Giant is a huge player in the mountain bike world, with a rich history and huge bike range, from their top-level enduro racing Reign to highly affordable Talon hardtail. If you're wondering which Giant MTB would suit you best, read on for our complete guide to their current range.
[Updated 10 May 2022]
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Giant Bicycles mountain bikes
Understanding Giant's naming system
As mentioned above, Giant has a large range of bikes, and because of this, the naming system is a little more complicated. Giant offers bikes in different wheel size options, a choice of suspension travel, and frame materials; aluminium or carbon.
Let's use the brand's budget full suspension bike, the Stance, as an example so we can wrap our heads around the naming style. So, the Stance is the base model with an aluminium frame and no fancy extras but it does come with 650b wheels. Up the price and then there's the Stance 29 1, the '29' denoting the bike's wheel size (any names lacking the '29' means that the bike is on 650b wheels) and the '1' tells us that it's the spendier model. The lower the number at the end of a bike's name, the more higher-end components it has. On other bikes in the range, you'll find 'advanced' and 'pro' as a suffix. That means that the bike will come with a carbon frame and 'pro' hints at top-end componentry.
Prices for Giant's mountain bikes start at £500 and go up to £10,000 - they also have a complete gravel bike range too (see our guide on that here), plus women's specific Liv branded models. The below guide will include some of the still available 2021 models.
Giant Reign
There's a lot to get through here, so let's get started with the Reign. Giant labels it as the enduro bike, and with smooth suspension and confident handling, it can help you tame the wildest terrains.
Reign Advanced Pro 29 1
£6,500
The Reign Advanced Pro 29 1 tops the range. As such, it gets Giants Advanced-Grade Composite frame with 146mm Maestro suspension. Its front and rear suspension come from Fox 38 Factory Live Valve, fitted with a FIT4 damper. Shifting comes from SRAM and the GX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain paired with Shimano SLX M7120 brakes. The cranks come from TruVative with the Descendant 6k which comes with a 32t chainring fitted and an MRP AMG V2 chain guide. The bike rolls on own-brand TR-1 29 wheels and they're wrapped in a Maxxis Assegai 29x2.5" WT, 3C Maxx Terra EXO+ with a Minion DHR II at the rear with the very same specs. As for the finishing kit, that's all giant own brand coming with a TranzX travel-adjustable dropper, Contact SL TR35 800mm bar with a 35mm diameter, and the Giant Romero SL saddle.
Reign Advanced Pro 29 2
£4,500
The Reign Advanced Pro 2 is slightly cheaper and comes with a RockShox ZEB fork paired with a RockShox Deluxe Select+. Reflecting the price, this bike comes kitted with a SRAM NX Eagle drivetrain and brakes from Shimano in the form of the MT501 levers matched to MT520 callipers. It gets the same cranks and chain guide as its pricier brethren along with the very same tyres and finishing kit. However, it comes with Giant AM 29 wheels laced to Giant Tracker Performance Boost hubs.
Reign 29 1
£4,500
At this price point, there's a split between a carbon frame and an alloy with an arguably nicer kit. Built around Giants' ALUXX SL-Grade aluminium frame the Reign 29 1 comes with a Fox 38 Performance fork and an X2 shock, much like the top of the range bike. The drivetrain gets a bit interesting here, it's a mish-mash of Shimano bits with a Deore XT shifter and mech but an SLX 10-51 drivetrain and Deore XT crankset. The brakes are Shimano MT501 levers paired with MT520 callipers. As with the other bikes, it also gets a 32t chainring and MRP AMG V2 chain guide. It sees in the Giant TR-1 29 WheelSystem wheels wrapped in the same rubber as the other models above. It also comes with the exact same finishing kit.
Reign 29 2
£3,300
The built on the Reign 29 2 is very similar to its big sibling above. Instead of Fox, the Reign 29 2 has a RockShock Yari RC fork with 42mm offset and RockShox Deluxe+ shock. The bike gets a Shimano SLX shifter and mech with a Deore 10-51 cassette. It also gets Shimano MT501 brake levers with MT520 callipers. The crank on the Reign 29 2 is a Shimano SLX unit with a 32t chainring and an MRP AMG V2 chain guide. It gets Giant AM 29 tubeless-ready wheels laced to Giant Tracker Performance Boost hubs with Sapim spokes. The wheels come wrapped in the same rubber like the rest of the line-up and that's the same with the finishing kit.
