Giant Reign 27.5 1 - Review

Dec 8, 2014

by Richard Cunningham

Giant's Reign 27.5 1 was not intended to be some glitzy carbon fiber runway model with a four-syllable name, predestined to headline global publications the day it was launched. Even with its bright yellow and orange graphics, Giant's top-of-the-range, 160-millimeter-travel, aluminum framed AM/trailbike would have been a wallflower at that dance. To appreciate the Reign 27.5 1 for what it is, scrap the red carpet and head for the forest.

Giant designed the Reign 27.5 1 to be capable of handling any and every situation that a top trail rider may face in the backcountry or at the bike park - either willingly or by mistake. Its lines are remarkably unremarkable, because the Reign's curved main tubes and Maestro dual-link rear suspension represent almost a decade of long-travel trailbike development evolution. Its profile may mirror its ancestors,' but the 2015 Reign 27.5 1 represents a leap into the future for Giant. Its geometry is long and low. Its suspension is tuned to reward high speed and courageous line choices, and its best-in-class component selection backs up that mission statement.

At $5975, the Reign 27.5 1 costs three thousand dollars less than a carbon uber-bike and it still checks all of the boxes, with headliners like a RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper post, Pike RCT3 fork, and Monarch Plus Debonair RC3 shock. It also sports DT Swiss Spline One Wheels and a race-ready Maxxis Minion/High Roller II tire combo. Add a SRAM X1 one-by transmission backed up by an MRP chainguide, then bolt all those goodies onto a trail-proven suspension chassis with a 65-degree head tube angle and if you do not begin to visualize shred, I'd suggest a brain scan.

Details:

• Purpose: All-mountain/trail and enduro competition
• Frame: high-strength 6011-alloy aluminum frame, butted and manipulated tubes, 160mm Maestro dual-link suspension, ISCG 05 guide mounts, internal cable and hose routing.
• Fork: RockShox Pike RCT3 Dual Position Air, 160/130mm
• Shock: RockShox Monarch Plus Debonair RC3
• Transmission: SRAM X1, 11 x 42, eleven-speed
• Chain Control: MRP AMG, with bash guard
• Brakes: SRAM Guide, Rotors - (F) 200mm, (R) 180mm
• Wheels: DT Swiss Spline One, 27.5"
• RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper post
• Sizes: Small, Medium, Large
• Weight: 29.04 pounds, (claimed)
• MSRP: $5975 USD
• Contact: Giant Bicycles

Construction

Giant calls it ALUXX SL-grade aluminum, which is marketing speak for high-strength 6011-alloy tubes that are given the royal treatment, with advanced butting techniques and a combination of hydro-forming and air-forming methods that Giant developed to squeeze the tube walls thin where stresses are light, and to thicken them or to increase their diameters where greater strength is necessary. Nothing new there, but Giant is better at it than most, because they do it all in their factory. Giant also uses two-pass welding techniques to create a flush, smooth connection between parts - a method which is proven to increase the durability of aluminum frames.

Geometry improvements for 2015 begin with longer top tubes across all the sizes - over an inch in most cases. The adjustment was done to keep the reach climbing friendly while compensating for shortened stems. Our large sized test bike had a 25.2-inch top tube, paired with a 60-millimeter stem. Typically, large size top tubes run in the 24 to 24.5-inch range. The good news is that Giant, and other industry leaders have finally accepted short stems as a benchmark and are putting medium riders back on medium sized frames. A few test riders commented that they would probably revert from their preferred large size to the Medium Giant, so read and note the geometry chart before you make your purchase.

(clockwise) Internal cables and hoses keep the Reign's aluminum frame looking uncluttered. The tapered steerer tube accepts standard, 1 1/8-inch stems. A rubber stone guard protects the downtube. The oversize pivot axles of its Maestro suspension can be easily maintained using simple tools. The lower shock mount shares the forward linkage pivot's axle.

Other noticeable changes were a low bottom bracket, which measured 13.6 inches (345mm), and a slack, 65-degree head angle. The combined effects of the two changes should greatly enhance the bike's descending and technical handling - but to the point where it would steer like a stubborn mule at slower, singletrack speeds. Giant, however, brought the chainsay length in to 17.1 inches (434mm), which is short for 27.5-inch wheels, to sharpen up the Reign's climbing and cornering manners. Plenty of stand-over clearance (28.8 inches on the large frame), allows customers to select their sizing based upon the length of the cockpit rather than how much bike will fit between their legs. Short head tubes help reduce the stack of the bike's 160-millimeter-stroke front end, which further minimizes the big-bike proportions of the 2015 Reign.

Details call attention to almost every viewing angle, with rubber plugs sealing the internal cable and hose entries and a molded rubberized rock protector on the down tube. A rubberized chainstay guard silences any chain slap that gets past the bike's SRAM clutch derailleur and a screw-on cap disguises the direct-mount front changer boss. Giant chose a wider, 92mm press-fit-type bottom bracket shell to further enlarge the diameters of the frame members there in an effort to boost rigidity. ISCG 05 chain guide bosses are standard fare below and up top, Giant's tapered steerer fits standard 1.125-inch stems again. Hydro-pack haters can rejoice knowing that at least one large bottle will fit in the normal down tube location. Giant even added external dropper post fittings, anticipating the rare occurrence that a Reign owner may want to pitch the Reverb Stealth for another option.

