Giant’s Stance E +1  makes a compelling option if you’re in the market for a top budget e-bike. It looks fantastic, it comes with a punchy Yamaha motor, and it boasts the reassurance that comes with buying from one of the biggest bike brands in the business.

If you are familiar with the Stance analogue bike, you’ll already know that it’s Giant’s entry-level full-suspension trail platform. You’ll also know that one of the key ways that Giant delivers the Stance at a more competitive price point is to strip back some of its suspension tech.

The Stance E+ 1 uses Giant’s FlexPoint suspension layout to reduce costs.

Well, Giant takes the exact same approach with it’s entry-level e-bikes. So instead of featuring Giant’s signature Maestro twin-link suspension, the Stance E+ 1 uses a flexstay design for the 125mm rear suspension – eliminating some of the complexity and cost. Dubbed FlexPoint, the reduction in component parts should, in theory, offer a weight saving, but given that the Stance E+ 1 tipped our scales at a hefty 26.24kg, any advantage has been negated by the cheaper specification needed to hit the target price-point.

Giant’s Stance E+ 1 gets 29in wheels and a full power SyncDrive Sport motor build by Yamaha.

Giant Stance E+ 1 Need to know

• Entry level e-bike platform with 125mm travel and 29in wheels
• RockShox 35 Silver fork pumps out 140mm travel
• Custom Yamaha SyncDrive Sport motor delivers 75Nm torque
• Removable 625Wh battery for extended range
• FlexPoint suspension design reduces complexity and cost
• Neat colour LCD controller and combined display
• Stance E+ 2 available for £3,499
• Weight: 26.24kg size L

Frame and geometry

Simple does not mean that the Stance E+ 1 frame is lacking, though. Giant uses its top-end ALUXX SL aluminium, and the sculpted tubing profiles and oversized pivot hardware are all first rate. And while some entry-level e-bikes feel like the wheels will come off in under six months of abuse, the Giant frame feels reassuringly solid, so you know it will easily go the distance.

The chunky rear stays on the Giant feel reassuringly solid.

And with that 625Wh battery tucked neatly into the underside of the down tube, you’ll also be able ride that much further, or in a higher power mode, than either the Yamaha Moro 07 or the Decathlon Rockrider E-Expl 520S. Both of which sport smaller, lighter 500Wh batteries. Removing the Giant’s battery for charging separately from the bike is really easy, but you do need to tighten the T25 battery latch securely when reinstalling it, otherwise it will rattle inside the frame. Also, if you want to ride further still, the Stance E+ 1 is compatible with Giant’s 250Wh EnergyPak Plus range extender.

Look closely and you can see “Powered by Yamaha” stamped on the Giant motor.

But what about the motor? Giant has partnered with Yamaha to produce a custom SyncDrive Sport motor which delivers 75Nm torque. That’s 10Nm less than on the Yamaha Moro 07 or the Shimano EP801 equipped Polygon Siskiu T7E that won this test. Which basically means you have to work harder on steeper climbs to keep up with the higher torque bikes. On the plus side, it also puts less strain on the battery, which helps boost range.

Suspension

Small but mighty. The Stance E+ 1 only has 125mm of rear travel, but the rear suspension is very effective once you get it set up correctly. However, finding that suspension sweet spot is not as straightforward as it should be. And that’s because the Suntour shock and RockShox fork do not come with sag o-rings fitted as standard. So the very first thing you’ll need to do when you get the bike, is slap a small zip-tie around both.

With no o-rings on the fork or shock, suspension set-up is trickier than it needs to be.

Next, you’ll want to run more air pressure than you think in the Suntour Raidon shock, otherwise it will bottom harshly with a metal-on-metal knock. So even though we started out with around 30% sag, after just one trail we upped the pressure in the shock to reduce the sag and provide more end-stroke resistance. Ideally, the shock would have a bottom out bumper built in, but maybe it was left out during assembly, which could explain why we measured the rear travel at 127mm, which is 2mm more than claimed.

White zip-ties not included – you’ll have to supply your own!

Also the Suntour Raidon shock has bullet-fast rebound until you get to the final three or four clicks of adjustment. So you need to make sure you’re in that narrow usable band of rebound adjustment to get the suspension working properly.

The RockShox 35 fork is plenty stiff enough, but it needs better damping control.

Thankfully, there were no metallic sounds emanating from the RockShox 35 fork, even though it gets heavier steel upper tubes to help balance the budget. And while the fork has more travel than the frame– 140mm Vs 125mm – the Stance E+ 1 feels really well balanced, as both the fork and rear suspension are supple and very active. The stiff 35mm fork chassis with its 15mm bolt-thru lowers also matches the solid overall frame feel.

Components

It’s great that the Stance E+ 1 comes stock with Maxxis tyres, but Giant has played one of the oldest tricks in the book to save weight – fitting the lightest EXO casing.

