntour Raidon R shock, Shimano Deore 12-speed derailleur/shifter, Shimano BR-M420 4-piston brakes, Giant Connect bar, Contact stem/dropper post, Giant AM29 rims/Shimano MT410 hubs, Maxxis Minion DHF/Dissector EXO 29x2.4" tires.
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E+ 1 - €4499, $4,800 USD: SyncDrive Sport 75Nm motor, EnergyPak Smart 625Wh battery, RockShox 35 Silver fork, SR Suntour Raidon R shock, Shimano Deore XT LinkGlide 11-speed derailleur/shifter, Shimano BR-M420 4-piston brakes, Giant Connect bar, Contact stem/dropper post, Giant AM29 rims/Shimano MT410 hubs, Maxxis Minion DHF/Dissector EXO 29x2.4" tires.


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E+ 2 625 - €3999, $4,400 USD: SyncDrive Sport 75Nm motor, EnergyPak Smart 625Wh battery, SR Suntour XCR 34 fork, SR Suntour Raidon R shock, Shimano Deore LinkGlide 10-speed derailleur/shifter, Tektro HD-M745 Orion 4-piston brakes, Giant Connect bar, Contact stem/post, Giant AM29 rims/Shimano MT410 hubs, Maxxis Minion DHF/Dissector EXO 29x2.4" tires.
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E+ EX - €4299, $5,399 CAD: SyncDrive Sport 75Nm motor, EnergyPak Smart 625Wh battery, SR Suntour XCR 34 fork, SR Suntour Raidon R shock, Shimano Deore LinkGlide 10-speed derailleur/shifter, Tektro HD-M745 Orion 4-piston brakes, Giant Connect bar, Contact stem/post, Giant AM29 rims/Shimano MT410 hubs, Maxxis Rekon 29x2.4" front/27.5x2.4" rear tires.


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Author Info:
mattbeer avatar

Member since Mar 16, 2001
360 articles

151 Comments
  • 173 6
 I came to Pinkbike to view commuter bikes.
  • 114 0
 90% of these will be seen riding around lakes on weekends
  • 319 2
 did you notice that the commuter version is a mullet, makes for a more playful commute, easier to throw aound in the air once youve been hit by a car....
  • 48 0
 Not fancy enough for that. I enjoy seeing S Works Levos with commuter bars and baskets etc mounted to them. Nice big padded saddles. Ready to rip around the local park. Not the bike park, just where I walk my dog.
  • 15 6
 "mountain e-scooter"
  • 42 10
 "boomer moped"
  • 7 3
 @onawalk: best comment ever
  • 7 0
 @onawalk: Actual LOL for me on your comment, pretty good, dude, pretty good.
  • 4 1
 @robmarini-jet: Thanks man
  • 6 1
 @psyfi: a moment of rare clarity on my part
  • 12 0
 I think this bike makes a great offroad commuter :
- Huge power assistance and fast rolling tires => sweat less
- Full sus => take forest shortcuts rather than roads
- Cheap alu frame => more robust and less prone to be stolen than carbon
- Included lights and fenders => yes its for commuting, not for bike parks

I would just paint them all to bright color and fix the rack to suspended part of the frame
  • 1 0
 @onawalk: thanks for starting my day with a good laugh
  • 4 0
 @xalt: Not that I'd ever buy a bike like this, but where I live, commute would be safer riding on the agricultural roads parallel to normal roads (which are too narrow to ride safely in the huge traffic.)
  • 8 0
 @onawalk: I consider my riding style to be aggressive commuter. I go full send off sidewalks, gap crosswalks and do mad drifting past stop signs. Well maybe the drifts are sweet skids but either way that makes me the core demographics for the mullet.
  • 3 0
 @xalt: Forest shortcuts? Red Riding Hood, is that you?
  • 2 0
 @sancho-ramerez: Sweet, just the bike for you,
Roll on Big Wheel
  • 2 0
 I thought Orthodontists use Pinkbike to select their top-of-the-line 170mm Yeti Enduro Superbike to be ridden on bike paths? Or is that the same thing?
  • 1 0
 @onawalk: thx, I'm sure we have some laughs in the shop when I pour in the second-hand joke.
  • 4 0
 Maybe I missed it - but where are the options for handlebar tassels..?