Suspension

Two-position forks are a useful compromise for long-travel trailbikes with slack head angles, because the short-travel option feels firmer under power and the steeper head tube angle that is produced helps to keep the bike steering straight uphill. The RockShox Pike Dual Position Air fork drops 30 millimeters, from 160 to 130, which in turn lowers the bottom bracket height about one centimeter and increases the head angle a bit more than one degree. RockShock's Dual Position dial is on the left side of the fork crown and is easily accessed and manipulated.

The business end of the Reign 27.5 1 sports the fork of the moment. The adjustable-travel option of its Dual Position RockShox Pike may be good for smooth fireroad climbs, but for the red rock, it was not a useful tool. We were happily surprised by the supple feel of the Reign's Monarch Plus RC3 shock with the Debonair upgrade.

Maestro rear suspension has been honed to the extent of its capabilities, at least within the realm of all-mountain and trail riding. The instant center (the calculated swingarm pivot location at at given point in the suspension's travel), of the Reign's dual-link design begins well forward and slightly above the bottom bracket axle and then migrates downward in a gentle curve towards the bottom bracket. By contrast, most dual-link designs are configured with much higher instant centers at the beginning of their travel to mechanically produce firm pedaling action. Maestro's kinematics are also designed to provide firm pedaling, but they are biased towards maintaining supple suspension action and also to uncouple braking forces from the suspension. Giant expects Reign pilots to augment the Reign's pedaling platform with the Monarch shock's three-position, low-speed compression lever as necessary. Giant builds just enough pedaling platform into Maestro, so that the bike can climb and accelerate with a degree of efficiency with its shock and fork wide open, which is a perfect compromise for the Reign 27.5 1. All-mountain riders and enduro racers expend most of their climbing efforts to enjoy the following descents. Like we discovered, most riders will only flip the lever for extended climbs and leave the suspension open for everything else.

Giant constructs the Reign's rear suspension to take a beating, with beefy tubes and large, easy-to-service pivot axles and sealed bearings. The lower shock shaft extends through the frame and doubles as the axle for the suspension's rocker arm. Lower suspension rockers are offset to the left to provide a stiffer, wider stance for the bearings and axle, and also to clear space for a phantom front derailleur which will most likely, never be fitted to a Reign 27.5 1. Tire clearance is reasonably good, which is uncommon for dual-link suspensions, because the triangulated swingarm and its lower links are forced to occupy the same space behind the bottom bracket. The swingarm appears to have ample clearance for DH-width rubber, but the crown of the tread may get close to the vertical strut that unites the seatstay and chainstay yokes.

Components:

Specifications
Release Date	2015
Price	$5975
Travel	160mm
Rear Shock	RockShox Monarch Plus Debonair RC3
Fork	RockShox Pike RCT3 Dual-Position Air, 130-160mm travel
Headset	Giant Overdrive, tapered
Cassette	SRAM XG1180 10x42, 11-speed
Crankarms	SRAM X1, 32T
Chainguide	MRP AMG
Bottom Bracket	SRAM, Press fit
Pedals	NA
Rear Derailleur	SRAM X1 Type 2
Chain	KMC X11SL
Front Derailleur	NA
Shifter Pods	SRAM X1
Handlebar	Giant Contact SL DH, 31.8mm
Stem	Truvativ Holzfeller
Grips	Giant Lock-on
Brakes	SRAM Guide, Rotors: [F] 200mm [R] 180mm
Wheelset	DT Swiss Spline One
Hubs	DT Swiss Spline One
Spokes	DT Swiss
Rim	DT Swiss Spline One
Tires	[F] Schwalbe Magic Mary, Trailstar, Snakeskin, Race Guard, 27.5x2.35, [R] Schwalbe Hans Dampf, Pacestar, Snakeskin, Race Guard, 27.5x2.35
Seat	Fi'zi:k Tundra M5
Seatpost	Rockshox Reverb Stealth, 30.9mm

Compare to other All Mountain/Enduro/XC

Reign 27.5 1

TRAIL REPORT

Turns out that the Reign 27.5 1 is one hell of a descender and one the most well mannered all-mountain bikes we have thrown a leg over this year.

Leaning beside a dozen carbon fiber superbikes, Giant's aluminum-framed Reign 27.5 1 did not jump out as the first choice for a tough lap around Sedona, Arizona's, red rock. When we did trot the Reign out of the barn and head for trails, we were rewarded. Turns out that the Reign 27.5 1 is one hell of a descender and one the most well mannered all-mountain bikes we have thrown a leg over this year. We quickly learned that the key to squeezing the most from the brightly colored Giant was to tune the suspension to highlight the type of riding we would be doing on that particular day.

Setup: Giant is large enough (no pun intended) to have its suppliers provide custom tunes for its shocks and forks and such is the case with the Reign 27.5 1. Test riders liked the performance of its RockShox Monarch Plus Debonair RC3 shock, but the added air volume of the Debonair sleeve required us to pressurize the shock's air spring 40 to 60psi higher than our typical settings. Riders who weigh in excess of 200 pounds may need to add volume adjustment spacers to prevent bottoming, although RockShox tells us that the Monarch Plus is rated up to 350 psi. The Reign descends best with 35-percent sag in the shock, but it pedals and climbs best with the air pressure set to produce slightly less than 30-percent. Most of us favored the gravity tune and climbed with the Monarch's low-speed compression level in the middle, "trail" position.