Reign 29
£3,000
As a new model for 2022, the build on the Reign 29 is, in essence, identical, to the Reign 29 2, except for the colour, but we assume the "2" version will be disappearing as the 2021 stocks run out.
Reign SX 29
£4,000
Now that we're sub 4k, carbon frame options go out of the window however, you can pick up a Reign with a coil shock. The Reign 29 SX comes with a Fox 38 Performance Elite with the GRIP2 damper paired with a Fox DHX2 Performance Elite coil shock, something that's not seen on the spendier models. As for the drivetrain it benefits from a SRAM NX Eagle set-up with a TruVativ Descendant 6k crankset with an MRP alloy chain guide. The Reign 29 SX gets Shimano SLX stoppers and rolls on Giant AM 29 rims laced to Giant Tracker Performance Boost hubs. It gets the very same tyres as the other bikes, along with most of the drivetrain, although it gets the Romero saddle.
Reign SX
£3,000
Not only is the Reign SX the cheapest rig in the range but it's also the only Reign that comes with 650b wheels. The differences don't stop there, the RockShox Yari RC Debonair offers 180mm of travel and the RockShox Super Deluxe Coil Select allows for 160mm of travel. The Reign SX gets a full Shimano Deore drivetrain with MT501 levers hosed up to MT520 callipers. The crankset changes too, this time there's a Praxis Cadet with a 34t chainring with a Giant custom design MRP CS chain guide. This bike comes with Giant DH 27.5 rims on Giant Tracker Performance Boost hubs with a Maxxis DHF 27.5x2.5 WT, EXO at the front and a Maxxis DHR II 27.5x2.4" WT EXO. The only similarity comes in the finishing kit, everything here is the same as the rest of the range.
Giant Trance
The Trance is Giants' do-it-all trail bike, and this year Giant brought out more models to the range. It comes in two main guises, simply the Trance and then the Trance X which offers a boost in travel and a bit of a geometry tweak. The standard Trance model has a 130mm fork with 115mm of travel at the back, again, provided by the Maestro suspension platform. Trance X's has a 150mm travel fork with 135mm at the back. Those ones also get a geometry adjusting flip-chip. On the subject of geometry, in the Low setting, a Trance X comes with a 65.5° head angle, 438mm chainstays and a 77.2° seat tube angle. A large frame will have a 486mm reach. The standard Trance has a 66.5° head angle, a 74.5° seat tube angle, 435mm chainstays and a large frame has a 462mm reach. Both Trance bikes come with only 29" wheels.
Trance geometry chart
Trance X geometry chart
Trance Advanced Pro 29 0
£10,000
Costing quite a bit of money, the new 2022 model Trance Advanced Pro 29 0 is at the very top of Giant's mountain bike range. It's built upon a reengineered composite frameset with adjustable frame geometry and an updated Maestro suspension system to offer 120mm of rear travel and 130mm of front travel. The 0 model has a Fox 34 Factory fork with a GRIP 2 damper up front and a Fox Float X Factory shock. It comes with a drivetrain from SRAM, featuring XX1 Eagle AXS Rocker Paddle shifters and AXS read derailleur. The brakes are Shimano XTR and the crankset and bb are SRAM DUB. The cassette on the 0 models is 12-52 compared to other models 10-51.
Trance Advanced Pro 29 1
£7,000
A notch down from the 0 model, the Trance Advanced Pro 29 1 features the same frame and finishing kit from Giant with a 780mm wide handlebar and the Romero SL saddle. All the Advanced pro models feature a TranzX travel-adjustable dropper. Differing from the 0 the 1 has a Fox 34 Performance Elite Live Valve fork and shock and a FIT4 damper. The groupset is Shimano Deore XT throughout, with a Praxis crankset.