Also, so happy they added the Thru-Headset cable routing... nice way to shit on your design...
  • 1 0
 finally I can get to work .3 seconds faster because of this headset cable routing
  • 1 0
 [deleted]
  • 1 0
 Not that much different then the Norco Fluid ebike? I'd guess Norco and Giant are targeting the same customers with these...
  • 99 0
 At least when those stays snap you'll have the internally routed cables holding them together.
  • 2 0
 Giant is actually very good at making reliable aluminum frames, they invested a lot into tech to make manufacturing accurate and repeatable. Their 6061 Aluxx SLR stuff with both hydroforming and pressforming is as light as carbon, plenty strong, and much cheaper.
  • 56 8
 Aluminum flex stays. What could possibly go wrong?
  • 22 0
 The current Stance already has them I think. They're not all exploding in the wild... probably not being ridden that hard though.
  • 5 0
 Spark Al too I think?
  • 4 0
 @bkm303: The new Alloy Merida enduro bike has them too
  • 16 3
 Not a lot of stress on them unless you come across a really gnarly bikepath I think
  • 5 4
 maybe it's a feature, not a bug. the sooner people break their bike, the sooner they'll be buying a new one.
  • 18 0
 Nothing, really - if done correctly. The Scott Spark has had flex stays for two generations now in both carbon and alloy and it’s been totally fine.
  • 4 0
 There's also those old Gary Fishers from twenty years ago. I'm sure a lot of them broke, but not because of the flex stays.
  • 2 0
 well, i went and googled it, THERE IS such a thing as aluminum spring so there's an alloy that can survive it
  • 1 0
 @bkm303: stances stay snapping was a well known issue around their release but it was rectified. Hopefully they learned.
  • 1 0
 I've had one without an issue. They work fine
  • 2 0
 @Bro-LanDog: genuinely underrated comment
  • 47 7
 Looks like a Giant waste of money
  • 21 0
 Guess we know what your stance is
  • 2 0
 to Giant your comments are a Reign of terror
  • 2 0
 Giant executives will get in trance after reading these comments
  • 57 22
 It's actually not a bad looking bike
  • 13 10
 That rocker link is fucking sick. Looks very fast.
  • 42 0
 Until I saw the headset routing
  • 6 11
flag omegalung (Mar 13, 2023 at 16:59) (Below Threshold)
 @nickfranko: Yeah, then looked at it, and reminds me of the older mopeds.
  • 43 0
 Kinda big boned but I bet it has a nice personality
  • 10 17
flag DoubleCrownAddict (Mar 13, 2023 at 17:22) (Below Threshold)
 @bkm303: Nothing can look sick when it is associated with those fenders. At first glance I thought they were actual commuter e bikes, big marketing fail. This is truly a generic company that deserves a generic Amazon name like Giant.
  • 5 0
 @DoubleCrownAddict: I am not sure you know the origin of the name. It is a great underdog story. taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=12,12,29,33,33,45&post=23180
  • 1 2
 @DoubleCrownAddict: agreed i thought it was a commuter at first glance
  • 8 0
 @DoubleCrownAddict: meh, this bike isn't really for people like us. The Stance has been their offering for the mtb-curious non-enthusiast since it came out. Kinda surprised they sent this the PB to be honest. But Giant still makes solid bikes with decent value (although some of their mtbs are badly in need of an update).
  • 5 3
 It looks terrible. Can't hide those proportions.
  • 1 0
 they took out a classic (horrible) bar that went inthe rear triangle, just between the wheel and the front triangle. Now it looks much cleaner in my opinion.
  • 3 3
 @RaimundoZunino: How do people find these bikes good looking? Have they seen Orbea, Scor, Transitions or even what Trek has done lately with a battery? The battery compartment looks GIANT in comparison to the rest of the bike.
  • 1 0
 @RaimundoZunino: They probably had to remove that stiffening bar as it would inhibit the flex in the flex-stays...
  • 25 0
 Will my panniers stay on if I case the landing?
  • 21 1
 I would ride one of those ex ones to work. Get some studded tires for winter. I find my farley is a bit much but my studded 26” mtb can be dicey. Need that big volume lower pressure for that freeZe thaw puddle ice.

