Wanted an Occam, website said they wouldn’t have them till July 2021.Went to my Giant store and they actually had a Trance X in my size. Glad I went with the Trance X, perfect for Arkansas riding!
That trance X caught my eye when it came out, but I got a 2020 Occam before the trance released. Couldn’t be more stoked and happy with my bike. Handles everything I throw at it no problems!
@@dewalkabout5044 I’ve had it with a 34 and it’s great, but I put a lyric ultimate and have never looked back.. absolute joy to ride.. so I would recommend the larger 36
@@bikersedge ok thanks. The question is that i come from a xc hardtail and i am going to do a lot of easy trails. Like xc terrain. I live in Spain and here we use to do very demanding (in a physical way) routes. With a lot of ups lot of pedalling ...so. i am leaning more to the 34. My other option is an Oiz 120mm. But i prefer to change a little bit , get the occam and then maybe an used XC hardtail with good spec (about 10kg) that are very common here in Spain so are cheap (like 3000-2000 or less used). We are mainly an XC country.
@@dewalkabout5044 I find that i can pedal all day on the Orbea regardless of the fork. I will say it is easier to handle around corners with the 140mm Fox 34 but im splitting hairs. I would recommend if you are sticking to XC trails, to go with the 140mm Fox 34.
you prolly dont care at all but does any of you know of a trick to log back into an Instagram account? I somehow lost the password. I would love any help you can offer me.
@bikersedge these are the kind of reviews many of us are looking for. No halo bikes just the work horse models. Keep up the great work reviewing these and lower price point bikes. I’m stuck between trading my 2019 Fuel Ex and getting this model trance x or keeping the trek and adding a alloy reign 2. You’ve been helpful having reviewed both! If you have any advice I’d take it!
Thanks for the feedback! That’s a tough call. I like both of the Giants quite a bit. I’m not familiar with the Trek but I’d almost just say replace it with the Trance. It’s super versatile and goes just about anywhere you want. I’ve always thought that having two bikes would be this huge game changer. Now that I have two bikes I find that one gets ridden way less than the other.
@@bikersedge I hear ya', brother. Just bought a Trance X and my 2019 Trance 29er just gives me dirty looks when I roll past in the garage. I am afraid it may have to go to a new home.
Awesome review/comparison video! Really appreciate the content you put out. Your first Occam review was super helpful, and played a large factor when purchasing my M10. What a bike! Your comments on the Occam in this video describe exactly what I was looking for in a bike. I’m sure this will help others like me get in the right bike. Keep the videos coming!
@@bikersedge Its exactly like Dylan says: "Your comments on the Occam in this video describe exactly what I was looking for in a bike". Thanx for making my decision much easier. H20 for me though and im super happy with the bike
@@dewalkabout5044 I have the 34, which I feel handles 95% of my riding in Michigan. There are times I do wish I had the 36, but don’t feel the 34 holds me back.
well if you consider upgrading your bike into the future its worth mentioning that if you buy a 140mm Occam (front and rear) for your home trails.. but you want something that got a little bit more travel for your next all mountain session .. the Occam can swap its 210x50mm shock for a 210x55mm shock which ups the travel by 10mm (leverage ratio is 2:1 here btw).. buying a shock is cheaper then just buying a whole new bike and also if something is wrong with one of them you got one in the backpocket.
I took a look at the same Giant Trance X1 in my local shop (Slovenia-Europe), and it costs currenty for 2021 model 3.299 € with Shimano XT. I find that an amazing price for what you get. Thanks for the video.
Just picked up my M10 (with Fox 36) I ordered at the end of August, sweet ride very happy with it. Love that you can customize the build and even the paint. You can choose Minion DHF/DHR tires and that should help with better traction. Other option was Fox transfer factory dropper.
Hi Connor, rode an Occam and liked it,lovely bike but having ridden a Trance 27.5 for the last 3 years I got smitten by a Trance X Advanced Pro 29 1. Funny thing is I neither wanted to go 29 nor to SRAM brakes (which I consider a pain in comparison with Saints on my Trance). Great review and I hope my new bike lives up to its' reputation!
I just called 10 different bike stores with everyone saying they're out of the Occam until next year. Finally I called one more and the guy gave me the number of his "Orbea guy" who had ONE H20 in my size and lucky me it was the orange one. I've never put down a deposit so fast.
Great review as always, was that lap you were doing the Barrel trail? BTW, I'm super happy with my Spur I picked up a month ago, took it to Sedona and it did great on Hiline, Hangover and Hogs. Your Spur review was one of the reasons I felt comfortable buying a bike that I didn't demo first.