Trance Advanced Pro 29 2
£5,000
The third Trance Advanced Pro 29 model, the 2, features again the same frame and finishing kit from Giant with a 780mm wide handlebar and the Romero SL saddle. All the Advanced pro models feature a TranzX travel-adjustable dropper. Differing from the 1 the 2 has a Fox 34 Float Rhythm fork and Fox Float DPS Performance shock and a GRIP damper. The groupset is Shimano SLX on the shifters, Deore on brakes and cranks.
Trance X Advanced Pro 29 0
£8,500
The Trance X Advanced Pro 29 0 is at the top of the range. It's built around Giant's Advanced-Grade Composite frame and has a Fox 36 Factory Live Valve with a FIT4 damper upfront and a DPX2 Factory both with Fox's fancy Live Valve tech. It comes with a drivetrain from Shimano which is mostly XT but with an XTR shifter. The crankset and press-fit bottom bracket also come from Shimano and the Deore XT crank with a 30t chainring and carbon MRP AMG V2 chain guide. This bike gets Giant TRX-1 29 WheelSystem hoops shod with a Maxxis Minion DHF 29x2.5" 3C Maxx Terra EXO pair with a Maxxis Dissector 29x2.5" with the same specs. The whole finishing kit comes from Giant with a 780mm wide handlebar and the Romero SL saddle. The dropper post on this bike is a Fox Transfer Factory with a Shimano remote.
Trance X Advanced Pro 29 1
£6,000
The Trance X Advanced Pro 29 1 knocks a couple of grand off the price of the range-topper and is missing a few of the ultra snazzy components. It also gets a full carbon frame but comes with a Fox 36 Performance Elite with a GRIP2 damper and a DPX2 performance out the back. This bike benefits from 12-speed shifting in the form of SRAMs GX Eagle drivetrain paired with SRAM G2 R brakes. The crank is a TruVativ Descendent 6k and it comes with a 30t chainring - and a SRAM DUB press-fit bottom bracket. Note that there's no chain guide here. It gets the same wheels as the spendier bike and comes with Giant's own finishing kit, including the dropper this time. The frame comes in four sizes, compared to the spendier version, which is missing the small size.
Trance X Advanced Pro 29 2
£4,800
The Trance X Advanced Pro 29 2 also has a full carbon frame but comes with a Fox 36 Float Rhythm fork and a GRIP2 damper and a DPX2 performance out the back. This bike benefits from 12-speed shifting in the form of Shimano SLX.It gets the same wheels as the spendier bike and comes with Giant's own finishing kit, including the dropper this time. The frame comes in four sizes.
Trance X 29 1
£3,200
This one is new for the 2022 range. We're now at the price point where the carbon frames stop coming. The Trance X 29 1 is built around Giants' ALUXX SL-Grade Aluminium with a Fox 36 Float Performance fork with a FIT4 damper and a Fox Float DPS Performance shock. The bike comes with a full Shimano SLX drivetrain, Tektro Orion brakes and a Shimano M511 crank with a 30t chainring. As for the wheels, they're Giant AM 29's rolling on sealed bearing hubs. The tyres that come on the bike are a Maxxis Minion DHF 29x2.5", EXO on the front wheel and the rear is a Maxxis Dissector 29x2.4" to the same spec. This bike has a Giant finishing kit.
Trance X 29 2
£3,300
The Trance X 29 2 is built around Giants' ALUXX SL-Grade Aluminium with a RockShox 35 Gold RL fork and a Fox Float DPS Performance shock. The bike comes with a SRAM SX Eagle shifting, Tektro Orion Brakes and SRAM SX crankset with a 30t chainring. The wheels are Giant AM 29's rolling on Giant Boost sealed bearing hubs. The tyres and finishing kit are the exact same as on the X 29 1 model.
Trance X 29 3
£2,700
This bike has remained the same since 2021. At the front is a RockShox 35 Gold RL and the rear suspension is still handled by a Fox DPS Performance. SRAM is in charge of the drivetrain here with the Eagle SX groupset, including the cranks with the same 30t chainring. It gets Giant AM 29 wheels on Giant hubs with a Maxxis Minion DHF 29x2.5" EXO on the front and a Maxxis Dissector 29x2.4" EXO on the rear. The brakes are Shimano MT401 levers with MT420 callipers.
