Giant's 2021 Stance E+ 1 e-Mountain Bike is an Affordable Trail-Taming Machine

Luckily for us, one of the world’s best known bicycle manufacturers, Giant, has understood this too. So for 2021, once quarantine regulations have been lifted, the team will be waiting to offer you an e-MTB that is accessible to the common man.

It’s called the Stance E+ 1. Aside from being boasted for its climbing and descending abilities, this bike comes in with an accessible $4,400 MSRP, just in line with the new Harley-D's that have just hit the U.S. market. But Harley-Davidson just cranked out a line of urban e-bikes, and this is no urban e-bike.

From the start, we are given an advantage over other bikes within its price range just based on the suspension components, something urban bikes rarely include. However, if we were to judge this bike based on its ability to conquer the concrete jungle, which is not to say that it cannot, we would be embarking upon something of a sacrilege in the biking world.

Now, what do we get when we look to spend over $4k on this mountain lion? Well, let’s find out. The first component I like to pay attention to when bringing you the news about such a trinket is the frame. One of the main reasons why this bike is much more affordable than other majors in the game is the use of aluminum for the frame composition.

To top it off, it includes a FlexPoint suspension system with 120 mm (4.7 in) of travel. This is then supported by a RockShox Monarch RT 184 x 44mm custom tuned shock. The fork, too, is from RockShox. A Recon Silver RL with 130 mm (5.1 in) of travel should give you enough to handle any incoming twists and turns but might bottom out if you hit some big drops. My personal opinion; don’t try to get a Red Bull sponsorship with this setup.

Enough about suspensions and frames, what about the important stuff like the motor and battery system? For the motor, Giant chose to team up with renowned Yamaha, and has strapped a SyncDrive Sport motor that cranks out 70 Nm (51.6 ft-lb) of torque. With that, a full 360 tunable support is available to the rider.

To power all this assistance, a Giant EnergyPak Smart 625 battery with lithium-ion cells is there to ensure you get tired first. How long it’ll keep you going is hard to say as riding conditions vary greatly from one ride to the next. But once you run out of blubber to burn, this pack is back up to 80% in just two and a half hours with the 6A fast charger.

As for secondary components such as shifters, brakes, and drivetrain, we find a whole polyamorous relationship taking place. It’s like this; shifter, rear derailleur, cassette, chain, and crankset are from SRAM with a 12-speed setup. The front derailleur is furnished by MRP, while brakes are from trusted Shimano with 4-piston hydraulics and 203 mm rotors.

And these are the basics of this puppy. Personally, I would much rather spend my money on a Giant than on a Harley, but that’s just me. I don’t know, there's something about the specialized history that Giant has in the bicycle world. After all, you won’t see a Harley in the Tour de France or used in a Red Bull commercial.