Good eye. I filmed on Barrel but I rode the bikes on Zen, Barrel, Sidewinder and Paradise Rim. Kudos for taking the Spur on Hangover. That's a serious trail.
This is perfect timing for me. I’ve been debating between these two bikes since I’m getting back into mountain biking after learning I’ll be moving to St George this spring! So excited to ride down there. Thanks for the video!
@@bikersedge The thing that made all the difference between the Occam and all the other bikes I looked at was all the hooping and yelling you did when you were racing your buddy. That sounded like genuine, all out fun. And your review 100% accurately Reflects my experience of that bike.
If the orbea isn’t feeling as “planted” and too “lively” and not stable in chatter. Relieve some pressure in the suspension and tires a little. I’m worried everyone thinks it’s the bike itself but probably 80% the set-up
I spend quite a bit of time with my setup before I go film. If I remove air from the tires I’m going to pinch flat or break rims. If I remove air from the suspension I’m going to use too much travel and bottom too frequently. You can’t always get a bike to feel plush and planted. Kinematics come into play - not just setup.
@@bikersedge understood and I trust. But, I do worry some people just put a PSI they think is right into the shock and assume it must be the bike’s fault when it’s not as “plush” as they’re expecting.
@@zacharypump5910 I'd agree that setup is the number one thing. That said, not every bike is going to feel "plush" without compromising ride quality. Some kinematics won't allow for that.
Again - you killed it. Wouldn't change a word you said! I've gone from Reign to the Occam and yeah - Maestro is extra plush and has great traction. Occam is sporty, poppy, fast and it really is a great and top pedaler! After 6 months with it, my main culprit is the Fox Factory suspension. The front dives if you want soft and plush (and with carbon handlebars you feel each bump), and the DPX2 is poppy to get it in the air, but dead when thinking of bump absorption. DVO Topaz retains the pedal efficiency but greatly improves the bump absorption and plush feeling. My 2 cents. I'd probably go Trance X if it was out when I bought an Occam (just because the giant experience was great and LBS is great and didn't know a thing about Orbea). But the Occam is still bringing smiles after 6 months... probably the best proof of its character is that I bought an Thule roof rack and never used it in 6 months to get to the trails. Just hop on the bike and enjoying riding to the trails...
@@bikersedge I keep waiting you to do a review like 95% of media does (where every bikes excells everywhere and no real comparisons are said/written) just to say "aha, you became mainstream and sold yourselves". This day still hasn't come! You got one review right, then the second, then the third. Like Bike mag bible tests, but even better and more honest comparisons! Keep rockin'...
Man those are some serious compliments! Thanks. I try to stay pretty objective and fair to everyone in all these reviews. My main goal is to help folks find the right bike for them. If I just hyped or slammed every bike, it wouldn't be a very good resource.
@@bikersedge Just see how many comments in your videos are similar to "I bought the bike based on your recommendation/review". This is the pinnacle of your work. I'm just one of them that bought the bike based on your videos (and many others, but yours was the most precise for my type of riding and trails and what I wanted from the bike). I wanted a great climber, and Occam is right there at the top for 120+ travel bikes! Never have I been a fan of superlatives for each component of the bike (frame included) but the Occam suspension is really next level when it comes to pedaling.
@@bikersedge I have seen some shocking custom colour schemes the worst was pink, yellow and blue. It was hideous but absolutely brilliant. I had mine as plain as possible so they just lacquered it so you can see the naked carbon.
I saw your review on the Reign in which you seemed to be having a lot more fun than this Trance, (which thanks to this review made me decide against it) and you were also riding a much longer travel bike (Reign) in much more technical conditions and crushing it. Am I correct in assuming you would be riding the Reign over this Trance?
For tight slow trails. Western pa. Do you think that the trance would be better than the Ripley. Older Intermediate rider. Do you think the trance climbs close to the Ripley .does the trance ride much smoother than the Ripley Thanks for the great video
Great video. Your aesthetics and especially graphics are beautiful. I've used them for referance to show clients how to keep things sleek yet informative. Tho the graphics are quite bold :) I've got the Occam m30 (fox 34) where I changed the stem for a Renthal 33mm and fitted two offset bushings to slacken it out a bit. I don't have too much trouble with pedal strokes, albeit the bb is even lower now. Well happy with how that all turned out. Imho you're correct about the back wheel getting caught up a bit when the terrain gets rocky and rowdier. Feels like I have to be light on my feet to ride on top of it. I haven't seen a review touch on this subject with the Occam before, good call. Keep up the great work!