Trance 29 1
£3,200
The Trance 29 2 gets an aluminium frame with a Fox 34 Performance fork with a GRIP damper matched with a Fox Float DPS Performance shock. It gets a full Shimano SLX drivetrain including the cranks which come with a 30t chainring. The brakes fitted are Tektro Orion and this bike rolls on Giant AM 29 rims with Shimano hubs with a Maxxis Minion DHF 29x2.5" 3C, EXO tyre on the front and a Maxxis Aggressor 29x2.5" at the back. The handlebars, stem, saddle and dropper post come from Giant.
Trance 29 2
£2,800
The Trance 29 2 gets an aluminium frame with a Marzocchi Z2 fork with a GRIP damper matched with a Fox Float DPS Performance shock. It gets a full Shimano Deore 12 speed drivetrain, Praxis Cadet crankset and Praxis bottom bracket. The brakes fitted are Tektro Orion and the bike rolls on the same wheels and tyres as the Trance 29 1 version. The handlebars, stem, saddle and dropper post come from Giant.
Trance 29 3 (2021)
£2,300
Last but not least is the most budget-friendly option, the Trance 29 3. It's built around an aluminium frame with a Marzocchi Z2 fork with a GRIP damper. Handling the rear suspension is a Fox Float DPS Performance. This bike sees a full Shimano Deore drivetrain with MT401 brake levers with an MT420 and MT410 calliper at either end of the bike. There's a Praxis Cadet crank with a 30t chainring and it all rolls on Giant XCT 29" rims with Giant hubs. As for tyres, there's a Maxxis Minion DHF 29x2.3" 3C EXO on the front and a Maxxis Aggressor 29x2.3" 3C EXO on the rear. Then the bike is finished off with Giants' own brand bits.
Trance X 1
£4,200
New to the 2022 range, Trance X 1 is the top one of the three models and comes in a black/smoke colourway, a Fox 36 Performance Elite fork with 160mm travel, coupled with a Fox Float X Performance Elite rear shock. The drivetrain is kitted with SRAM GX Eagle components and SRAM Code R brakes. Trance X models are only available with an ALUXX SL 6061 aluminium frame, boasting a lightweight and robust chassis. Giant has incorporated a flip-chip feature to adjust the frame's geometry depending on the trail and terrain. Built into the Maestro suspension system's Advanced Forged Composite rocker arm, the flip-chip allows you to change the head angle from 63.8 to 64.5 degrees, and the seat tube angle adjusts from 76.3 to 77.0 degrees (in a medium frame). Switching the geometry also changes the bottom bracket drop from 20mm in the high setting to 30mm in the low setting.
Trance X 2
£3,200
The Trance X 2 is painted in a hematite/slate grey design. Equipped with Fox 36 Rhythm forks boasting 160mm travel, the suspension system is finished with a Fox Float DPS Performance shock. Components include an SRAM NX drivetrain with Shimano Deore brakes
Trance X 3
£2,900
The final model in the fleet is the Trance X 3 in a grey/black colourway. The suspension system features a RockShox Yari RC and Fox Float DPS Performance rear shock. The drivetrain and brakes are provided by Shimano Deore
Giant Stance
Next in the line up is the Giant Stance. It's the brands' entry-level trail full susser. With only three bikes in the 2022 range, they each are built around an aluminium frame with 130mm of suspension at the front and 120mm at the rear. In terms of geometry, the bike gets a 67.5° head tube angle, a 75° seat tube angle 438mm chainstays and a large frame comes with a 454 reach. The Stance comes with 29" wheels but the cheapest rig gets 650b ones. The Stance's suspension platform is a little different too, rather than the Maestro platform that's common on Giant bikes, it gets a FlexPoint platform which (no surprises here) uses a flexible point in the seat stays and chainstays.
Stance 29 1
£2,100
The Stance 29 1 comes with a RockShox Recon Silver RL with a Monarch R shock from the same brand. The bike is graced with a SRAM SX Eagle 11x50 drivetrain and crank with Shimano MT201 brake levers and MT200 callipers. The wheels come from Giant in the form of the AM 29 wheels and they're wrapped with Maxxis Forekaster 29x2.35" EXO tyres both front and rear. The dropper, handlebars and stem come from Giant, as does the Romero saddle.
