2012 Trance X1 W
I wanted to take this bike home with me! The geometry is perfectly designed for a woman, as we tend to have shorter torsos, smaller hands, and weigh less than men – for whom “unisex” bikes are generally designed. Giant takes all these things into consideration to create a bike for women with a women’s specific saddle, shorter-reach brakes, and custom-tuned suspension. I’m 5’5” and the medium is a perfect fit. Riding uphill on the Trance W is smooth and the suspension lockout is easy to reach. Steering is crisp and gear change is a breeze. Minimal pressure on the shifters, and boom – a smooth but positive transition. Descending on a Trance X W is a dream! This bike would be well-suited to the all mountain trails of the Lower Mainland. It would also be great for epics such as the Test of Metal or multi-day races, like BC Bike Race.
Giant’s Trance line is a 5” travel full suspension rig that is designed for trail riding and is built to handle any type of off-road terrain. Its Maestro suspension platform ensures plush, active travel when required, but also firms up to virtually eliminate pedaling bob during climbs and features Pro Pedal options to adjust the suspension firmness on the fly. The bike also features a QR15 front axle, which increases front end stiffness and control. The Trance X W is great for the woman who wants her bike to perform well while pedaling uphill and be stable, reliable and smooth on the downhills.
2012 TCR Advanced W and Avail Road Bikes
When I swung my leg over the saddle of the 2012 Giant TCR Advanced W, I again found the women’s specific geometry to be ideal. This time I was on a size small, but I would need to do a little tweaking with height of the handlebar to get the setup perfect. However, fit is so personal, and there is tonnes of room for adjustment on this bike to make it absolutely perfect. On the road, the bike is quick, light, and responsive going up, on the level or down.
Although the TCR Advanced W is not available in Canada, the Avail series of women’s specific road bikes offers the same no-compromise design that Giant is famous for. The 2012 Avails are designed for the female endurance road cyclist who demands performance and comfort. As with all of Giant’s women’s bikes, the women’s road bike lines feature frame geometry tailored to suit the female physique and important touches like women’s specific saddles, narrower handlebars, and shorter-reach brakes.
On the TCR Advanced W, this was my first time using SRAM instead of Shimano components, and I found changing gear to take a little getting used to, but I did like the positive click sound it made. This bike is ideal for a women looking for a high performance no-compromise race bike.