Nice review. I was looking at both of these, ended up with the Trance mostly due to price (Im in Australia, MUCH better value than the Occam here, and FAR better dealer network). One thing I like about your reviews is that you are similar height and build to me - you don't see many reviews done on XL frames. Curious to know how you had the suspension setup? I couldn't test ride any bikes, partly due to supply issues, partly due to covid restrictions, so I had to buy based on reviews. Everything I read about the Trance was similar to your review. However, I was initially disappointed and found it a bit sluggish on climbs and a bit of a chore in slower, tighter terrain. After adding a large volume reducer in the shock, however, the bike came alive. I also had to run WAY less rebound and compression on the fork to the Fox recommendations. Wondering if you had a similar experience? I think suspension setup is a great thing to include in reviews, many people are setup poorly and subsequently have poor opinions of a bike / never experience the bikes true capabilities.
I spend a few rides getting the bikes dialed before I start filming. Most of the bikes aren’t mine so I don’t mess around with volume spacers too often.
Hesitating between Occam - Ibis Ripmo and Yeti Sb 130 prioritizing the best efficiency on steep climbs and looking for fun and safety on technical descents 🤔
I saw the confrontation between Occam - trance X and it was interesting and difficult to choose between the 2. I also saw your review of ibis Ripmo and Yeti Sb 130 which are the ones that most impressed me although I imagine that Occam will climb better than Yeti Sb130 but I doubt that Occam will climb better than Ibis Ripmo and more fun, am I right? In general, I want to acquire the best climber and safety in descents, medium-high technical level
Around the 5:45 mark, you mention that you did not love it for steep terrain. Why is that? What other bikes would you recommend in this category? These bikes seem to suit my local terrain, but I would describe the trails as extremely steep and not super gnarly, which you specifically describe as maybe not being the best fit for the Trance X. (Local bike shops recommended more than 120mm of rear travel for area trails.) I really liked the video, especially the focus on how the bikes rode.
The Trance has a bit of a forward weight bias. Combine that with steep terrain and it can be a little intimidating with your weight so far forward. A shorter stem could help a bit, but I don't think its enough to really shred the bike on the steeps. It's amazing just about everywhere else though.
@@bikersedge how steep and how long those steep section would have to be to really make it an issue? Dropper is fairly new invention and people were doing steeps on XC bikes just few years ago so...IDK...for those momentary, short really steep sections put your butt over rear wheel and you will be just fine. Add one washer below stem if it's really that bad and that will do more to your postition on the bike than anything else. It's rather slack for what it is so I don't understand this complaint of too forward position. Too forward on steeps can be an issue only if combined with steep head angle and technical obstacles that will make the front wheel hang on them. If front is rolling over just fine, it's a 5 min adjustment of the cockpit to make this bike more comfy downhill
Like I said, the bike is great everywhere but the extreme steeps. The long stretch out to the handlebar, the moderately steep head tube angle (65.5) stem length, stack height, and head tube length attribute to a weight forward posture on this bike. The posture is perfect for almost every situation minus extra steep sections of trail. It's great for front wheel traction and control. Like i said in the video, it's not a deal breaker. In fact, it's something I appreciated 90% of the time. Just something to be aware of. The problem with moving your butt over the rear wheel, is now your body position on the bike sucks. That might be the worst piece of bad advice in the MTB industry. It stretches out your arms too much so you can't absorb bumps and it unweights the front wheel too much making you lose traction and control.
I just hit the subscribe. Good content, good presentation. Question on the Trance X - you mentioned that rider position is quite forward especially for steep descents. How does it handle drops?
Great video Sir. I have an H20 on order, Do you think that the high speed handling can be improved with a grippier tire upfront like lets say a Minion DHF?
Thanks for the review :) I am planning on speccing the Occam with 160mm DVO Diamond and a Topaz shock... that would make it better suited to the chunkier stuff right? Also looked at the new Spectral 29 but that might be overkill.
I’m not sure how much the fork has to do with the Occam not excelling in chunky terrain. I think it’s more the rear end of the bike. I didn’t have any problems with the 150mm on this bike. Don’t get me wrong. The Occam can ride chunky stuff, but it really shines on smoother trails.
I have to say that you're getting better with every video in how you are able to add more clarity to how the bike performs and the conditions that it may be best suited for. I know there are a lot of bikes that are SO close to each other and being able to give your insight as you did with this video was very valuable. Both of these bikes have been on my radar along with the Revel Rascal. How would the Rascal compare to these two?