Stance 29 2
£1,800
The Stance 29 2 sees quite a change in the spec in order to keep the price low. It gets Giant's own Crest 34 LOR DS fork with a Suntour Raidon R shock. There's a full Shimano Deore drivetrain, Tektro brakes and a Praxis Cadet crankset with a 30t chainring. The wheels and tyres are the same as in the above model. The finishing kit comes from Giant too but note, there's no dropper post on this one.
Stance
£1,800
This is the base model Stance and it has much the same kit as the Stance 29 2, but it's got 650b wheels with a Maxxis Rekon 2.6" WT, EXO tyre on the front and a Maxxis Ardent Race 2.6" WT, EXO at the rear. The brakes are Shimano instead of Tektro and the bottom bracket is Praxis. The seat tube angle is also slightly slacker at 74° instead of 75° on the 29" wheel version.
Giant Anthem
The Anthem is Giants full suspension cross country ring. It gets 100mm of squish at the front with just 90mm at the rear aided by the Maestro suspension platform. As it's an XC thoroughbred, there's no 650b option for the Anthem. On the Anthem, you'll find a 69° head angle, 73.5° seat tube angle, 438mm chainstays and a large frame that will have a 454mm reach.
Anthem Advanced Pro 29 1
£7,000
The Anthem Advanced Pro 29 1 It's built around an Advanced Composite carbon frame with a Fox 34 Float SC Factory Live Valve with a FIT4 damper and a Fox Performance Elite Live Valve shock. This bike gets a Shimano Deore XT groupset throughout including the crank which comes fitted with a 33t chainring. This one rolls on a pair of Giant XCR-1 29 carbon wheels with Maxxis Recon Race 29x2.4" TLR, EXO tyres. Unlike many other Giant bikes, the finishing kit for this one includes a Fi'zi:k Antares R5 saddle with K:ium rails and a Giant contact SLR 760mm handlebar.
Anthem Advanced Pro 29 2
£5,000
The Anthem Advanced Pro 29 2 has also had an update and is similarly priced to the 2021 Anthem Advanced Pro 29 1 version. The Anthem Advanced Pro 29 2 is built around the very same frame as the 1, with an Advanced Composite carbon frame with a Fox 34 Float SC Performance Remote fork, a Grip damper and a Fox Float DPS Performance Elite shock. This bike has a Shimano SLX and Deore groupset throughout including the crank which comes fitted with a 33t chainring. This one rolls on a pair of Giant XCR-2 29 carbon wheels with Maxxis Recon Race 29x2.4" TLR, EXO tyres. Unlike many other Giant bikes, the finishing kit for this one includes a Fi'zi:k Antares R7 saddle with S-Alloy rails and a Giant contact SLR 760mm handlebar.
Anthem 29 1
£2,800
This one got a fresh look last year and has since only gone up a little in price. The fork comes from Fox and is a 32 Float SC Performance with a GRIP damper. Handling the rear suspension is a Fox Float DPS Performance shock. The Anthem 29 1 gets a full Shimano SLX drivetrain and cranks with a 32t chainring. Brakes also come from Shimano in the form of the MT501 levers and MT500 callipers. As for wheels, this bike gets Giant XCT 29s and there are Maxxis Recon Race tyres with a 2.35" width on the front and a 2.25" on the rear and they come with Maxxis' TLR, EXO compounds and casing. The finishing kit comes from Giant.
Giant XTC
The XTC is Giants' xc hardtail and has been reduced to just one model from three in 2022.
XTC SLR 29 1
£1,600
This is the only bike in the XTC range that's new for 2021. This one has an alloy frame with a Giant Crest 34 RRL fork with a remote lockout. The drivetrain is a mix of Shimano SLX and Deore XT and the bike uses Shimano BR-MT501 brake levers with BR-MT500 callipers. The wheels come from Giant and the XCT 29 rims on Shimano MT410 hubs. AS with the rest of the range, the tyres are Maxxis Recon Race 29x2.25 TLR EXOs.
