{"id":391842,"date":"2026-01-06T13:59:41","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T13:59:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/391842\/"},"modified":"2026-01-06T13:59:41","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T13:59:41","slug":"giant-talon-e-2026-review-the-best-value-hardtail-emtb-around","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/391842\/","title":{"rendered":"Giant Talon E+ 2026 review – The best value hardtail eMTB around?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2018Light and tight\u2019. That\u2019s one quickfire way to sum up this review of the 2026 Giant Talon E+ hardtail MTB. This is a bike that will be more than enough for most beginner riders, enable quick progression into the enthusiast riding space and certainly won\u2019t break the bank in the process, making this a super high appeal e-MTB for anyone with off-road ambitions.<\/p>\n

Stepping off my usual \u2018full fat\u2019 full suspension eMTB, onto the Talon was revelation: I did way less barrelling through and over obstacles, and was obliged look further ahead and select a line of least resistance. A short travel fork, shallow tread tyres and lack of rear bounce brought to mind mountain biking\u2019s earlier days, one where finesse was rewarded with a smoother trajectory.<\/p>\n

These are the characteristics of a hardtail electric mountain bike and, truth be told, they can be the perfect starting place to tune your skills before you decide whether a further foray into full suspension electric mountain bikes is necessary for you. Don\u2019t be fooled, we have reviewed many excellent hardtail electric mountain bikes<\/a> and they are highly capable; many satisfying the brief of opening up light trail centre riding, all the while remaining useful for rides with the family. These are efficient movers and a hardtail will prompt you to become a rider that thinks about their riding in a way that can be tuned out with a rear shock \u2013 that is to say a full suspension electric mountain bike<\/a> may make you a lazier and less skilled rider if it is your starting point on account of just how forgiving they are on ultra rough terrain. A hardtail electric mountain bike brings us back to the essence of mountain biking and all day countryside exploration.<\/p>\n

Giant Talon E+ review: The headline details<\/p>\n

\"GiantGeoff Waugh<\/p>\n

\u00a32,299 | View offer<\/a><\/p>\n

Pros
Light and nimble handling
Fast charging battery
Neat controller with Find My for iPhone users
E-Lock function<\/p>\n

Cons
Basic suspension fork
No dropper post
Low tread tyres limit deep off road exploration<\/p>\n

Specifications
Stated weight: Approximately 21.7kg
Stated range: 130km (eco use) 52km (high)
Frame material:\u00a0ALUXX aluminium
Motor:\u00a0Giant SyncDrive Sport 2, 75Nm PedalPlus 6-sensor technology
Battery:\u00a0Giant EnergyPak Smart 430Wh, Giant EnergyPak Plus 200 range extender compatible.
Drivetrain:\u00a0Shimano Cues 11-41T, 9-speed
Brakes:\u00a0Shimano MT200, hydraulic disc, 180mm. MT200 levers [F\/R]
Saddle:\u00a0Giant Ergo Trail ESG
Tyres:\u00a0Maxxis Rekon 29\u00d72.4in tyres
Suspension:\u00a0SR Suntour XCM ATB DS coil 29\u2033 100mm travel 15\u00d7110 AH axle
Included accessories:<\/p>\n

Giant Talon E+ review: Built for adventure<\/p>\n

\"giantGeoff Waugh<\/p>\n

The new Talon E+ is a svelte sub 22kg bike thanks to a small 430Wh battery and the petite Syncdrive 2 motor, allowing Giant\u2019s designers to produce a very slimline and elegant frame. The frameset is made from Giant\u2019s proprietary ALUXX SL aluminium tubing, which is engineered for the company\u2019s higher end bikes, and the result is a claimed 13% weight reduction over last year\u2019s model. What that adds up to is agility and assured-handling on the trails; Giant\u2019s claim that it rides more like a regular hardtail mountain bike is actually rings true.<\/p>\n

Nearly as important is that without the burden of convoluted rear suspension, the front triangle is clear to accept two bottle cages and a mount for other accessories, such as the EnergyPak Plus 200 range extender. With its rack\/mudguard mounts this makes the bike a very worthy all-rounder;\u00a0 as an XC shredder, a longer distance adventurer or a tough commuting machine.<\/p>\n

Related Articles<\/p>\n

\"giantGeoff Waugh<\/p>\n

On the handlebar lays the second part of the reason for the Talon\u2019s sweet ride \u2013 the RideControl Dash 2 controller. Small and unobtrusive, the controller offers five power modes, six when you include the \u2018Auto\u2019 function obtained by a long press on the upper \u2018+\u2019 button. In practice, I found the \u2018Active\u2019 mode worked best for my undulating 30 km local rides, with more powerful modes used judiciously on steeper gradients. The same rides in \u2018Auto\u2019; mode showed that battery life would be extended, but I detected less assist at lower cadences. There\u2019s an option in there for every type of rider and terrain.<\/p>\n