Wind screen, hand muffs. Just become the ultimate fred.
  • 3 0
 ya but not locked outdoors or it will say bye bye
  • 4 1
 @madmon: we have bike lockers and a cage that is security patrolled. If i ride my non commuter bikes i just bring it into my office.

My commuter is a 1985-87 hard rock ive made into a 1x9 with x9 sram and avid v brakes. 2.2” slicks. Shes super hipster.
  • 13 1
 @solarplex: my guy you seem a little too well informed and mechanically dexterous for this site. I think you’re looking for NSMB
  • 32 15
 Is it just me or the kids in China getting worse at welding?
  • 5 4
 I'd be surprised if they were hand welded
  • 40 1
 They look fine to me*

*I've never welded anything in my life but I have watched a lot of welding videos on youtube, so I'm basically an expert.
  • 5 1
 @boozed: A PhD in Welding surely?
  • 6 0
 @kjl12: I thought bikes were generally hand welded? IIRC the cost of buying and programming welding machines capable of welding bike frames is often not worth it.
  • 6 1
 I believe Giants are made in Taiwan
  • 4 1
 @kjl12: they are all hand welded in Taiwan. Giant frames always have been
  • 25 2
 Most mountain bikes, and likely the one you own, were welded by real Taiwanese adults, working for either Merida or Giant. The carbon ones were also layed in Taiwan. Been to a Merida-affiliated Salsa/Trek/Scott manufacturing facility in Taizhong. It's not hard at all to find out where your stuff is made, and by whom. This particular brand of ignorant PB comment is becoming a real cliche, maybe find a style of humor that doesn't revolve around being uninformed.
  • 17 0
 @ryanandrewrogers: yes, there's a tedious PB cliche of RAAAAH china bad I only buy my frames *locally sourced*. This, despite the fact that Taiwan is categorically NOT China and if you want to stick it to China... well supporting Tiawanese businesses might not be the worst way to go about it?
  • 16 0
 @mattg95: China disagrees with this comment and I regret to inform you that they are currently disabling your TikTok account.
  • 1 0
 @mattg95: Chinese government: "did I ststststutter"????
  • 16 0
 Those chainstays are in a different time zone.
  • 7 0
 Or maybe it's the most on point Emtb out there...
I mean a random guy in both Asics and his 50's can ride it at 100% of its capabilities.
I know it's not an audi, but if you are honest with your use and skill, do you need more?
=I'mOverbiked=
  • 4 0
 My thoughts exactly. Those EX models would be perfect for Asics guy, and I don't mean that in a derogatory way. The Ex bikes would make a lot of sense for a lot of commuters who want to ride year round and try to use some rail trails and multi-use paths to avoid cars as much as they can.
  • 12 3
 Doesn't stand a Stance with that headtube cable routing.
  • 9 4
 We have to realize this isn't a bike for pinkers. Or Epinkers I guess. They are for the group who walked into Costco and bought an e bike or got one of those 90lb beasts online and then found out no one would service them when their brake rotors turned blue trying to slow them down. This is what the local bike shops will sell all those people who got hosed for their second bike.
  • 5 2
 True, this is not a mountain bike, just like a SUV is no offroad car
  • 3 0
 @JohSch: Woah, wait a second buddy. Are you saying my Cayenne Turbo GT is not an offroader? One day I drove it on dirt at the trailhead. #4X44LIFE
  • 5 0
 @mattbeer - what makes you thin that Aluminium flex stays are new? I've had a salsa el kaboing and a kona hei hei with Al flex stays... I think Specialized do it, among others. I think what 'might' get interesting in the future is if manufacturers try to put the flex stay on the chainstay instead of the seatstay, emulating horst link. However, I'm not sure there is enough moment to worry too much...
  • 1 0
 What would be the advantage of that?
  • 1 0
 It's not Al, but Cannondale does this on the Scalpel.
  • 1 0
 @Genewich: I think canyon might as well - but also in carbon I believe... guessing it is easier to get anisotropic material properties as desired with carbon than AL which is (pretty much) isotropic
  • 3 0
 @inthenude: The same perceived advantage as horst link over linkage driven single pivot
  • 2 0
 Exactly. I've had one without any issues, and I was very hard on that bike. Flex stays are no concern.
  • 1 0
 @DaveRobinson81 I was simply pointing out the design. The previous generation Stance E+ also used them.
  • 1 0
 @mattbeer: It was this sentence that yielded my comment:

'Giant is one of the few companies building an aluminum bike with this suspension design.'