Giant Fathom
The Fathom is Giants' trail hardtail with 130mm of travel. There are four bikes in the range all of which have aluminium frames with each model coming with a choice of wheel size. As for geometry, the Fathom gets a 66° head angle, a 75° seat tube angle and 435mm chainstays. A large frame sees a respectable 470mm reach. The geometry doesn't change with wheel sizes.
Fathom 1 (29 and 27.5)
£1,600
The Fathom comes with the same spec and price in both wheel sizes so we've combined the components here. With an alloy frame, the Fathom one gets a Giant Crest 34 RCL fork. It's driven by a mix of SRAM Eagle SX and NX, and get Shimano MT401 brake levers paired to MT420 callipers. There's also a SRAM SX Eagle crankset with a 30t chainring. There are Giant AM wheels in either 29 or 27.5 versions and they're wrapped with a Maxxis DHF 29x2.5" and a Maxxis Agressor 29x2.5" both with EXO casings. The 650b bike gets a pair of Maxxis Ardent Race 27.5x2.6" tyres. It's finished with own brand Giant kit with Giant Sole-O grips and Giant Romero Saddle.
Fathom 2 (29 and 27.5)
£1,400
The Fathom 2 comes with a Suntour Raidon 34 LOR DS air fork and a Shimano Deore drivetrain with a Praxis Cadet Boost crankset. There's a 34t chainring and Tektro TKD143 brakes. As with the finishing kit, the wheels are Giants' own AM 27.5 or 29's and they come with Maxxis Ardent Race 27.5x2.6" or a Maxxis Minion DHF 29x2.5" WT EXO and Maxxis Aggressor 29x2.5" WT EXO.
Giant Talon
Rounding off the whole Giant mountain bike lineup is the entry-level Talon. It's reasonably priced and comes with six models for 2022, all of which come with two wheel sizes and an alloy frame. Between the two, there's not an awful lot of difference in the geometry. The 650b bike gets a 67.5° head angle, a 440mm chainstay and 440mm reach (on a large). The 29er sees a 68.5° head angle, 455mm chainstays and a 439mm reach (also on a large). Both bikes benefit from a 74° seat tube angle. Suspension travel changes though, the 650b bike gets 100mm of travel and the 29er gets 80mm. Talon offers a wider size range than any of the other Giant mtb models.
Talon 0
£950
at £850, the Talon 0 tops out of the range and it comes with a pretty respectable kit. There's an SXC32-2 air-sprung fork with a Shimano Deore 12-speed drivetrain. As for brakes, this bike comes with Tektro TKD hydraulic stoppers and it rolls on Giant GX03V 29 or 27.5 wheels. It gets Maxxis Rekon 27.5 or 29x2.4" tyres with a wire bead. The wholly Giant finishing kit includes a 780mm handlebar.
Talon 1
£850
The Talon 1 comes with most of the kit that you'll find on the Talon 0, but the savings sacrifice the 12-speed drivetrain and instead, the Talon 1 gets an 11x42 10-speed cassette.
Talon 2
£650
Talon 2s price point starts to change the componentry. This bike gets an SR Suntour XCT30 HLO coil-sprung fork with a Shimano 2x10 drivetrain with an Acera derailleur. Here we get the same wheels, tyres and finishing kit as the rest of the range.
Talon 3
£580
The Talon 3 comes with an SR Suntour XCE coil-sprung steel steerer fork and it's worth mentioning that the XS frame comes with 80mm of travel. On this one there's a Shimano 3x8 drivetrain with a Altus derailleur and Tektro HDC hydraulic brakes. Everything else including the finishing kit and wheels stays the same apart from the tyres. Tyres on the Talon 3 are Maxxis Ikons with a wire bead.
Talon 4
£530
The Talon 4 has a 2x7 gearing and gets all of the same gubbins as the Talon 3 but it trades the brakes in for a pair of Tektro TKB 172 mechanical brakes.
Talon 5
£500
The Talon 5 is the cheapest of all of Giants' bikes and it has most of the same components as other Talon models but comes with Shimano Tourney rear mech, a seven-speed 14-28 cassette and Shimano SL-M315 shifting.
