Most of the cockpit is comfortable and modern, except for the fixed-length seat post. This is a new addition to SRAM’s drivetrain lineup and it is quite impressive to see a bike in this price range come with a 12-speed/Eagle drivetrain. It has an tooth cassette paired with a 30-tooth front chainring giving it by far the biggest range and easiest climbing gear of all the models in this test. Giant chose Shimano MT200 brakes for the Stance 2 and they worked well enough for slowing and stopping this bike once they broke in.
Mountain bikes continue to get longer and slacker and the 2019 Stance is no exception. However, the Stance’s geometry is more conservative than Marin’s Hawk Hill and Specialized’s Stumpjumper ST 27.5. The Maxxis Forekaster tires roll fast and work well in certain conditions. Some more aggressive tires would truly enhance the Stance’s performance.
ALUXX aluminum is performance-level material that uses 6061 alloy material with a single-butted tube that delivers strong reliability in a lightweight frame. The biggest difference between the Trance and Stance is the suspension design. Whereas the Trance uses the more complex multi-pivot Maestro suspension platform, the Stance elects for a much simpler single-pivot platform that Giant calls ‘FlexPoint’.
An aluminium frame that uses built-in flex to account for suspension travel would typically raise some concerns about the potential fatigue life, but Giant knows a thing or two about aluminium. Unlike most brands they actually do their own manufacturing; right down to the smelting and extrusion of the raw tubes. With this in mind, you can rest assured that the swing-arm will be engineered from the ground up to last for a very, very long time. Just get yourself a helmet and something for hydration if you haven’t already. The seat post should be able to be adjusted pretty low but if its hitting something and can’t go any lower, you can buy a shorter one or cut your current one down by a couple inches.
Combine that with the added stability of 29-inch wheels and you can get a confident ride to help you crush challenging descents and climb with greater traction and speed. The lightweight and durable ALUXX aluminum frame features our FlexPoint rear suspension system for a smooth, balanced ride that keeps you in control. Combine that with the added stability of 29-inch wheels and you get a confident ride to help you crush challenging descents and climb with greater traction and speed. It gives you 120-millimeters of smooth suspension travel in the rear and 130-millimeters up front. The new Stance 29 gets you in sync with the terrain, so you can ride with confidence and have more fun. With its proven ALUXX aluminum frame and our FlexPoint rear suspension system, it offers a smooth, balanced ride that keeps you in control.
The frame is purpose built with internal cable and wire routing, weight is well positioned low and center on the frame to maximize stability. Uncomplicated giant KIDS BIKES and lightweight, the Raidon R is a great shock for XC and trail riding. If you can swing it, I’d spend the extra money and get a Trance over the Stance.
It’s possible that you can get a better deal for the 2020 and use the savings for a dropper post. With no pedal platform settings or lockout levers, the pedalling efficiency of the Stance hinges heavily on its suspension design. Some bikes use drivetrain forces to firm up the suspension when you pedal hard—a trait generally referred to as anti-squat. When compared to their Maestro bikes, the FlexPoint system displays much less anti-squat. It’s a plush and active rear end that provides a smooth ride but it’s also quite mushy when pedalling. The rear end sinks down under hard seated pedalling and sucks your power away if you stand and crank on the pedals.
The bike comes set up tubeless, which reduces weight and increases grip and puncture resistance. When climbing, the higher front end accentuates the angle of the ascent, making it harder to hunker down and bury yourself, even though the rear of the bike also rides fairly high. But on the downhills, it helps to overcome that feeling of pitching forward when you start to wind up your speed, so you spend less time fighting going over the bars, and more making the front giant KIDS BIKES tyre grip. There’s 120mm of travel at each end, courtesy of a Suntour fork and shock, both with adjustable rebound damping. Dig deeper into the numbers however, or simply throw a leg over the bike, and it’s clear that the latest Stance has adopted a very different position. With increased length in the frame, the lowest effective BB height in test, and a slack 66.4 degree head angle, the new Stance breaks free from the XC shackles that always held it back.
The handlebar is attached to a nice short stem and the whole front end of the bike feels comfortable and provides responsive steering. The saddle is a Giant Contact which is an average width and is reasonably comfortable with medium density padding. Unfortunately, it comes with a rigid seat post, and it has a seat clamp that requires the use of a tool to raise and lower the saddle height. Both of the full-suspension bikes in this test have rigid seat posts, dropper posts would be preferred and would greatly enhance the Stance’s downhill performance. Giant chose 29″ x 2.4″ tires here, which provide a low attack angle and smooth ride feel.