Known Issues & Problems with Giant Products + Help, Solutions & Fixes

[aupaul]

Off topic but Giant Lafree batterie 400watt hour ...... How many VOLTS? i cant find it.

 

[Browneye]

Giant bikes with sync-drive are 36v.

 

[Peddling Pete]

aupal does it not say on the charger?

 

[craigv]

(Tl;dr: Can't connect to bike over Bluetooth on Android app)

Hi folks, I have an Australian 2019 Giant Trance E+ Pro 1 (the orange and black one) and have had it for nearly a year. It's been great since I've owned it from new, have taken care of it (have current tools and old knowledge from time in a bike shop 20 years ago) and I've really been enjoying it.

However, since the RideControl app was updated from version 1.4.3 to 1.4.4 (and then recently again to 1.4.5), the app has failed to connect to update the bike. In more detail:

• 1.4.4 scanned, found the bike on Bluetooth, the said Pairing... before timing out and failing.

• 1.4.5 scanned, found the bike on Bluetooth, paired and Connected successfully, then prompted to update bike firmware. The LEDs on the controller did their standard slow blink (3 in a line) for the update, but then it fails. The message is "Update Failed. Please try reinstalling the battery or contact the dealers."

The bike still works fine but I can't connect to it. I tried loading 1.4.3 from an APK library and it worked! Once. Then next time I opened the app, it forced me to update to 1.4.5 and boom, I lost the connection with the bike again.

This experience was consistent across three devices with different Android versions (Note3 with Android 5, Tab 4 with Android 9 and S9+ with Android 10).

Anyone have experience dealing with the RideControl app and a 2019 Giant E+ model with the RideControl One Bluetooth controller (the one with no LCD, just the buttons and white LEDs)?

Bike hasn't been wet or even dropped. Since I bought it, I've kept the battery at Storage charge when not using it. Mechanically it's fine (apart from the odd slip under power where my pedal flies down under torque unexpectedly, messing with my balance, but that's a controller programming issue to do with processing sensor data rather than any kind of problem, I'd think). She's a great bike otherwise!

I'll get it to a dealer mid July when I'm next able to do so. Meantime, any ideas, experience or wisdom gratefully received!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Ridecontrol App is a crap. Brand new Giant app is expected to be released later in the year. Don't waste your time on Ridecontrol

 

[craigv]

Ridecontrol App is a crap. Brand new Giant app is expected to be released later in the year. Don't waste your time on Ridecontrol

I appreciate how you feel about RideControl, Stefan, I'm starting to feel that way, too.

If I ignore this app, what do you suggest for connecting to the bike to adjust settings for your different rides? (For dirt trails and pavement I use full / high power settings for maximum go without worrying about range, while for those big off-road epics I prefer low power settings across the levels to eke as much distance from the battery as possible, so even when I increase power for more, I'm using less without having to think too much about what step I'm on).

I'd be delighted to not waste my time on the Giant app as you suggest, but as far as I know, there's no alternative for connecting to my bike to change settings... Is there an option for this other than RideControl I should be using? I would truly love to know if so, that'd be seriously good to hear. Thanks

 

[Browneye]

No, there isn't.
As an aside, I never bother adjusting any of my bike assist levels - we just ride them at default settings.
No problems with the app either.
Perhaps you could borrow a Apple device and try updating it that way. I've done a handfull of them and never an issue.
Usually it's the other way around, Apple owner using an android device to get it going.
Many have got them working with a dealer re-flash.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Craig, you have two options:

• Either to wait for the next RideControl update and hope your app will connect to the bike, or
• Wait for the new Giant App.

Have you tried to remove the bike from the Bluetooth setting of your phone? Can you use another device such as a tablet?

My story is I had a period of time I could not connect the RideControl to my Trance E+ either. Then some update was installed automatically: either RideControl update or Android one. Then RideControl started working. You might hope for the same, too.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

As an aside, I never bother adjusting any of my bike assist levels - we just ride them at default settin

Chris,
For me, is it 150% support or 175% in the "Basic" (PAS 2) mode is the matter of life or death sometimes I hope Giant will release the new app soon. Temporarily, the RC works for me.

 

[jabberwocky]

I had an issue with the app connecting. My dealer used the dealer tool to update the bike firmware and its worked fine since. Honestly, I don't mess around with assist levels that much and track rides on a garmin, so I barely ever use it. Its definitely clunky, but connection issues aside, it generally gets the job done.

Can you run the bike to the dealer to see if they can connect and update it? If not you're probably stuck until Giant pushes an update out.

 

[craigv]

Thanks for your responses, guys.

I never bother adjusting any of my bike assist levels - we just ride them at default settings.
...
Perhaps you could borrow a Apple device and try updating it that way.
...
Many have got them working with a dealer re-flash.

Thanks, I'll see if I can dig up an iPhone from somewhere. Dealer reflash mid-July is my next hope.

...two options:

• Either to wait for the next RideControl update and hope your app will connect to the bike, or
• Wait for the new Giant App.

Have you tried to remove the bike from the Bluetooth setting of your phone? Can you use another device such as a tablet?

Thanks, I'll definitely look forward to the new app.

Have looked closely at Bluetooth implementation in Android 5, 9 and 10, on a Note 3, Tab 4 and S9+ (phone, tablet, phone, respectively).

Have tested with different versions of various BT components in Developer Options on the three devices I've been using to test, including of course removing the Giant Bluetooth module from the paired or recognised devices numerous times. Thanks for the Suggestions, Stefan. I can know now I'll have covered everything possible on my side after testing with an iPhone, at least!

