Giant Stance 29 Review

Taking many of the successful ingredients of the Trance 29, the Stance 29 provides great performance, at a much lower price point - allowing riders access to a Giant Full Suspension Mountain Bike - at the lowest possible price point. The Giant Stance is built around 29 inch wheels and is designed to do it all - it’s designed to be the only trail bike that a rider would ever need - there’s 130mm of travel upfront, and 120mm of rear travel - thanks to Giant’s flexpoint suspension. The geometry of the bike takes its inspiration and trickle down technology from the pricier and incredibly capable Trance 29.

The rear suspension is one of the biggest areas of differences between the Stance and the pricier Trance. The Trance uses dual link Maestro suspension technology, whereas the Stance uses a single pivot suspension platform, which Giant have called Flexpoint. The rear suspension on the Stance works by flex in the seatstay on the single piece swingarm. It’s technology which sounds more radical than it is, and it’s been used on Giant bikes, and other bikes from the likes of Cannondale for many years.

The Stance has been designed with simplicity in mind, the shock has a one piece rocker link, and the rear swingarm is mounted to a beefy main pivot that is positioned above and forward of the bottom bracket. All of the Stance models are constructed from Giant’s own ALUXX alloy tubes. The geometry of the bike will be instantly recognisable to those who know of the Trance. You can expect a zero stack headset, as well as a press fit bottom bracket. There’s internal routing of cables, as well as a space for a water bottle on the downtube. There’s no thru axle, and the bike uses quick release dropouts. Although there are some features of the Trance we would like to see - the important thing is that the excellent geometry of the Trance is carried over, and so it should be - as Great Geometry design, taking inspiration from more expensive bike models, costs the bike manufacturer nothing.

Giant Stance 29 1 Review

The Giant Stance 29 1 is one of our best selling full suspension mountain bikes of 2022. It’s a bike which allows the rider to float through singletracks and enjoy a smooth, confident inspiring ride. Riding this bike, the rider feels incredibly connected to the terrain, the tough but lightweight alloy frame uses a Flexpoint rear suspension that provides plenty of control and comfort. Suspension on the Stance 29 1 is from Rockshox and has been tuned specifically for Giant.

It’s a bike which also climbs well, and at a component level, SRAM Eagle drivetrain components provide reliable and high quality shifting. There’s also a dropper post, and Shimano Hydraulic disc brakes which provide all of the stopping power required, across all weather conditions.