The neutral riding position and wide tires make the Stance 2 feel comfortable almost immediately. The suspension paired with the wide tires keep the ride feeling smooth and the bike feels stable and planted through choppy terrain. The Stance 29 we tested has what Giant refers to as 29-specific trail geometry. We measured our size large test bike and found that has a 1200mm wheelbase, a 622mm effective top tube, and 448mm reach. The head tube angle is 66.5 degrees and the seat tube measured 74.6 degrees.
While it’s not available in mid-step or step-thru to be more approachable, the top tube does slope down to make it easier to stand over. The high-step provides space for a bottle cage and makes it easier to hang on car racks like Dave had. Giant offers a smartphone app for tuning the different levels of assist and the bike is now Bluetooth and Ant+ wireless compatible for use with Garmins and other devices. Rubberized button pad is easy to reach and seems very durable, but the readouts are limited and a bit confusing in my opinion.
While the Stance 2 has a lot of pros, like any other product, it also comes with its own set of cons. giant KIDS BIKES was created for those people who are looking for an affordable trail bike option that comes equipped with advanced riding capabilities. Stance 2 utilizes a modern design that can help those new to trail riding gain confidence in tackling rough and changing terrains with ease. Giant has taken a more contemporary approach to the new Stance 29, which gets a reasonably long wheelbase and a 67.5° head angle for improved descending stability. For going up, there’s a steep 75° seat angle to keep the rider further over the BB for a more efficient climbing position. No, the numbers aren’t as radical as some other envelope-pushing trail bikes in this travel bracket, but it’s much more modern than what we’re used to seeing from a budget full suspension bike.
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 giant ROAD BIKES and relatively short cockpit. There’s nothing outlandish about the individual geometry figures, but as a package the bike makes you feel rather perched.
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 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.
Tubeless reduces the chances of getting a flat tire, so riders can use lower pressures for better traction. The Stance 2 has 120mm of travel front and rear and its 27.5 wheels come set up for tubeless wrapped with 2.6-inch tires. The rest of the build includes a Suntour fork and shock, a 2×9 Shimano drivetrain, and Shimano hydraulic disc brakes.
While it offers a healthy amount of travel, the suspension system differs substantially from the other members of the Giant family. The Stance is the only model that doesn’t employ Giant’s dual-link Maestro suspension platform. Maestro uses two short links to control the path of the swing-arm; it’s a setup that requires tight tolerances, quite a few moving parts and more elaborate manufacturing processes to get it right. To reign in the price, the Stance uses a very simple single pivot design. The utilizes a highly durable yet lightweight aluminum frame made from ALUXX aluminum that can withstand a variety of obstacles. The framework also provides a stable platform for achieving your desired level of agility and momentum with ease.