Trance E+ Pro battery life

[Sonoran49]

Hello all,

I am a new member of this forum.

I am looking at the Trance E+ Pro for use in Flagstaff, AZ and I am wondering about battery life/ cycling distance with this bike. I will not be doing any serious single track, hairy riding in the mountains (like my son does). It would mostly be forest service roads & the Flagstaff Urban Trail System. If I use pedal assist setting 1 & 2 what kind of mileage might I expect? I want an e bike because of Flagstaffs hills, 7K foot elevation and winds, as well as my creaky 70+ year old body. Thanks for your help.

 

[Browneye]

So far I've done 3 loops on our local trail with my new Trance, it's 12-14 miles around the loop. At the end I have 60-65% battery left, riding mostly all on level 3, with some 4 and 5 on bigger hills.
So I peg it at about 30 miles the way I ride, which is pretty close to the assist limit where the trail is open enough to do so.

I estimate that using mostly level 2 instead of 3 I could gain another 5-10 miles.

You might also consider the Fathom-E, it's a 'hard-tail' as in no rear suspension, the full being more utilized for single track and bumpy conditions. But hey, if you want a rear boinger more power to ya! And your terrain may well be very rough.

There's a BIG difference in purchase cost between the two. Additionally, rear suspension sucks a lot of pedal energy which shortens battery life as well.

Giant is also going to introduce a 'ranger extender' pack that will fasten to the bottle-cage bosses on the battery cover, and connect right in. It's slated to be 275w, bumping the total to 775 for the 2020-up models. A little spendy too, four or five hundred...we're waiting for formal introduction.

I got a leftover '19 for about 25% off list. Absolutely love the bike.

I also notice a big bump in range on my Explore, going from level 4 to level 3 - about 25% gain. So yeah, assist level and speed are the biggest factors, then weight, grades, etc.

 

[Sonoran49]

Thank you Browneye. I really think I'll be in level 1 or 2 much of the time so that will help with the battery drain. Right now I ride a Giant Anthem non E bike when in Flagstaff. I just tested a Fathom E at a LBS and it was a lot of fun. First time I had tried an E bike, It was in the parking lot, but I could at least get an idea of the assist levels.

 

[Captain Slow]

Wow, 775 wh of battery power. That's a lot.

 

[Browneye]

Thank you Browneye. I really think I'll be in level 1 or 2 much of the time so that will help with the battery drain. Right now I ride a Giant Anthem non E bike when in Flagstaff. I just tested a Fathom E at a LBS and it was a lot of fun. First time I had tried an E bike, It was in the parking lot, but I could at least get an idea of the assist levels.

Is yours a twenty-niner? Or an earlier model?

There's the Stance E, 29-r, but it kind of lacks the suspension tech, has lower grade components. Might well work for you though, depending on how gnarly you like to ride.
Then the Trance line, 27.5's - same deal, the E+4 is a little down the ladder of high-tech. The E+2 is no more after 2019 here in USA, now the E+1. This latter is a super nice bike, was going to buy one when I found the leftover '2' which is nearly there. Saved a lot of cash, but got Fox suspension and shimano brakes, XT shifter.

There's also the Reign - a down-hill'r. Nice bike, be really downhill focused. Also more money.

I really like the Yamaha drive - it's purported to be virtually bulletproof. Has good low-cadence torque support for us old guys. You won't believe the hill-climbing ability, just amazing.

Your dealer can order whatever you want if they don't have it on the floor - takes about a week.

Flagstaff is fantastic. I'll come over and ride with you. My late-sister had a second home up there, based out of Phoenix area. Probly some great trails to ride eMTB's on.

 

[PDoz]

Additionally, rear suspension sucks a lot of pedal energy which shortens battery life as well.

You might be surprised - try flicking your rear shock over to locked and see how little difference it makes to efficiency compared with the muddle " trail" setting ( I'm hoping your trance 3 has the 3 stage dampening) . The maestro suspension is great at pedal efficiency whilst maintaining compliance ( and so are most of the other modern rear ends)

 

[Sonoran49]

My anthem is a 27.5. It's a great bike. That is why I will stick with Giant E bikes. Plus there is a solid LBS in Flagstaff in case something goes wrong. My wife and I have never been into fast riding. I just need to flatten some of the hills up there and reduce the effects of the elevation and wind.

On my test ride yesterday it seemed like level 1 basically eliminated the additional weight the Trance will have. Didn't notice much assist. Which will suit me just fine.

Here in Phoenix I ride A Kona Libre gravel bike and I ride 3000 miles per year. The Trance might be overkill for my riding style but it will mitigate the elevation and hills that are beginning to bother. I want to ride as long as I can. I appreciate your help Browneye.

 

[Sonoran49]

You might be surprised - try flicking your rear shock over to locked and see how little difference it makes to efficiency compared with the muddle " trail" setting ( I'm hoping your trance 3 has the 3 stage dampening) . The maestro suspension is great at pedal efficiency whilst maintaining compliance ( and so are most of the other modern rear ends)

PDoz, I do lock out the front and back shocks on my Anthem when I am riding easy trails or streets. It helps with power transfer.

 

[Browneye]

Saturday I rode 19 miles of smoother trail, ups and downs. I left the house with 94% charge, but prefer to charge fully. End of ride at 29%.
So I still think 30 miles is a good range for the type of riding I do - mostly all on level 3, some 4 and 5 for hills.

Very happy with the way the bike performs. Thrilled, actually!

 

[Sonoran49]

Browneye, I did get a chance to ride a Stance E+ here in Phoenix this weekend. I really liked the whole smooth response. I am "guessing" that my wife & I will be able to get 40+ miles in Flagstaff based on the way we ride. The way I ride, I am not into fast riding because hey, it's getting out there & enjoying the whole experience; not trying to get from point A to point B as fast as possible.

Thanks agin for your help & be safe out there.