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Giant’s entry-level e-bike cuts travel to 125mm but does it still give great bang for your buck?
£3,999 • 29in • giant-bicycles.com
NEED TO KNOW
● Entry-level e-bike platform with 125mm travel and 29in wheels
● SyncDrive Sport motor has 75Nm torque and is paired with a 625Wh battery
● RockShox 35 Silver fork pumps out 140mm travel
● FlexPoint suspension design reduces complexity and cost
● Colour LCD controller and display is clear and easy to use
● Stance E+ 2 available for £3,499
The Stance E+ 1 is a shorter-travel 29er e-bike that strips back some of Giant’s proprietary suspension tech to deliver a ride that is both smooth and affordable. It still boasts a full power Yamaha-made SyncDrive Sport motor with 75Nm torque which is combined with a 625Wh removable battery to ensure that you’re not being shortchanged on either power or range.
The removable battery pops out of the underside of the down tube in the same way as Giant’s high-end e-bikes, so you only need a T25 tool for removal. You do need to tighten the T25 battery latch securely though when reinstalling the battery, otherwise it rattles inside the frame. Also, if you want to ride further in the higher-power modes, the Stance E+ 1 is compatible with Giant’s 250Wh EnergyPak Plus range extender.
So what’s missing then? The biggest difference between the Stance E frame and Giant’s other e-bike platforms is that it uses a single-pivot FlexPoint suspension design. Rather than getting Giant’s signature twin-link Maestro suspension, the Stance E+ 1 has aluminium flex stays with fewer pivots, bearings and links that bring appreciable cost savings when it comes to manufacturing the frame.
For the Stance E platform, Giant employs its top-end ALUXX SL aluminium so there is potential weight saving when combined with the FlexPoint suspension design. Any weight reduction is masked by the more affordable mix of components though – the top-end Stance E+ 1 weighing a hefty 26.44kg (58.26lb) without pedals.
And it’s worth noting that the bike comes fitted with the lightest-casing Maxxis EXO tyres, so if you plan on riding the Stance E+ 1 on serious mountain bike trails, you are going to want more robust tyres from the off, which will instantly nudge the weight of the bike up to over 27kg.
HOW IT RIDES
Off the scales and on the trails, the Stance E+ 1 masks its mass pretty well. And while it only has 125mm of rear travel, the suspension is very effective once you get it set up correctly. Which isn’t as straightforward as it should be. Neither the Suntour shock or RockShox 35 fork have sag O-rings fitted as standard, so to take some of the guesswork out of the initial suspension set-up, I slapped a zip-tie on both. Even then, I was quite a way off on the initial shock pressure; a harsh metallic