The fork is a different story, because the spring pressure seems inconsistent between the 160 and 130-millimeter travel options. Tune the Pike Dual Position fork for descending, with the spring pressure set just high enough to keep it from diving under braking and it will be too soft in the short-stroke option. The 160-millimeter setting becomes way to stiff when the spring is set firmly enough in short-travel mode. In the end, it doesn't matter because most riders quickly learn to avoid the fork's 130-millimeter travel setting because it lowers the already low bottom bracket to the point where the cranks do more trail maintenance in one ride than an Arizona trail crew does following three days of rain. One or three Hail Mary pedal strikes were enough to convince test riders to leave the fork at 160mm. Giant should do a mid-year upgrade to the better-performing standard Pike fork and call it a win for everybody. In the meantime, set your Dual Position Pike up for optimum performance in the long-travel mode and leave that black dial alone.

When the Giant is up to pace, its efficient
Maestro suspension and low center of mass
work together to maintain momentum.

Pedaling: At 30 pounds, the Reign will not impress cross-country racers with brisk acceleration, but it does respond to pedal pressure with enough authority to prevent editors who have become jaded from reviewing $10,000 carbon machines from writing bad stuff about it. When the Giant is up to pace, its efficient Maestro suspension and low center of mass work together to maintain momentum - a very positive trait in Sedona, where devil trail builders seem to have purposely embedded millions of oddly-placed stones to suck speed from your legs. Red rock trails are a testament to the efficiency of active rear suspension, so it is no surprise that bikes like the Giant Reign and Specialized Enduro do so well there.

Climbing: Mid-sized wheels add the equivalent of two chainring teeth to the gearing of a conventional, 26-inch bike, so the Giant's 32-tooth chainring is as much gear as a trail rider would want to push up a steep grade. I would have chosen a 30-tooth for the punchy climbs that characterized most of the riding I did, but those who had the legs managed personal-best performances aboard the Reign, scratching up technical climbs that stymied efforts aboard the other thoroughbreds in our stable.

Switch the shock to Trail mode, because the additional pedal firmness makes a noticeable improvement - especially on tired legs. Perhaps more beneficial is the support that the additional low-speed compression adds to the rear suspension, which lifts the tail of the Giant and keeps the rider in a more effective pedaling position. The Reign's chubby frame and supple suspension give up some climbing performance over its expensive rivals on smoother, faster ascents, but its long wheelbase, excellent balance and predictable steering become undeniable assets when climbing steep and chunky sections.

Cornering: Few bikes with the Giant's 48.9-inch wheelbase could even pretend to corner well, but somehow, the Reign gets around the bends quite well. The bike's length keeps the front tire planted, and Giant paid special attention to matching the bike's 65-degree head angle, 27.5-inch wheel and the fork offset, so the steering feels lighter and more precise than most would expect.

When descending, we learned to take a little wider line at the entry point and then swoop into the turn - a strategy which cut a tight apex for both fast corners and tight switchbacks. Steep, climbing turns gave some riders trouble, however, because the slack steering angle would initiate a push unless the rider took preventative action.

If the bike could choose, the Reign would pass on the twisty forest singletrack and head for high-speed trails peppered with berms and breath-holder technical lines that one would expect to find hidden in the out-of-bounds regions of bike parks.

Technical descending: Test Rider Wayne Wonnacott summed up the Giant's descending performance best: "It's a downhill bike. In fact, its better than a downhill bike because the average person can still play on it. I would ride it at Whistler and still have tons of fun. All the things that hurt it on the ups make it a machine on the downs."

Much like a DH bike, the Reign 27.5 1 feels planted where many bikes in its class are bouncing over rocks, roots and chatter, so its rider can concentrate on larger features or critical line choices. Its short chainstay doesn't require the rider to hang way off the back of the bike to weight the rear tire, which adds a measure of control and confidence for steep drops and boulder rolls. Much like a big bike, it carries a lot of speed everywhere on the trail, so it is easy to set up for features - and it manuals beautifully. There is no doubt that the Reign's frame numbers are heavily weighted towards descending, but some of the Giant's inspiring downhill handling is attributable to its no-nonsense component spec. The RockShox suspension is dialed and the cockpit is appointed with a wide, 780-millimeter handlebar; a short stem; powerful, easy-to-modulate SRAM Guide brakes; and a 125-millimeter dropper post. The Reign feels right because it offers the complete package.

Much like a big bike, it carries a lot of speed everywhere on the trail, so it is easy to set up for features - and it manuals beautifully.

Technical Report

Tires: Giant's proper tire spec for the Reign 27.5 1 is a Schwalbe Hans Dampf rear and a Magic Mary front, which is an excellent combination. Our bike, however, came with a Maxxis Minion front tire and a High Roller II in the rear. While the fast-rolling and durable Maxxis tires were arguably the better rubber selection for the rocky and dry trails we spent most of our test miles on, we are left to wonder how the Schwalbe tires may have affected the outcome of this review.

If you are strong, the surefooted Reign
will get you up almost any climb. If not,
it will make you strong.