We love the Minion DHF, but it needs the tougher EXO+ casing and Maxx Terra rubber compound.

So once you fit tougher tyres needed to tackle tough terrain, the weight of the Stance E+ 1 is going to creep up to 27kg. You’ll also want softer compound rubber front and rear to improve grip. And Giant is not alone here, as all of the bikes in this test were crying out for better rubber.

Get those Tektro brake levers inboard to maximise their mechanical advantage.

With four-piston calipers and longer lever blades the Tektro Orion brakes on the Giant have ample stopping power and decent modulation. So it was annoying when the rear brake lever started pulling to the handlebar with increasing regularity. Thankfully, this was simply a bleed issue and was easily resolved. Also it’s something your local Giant dealer should pick up on before you roll the bike out of the store.

Shimano’s Deore works a treat, but we also want a wide-range cassette.

We had no issues with the performance of the Shimano Deore drivetrain; just smooth, fast shifting as the 10-speed chain glided effortlessly across the Shimano LinkGlide cassette. LinkGLide being Shimano’s new ultra durable coating that should help keep your drivetrain lasting longer. That’s not to say that Giant has fitted the idea combination though. By pairing a 36t chainring with a compact 11-43t cassette, the gear range on the Stance E+ 1 is more focused on fire road trucking, not picking your way up steep, techy climbs.

Performance

Get on the gas, and Giant’s SyncDrive motor offers a really smooth power curve at lower rpms. Stick to a cadence of around 70rpm and it’s pretty quiet too. In fact, it’s not until you start revving it that the motor starts to whine. It’s not so loud as to be off-putting though, and it’s common to a lot of systems.

Stomp on the pedals and the Giant responds instantly, albeit with a clunk.

The motor also has the usual annoying rattle when coasting, which is accompanied by a loud and disconcerting clunk when you first start pedalling again after freewheeling. We can only assume this clunking sound is the freewheel in the motor engaging. Still, once you’re motoring along it’s not an issue.

Climbing

With massive 467mm chainstays and a relatively steep 76.1º seat tube angle, you could say the Stance E+ 1 was designed for climbing. Yes, the SyncDrive Sport motor doesn’t have as much grunt as the Shimano EP8-equipped Polygon, but with better geometry, instant motor engagement and a decent amount of overrun, the Giant makes light work of technical climbs. Providing, you have enough power in your legs to overcome the taller gearing, and enough traction for the rear tyre to bite.

Up, up, and away. The Giant has great geometry for climbing.

If you want to keep an eye on metrics, the Ride Control Dash display is crystal clear and easy to read. It’s also painfully slow to navigate between the different screens for cadence, range, speed etc. So thankfully toggling between the power modes is easy and fast.

Easy to read display and combined control switch. Even easier to scratch.

And anyone that’s into night riding will appreciate the separate button on the display for adjusting the brightness of the screen. Just don’t flip the bike over in the car park to oil the chain and scratch the screen like we did.

Descending

When it comes to shredding, the Stance E+ 1 doesn’t hang about. But how well it performs really depends on the gradient of the trail. On rough, high-speed trails with a relatively constant pitch, like the blue runs at BikePark Wales, the Giant is totally in its element.

Get the gradient right, and there no stopping the Stance E+ 1.

The 29in wheels and pitter-patter suspension response work overtime and in perfect unison, ironing out all of the high frequency hits. In fact, the Stance E+ 1 is so good at isolating the rider from the constant onslaught of impacts, without making you feel disconnected from what’s going on beneath your tyres, you could be forgiven for thinking that the frame has way more travel than 125mm.

Steep or deep, is where the Stance E+ 1 starts to come unstuck.

Get the Giant on steep descents, with sudden changes in direction or gradient, and the Stance E+1 starts to lose its footing. The lack of low-speed support in RockShox 35 fork is really evident, so the bike lurches forward too much as the pitch of the trail changes. Basically this forces you to constantly fight to stay centred on the bike. A trait that’s compounded by how slowly the RockShox 35 fork rebounds when you get really deep into the travel. It’s almost like the fork holds you down for a split second, then there’s virtually no damping as it accelerates back towards full extension.

Cables through the headset! Thankfully we had to raise the stem, not lower it.

So we suggest raising the stem and running the handlebar higher on the Giant, to take some of your weight off the fork, as this really helps if you ride silly-steep trails. Also, with the longer rear end, the higher bar position makes it much easier to pop the front end up on demand. Ultimately though, Giant needs shorter back ends on the smaller frame sizes to offer shorter riders a more balanced and dynamic ride. And if that means designing the Stance E+ 1 around a 27.5in rear wheel, or adding some sort of geometry flip chip, we’re all for it.

Giant’s Stance E+ 1 is fun and capable. It’s also discounted, so it’s competitively priced too.