All-mountain duel: Last Glen vs Giant Trance X2 - reader test 2022

The Dortmund-based mail order company Last equips its Glen with lightweight DT wheels and a Sram GX drivetrain. The fork and shock are from Rockshox's Select+ series. The Giant Trance X2 is almost 1000 euros cheaper and at 3199 euros is just over the magical 3000 euro mark. At this price level, you can currently expect an all-mountain bike that is suitable for off-road riding. And in the case of the Giant, the budget couldn't be tighter.

The Shimano stoppers with two-finger brake levers have an unergonomic grip and only moderate deceleration. The affordable Sram SX drivetrain has a narrow range and shifts worse under load than the mid-range models on the other bikes in the test. In addition, the Giant Trance weighs 1.3 kilos more than its competitor from Last. The wheels alone, which Giant mounts tubeless ex works, weigh 604 grams more, making the Trance much slower to accelerate. Nevertheless, the candidate turns out to be a solid climber: the modern geometry with a steep seat angle and long reach places the rider in a sporty position on the bike and puts enough pressure on the front wheel even on the steepest ramps of the test lap. Sections in the pedalling stroke are always accompanied by a slight bobbing of the rear triangle. However, if you hit the lever for the platform while riding, calm returns.

Last Glen: climbs easily(er), but unsteady

The relatively low weight of the Last fuelled our testers' high hopes for excellent uphill performance. And indeed, the light-footed acceleration is impressive. However, the riding position with the extremely steep seat angle and the 35 millimetre short stub stem is too compact. What's more, not even the platform function on the shock manages to prevent the lively rear triangle from influencing the drive. Nevertheless, the Last wins the uphill classification - albeit only just - thanks to valuable points for weight.

It was only when we rushed the two duelists downhill around corners and whipped them over root carpets that the Glen was able to set itself apart from the much more favourable Giant. Although both bikes have 150 millimetres of travel at the front and 140 millimetres at the rear, only the Last Glen provides a really plush ride. However, we did miss some counter-pressure at the rear when landing or pushing through berms. Nevertheless, the fork in particular responds much better than the second-rate Rockshox 35 in the Giant Trance. A pity really. Because the successful geometry with its very slack head angle, long wheelbase and super low bottom bracket promises almost more confidence than the load. However, the lack of suspension performance prevents the Giant from realising its full potential. There was also a lot of praise for the generous adjustment range of the dropper post on the Dortmund bike.

Conclusion from Max Fuchs, BIKE test editor

It's a shame that 4000 euros doesn't seem to be enough to send a decent all-mountain bike onto the trails. With good components, Last builds a lightweight bike with strengths on the descents. However, the Glen doesn't manage the perfect balancing act of uphill and downhill qualities. The Giant Trance X2, on the other hand, has the predisposition for this balancing act, but only masters it from a higher price category upwards.

Technical data Last Glen

General

• Price: 4149 Euro 1)
• Frame material: aluminium
• Frame material: 165 / 175 / 185 / 195 (tested in 46 cm)
• Info->

Measured values

• Weight without pedals: 14.1 kg
• Front / rear suspension travel: 152 / 144 mm

Equipment

• Wheels: DT Swiss M 1900 Spline
• Tyres: Maxxis Min.3C MaxxTerra 29 x 2.50 / Dissector 3C MaxxSpeed 29 x 2.40
• Fork: Rockshox Pike Select+
• Shock: Rockshox Super Deluxe Select+
• Brakes: Formula Cura 4 / 203 / 180 mm
• Gear system: Sram GX Eagle 1 x 12
• Ratio/bandwidth: 32; 10-52 / 520 %
• Telescopic seatpost: Bike Yoke Divine / 185 mm

Technical data Giant Trance X2

General

• Price: 3299 Euro >> available here
• Frame material: aluminium
• Frame size S / M / L / XL (tested in 46 cm)
• Info->

Measured values

• Weight without pedals: 15.3 kg
• Front / rear suspension travel: 148/ 151 mm

Equipment

• Wheels: Giant AM 29 system wheels
• Tyres: Maxxis Minion Exo Protection 29 x 2.50 / Dissector Exo Protection TR 29 x 2.40
• Fork: Rockshox 35 Gold RL
• Shock: Fox Float DPS Performance
• Brakes: Shimano BR-MT 420 / 203 / 180
• Gear system: Sram SX Eagle 1 x 12
• Gear ratio / bandwidth: 30; 11-50 / 454 %
• Telescopic post: Giant Contact Switch / 170 mm

1) The BIKE judgement reflects the laboratory measurements and the subjective impression of the test riders. The BIKE judgement is independent of price.

2) Price may be subject to additional costs for packaging, dispatch and coordination

You can download the complete reader test here:
>> Reader test 2022 from BIKE 8/2022 <<