Giant 2021 eBike Lineup + Our Take On Each Model

Giant Bicycles is no stranger to the world of two wheels, with the Giant Group coming to be in 1972. Throughout the decades since, Giant has been one of the companies at the forefront of innovation and change, with accolades that include developing some of the first hollow aluminum frame road bikes, and being one of the first manufacturers to embrace carbon fiber.

Most of these innovations came through making racing bikes, and as is the same with motorsports, technology trickles down to consumer products. It’s no wonder then that what you see on a Giant bike in the Tour de France one year will appear on a consumer bike the next. Giant expanded into extreme mountain biking as the sport emerged in the early 2000s, and through both that racing program and the rising demand, their first eBikes were of the trail and mountain variety.

Today, Giant Bicycles is one of the biggest proponents of trail-capable eBikes, focusing more on allowing riders to explore and find their own adventures than on the Monday to Friday commute. This isn’t to say, however, that any of their bikes would fall behind doing that commute, as they are all designed to handle anything that is thrown at them.

Giant FastRoad E+ EX Pro

The Giant FastRoad E+ EX Pro is designed to conquer the daily commute and any extra errands you need to make to and from work. Using Giant’s own SyncDrive Pro, designed in collaboration with Yamaha, up to 90 miles of pedal assist power is available, depending on how much assistance you request. The key feature of SyncDrive Pro is that using its cadence sensor, in collaboration with speed sensors and accelerometers, it only pulses assistance when you need it.

For example, if your cadence starts to slow down as you start to go up a hill, SyncDrive Pro will detect the angle of the hill and your previous cadence, and pulse in assistance to match your cadence. By pulsing the torque and pedal assistance, the FastRoad E+ EX Pro, with the EX standing for Extended Range, the battery is not drained nearly as quickly as with constant on assist motors.

Giant Road E+ 1 Pro

The Giant Road E+ 1 Pro is the specialist road riding version of the FastRoad E+. While the FastRoad is for the commuter, the Road is for the distance rider that spends hours riding. Because of this, while the estimated range is 50 miles of assist, for 90% of the time, the bike will be ridden at speeds above the 15 MPH assist limit.

Using SyncDrive Pro, this allows the electronic pedal assist to “sleep” while the bike is cruising. It will only kick in at speeds below 15 MPH, or for hills if the assist setting is put to full power. The hydraulic Shimano shifter is also extremely durable, allowing for thousands of changes before needing service, and the drop bars allow for the rider to assume an aerodynamic tuck to maximize their energy output. A road rider’s dream, the Road E+ 1 Pro assists when you need it, stays out of the way when you don’t.

Giant Revolt E+ Pro

The Giant Revolt E+ Pro is a bike for those that like to ride a bit on the wild side. Technically called a “trekking” bike, it is designed to both be a drop-bar road going bike, and a straight handlebar pathways and trail bike. This is facilitated by the fact that the Revolt has tires more akin to in-city mountain bikes, with good tread but not the knobby, hard gripping tread that true mountain bikes have.

As well, the SyncDrive Pro motor is turned up a notch, giving the Revolt E+ Pro a top pedal assist speed of 28 MPH. This does limit the range somewhat, yet it can still realistically make 50 miles per charge if on the lowest assist level. A true dual-sport bike, with the torque to help you crest the steepest hills, and the speed to get you to work on time!

Giant Roam E+ (GTS/STA)

The Giant Roam E+ comes in two frame styles, but shares all other specs. The GTS is a standard frame bike, while the STA is a dropped-top-bar step-thru bike. Both are powered by the SyncDrive Core motor, which has a zero-cadence instant torque of 50 Nm on the first push of the pedals. As the torque is slightly detuned from the SyncDrive Pro, a smaller, lighter battery is fitted with the same range expectations as the EnergyPak Smart Compact.

The Roam E+ is designed to be a trekking bike that seems most of its use offroad. This is evidenced by the Suntour NEX E25 front forks with 63mm of suspension travel, and a pedal assist maximum speed of 20 MPH. Giant Crosscut Gravel 2 tires are also fitted as standard, with increased tread depth and siping to give ultimate grip, even on the slipperiest of trails or gravel covered paths.

Giant Explore E+ 2 (GTS/STA)

Still in the trekking family of Giant eBikes, the Explore E+ 2 comes in both a standard frame and dropped-top-bar step-thru. Both are powered by the SyncDrive Life motor, fed by a 500 Wh EnergyPak Smart. Included with the bike is a mounted rear rack, designed for light cargo or panniers/saddlebags.