This makes it seem novel... anyway, all good. Cheers and thanks for your great DH bike reviews!
  • 5 0
 Love how people are trashing this bike as nobody was once a beginner and new to the sport, this bike is really versatile for what it is while also looking pretty good for that price range. It seems really capable for light trail use and can also be transformed into a nice commuter, Giant really nailed it here. 800Wh battery option for that category is quite something when you consider that some high end brands as Santa Cruz are still selling some of their top of line bikes with a 630Wh in 2023.
  • 8 0
 So does it come with ramps? 'Cause I sure as heck can't lift it.
  • 8 1
 This is the ultimate dental hygienist bike.
  • 8 1
 Stance E+ e-bike. Does this formula cancel itself out?
  • 2 1
 The result is annihilation.
  • 5 0
 Happy Pi Day to you nerd.
  • 4 0
 The pannier rack is attached to three places, by the looks of it--the chainstays, and the fender? So that would be a load-bearing fender on a full suspension ebike. What could possibly go wrong?
  • 3 0
 Great move to provide more options to get people on bikes to have fun. That is the purpose of riding bikes, not to sit on line complaining about another ebike. At least they are sitting on a seat & riding.
  • 5 1
 This will make a great NICA mom, dad, or coaches bike for those folks who are not traditional bike riders and want to participate in their children's sporting lives.
  • 2 0
 This would be the perfect ebike for my wife. She doesn't love riding, but with E power I think she'd enjoy it. And she'd just use it on mellow trails. No jumping, or anything more than probably blue and green rated trails. That's a killer deal for something like this.
  • 5 0
 Where exactly is the 'flex' point?
  • 12 0
 It's where the thing bends.
  • 8 1
 The area with all the cracks
  • 5 0
 When you like them thick.
  • 3 0
 A real genuine question: With bikes this big and heavy is there any feeling at all that you are on a trail and not a slick highway?
  • 6 0
 WE WANT THE 29 GLORY.
  • 1 0
 I like it.

It is what it is...of course if you don't know what is this bike intention you will coment any silly thing.
BTW, panniers and fenders with lights combo, it´s something that get grants from goverment in many countries in Europe.
  • 3 2
 Man this web site f*cking sucks now. I used to look forward to checking pinkbike every morning, but now it's just boring as f*ck. Tom is a HUGE loss and since they keep Christina in the background for some reason there's really no reason to come here except to bitch about coming here. What happened to you pinkbike? You used to be relevant.
  • 5 1
 Bike companies "bearings are hard to get"
Enter the flex stay.
  • 1 0
 The Specialized Tero X isn't exactly Pinkbike fodder but does pretty much the same thing as this bike but with a single pivot. Perfect for people that know they want a full suspension ebike whether they need it or not. It's an interesting bike, if you're into full suspension commuter ebikes. Which I'm not.
  • 2 1
 468mm chainstay with a fairly steep HTA (65.5)... that's going to be a fairly short front center vs rear center, particularly in the smaller sizes. On paper, I can't say I'm a fan. I wonder how it rides in practice...
  • 7 0
 It'll work for what that bike is made and bought: riding around the lake, visting your neighbours,going to a beer garden
  • 1 1
 I rode a M once a few years ago and the CS length was the main reason I decided to nix Giant off my list of possible eBikes.
  • 1 1
 I dont get why giant still messes around with fl3x stays look how bulky the chainstays are now becaus3 they snapped like nothin on the original stance so they knew they had to beef them up!! Would have weighed less just putting a horst link layout on there.
  • 3 0
 Keeping the swingarm as one piece helps drive the cost down, and for a bike designed for casual trail riding, nothing wrong with flexstays.
  • 2 0
 Rise up fallen fighters Rise and take your stance again 'Tis he who fights and run away Live to fight another day
  • 3 0
 Flex stays because bearings are too heavy for a ebike ?
  • 2 0
 Panniers and fenders, like a Raptor being driven to an office job: overkill DDer making up for what was never there.
  • 2 1
 um, aluminum does not respond well to flexing. It work hardens and cracks. Good luck on this one.
  • 4 2
 Headset with internal cable routing is a colonoscopy for bikes.
  • 6 8
 "Giant has also beefed up the rear axle to a 12mm diameter and run the cables inside the downtube giving a sturdier appearance."