Brakes: SRAM's Guide brakes are impressive. The more we ride them the more we come to appreciate the sensitivity that they telegraph through the levers. We could keep the tires on the scratching edge of a lockup down steeps that would have normally been skid-fests. Guides are not quite as strong as Shimano XTR ICE brakes, but they can still bug your eyes out when configured with a 180 rear and a 200-millimeter front rotor.

Fork: Sorry, but Giant's choice of a Dual Position RockShox Pike was the only fail in the Reign's grocery bag. Test riders commented that the standard Pike was the better performer, with smoother small-bump performance and a better spring rate. Did we mention that in the 130-millimeter position, it is tough to ride on uneven terrain without bashing the pedals?

Chainguide: MRP's AMG guide is perfect for the Reign 27.5 1, because the low bottom bracket gives plenty of opportunity to use its sturdy bash guard. Its descending warrants a full DH guide, but not having to listen to the buzz of roller on the lower chain run was a wonderful thing when we were bashing out climbs.

Saddle: Fi'zi:k Tundra M5 must be a nom de plume for the Marquis de Saddle, because a dull ax may have been a more comfortable seat.

Shock: Everyone rushed for test bikes with velvet smooth Cane Creek DBinline shocks - which blew up shortly thereafter. By contrast, the Giant's RockShox Monarch Plus RC3 shock, with its Debonair volume can was nearly as smooth and was ready to rock, every day. Our initial worry about the Monarch was that it required a great deal of pressure to support average weight riders, and that the Reign's suspension may not support heavier riders, but RockShox says, "pump it up and ride."

Pinkbike's Take:

Giant took a small risk by designing the Reign 27.5 1 to be far more gravity specific than most of its competitors. Enduro racing, however, has encouraged a handful of bike makers to develop a sub-genre bike - one that emphasizes the downhill skillset in both the sturdiness of its chassis and with its longer, slacker frame numbers. Pedaling flat-out, while racing down timed sections which are largely steep and technical, weights the bike's handling at least equally to its pedaling efficiency. The Reign's frame construction and its component selection reflects the possibility that its future owner will be sending it like a big bike or racing Enduro World Series events.

Instead of being a trail bike, modified with parts and geometry to help it descend better, the Reign is designed more like a downhill bike that has been configured to pedal efficiently. None of us would choose the Reign as our go-to trailbike, but everyone remarked that it would be an awesome ride for bike parks and for sessioning some of the more legendary technical trails at home to see if we could hit all the big bike features. Many AM/trail riders won't get it, but the new Reign is just right for talented riders who own long-travel trail bikes but find themselves wanting for more. If you wonder whether you should wear your full-face or half-shell each time you ride, then the Reign 27.5 1 is probably the bike for you. - RC

Visit the high-res gallery for more images from this review.

Posted In:
Reviews and Tech Reviews Enduro Bikes Giant Giant Reign

Author Info:

RichardCunningham
Member since Mar 23, 2011
974 articles

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323 Comments

176 39

hughesy321 (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:00)

By far, the coolest paint job out there.

223 49

RatHunter83 (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:31)

I think it fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. But different strokes for different folks.

9 64

abzillah (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:56) (Below Threshold)

Check out my MS Paint Tummy Tuck!

www.pinkbike.com/photo/11707361

This bike is 2 lbs lighter than my Nomad Carbon.

31 0

lobohusky (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:29)

The words 'groovy' and 'far-out' come to mind. I was just hoping the test-rider would have a bushy handlebar mustache to match the 70's paint scheme.

19 0

nohyphens (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:33)

it's odd - it's both beautiful and ugly

Zolta (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:41)

I'd lick it like some giant orange and lemon lollipop.

cuban-b (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:44)

dont forget 'radical'. i do like the paint job though. retro and modern at once.

5 21

fussylou (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:14) (Below Threshold)

na saw one on the weekend, it's trying to hard and looks like a kids bike i'm afraid.

7 13

Extremmist (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:43) (Below Threshold)

Paint job is a bit extreme, but hey, at least it's not 50th lime green bike. But what annoys me is the S shaped main tube, I don't know if I' alone but I never liked them.

29 0

shrockie (Dec 8, 2014 at 12:12)

I'm with Hughesy. Nice looking paint job, but I like the blue scheme better than this one. the blue one looks amazing.
www.giant-bicycles.com/_upload/showcases/2015/reign_advanced_showcase1.JPG

25 9

WAKIdesigns (Dec 8, 2014 at 12:25)

Whenever you argue on looks, know this: Your sense of aesthetics is INVALID

TheStig04 (Dec 8, 2014 at 13:21)

@shrockie That bike does look amazing :O

jesse-effing-edwards (Dec 8, 2014 at 14:07)

I agree, the paint is killer.

scott-townes (Dec 8, 2014 at 14:38)

MY EYES!!! I CAN'T SEE!!!! HOW AM I WRITING THIS!?!?

MasterSlater (Dec 8, 2014 at 15:08)

I LOVE the paint jobs on their new bikes.

ibishreddin (Dec 8, 2014 at 15:16)

When u order giant should have it so you could choose any Colo combination from white, black, red, blue, green, orange

davidsimons (Dec 8, 2014 at 16:21)

I bet this thing has no mirrors in it's house..

