After some extensive wheel size analysis, Giant has declared itself sold on 650b, with 29ers and 26in bikes taking a backseat in its 2014 line-up.

Spearheading the new direction is a range of reinvented, low-slung Trance 650b bikes, where the 1 is the top-end aluminium option. In addition to the change of wheel size, travel has jumped up from 127mm to 140mm, so even though Giant has dropped the X tag, the Trance packs more punch than ever before.

The swoopy, hydroformed frame gets a much more relaxed head angle for better high-speed stability (66.3°) and this, combined with the long back-end, means the Trance is easily the longest bike in the test, with a whopping 1,180mm wheelbase on the size Large.

Suspension

Giant’s signature Maestro suspension linkage pumps out 140mm of travel and is controlled by an entry-level Fox Evolution shock. A three-position CTD adjuster fine-tunes the low-speed compression damping for climbing, trail riding or descending.

Up front, the Fox 32 fork has a matching CTD adjuster but the additional Talas feature lets you sharpen up the geometry for climbing by reducing fork travel by 30mm to 110mm. It’s a massive bonus on a bike with slack geometry but we never managed to find an ideal set-up for ripping. Also, despite Giant’s Overdrive 2 fork standard that promises extra rigidity (but requires a special 1.25in to 1.5in fork steerer) the 32 fork with its spindly upper tubes felt a tad twisty and didn’t do full justice to the bike’s potential.

Components

You can’t reasonably expect or need more quality than SLX brakes, a Shimano XT chainset and a matching XT Shadow Plus rear mech on a £2k bike. You also get an MRP 2X-Guard and a neat rubber chainstay protector, so the Giant offers a quiet ride with 100 per cent reliable chain retention.

The Giant Contact Switch-R dropper post functions well (and is internally routed for 2014), but the 100mm range of adjustment simply isn’t enough for a 140mm-travel bike — on the steepest test tracks, the saddle was getting in the way.

Aluminium P-XC2 rims and nicely machined Giant hubs performed great — they use a cheaper 135mm QR on the rear but the wheels are lightweight, fast spinning and well tensioned. The same can’t be said for the Schwalbe Nobby Nic Evolution tyres: we had multiple pinch flats every ride before the Maxxis control tyres arrived.

The 725mm handlebar isn’t wide enough for most. Also, the stock stem is too long and in an about-turn for Giant, it’s hard to get the handlebar high enough for steep trails, even using all of the headset spacers.

Performance

Giant’s Maestro suspension’s DNA is instantly noticeable on the trail and there’s a fair amount of suspension feedback even with minimal sag and firmer CTD shock settings, but this doesn’t seem to interfere with efficiency too much. The Trance still rides light and excels at winching up steep technical ascents.

The Trance is also a capable descender, but, despite the plushness at the start of the suspension, it never feels ‘bottomless’ or supremely confident on rocks and in mud. The lurching Talas fork doesn’t help either.

The Trance is far from flexy but doesn’t have the stiffness of the Kona or Lapierre, or their ability to slam in and out of rough bermed corners. The ‘soft’ suspension feel also affects playfulness and the ability to engage rapid shifts in direction.

So, while the super-slack geometry makes for a secure feeling at high speed, it also steals some steering precision. The long 440mm chainstays place weight a tad forward and this is especially noticeable when compared to the Kona. Overall, with the stock set-up we didn’t feel as nimble or confident when attacking as on other bikes.

>>> Click here to find out more about geometry with our handy guide

This test first appeared in the February 2014 issue of MBR, alongside the Lapierre Zesty 327 AM, Kona Process 134 and Norco Sight alloy.