If you like smaller wheels and the robustness of a metal frame, there’s a new Giant Trance X 27.5 on the way. This year’s trend has seen a migration of traditional 27.5″ framesets to becoming mullets. But Giant is keeping the faith, with 27.5. And its latest Trance X is evidence of this.

For riders who regard the best mountain bike experience comes from a nimbler wheel size and robustness of an alloy frame, the new Trance X 27.5″ uses a model-specific ALUXX SL aluminium frame.

No surprise to see the Maestro twinlink suspension layout

Giant Trance X 27.5 thinks it is a mini-DH bike

Like Giant’s Trance X 29, the 27.5″ version has geometry adjustment, courtesy of a flip-chip.

Frame travel rates at 145mm, balanced by a 160mm fork. Giant has been very bold with the Trance X 27.5’s geometry, with a 64.5° head angle. In the low setting, it sits at 63.8°, which is plenty slack for a 27.5″ wheeled bike with 145mm of rear-suspension.

Not only does the low setting make this 145mm Giant trail bike nearly DH-rig slack, but it also dropped the bottom bracket by 10mm, to give it even better cornering agility.

No denying it looks a fun ride

To compensate for its slackness and prevent the Trance X 27.5’s steering from becoming too lazy, Giant has specified a 37mm offset for the 160mm fork.

Big rubber

Giant’s product planners have gone with wide rubber for the Trance X. It rolls the proven Maxxis Assegai 3C MaxxTerra EXO up front, trailed by a Minion DHR II 3C MaxxTerra EXO at the rear. Both are sized in the large-volume 2.6″ width casing.

The most affordable Trance X 27.5 is the £2799 X3 version. It blends a RockShox Yari RC fork with Fox Float DPS Performance shock, and Shimano Deore shifts the gears.

Upgrade to X2 and you gain a Fox Float 36 Rhythm GRIP fork and SRAM NX Eagle drivetrain, for £3099.

The premium version of new Giant Trance X 27.5 uses a Fox 36 Performance Elite GRIP2 fork, matched by a Fox Float X Performance Elite shock. This X1 version runs a SRAM GX Eagle drivetrain, and prices at £3999.