Flowing over obstacles with less rolling resistance and maintaining speed just got a lot more efficient. The bikes at the bottom of the price bracket did not really impress me and would need some serious upgrading to make it at least decent. I figured I would need to spend another $700 to make the bike suited for the light to medium trail riding that we would be doing. After countless hours browsing through the interweb and going through showroom floors, we came across the Stance at a local bike shop.
Coming in at a budget-friendly price point, you’ll be getting a capable and fun alloy full sus frame with 120mm travel, thanks to the FlexPoint suspension design. The Suntour fork also gets 120mm travel to balance giant mountain the bike perfectly. In this regard it’s pretty close to the Anthem SX—a bike that Giant pitches as a trail riding XC bike. Like the Anthem SX, it can do most things that you’d want with relative confidence.
We can also tell you if it’s been delivered recently to a local Retailer once we are sold out.
To some, a longer stem might help to keep the front end straight or maybe it is just me and my lack of biking skills. This bike has modern features, so upgrading or finding parts when you progress shouldn’t be an issue. It has a tapered fork tube and even cable hangers for if you want to have a seat dropper which by the way is my next upgrade. Again, as an entry level full suspension, this bike would very difficult to beat for the price.
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 giant mountain 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.
When ascending, there’s little to no bob, whether you’re seated or standing up and mashing the pedals. Hop on the Stance and you’ll notice the upright riding position and relatively short cockpit. There’s nothing outlandish about the individual geometry figures, but as a package the bike makes you feel rather perched.
Many brands strive to list the lowest possible weight, but in reality weight can vary based on size, finish, hardware and accessories. All Giant bikes are designed for best-in-class weight and ride quality. A high quality ebike from a mainstream company with loads of dealers in North America. The purpose built full-suspension frame comes in four sizes and features internal cable routing, custom metallic paint, and all-black accessories. It delivers cross country geometry with 130mm front and 120mm rear suspension travel.
The Stance 2 also comes equipped with SRAM SX Eagle DUB cranks that deliver unrestricted travel and sustained ride control regardless of the terrain you’re traveling on. The Giant Stance 2 is a well-designed mountain bike that performs exceptionally in a multitude of terrains and conditions thanks to its intuitive build and full suspension system. When looking at Stance 2, several unique elements combine to create the fluid action and movement delivered in this mountain bike. I noticed when taking this bike out for a spin that it feels very stable and grounded even when going over gnarly features. The own-brand finishing kit, wheels and dropper post could all pass for branded parts. It’s also supplied set up tubeless, with 2.4in Maxxis Ardent tyres seated on 25mm rims – a good trail-riding combo.
Smaller rocks seemed to disappear, and when racing through corners, the tires held traction even when the trail got loose. If you’re not planning on getting super gnarly then the Stance 2’s Suntour suspension will be adequate. But if you’re likely to ride bigger and more technical trails, the RockShox suspension on the Stance 1 will provide a smoother ride and give you more confidence, benefits that are well worth $200. The Suntour fork and shock handle choppy sections with small rocks with ease but when I rode in an area with larger obstacles the ride was noticeably rougher than with RockShox or Fox suspension parts .