Upgrade vs replace Giant Reign x

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Upgrade vs replace Giant Reign x
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flag dreid47
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Posted: May 13, 2018 at 12:28 Quote
Hi there -

I have 2009 giant reign x2 that I got in 2010 and hardly rode for the first few years. I'm really enjoying it now that I'm taking on the terrain that the bike was built for. Point being, not a huge amount of wear on the frame. The only thing I don't like about it is the weight - close to 40 lbs. and squishy.

2 years ago, I put on a lighter adjustable travel fork (2014 Marzocchi 55 TSA switch) and last year I replaced the Hayes Stroker brakes with shimano deore SLX. Rolling on HIgh Roller IIs. It seems like I could spend about $1000 to upgrade the drivetrain to 1x10, replace the coil Marzocchi Roco with a lock-out shock, and add a dropper post. That might save me another 2 lbs. tops.

OR, I could sell the 2009 for $1000 bucks if I'm lucky, and put that toward a new giant reign at about $3000 (total cash outlay $2000).

I was all set to sell and buy a new one until I rode my friends reign the other day - it just doesn't seem $2000 better than the bike I have now. Or $1000 better than if I spend some money on the old one and upgrade to slx/xt shifters & mech.

Advice? Is new that much better? thanks!
flag dhmonster17
Posted: May 13, 2018 at 17:40 Quote
Well I can’t give you a for sure yes or no but here is a few things to consider. First, a new reign will have a much more updated geometry which in my opinion can be an amazing upgrade and this is something you can’t change with components. Second, a new bike will come with hopefully a warranty which can be another great addition. You do lose the flexibility of choosing your own components as you will with upgrading your current bike. Just something to think about hope it helps.
flag parkourfan
Posted: May 13, 2018 at 18:14 Quote
dreid47 wrote:
Hi there -

I have 2009 giant reign x2 that I got in 2010 and hardly rode for the first few years. I'm really enjoying it now that I'm taking on the terrain that the bike was built for. Point being, not a huge amount of wear on the frame. The only thing I don't like about it is the weight - close to 40 lbs. and squishy.

2 years ago, I put on a lighter adjustable travel fork (2014 Marzocchi 55 TSA switch) and last year I replaced the Hayes Stroker brakes with shimano deore SLX. Rolling on HIgh Roller IIs. It seems like I could spend about $1000 to upgrade the drivetrain to 1x10, replace the coil Marzocchi Roco with a lock-out shock, and add a dropper post. That might save me another 2 lbs. tops.

OR, I could sell the 2009 for $1000 bucks if I'm lucky, and put that toward a new giant reign at about $3000 (total cash outlay $2000).

I was all set to sell and buy a new one until I rode my friends reign the other day - it just doesn't seem $2000 better than the bike I have now. Or $1000 better than if I spend some money on the old one and upgrade to slx/xt shifters & mech.

Advice? Is new that much better? thanks!

My reignX was 32.8 with pedals and a dropper post, tubes in the tires as well. Crossmax wheels, vivid air in the back, lyrik up front.

27.5 is worth it. Wider tires are worth it. Updated geometry is worth it. Component spec is solid. On paper, the trance is more similar to the old reignX numbers (travel aside).

Like the other poster said, warranty is good, and so is shop support if you're buying a 2018. Thru-axles on both ends, boost, 27.5...it may be 2000$ more, but it'll recoup alot more money down the road. I sold mine years ago to make sure I didn't lose alot of money on it...so I never rode them back to back. I like the new one much better...that being said, if you're not doing half bike park/real technical terrain, the trance would be a much more fun package, and over here its 300$ more than the reign and it comes with the new wider range slx 11-speed, fox suspension, etc. Just something to think about.

On the '18 2700$ aluminum model, the rear shock isn't great but it gets the job done, same with the drivetrain. Fork is great, air and bottomless tokens, easy to rebuild as well. Grey colorway with the orange lettering looks amazing in person.
flag mrfrench2013
Posted: May 14, 2018 at 12:55 Quote
If you like your bike then keep riding it. I could afford a new bike but I like my old bike so I keep riding it and upgrading as I see fit. Just know if you do upgrade it your not going to get your money back.
flag zsandstrom
O+
Posted: May 14, 2018 at 13:24 Quote
Giant, as a brand, has a really consistent ride quality across all their bikes, even across different wheel sizes. So, more than likely, your friend's ride felt really familiar. However, just because something feels familiar doesn't mean the quality hasn't improved.

What kinds of trails did you ride? Did you actually put your buddy's newer Reign through its paces on some proper gnar? Did you ride the bikes back to back? Did you time yourself on some climbs? Were both bikes setup properly for you? I'm guessing not; every rider I know with a pre-2012 bike that has really compared with a newer machine ended up on a new bike. Every. Single. One.

A word of caution about the warranty: Giant warranties are only as good as the shop that you're working with. Ask around and find a shop that's willing to come to bat for you with Giant, or that warranty is going to be basically worthless. If having a good warranty to fall back on is a big selling point for you, I'd suggest considering another brand.
flag onyxss
Posted: May 15, 2018 at 5:37 Quote
If you don't see difference between current Reign and 2009 bike, then don't invest into new bike, the one you have is good enough for you and it looks you are riding on terrain where better geo and parts quality of new Reign doesnt show.

Its like you now have WW2 jeep and you friend has newest Toyota Landcruiser and you don't see any difference while riding in rush hour slow city traffic on pavment... Smile
flag dreid47
O+
Posted: May 17, 2018 at 18:42 Quote
onyxss wrote:
If you don't see difference between current Reign and 2009 bike, then don't invest into new bike, the one you have is good enough for you and it looks you are riding on terrain where better geo and parts quality of new Reign doesnt show.

Its like you now have WW2 jeep and you friend has newest Toyota Landcruiser and you don't see any difference while riding in rush hour slow city traffic on pavment... Smile

Thanks for the responses, everyone.

It's more like I was driving a WW2 Jeep over the rubicon for 9 years and test drove the newest Landcruiser on the highway. Can the huge price tag of this new thing possibly be worth it when I've gotten by with what I have for so long? Or am I just paying for shiny gadgets?

I found a used Reign 1 in my price range and rode it on some trails (vs trying a Reign 3 in the parking lot). I noticed the weight difference right away (from pushing 40 lbs to under 30), and the big wheels are fun. The different geometry (longer TT; slacker, shorter head tube) took some getting used to, but is confidence inspiring. Its interesting because even with the slacker geometry and bigger wheels, the bike feels much more maneuverable - maybe its down to the weight? I think I also had too soft a spring on my old coil-over rear shock, so I was fighting the squish a bit.

Anyway, the answer was yes, the price tag is worth it. I bit the bullet on the 2015 Reign, and some other person will get to enjoy the 09 reign X. Its a fun bike, but the new one feels a lot less like a tank. It took me over some pretty rough terrain - can't wait to see what the new version can do!

Thanks again - see you on the trails!
flag onyxss
Posted: May 23, 2018 at 1:19 Quote
Congrats! We all know where these debates end - they almost always ends with buying new bike and selling old one, even if rational reasons against new bike are strong.
Because buying a new bike is not a rational thing, and marketing departments know that very well ... :-)
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