First look at the Giant Trance E+3

James Bracey

One of the best performing e-bikes on climbs and on the way back down

giant trance e

The latest Giant Trance E+3 Pro electric mountain bike is the powered version of Giant’s all-dancing, quiver-killing trail slayer.

>>> Best electric mountain bikes in 2019

Giant Trance E+3 need to know

  • Giant tuned Yamaha motor provides a whopping 80Nm of torque
  • Maestro suspension provides proven trail performance
  • Boosted walk assist helps propel the bike if it’s too steep or technical to ride
  • Custom Praxis chainset utilises standard chainrings for ease of replacement
  • Battery 500Wh
  • SRP £3,499

Giant has made it easier than ever to choose from its ever-expanding e-bike range by aligning models with a respective, non-powered stablemate.

giant trance e

The Giant RideControl One display unit links to a simple remote control next to the grip. The large, easy to read screen makes accessing vital information such as battery life and power mode simple and user friendly

Giant had a specific idea as to exactly how it wanted its eMTBs to perform from day one. Not content with just bolting on an existing after-market motor unit, the bicycle manufacturing powerhouse partnered with none other than motorcycle legends Yamaha to produce a bespoke range of SyncDrive motors.

A bit like in Spinal Tap when the amps go to eleven, Giant wanted the ebike motor with the biggest poke. And the SyncDrive Pro of the Trance E+3 provides a whopping 80Nm of torque, beating the grunt produced by all of its main rivals. It also provides a huge 360% of extra assistance over your own input, dragging it and you kicking and screaming to the top of even the steepest and most technical trails.

Sticking with the doing-things-differently approach, Giant also sources its battery technology from electronics wizards Panasonic. Featuring manganese cobalt cells, prized for the twin performance benefits of long life and quick charging, Giant’s EnergyPak is integrated neatly into the down tube. For riders not wanting or needing the full range and capacity of the standard 500Wh EnergyPak there is the option of a lighter 400Wh battery to drop the overall weight of the bike. You can even stuff one in your pack and extend the range of the Trance E+3 even further for proper epic adventures.

giant trance e

Rival-beating 80Nm torque make the custom Yamaha heavy on grunt, while a wide ratio cassette means you’ve always got the right gear to hand

Helping the rider put the power down, Giant specs the Trance E+3 with a Praxis crankset fitted with a big 36t narrow/wide chainring. Giant know this bike is meant to be hammered on the descents so fits a MRP chain device and Shimano SLX clutch mech to give the reassurance that you won’t drop your chain at the worst possible moment. Given the extra torque of the SyncDrive Pro motor it’s only right that the chain is also a reinforced e-bike specific one.

The Trance E+3 shares the same plush Maestro suspension design as the rest of Giant’s full suspension range. Providing 140mm of rear wheel travel, the Maestro system runs on a full compliment of bearings to provide incredible small bump sensitivity. Making the Trance one of the best performing e-bikes not just on the climbs but on the way back down as well.

Giant Trance E+3 specification

  • Frame: Aluxx SL aluminium, 140mm travel
  • Shock: Fox Float DPS Performance
  • Fork: SR Suntour Aion 35 Air LO-R, 150mm travel
  • Battery: Giant EnergyPak 500
  • Motor: Giant SyncDrive Pro
  • Display: Giant RideControl EVO
  • Wheels: Giant AM rims/Giant eTracker BOOST hubs, Maxxis Minion DHF TR EXO/Rekon WT TR EXO, 27.5×2.6”
  • Drivetrain: Praxis Wavetm chainset 36t, Shimano Deore 10 speed shifter and Shimano SLX rear derailleur
  • Brakes: Tektro HD-M745 Orion, 203/203mm
  • Components: Giant Contact 35 handlebar 780mm, Giant Contact SL 35 stem 40/50/60mm (size dependent), Giant Contact Switch dropper post, Giant Contact saddle
  • Sizes: S, M, L, XL
  • Contact: giant-bicycles.com