The Explore E+ 2 is meant to be a bit more civilized than the Roam E+, with mudguards and a lower top speed. This, however, gives the Explore E+ 2 its namesake in that it has a massive ideal per charge range of 68 miles, and if you manage your pedal assist carefully, up to 105 miles per charge is possible. Basically, this bike is meant to obliterate the weekday commute, then crush the weekend pathway or trail.

Giant Talon E+ 29 3

The Talon E+ 29 3 is the entry level into Giant’s line of trail bikes. Using the SyncDrive Core 250 W motor, the bike does have a limited 15 MPH assist speed, but can cover 65 miles on average on a normal easy to intermediate trail. If you do push into harsher, harder trails or go truly off-trail, you can still expect 34 miles of assistance.

The Talon E+ 29 3, however, is built for the duty, with massive 29 inch wheels front and back, a full 100mm Suntour SR XCM ATB coil-spring suspension fork, and Maxxis Rekon 29×2.4 tires, some of the best you can get in the mid-range market. Tektro HD-M275 hydraulic disc brakes also help you stop in a right hurry if you find yourself going too fast down a steep hill, and the KMC e.9 Sport chain is durable enough to handle more than three times the torque the SyncDrive core pushes out. In sum, go out there and get dirty, have some fun, and bring it back home to wash off!

Giant Trance X E+ Pro 29 3

The Giant Trance X E+ Pro 29 3 is not your average trail bike. This is an eBike for the hardcore trail rider, the one that likes to pound through the underbrush on a barely recognizable tire track in the long grass. Featuring the SyncDrive Pro and a 625 Wh smart battery, this little monster can get up to 65 miles on a good trail, and up to 32 miles on no trails.

And don’t worry about bumps and jumps, as the Trance X E+ Pro 29 3 features off-road spec 29 inch Giant AM rims with Sapim E-Lite rear spokes and Sapim Race front spokes. Accompanying these world-class wheels are RockShox 35 Gold RL front shocks with 150mm of travel, and Fox Float DPS Performance rear monoshock with 140mm of travel. This brings the bike into competition-grade company while allowing you to get lost in the best way down a trail.

Giant Trance X E+ Pro 29 1

The Giant Trance X E+ Pro 29 1 is what you get if you take the Trance X E+ Pro 29 3, and dial everything up to 11. It uses the same motor and battery, but adds on a connector to use the Giant Range Extender battery to give you even more miles of fun. And that’s not the only change!

The front suspension is replaced with full Fox 36 Float Performance Elite competition-grade shocks with 150mm of travel, with an adjustable 3 position damper. The rear shock is replaced with the brand new Fox Float DPX2 Performance monoshock, with outboard gas chamber to allow for harder compression. Lastly, the bike is given top of the line Maxxis Assegai tires, designed to grip literally any surface with confidence, and are lined on the inside with aramid, an organic fiber similar to Kevlar that prevents punctures.

Giant Stance E+ 2

New for 2021, the Giant Stance E+ 2 is a trail and off-trail bike designed for those who are just starting into the fun that can be had getting dirty on a weekend. It’s also meant to be a more affordable entry point than the Trance X E+ series, a literally “dipping the toe into the water” style trail bike. This doesn’t mean it lacks any features of power for those that are experienced in that field, however.

Suntour SR XCR34 Air front suspension, with 130mm travel, and RockShox Monarch R rear monoshock allow for the Stance E+ 2 to take on even the toughest trails. The pedal assist power is controlled by the smart 625 Wh battery and controller, and gives you an ideal 65 miles of trail shredding fun in the sun. And so that even a beginner gets their money’s worth, Maxxis Rekon with EXO anti-puncture and bead protection are fitted as standard, protecting both the tread and sidewalls from cuts and punctures.

Giant Stance E+ 1

The Stance E+ 1 is Giant’s best mid-range trail and off-trail bike, a new addition for 2021. Utilizing the same motor and battery as the Stance E+ 2, the biggest difference in the Stance E+ 1 is the power controller, giving this bike just a few more miles than its little brother. As well, a full 120mm of suspension is given to the frame itself on the flexing point for the rear shock.

That rear shock is an uprated RockShox Monarch RT, custom tuned for Giant to work with the flexpoint suspension and smooth out even the roughest ride. The front suspension is replaced with RockShox Recon Silver RL forks, with 130mm travel. The Shimano drive gear is replaced throughout the bike with SRAM extreme off-trail shifters, derailleurs, crankset, chain, and shifter cassette. It’s basically the Stance E+ 2, but ready to climb Mount Everest, not the local mountain range.