107 2

killerb09 (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:24)

This bike does exactly what they say it does, rides up like crap, rides down like a montain lion on Cocaine.

alexridesbikes-13 FL (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:04)

Hahaha, that comparison!

vw4ever (Dec 8, 2014 at 17:12)

Just like 26" 180mm bike from 2010.

I like the color, flame on (no pun intended re: paint scheme)

FlowMasterO (Dec 8, 2014 at 18:10)

Can someone tell how a mountains lion on cocaine rides, sounds like Game of thrones+ jay and silent bob + every Mindspark edit

tdryan242 (Dec 9, 2014 at 20:20)

v-dub 4 ever has a point here. not going to elaborate cuz i just dont care enough to type a paragraph. but just think about how cycling as a business is with pushing "new" technology. so potentially long story short but check out geo's of some of the 7 inch single crown bikes of yesterday and i think we find ourselves wondering why.

mbiker35 (Jun 7, 2017 at 11:48)

Hey after a year and a half on mine, I changed out the crankset and down sized to a 28 tooth, along with a little longer stem to keep me forward.. and guess what, it climbs great. NONE of my buddies lead the group going down hill until I go, because they know I'll be rubbing their rear wheel in about 10 seconds. At the bike parks I leave my Intense DH rig on the truck, It's now my back up park bike. I frickin love that thing..best bike ever.

64 0

gtrguy FL (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:42)

"Everyone rushed for test bikes with velvet smooth Cane Creek DBinline shocks - which blew up shortly thereafter." Tell us more about that!

13 0

SlinkySammy FL (Dec 8, 2014 at 12:47)

Ya Pinkbike, we've read this a few times on other posts here. I'd like a Cane Creek DBinline review please.

maxlombardy (Dec 8, 2014 at 14:11)

I was just about to buy one of these... @RichardCunningham can you comment on this?

ZeGermans (Dec 8, 2014 at 16:31)

Only problem with mine was more an issue with my bike than the shock. I have a carbon Devinci Troy and the stock hardware with the DBinline needed to be 19.3 mm instead of 19 mm because the bottom frame shock mount was too stiff to clamp onto the hardware with the recommended torque. The bike had the same issue, but to a slightly lesser extent with the Fox shock, which incidentally had a better tolerance on the hardware width. Other than that, the shock has been flawless with no issues, and a massive boon to the performance of the Troy as I've been able to give a bit more support to the mid stroke and end stroke for aggressive riding. Hope this helps.

17 1

RichardCunningham (Dec 8, 2014 at 23:16)

During testing, we blew through three DBinline shocks on two different test bikes. They leaked around the adjustment bodies, got notchy feeling, and lost a significant measure of both rebound and compression damping after (we assume), air got into the damping fluid. Reportedly, those were not isolated incidents. All three went south in a few rides. We are not sure what the problem is, so we are waiting for an official story from Cane Creek. The reservoir style DBair shocks have not given us any problems.

maxlombardy (Dec 9, 2014 at 8:55)

Thank you

groghunter (Dec 9, 2014 at 11:36)

Damn, DB inline was on my short list for a new shock. guess I'll be waiting or buying a debon air.

pinnityafairy (Dec 9, 2014 at 18:24)

Every manufacture makes a all star and a turd.

36 0

hamncheez (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:43)

" Everyone rushed for test bikes with velvet smooth Cane Creek DBinline shocks - which blew up shortly thereafter" What is RC implying here? Is there an issue with the CCDB inline?

taletotell (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:03)

I feel like they said that was an issue in the suspension of the year article

Dustfarter (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:03)

Certainly is with mine

hamncheez (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:18)

" We have seen a few fail in the field, though, so longterm reliability is still a concern." is the quote. I'm guessing a review of the shock is coming.

Metacomet (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:21)

Yeah we need to hear more about this. Pleeeeease elaborate. Have been really close to pulling be trigger on a dbinline so this is very intriguing.

StueyStuey (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:21)

I bet it's wholly positive.

taletotell (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:58)

High performance at the cost of life span says to me go for a rs like the reign has. Almost as good and you get to ride your bike more.

jon123rjk (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:17)

Dustfarter: what happened to yours?

WestwardHo (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:40)

Didn't pinkbike just give put this thing in it's suspension product of the year awards?

B650wagon (Dec 8, 2014 at 12:20)

BOS Kirk looks very interesting. Pinkbike review coming? Judging by a bit of other stuff read, the Kirk looks pretty rad.

Uberbob102000 (Dec 8, 2014 at 13:50)

Both the Kirk and the Void from BOS look awesome, I've got a RS Monarch Plus Debonair, but I've sorta been looking at moving to something more configurable but haven't heard much about either of those.

ccolagio (Dec 8, 2014 at 14:44)

Note - if you go back through the MTB Awards for suspension as taletotell pointed out - the remark in this article is in regards to the CCDB inline shock

seburkhardt (Dec 8, 2014 at 15:02)

They all blew up? Pppfffffttt. I have one on my spitfire and it has been great. One of my buddies has one on his chilcotin. Neither if us have had any issues. Both of us are expert level riders and don't hold back on DH. He has extensively raced his in east coast enduro events.