Hey, thanks for the feedback. It's been so long since I've ridden the Rascal that I don't think I could give a fair comparison. If I remember correctly, it's probably pretty close to these two. I remember the suspension platform feeling very firm and supportive. I don't remember it climbing as well as these two though. Again, take that with a grain of salt.
I haven’t ridden one yet. I don’t see 10mm of rear travel changing the overall ride all that much. I would guess that most people wouldn’t even notice the difference.
Question - would it be worth throwing an angleset on the Occam to get it a little slacker, lower the stack, regain some seat tube angle? Or would that just throw the front end outside of the bike’s intentions? I feel like a 1 or 1.5 would be a minimal change to climbing but help the downhill performance tremendously (it did on a ‘16 134). Of course it doesn’t need to be said it probably would affect the warranty.
I live in St George! Love the videos. I just got into mountain biking and I’m torn between the YT Jeffsy, Ripmo AF and the Giant Trance X 29 2. What do you think for this area of riding? also what trail is this?!
If I lived in St George I'd own the Ripmo AF. It's "trail bike" enough for Zen, Barrel, Gooseberry and those trails while still being "enduro bike" enough for big trails like Grafton and Flying Monkey.
@@bikersedge Thanks for reply. I went from enduro BGM Encore to Trance X for more versatility, but now i am not fully satisfied with the travel of rear suspension (even with CCDB coil shock) and I am looking for the best all mountain bike rather than enduro.
@@bikersedge Awesome review and love the real and honest testing. I'm having a hard time deciding between a L or XL for Trance X. I'm 6'2" with 34.5" bike inseam. Due to low avaliblity the closest shop to me with either size avalible is about 3 hours away and they only have a large Trance X 2. Shop says a L in this bike is the right size for my height. I ride east coast mountains TN & NC alot down hill so now your "out the door' feeling on the Trance has me researching more. Any input on the L vs XL being your also 6'2"? Thanks and subscribed!
@@cy9254 If I were to buy one I'd go XL. But, I live in Utah where our trails are pretty fast and open. the L might serve you a bit better on tighter trails. Sizing advice can be pretty tough over the internet so take that with a grain of salt.
@@bikersedge True and the wheel base length on these bikes a L specs almost the dimensions of some XL bikes. With tight singlentacks a L may be better suited if close on sizes. I'll have to try to find one of each and try them in-person. Thanks for the input 👍🏻
You mention on the Trance X your weight is a bit far forward on those downhills, did you have the flip chip in high or low? Just wondering if you were in high and what difference being in low would have made.
@@antoniofeliciano2813 I haven't tried high yet. We have a lot of climbs but a lot of step descents too so I have kept it in Low so far. I'll give it a shot though and see how it feels. Thanks for the comment.
I wish the reviewer pointed that out as well. Would have been nice to see him swap tires and make a quick impression about the differences if it made any.
@@stephangauthier911 first thing comes in my mind when he said lack of grip was tire as u know tiers can totally change the bike so i guess thats the difference he was feeling
There’s a section of video I ended up cutting out where I talked about this specifically. I try to keep these videos as concise as possible and unfortunately that part got cut. I always test bikes with the stock tires as they can be pretty revealing about the manufacturers intentions for the bike. Sure they’re easy to swap out but I feel that this is the best way to test. To my credit, suspension also plays a huge factor in suspension. You put the same tires on a hardtail and a full suspension bike and the difference in traction will be huge.
@@bikersedge I really respect the process and am personnaly an oem tires kinda review guy as it reviews the bike as is. But in the event that a traction problem arises, would be nice to give just a quick update about the tire swap and if it helped in any way. Thx for the amazing content btw. You're one of the only guys that have the relevant info/impressions without looking like an advert for the specced up version.
I don't think it would be overkill at all. I do think that it would make the axle to crown height taller than what Orbea says you can run on the bike, though - might give you warranty troubles. It will make the bike about .5 degrees slacker and the wheelbase about 10mm longer. I don't know how well the back end could hang at that point. If you try it, let us know.
@@bikersedge okay rad good to know. I'm debating between the 150 and 160. If I end up doing it I'll let you all know how it goes! Thanks for the reply!