I've gone deeper than that even, searching the Web for firmware reset or button press combinations for the Giant module (like Walk and + for 5 seconds to enter ROM flash mode, removing battery, holding power button whilst removed to completely drain then reset it, etc). No dice.

For me, is it 150% support or 175% in the "Basic" (PAS 2) mode is the matter of life or death sometimes

I like the minimum setting at 75% and the next at 125% (or whatever the lowest setting is on PAS2) - these for maximum range on long rides. Having PAS1 at 125% or whatever it is at default is too high usually. Totally a first world problem, but it's an expensive toy and I'd really like to see it work properly!

My dealer used the dealer tool to update the bike firmware and its worked fine since.

You bet. I'll be able to get to the dealer on the 16th or 23rd of July (assuming COVID19 home restrictions are lifted by then, which actually may not be the case now I think about it), so hopefully it'll be sorted soon!

 

[Coolbob]

I've only had my Momentum (uses same Ride Control app as Giant) for just over a week. When I got the bike home from the dealer I was surprised how easy it was to get the iPhone Ride Control App to connect to my Transend E+. I was also surprised that the bike wanted to do a firmware update, guess updating the firmware was overlooked during the assembly and set-up. Thankfully it only took a couple of minutes.

I've ridden the bike a half-dozen times and there was another request for a firmware update that worked without issue and I've had no problems uploading my rides to the cloud. I've been reading all the issues with Ride Control and up until today's short ride everything was working fine. I tried to upload today's ride but I keep getting the 'Activity Upload Fail - Please Try Again.' message. Bummer.

 

[craigv]

I tried to upload today's ride but I keep getting the 'Activity Upload Fail - Please Try Again.' message. Bummer.

I've had that happen before. Try force-quitting RideControl then opening it again and see if it'll upload.

Or, leave it be today. Tomorrow, force-quit, open the app, and try uploading it again. This may work if their server's RC service is busy or temporarily unavailable due to maintenance or whatever.

Both of these approaches have worked for me on occasion. Good luck!

 

[craigv]

Perhaps you could borrow a Apple device and try updating it that way. I've done a handfull of them and never an issue.

I pulled my dad's iPhone 4 out of retirement, wiped it, updated it, pulled a Mac Mini out of retirement, updated it, used it to authorise the log-in on the iPhone, updated and synced, and then, finally, got to the App Store to get RideControl.

This application requires iOS 9.0 or later.

*Checks version of iOS on this iPhone. 7.1.2.*

*Flips table*

Jailbreak and iPhone 4 max iOS version research time (Ed. Yep, 7.1.2 is the highest iOS version it'll take due to hardware constraints). Gotta have a little laugh here at the insanity of it all. I'm fantasising about the lovely non-ebike I could have bought instead, along with a nice little used DRZ400 with the left over money. But we won't talk about that.

 

[Browneye]

I hear ya. My $23k Bmw R1200Gs sold for about $15K, still owed about $12K, then spent another eight grand or so on ebikes. Now I'm thinking about a pedal mtb for those USFS trails that outlaw eMTB'S. The Trance is simply, well, like a trance.

A brand new Yamaha WR250F in 2008 was about six grand out the door.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Craig,
I can see you've done everything possible. No hope. Wait patiently and check for Android and RC updates. I was in the same situation as you are before the things cured themselves. Trance E+ is a lovely bike and it is a pity Giant are so weak on the software side... From what I hear, most of brands using smartphone-bike connectivity experience or were experiencing software issues. The bad time will certainly be over some day!

 

[Coolbob]

@craigv "I'm fantasising about the lovely non-ebike I could have bought instead, along with a nice little used DRZ400 with the left over money. But we won't talk about that."

A month ago I friend has a 2007 Honda Metropolitan scooter with only a few hundred miles on it, always garage kept, looks and runs like new and her husband performed annual oil changes on it. She offered it to me for free and I politely declined because I was going to buy an Ebike. *Facepalm* what was I thinking!?

PS - I did get yesterday's ride to post to the cloud after many attempts. I'm chalking it up to the Giant server being sketchy.

 

[craigv]

@craigv "I'm fantasising about the lovely non-ebike I could have bought instead, along with a nice little used DRZ400 with the left over money. But we won't talk about that."

A month ago I friend has a 2007 Honda Metropolitan scooter with only a few hundred miles on it, always garage kept, looks and runs like new and her husband performed annual oil changes on it. She offered it to me for free and I politely declined because I was going to buy an Ebike. *Facepalm* what was I thinking!?

PS - I did get yesterday's ride to post to the cloud after many attempts. I'm chalking it up to the Giant server being sketchy.

Aww. Look, two wheels is good wheels, whatever your ride. Getting out there matters more that what you're riding. I've been on many things over the years and I count myself very lucky indeed for each experience.

Glad you got it to upload! Hopefully their software platform improves.

 

[f1s0ciety]

saw some problems with the Giant Fhatom E+0 2020 ( 2 months of life) keep turning off during ride. the system keep turning off suddenly. Turn it on back, it will off again!any solution for this?im really sad

 

[LynneandGeoff]

Which error light comes on with the red light? Check next time it happens, and look in the manual. Some errors you can fix. I got “Motor Error”, so went to dealer. He detected faulty Torque Sensor, so has sent for a replacement sensor from Giant under warranty