13 5

WAKIdesigns (Dec 8, 2014 at 15:26)

Ok, ok, we'll get the facts in the near future, but for now, let's speculate! Let's see who gets closest to the truth and throw in some (insert your favorite shock) for life. It's internet C'm on!

taletotell (Dec 8, 2014 at 15:30)

The real fun will be when everyone starts complaining about how pb is too nice to the gear and is bought by the companies they review.
I don't know if it's true, or if it is just hard to knock a bike a company let you ride for weeks on end, and is not utter crap, but is not great. Especially when you meet with people who worked really hare on it and are proud of it.
"Hey man, I know you tried, but you failed. "

B650wagon (Dec 8, 2014 at 15:55)

@Uberbob Maybe Avalanche Suspension will put out a mod for your Monarch Plus Debonair. I think I'm going to Avalanche my 2014 Fox 34 Talas this winter. But may just change out to the new Fox 20wt. gold oil and try that first. Thoughts anyone?

paparotus (Dec 8, 2014 at 15:59)

Mine died afther 3 month's, awesome shock but........ I'm getting a debonair. Sorry cane iv tried

ZeGermans (Dec 8, 2014 at 16:35)

Only problem with my DBinline was more an issue with my bike than the shock. I have a carbon Devinci Troy and the stock hardware with the DBinline needed to be 19.3 mm instead of 19 mm because the bottom frame shock mount was too stiff to clamp onto the hardware with the recommended torque. The bike had the same issue, but to a slightly lesser extent with the Fox shock, which incidentally had a better tolerance on the hardware width. Other than that, the shock has been flawless with no issues, and a massive boon to the performance of the Troy as I've been able to give a bit more support to the mid stroke and end stroke for aggressive riding.

B650wagon (Dec 10, 2014 at 22:23)

Reign Advanced O Team Wow!

www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/reign.advanced.27.5.0.team/18765/76216

34 0

wydopen (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:12)

Sorry to rant but I strongly disagree with your opinion of the Pike Dual Position. You made no mention of using the the 3 position compression adjuster. Simply lowering the fork and putting the RCT3 setting in the middle position firms the fork up perfectly for climbing allowing you to run a setup more suited for the descents. That's what it's there for. Also I do upwards of 60,000 feet of climbing a month, much of it on rocky tech climbs on a bike with a bottom bracket almost an inch lower and rarely strike a pedal. If you can't appreciate steepening the head angle on a bike with a 65deg head angle I think you need to find some steeper climbs. I've ridden the Solo Air back to back with Dual Position and the difference in small bump sensitivity is pretty much non existent. I think you are having flashbacks to vintage Talas forks, frankly I'm surprised more manufactures don't spec the Dual Position as OE. Also you failed to mention the custom fork offset when you recommended swapping forks to Solo Air which is not available for purchase aftermarket. Also it really makes me wonder when test riders are having trouble pushing a 32-42, especially in a place with technical climbing.

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WAKIdesigns (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:50)

I concur! I rode XC on Nomad with Lyrik set to 115mm. Sure BB was low and I was striking rocks with pedals from time to time. Then I switched to 1x setup, got stronger and as I was getting more power out of every stroke, each one was longer and thus pedal strikes became next to non-existent. I ride trails as rocky as they can be. Then this Reign is a half DH bike so most buyers will crank it up on fireroads, so 130mm option is just a good thing to lower your cockpit and put you in better stance. If someone rides trails with frequent ups and downs, involving technical uphills he would make a more sensible choice buying a smaller bike, like Trance. Make no mistake those 6" monsters climb and cruise more than well, but in the end, if your local trails are not exactly a reminiscence of EWS stage terrain, you end up sitting on your butt more than if you chose a 100-140 bike. Those are also so good these days that you simply put 160 fork on them and you can shred any trail, only your skills are the limit.

jrocksdh (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:17)

Wydopen, u nailed my exact issues with review.
Proprietary pike...for now, and dpa is great for long fireroads(norco range c).
But I lower mine in the laguna steeps as well.
U do need to watch ur pedals, but no more than solo pike+nomad, new crop am bikes.
The psi #s are strange for both pike and monarch plus.
Most run well below suggested psi on dpa pike, and shock differs w/suspn type.

WestwardHo (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:43)

I've had two rockshox forks with dpa and they both failed pretty miserably. I swapped in solo or dual air (not dual position) cartridges and they ride fantastically now. There's just too much that can go wrong with dpa and I don't personally feel the manufacturing tolerances are there to prevent it happening. When my fork suddenly went from 140mm to 0mm of travel in the middle of a rock garden I knew I was never riding dpa again.

wydopen (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:48)

I've had two DPA's over the last two years (one 26 one 650b) and I've never had a problem. I ride 4 days a week and am very hard on parts and both forks have been great.

WAKIdesigns (Dec 8, 2014 at 12:20)

Rockshox themselves suggest to use DPA for climbing only. DPC on the other hand is fine and I can confirm it's robustness. I wonder if you could insert U-Turn from Lyrik into Pike. Difference between solo air and Uturn is less than 300g so I could not give a less sht if my Pike weighs 1800g or 2100g. If I lived in mountains like Alps or in BC I would totally use travel adjustment to lower the fork for 1h - 3h climbs. I climbed 2,5h and 3h on non "droppable" Jekyll and LV 401 this summer and it was not my idea of a good time.

