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Supercow · 20 Jan 2011 at 09:05

The Trance is a good bike, ive ridden a mate's wel specced Trance and it rocked.
Define what you mean by "I'm forver having gear issuses" and " I really dont like the way the front handles".

What gear problems and what do you not like about the front's performance. The stock fork that comes with that bike is rather poo, but if you can tell us what you don't like about it, then we should be able to recommend a good replacement. Personally I don't think you need another bike, maybe just a couple of upgrades and maybe some TLC is in order.

ichabod crane · 20 Jan 2011 at 12:40

The Trance is not a particularly bad frame, you best option would be to upgrade parts and customise the bike more to your needs and riding.

tom_e · 20 Jan 2011 at 13:48

smoove said:
Gear changes are always late and it just totally skips certain gears (tried serving it to the best of my abilities and had a suitable replacement).

I just find the front (maybe the headset as well) overly heavy and dont get enough feedback from teh terrain.

Have you tried taking it to a decent LBS for a look over the gears as they can be very tricky to set up yourself if youve not got a lot of experience

ichabod crane · 20 Jan 2011 at 14:13

To be honest you sound set on blaming the bike and replacing it for something new.

Supercow · 20 Jan 2011 at 14:29

smoove said:
I just find the front (maybe the headset as well) overly heavy and dont get enough feedback from teh terrain.

No such things as an overly heavy headset... but when you say feedback - do you mean they are quire rigid, or the fact that the offer little damping (not just up and down, but controlled damping in other words?)

Sound like a pair of Rockshox Pike forks would solve that issue as they are light and plush

gcaster · 21 Jan 2011 at 01:26

£600-800 would get you quite a lot of bike if you went the hardtail route. On the other handed if you wanted to stay full-suss you'd be better off keeping the trance I reckon as for your budget you're not going to get much.
All depends what you use it for really? If it's just used for trail centres and singletrack riding then a steel HT would be my choice but if you'll be taking it to anywhere like the lakes where it's really rocky or somewhere a bit more DH orientated then you'll regret going HT.

gcaster · 21 Jan 2011 at 01:30

Try looking at the classifieds on the SingletrackWorld forum to get an idea of what will fit your budget.
I built my Full Suss mainly from second hand parts from there, there's some serious bargains to be had and if you're looking to get a full bike you'll not do badly over there.

ichabod crane · 21 Jan 2011 at 09:47

gcaster said:
Try looking at the classifieds on the SingletrackWorld forum to get an idea of what will fit your budget.
I built my Full Suss mainly from second hand parts from there, there's some serious bargains to be had and if you're looking to get a full bike you'll not do badly over there.

What do you ride? You should put a picture of it over here Big Bike Thread

gcaster · 21 Jan 2011 at 10:50

Will do, not got any pics of it in it's latest incarnation but it's a Commencal Meta 55 build.

gcaster · 21 Jan 2011 at 10:53

Also, have a semi-carbon Be One road bike with full Ultegra and a singlespeed for every day use. More bikes than necessary really but the SS is good fun in Durham for uni, the whole city is one big hill really.

#Chri5# · 21 Jan 2011 at 12:35

Is it the "shock basket" Trance? If so, I've got one of them too

Frame isn't the lightest - hence the changes the year after.

If you're still on the original drivetrain, I'd be looking at new chainrings, cassette, chain and gear cables. You might find a crankset is as cheap as three new chainrings though.

I've put 110-140m RS Rev's (with a 20mm Maxle) on mine - it's most ammusing going down hill now.

What length stem did it come with? Giant like longer stems, though I'm still running the OE 100m on mine.

gettothechopper · 21 Jan 2011 at 13:18

you can buy a deore hollowtech chainset, chain, levers, cassette and front /rear mechs for £160 on merlin, get it fitted
no way you can have gear problems then

try a shorter stem - it will liven up the front

the forks you have are excellent, try taking it to a shop and getting them to help you set them up better? or maybe a service?

those giant frames ride very nice when set up right, I wouldnt replace it yet (and not for a hardtail!)

gcaster · 21 Jan 2011 at 13:48

Be careful with buying a shorter stem, the shorter you go the further back your weight is - ideal for going downhill but might mean your pulling up on your front wheel when climbing.

you can buy a deore hollowtech chainset, chain, levers, cassette and front /rear mechs for £160 on merlin

You can get a full 10 speed SLX groupset imported from Germany for about £180 rather than £270 cheapest over here - google "actionsports.de slx groupset" and click the top link. Delivery is quick and I know a couple of people who've bought this from here so it's reputable.
If you're having problems with all your shifting it'll sharpen things up very nicely - same shifting performance as XT and XTR, just not as light. As Chris says it's likely that your drivetrain has worn out.

gcaster · 23 Jan 2011 at 16:22

What brakes have you got? If you're not running hydraulic discs that's another good consideration. Again SLX are brilliant (they're what I use), are capable of handling almost anything you throw at them and are really easy to maintain.