Beefed up from what? The non-E Stance, which also has FlexPoint is seems to be ignored here, seemed to have a QR rear axle, but if that's what is meant by "beefed up"... it's not just up sized, it's a different type of axle...

So now internal cables are "sturdier" looking as well as cleaner?
  • 3 1
 Looks like Giant is fixing their stand over?
  • 3 2
 468mm chainstays!? thats crazy big.like waaaay f*cking big. is there any mountain bike that is even close?
  • 3 0
 My size large scott ransom eride chain stays are 465. It’s a pretty damn good handling machine
  • 1 0
 @markcjr: curious what size do you have
  • 1 0
 @ashmtb85:

Large, 29 f+r
  • 1 0
 Yes, the Orange Stage EVO
  • 2 4
 This is not a mountain bike, just like a SUV is no offroad car
  • 1 0
 My voodoo bizango e work van bike has a whopping 473mm and is a proper pig off road.
Also got orange stage 5 at 461mm and thats a joy to ride but i am a tall guy with high bars.
These long stays must be awful if you’re a short or medium size.
  • 1 0
 473 on mine!
  • 2 1
 Ok Giant, what ever. But now please update the mountainbike version of the Stance!
  • 4 2
 Giant & "flex", what could possibly go wrong....
  • 2 0
 The return of the Giant rocker link.
  • 3 1
 I like my guitars electric and my bikes acoustic
  • 3 2
 I’ll never but a bike with headset cable routing. I would prefer all external if possible.
  • 1 0
 Not that it really matters here but they are using 21700 cells not 22700.......
  • 8 9
 Flex stays and aluminum are perfect for a bike ridden to the store and back...not for any sort of real riding. Just as advertised!
  • 2 7
flag boozed (Mar 13, 2023 at 16:28) (Below Threshold)
 At least there's no Maestro link to break in half
  • 2 1
 Carbon and aluminum both fatigue to failure, although most flex stay bikes tend to use very small, almost vertically oriented, rocker links in order to prevent that much flex from actually occurring
  • 2 0
 Is Pinkbike hiring?
  • 1 0
 They actually are. Well Outside is hiring someone for PinkBike
  • 1 1
 I'm owned 12 Giant in my life but come on, i can't look at this fake-Maestro bike
  • 2 0
 Giant Flex-E
  • 2 1
 Just waiting for @bicyclepubes to enter the chat!


…..
  • 2 1
 I wonder if or when we'll get a long-travel Stance, like 150/160
  • 1 0
 Trance* not Stance
  • 2 0
 @Lebmartin:
The Trance X 27.5 is 145mm rear travel with a 160mm fork.

The new Reign has 160mm rear travel and a 170mm fork.
  • 1 0
 @Glory831Guy: I'm aware, but the Trance X 29 gets 135/150, where as Liv has the Intrigue LT in 29er flavor with 150/160. There's no middle ground between the Trance X 29 and the Reign 29.
  • 1 0
 @Lebmartin: Funny that when the Reign 29 came out 142/160 all everybody did was complain it wasn't enough travel... Smile
(Fir sure i thought they should have called that a tranceX at the time. Course i loke the geo on the newer TX!)
  • 1 0
 65.5 head angle are these bikes even ridable?
  • 1 0
 Does it come as a trike as well? Asking for a friend
  • 2 2
 Maestro,,,,,, just cant Stands IT
  • 1 1
 They could at least have e-routed that front brake canle internally...
  • 3 2
 Nice Laz-E-Bike
  • 1 0
 Make it stop...
  • 1 0
 loud noises
  • 1 0
 Boomduro.







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