B650wagon (Dec 8, 2014 at 13:16)

I like the 2014 Trance Advanced SX better. If I did a bunch of shuttling and lift access, this Reign would be on the extra short list. If I had tons of cash, maybe a Trail bike and a DH bike.
www.vitalmtb.com/community/mojomofo,30231/setup,25310

samuelthecamel (Dec 8, 2014 at 13:38)

@B650wagon, totally agree! the trance sx is a total beast on the downhills AND it climbs incredibly well. I raced my SX all season for DH www.pinkbike.com/photo/11405880 how i had my bike built. definitely want to throw a leg over one of these new reigns though...

B650wagon (Dec 8, 2014 at 13:50)

Nice, yours is far from a stock Trance 1. Did you start with frame and build from there? What size 1x ring did you settle on? Stock 70mm stem or shorter? Anything you'd change?

samuelthecamel (Dec 8, 2014 at 14:21)

Yeah I started from the frame and built it up. I wanted a trance sx but wasnt too into the gold color,I much preferred the silver and blue Trance 1 frame. I was running a 55mm stem with 785 raceface atlas bars. as for the gearing setup I ran 30t, 32t, and 34t raceface NW rings up front depending on where i was riding and a 40t wolftooth ring in the back

B650wagon (Dec 8, 2014 at 14:39)

Love the Black frame on the Advanced SX or Trance 2. Agree, Silver/Blue definitely nicer than the Gold, not sure what they were thinking there.

taletotell (Dec 8, 2014 at 15:37)

@WAKIdesigns: as long as the uturn max travel (160) does not excede the fork's max travel you are fine to use it. I put one in a Reba that, maxing it a 100-120. It topped out bad if I cranked it up to 130, and it wouldn't reach 140.

Gills (Dec 8, 2014 at 18:20)

From sea level to the top of Mount Everest twice a month is roughly equal to 58,000 vertical feet of climbing......just sayin....for reference.

aspendlove (Dec 8, 2014 at 19:31)

did he just claim to climb 720,000 feet a year? lets see the strava........

listeryu (Dec 8, 2014 at 21:41)

I used my pike with dual position all summer. There is a small sacrifice in performance because of the dual position compared to a "normal" pike, but that's it. You are absolutely right about the compression - that's why it is there

AlexH691 (Dec 9, 2014 at 2:49)

Personally I have to agree with the dual postion comments. I pondered the decision when buying my 27.5 Nomad and am glad I didn't go DP as I can still pedal strike at 160mm, so have no desire to drop it, the thing still climbs like a goat on steroids it just me that holds it back,not the head angle etc. If you are a fire road climber then maybe it works for you, but I agree.
However my question is what ctrank length is the bike specced with? There seems to be no mention, if they're over 170mm then that will be a big part of the issue

WAKIdesigns (Dec 9, 2014 at 5:28)

Pedal timing ekhe ekhe he hem akhuuu

wydopen (Dec 9, 2014 at 6:00)

@aspendlove check the pinkbike strava club....47,000ft the last 28days and I took the last week off when I was sick so I only did 14rides this month...I do between 10,000-15,000ft a week..gotta earn your turns

wydopen (Dec 9, 2014 at 6:16)

@Gills it's really not that impressive...there's a dude in the pinkbike strava club that does upwards of 10,000ft a day, 6days a week...he triples my climbing #s....If I didnt have a full time job and a family I'd be logging some serious saddle time...I'm lucky if I get 4 rides a week so I always make sure to log some big ones on the weekend...It drives me nuts seeing kids in their early 20's that ride that arn't out shredding every chance they get...

wydopen (Dec 9, 2014 at 7:30)

@aspendlove Just to be clear unfortunately I haven't been that consistent over the last year..had two shoulder injuries + broken bikes/parts etc etc..But this next year I would like to go for at least 700k a year now that I am on a dialed setup (last bike was actually a Reign)..There's a few guys around here in the million feet a year club but they are mostly roadies..

twozerosix (Dec 9, 2014 at 12:34)

@wydopen that's f'n phenomenal. I am psyched if I get a few grand in a month. Santa Barbara > Seattle for year round big mountain climbing and 3+ hour rides!

Gills (Dec 9, 2014 at 18:26)

@wydopen, I wasn't saying it was impossible, just an enormous amount of climbing monthly. I wish I could get out for half the time you pedal a bicycle.....with maybe a little less climbing. Honestly I never track, or plan on tracking, the amount of elevation I get in per year, getting out to ride is all that I hope for.

wydopen (Dec 10, 2014 at 5:37)

@Gills Make it happen! I dont climb that much for any reason other than when I do a 5,000ft climb it means I get to rip an awesome 5kft descent!

wydopen (Dec 10, 2014 at 19:06)

@RichardCunningham For some reason your comment isn't showing up in this thread? Can't read the whole thing from my dashboard. Can you repost it, was interested to hear your take..Thanks

wydopen (Dec 10, 2014 at 19:16)

Nevermind, I guess that was the whole thing...What crank length is stock?? I run 170s..seems like that would counteract half of the 1cm of BB drop you are getting by lowering the fork. It blows me away though that people don't think lowering the fork makes a significant difference in climbing performance. On my current ride and my old bike (26" Reign) it was so much better climbing with the fork lowered. My after work ride is a 2000ft climb with 50% of it being nasty tech and the only places I hit with my 12.7bb I hit with my old Reign which had a something horrid like a 14" BB....It's just weird because I don't remember people complaining in reviews about striking pedals on bikes like a Stumpy or something with a BB that is lower than the Reign with the fork dropped..