The main mode buttons are large digit-friendly affairs on the left side of the screen, whilst navigating through the different ride setting screens, speed, battery life etc are down to a pair of smaller buttons situated at the base of the unit.\u00a0 These data screens can be customised to suit. A \u2018Walk\u2019 mode button sits between the mode buttons for when that particular time comes, although unlike some other brands, the mode is activated by the Walk button but holding the Mode minus button down completes the operation.<\/p>\n

If you are an iPhone user you can connect to the Find My app to keep tabs on your bike. The Giant Ride Control app also offers electronic locking via a PIN.<\/p>\n

\"giantGeoff Waugh<\/p>\n

Electrics, tyres and suspension travel<\/p>\n

Giant\u2019s smart charger means that you can get up to 80% battery charge in two hours which is welcome. The charging port on the frame is a neat spring-loaded unit that pulls outwards and rotates out of the way for the cable head. After wrestling with stubborn port covers, or losing flimsy ones, over the years, this obvious design is well worth a mention.<\/p>\n

The bike comes with an SR Suntour XCM coil sprung fork with a stated 100mm of travel although I struggled to achieve that. The fork is a basic item with preload the sole adjustment offered, but that said, It does the job of taking some of the front end sting out of the ride.<\/p>\n

Tyres are Maxxis Rekon rubber front and rear. The Rekon is and out and out XC tread made for minimal rolling resistance and speed. In dry conditions it would be a worthy addition to the bike, and pumped hard, would be fine on road, but I rode this bike through the winter, in the mud and clag. Even with lower pressures, the tyres were quick to fill and demanded concentration, careful line choice and weight distribution from the pilot. I think in the end it added to the sense of a \u2018traditional\u2019 hardtail ride but if you do a lot of off road in the wetter months, fitting a deeper-treaded tyre would be advised.<\/p>\n

\"giantGeoff Waugh<\/p>\n

Components on the TalonE+ are a mix of Shimano Cues: drivetrain and brakes, and Giant branded items such as bar, stem, grips, seatpost and saddle. The nine speed 11-41tooth cassette may look weedy if you are used to seeing a 52T dinner plate low sprocket, but in the field it gets the job done with crisp and accurate shifting and I never felt undergeared in any situation. Plus fewer sprockets mean more clearance in muddy conditions and, potentially, a stronger chain.<\/p>\n

Riding the TalonE+ is a breath of fresh air in a world full of pumped up eMTBs. The medium test bike was a perfect fit for this 5ft 9in tester. I fitted some SPD pedals and rode it exactly like I ride my normal hardtail. It is an agile and positive ride that responds to rider input at a stroke. I never felt underpowered or missed extra torque from the 75Nm motor, nor suffered any battery anxiety. The power management system appears to be dialled.<\/p>\n

Committed mountain bikers may want to fit a dropper post and tyres and maybe a more sophisticated fork down the line, but for everyone else the bike is very close to perfect perfect. It certainly put a big grin on my face.<\/p>\n

\"giantGeoff Waugh<\/p>\n

How about the competition?<\/p>\n

Read Geoff’s Giant Talon E+ review? Here’s some of the competition that we think is also worth your consideration.<\/p>\n

Trek Marlin+<\/p>\n

\"trek<\/p>\n

From \u00a32,100 | View offer<\/a><\/p>\n

Among Trek’s best selling electric bikes, the Marlin+ is a broadly competent e-MTB with a punchy mid-motor, capable tyres and suspension fork and with a build quality that strays into light trail riding. It’s agile, strong and well specced for the price.<\/p>\n

Read our Trek Marlin+ review.<\/a><\/p>\n

Falcon Turbine<\/p>\n

\"falcon<\/p>\n

\u00a3999 | View offer<\/a><\/p>\n

If you’re on a strict budget there’s few electric bikes under \u00a31,000<\/a> that come as well built as the Falcon Turbine. It houses its battery internally neatly inside the downtube, but reverts to a hub motor inside the rear wheel for its assistance. <\/p>\n

Read our Falcon Turbine review.<\/a><\/p>\n

MMR E-Woki<\/p>\n

\"mmr<\/p>\n

\u00a31,899 |\u00a0View offer<\/a><\/p>\n

One of the lighter electric mountain bikes on the market, the MMR E-woki has a bottle cage mounted battery that powers a rear hub motor. This is built to do a bit of everything, so while it may not excel down technical trails, it is adept at cross country riding and even some about town utility riding, thanks to its ability to mount pannier bags.<\/p>\n

Read our MMR E-woki review.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u2018Light and tight\u2019. That\u2019s one quickfire way to sum up this review of the 2026 Giant Talon E+…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":391843,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[445],"tags":[49,48,635,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-391842","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-cycling","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/391842","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=391842"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/391842\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/391843"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=391842"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=391842"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=391842"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}