Super stoked to see this review between the two bikes I'm considering. I started considering the Occam based on your original review, but you lean towards the Trance X for the riding I'm doing (technical). You said you tried to set up similar feeling shock tunes for the back end. Do you think you could adjust the Occam's rear suspension tune to address its weakness on hangups? Or is this just baked into its super-efficient linkage? I'm only still considering the Occam bc I could get a better spec aluminum version in the US, while the Trance X 29 1 isn't available in north america. Thanks again for awesome content
Thanks for the kind words! I don't know exactly but I would imagine the rear wheel hanging up has a lot to do with axle path and leverage ratios on the Occam. Maybe the path isn't as rearward? The bike feels fairly linear so maybe on bigger bumps, it hits bottom too easily? I do know that every time I've ridden the Occam, the back wheels starts bouncing around in the rough stuff more than other bikes in the category.
I don't know if there's really one that's much better than the other over long distances. They weigh about the same. I guess you could say the Occam is a little less stretched out and maybe more comfortable. It's more efficient and has faster tires too.
It's been so long since I've ridden a Rascal. I'd need to throw a leg over one to make a fair comparison. If I remember right, it falls right in line with these two.
@@bikersedge Giant Website says it comes with 170mm in L and XL. Maybe you somehow got the wrong dropper? Anyways thanks for the great review and this comparison
The Ripmo rides a bit burlier than either one of these bikes. It’s close in climbing capability but it feels like more of an all-mountain bike than these.
Hey Bazinga this is a famous trail in Santa Clara, UT. Barrel Roll, easy riding, nice loop. Always dry, great views, other side options. Conor was pretty honest in the technical section, it can toss you, but the downhill sections are fast.
I love this trail for flowy desert riding. A lot of desert trails are very up and down with tight twisty moves. Barrel Roll is one of the flowiest desert trails in the area while still being pretty rocky. Some of the techy climbs can be tricky too.
So crazy how one RU-vidr will tell you a bike is too squishy/bottoms out, another will tell you the same bike skips over everything and is too stiff. Both say they have the shock set up right! One will tell you it's near enduro while another tells you the same bike isn't even "all mountain"... Obviously it's like anything else in the world and everyone's opinion, taste has merit. But DANG it's hard to pick a mountain bike when you can't demo anything anymore... :)
Bikes are so subjective. Rider style, position, preference can all play a huge part in how they ride. I will say, I would bet most folks at our shop (25+ employees) would agree with my assessment that these bikes are both long travel trail bikes. Not all mountain bikes. When compared to the Hightower, Ripmo, sb130 and sentinel they are far more balanced.
To a certain degree, yes. It helps you control bumps and keep traction on the front wheel. It's far better than being off the back of the bike. At a certain point though, there's too much weight on the front wheel and it feels like you're going out the front door the whole time.
I rode the bike with the stem maxed out on the steerer and a short 35mm stem in both the high and low settings. The reach is on par with many of the other bikes I ride and own. I did my due diligence so I could give a fair description of the bike. Have you ridden it?
SB130 rides like a much bigger bike. Closer to the Ripmo, Hightower and Reign. So for chunky, nasty and steep trails I’d take the 130. For smoother trails and technical climbs I’d take the Trance.
@@bikersedge I have a Trance advanced 2016. I´d like to get a steeper seat bike and more capable. In Spain and in whole europe I guess it would be the same. Impossible to get a trance x advanced till next summer...at least.... My thoughts are maybe try to get a reign 2021 (2020 no stock) and change fox 38 170mm by fox 36 150mm..... Maybe the reign with fox 36 150mm it would be a great trail bike- all mountain. 77 º seat tube 65,7º +-headtube..... a bb around 340mm....what do you think?......thankssssssss Points: Big differences climbing between trance x, yeti sb130 and reign(with 150mm fork? big differences on down hill/ rough-steep terrain?.....thankssssss
Your denial of my internet arm chair superiority in bike knowledge is triggering. I don't need to ride a bike when I have reach, stack heights and most importantly seat angle measurements that tell me everything I need to know about a bike. I once saw a youtube video of someone sending a 2' drop on the occam so I consider it a mini-dh bike more so than the Giant, I didnt see you send any 2' drops so obviously I'm right.
You commented on shorter travel dropper posts on these (also don't enjoy smashing my nuts). Do you think that is a product of the post length, or the frame design? It looks like the posts would drop almost to the frame, but hard to tell. Also, are these 150mm, 170mm droppers?
@@jcmymtb1258 you could buy an anchor, it would ride better than these tires. I think the worst thing you could do to the Occam is to put DH casing, heavy, best-grip tires. It's a fast trail bike, poppy and sporty and you chopped it's "balls"...