RichardCunningham (Dec 11, 2014 at 14:10)

wydopen^^^ To clarify: I am a fan of adjustable-travel forks for long-travel trailbikes and the Pike Dual Position is one of the better ones out there. The slightly steeper seat angle and steeper head angle that the low fork position bring for climbing are advantages that cannot be ignored. The Giant Reign 27.5 1, as mentioned, was too low to make the 130mm position useful for technical climbing, where the aid offers the most benefits. The Dual Position option would be a plus for riders who use dirt roads or smooth trails to access technical downhills where one could settle into a rhythm without fussing with pedal scrapes. That said, after riding it on a variety of terrain, we would rather have a standard Pike on this particular bike and use the simpler low-speed compression "Trail" setting to firm it up for pedaling as needed. Weight aside, the Giant climbs pretty well and steers better than most bikes with slack front ends, so the Dual Position option is not so important.

B650wagon (Dec 11, 2014 at 14:27)

Could just take it off and throw on a Marzocchi 350 NCR Titanium 160 ! Or do you think the Offset fork is a must?

WAKIdesigns (Dec 11, 2014 at 14:32)

With all due respect Richard, I have a Blur TR with BB as low as Reign with Pike at 130, both SAGged. I ride terrain that just cannot have more baby heads and TV size rocks, otherwise it would be a sensible choice to ride XC with 250g carbon rims and 400g tyres mounted to 11" Azonic Eliminator. This is the issue of strength thus gearing and the skill of pedal timing. As you approach the technical section, you drop into the harder gear (which require not more then fundamental strength and a bit of getting used to). You gently dip the end of your saddle into your groin or stand up all the way. When coming to a spot of potential pedal strike you turn on trial riders skill mode of using your whole body to accelerate the bike through that spot. BMX gate mode to accelerate is not bad to use either. You need to use a big lump of range of movement when climbing, just as one would when rolling up through some really slippery rocks and roots where no tyre compound nor pattern will provide grip. The Lower the cadence, lower the chance of striking a pedal into a rock, and more power you have on the tap to drive through a dead spot.

There are less than a few lads out there who can climb steep technical trail for as long as an average Joe does the fire road. So we are talking high intensity efforts on sections, not through out long climbs. But If someone spins circles at 90RPM, seated, then he may strike his pedals, even on the fire road.

wydopen (Dec 11, 2014 at 15:22)

@RichardCunningham I was interested in hearing about the custom offset on the Reign's Pike..Did you guys feel it was beneficial? As someone who does allot of climbing on a 65deg HA bike I'd be interested to hear how it works both up and down..Maybe someday RS will make it available aftermarket..

dthomp325 (Dec 14, 2014 at 15:15)

I test rode the Reign, and I agree that the bike is very prone to rock strikes with the fork in the 130mm mode. In fact, I broke my Time MX pedal from a rock strike while testing it. The 30mm adjust is just too much for the Reign, and I would say it was simply un-rideable in the low travel setting on the technical climb I tested it on. Yes, the change in geometry would help climbing performance, but you can't use it on moderately rocky trails without hitting your pedals on every other rock. I ended up getting the Trance SX with the 140-160 Dual Position because it climbs better than the Reign, and I frequently use the travel adjust. It is an excellent fork, and the travel adjust works great. I can get up the same climb in the the low travel setting without any issues on the Trance, but the BB is higher than the Reign (when sag is taken into account) plus the low setting on the fork is 10mm higher.

I am kinda surprised to see all these enduro bikes with low BBs specced out with 175 cranks. I've been thinking of swapping to 170s on my Trance.

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maxram7 (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:11)

Dear Santa, I've been a very good boy this year...

cool3 FL (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:40)

LOL !

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minus8 (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:25)

...mostly good... ...ok I tried... ...oh screw it, I'll buy it myself.

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karoliusz (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:21)

I bought my Reign 2 for 1500$ back in 2008. Now, after 6 years, they try to tell that 6000$ is a bargain… Ok, it's slacker, longer, lower, etc. but c'mon, I still don't get it.

jrocksdh (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:21)

Well, cost of the pike alone is @750, tires @50ea, and then there's cost if employees, r&d, marketing, wc/enduro teams....

browner (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:27)

Amen karo, but jrocksdh - that is not how it works because 'cost' price applies to the components too: schwalbes shouldn't cost £50, Pikes shoudln't tip £700, gears shouldn't cost more than zee. Employees are the same ones who built the old Reigns, as are marketing, some team members/ managers. Maybe rubber, metal and electricity cost thousands more? or maybe its really expensive to set a mould with a 65 degree angle compared to 68.

Narro2 (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:38)

Prices are demand driven. Bikes are selling very well nowdays. All companies are marking up the prices way too high.

g-42 (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:42)

This bike, at least in the US, is the top of the range. Given the parts spec, compared to other brands, that represents pretty good value for money.

I had a 2010 Reign 2. That was a $2,100 bike. The parts spec on that was rather basic - if you were to use that bike anywhere near its capabilities (that was 6" of suspension with a reasonably slack geometry at the time), and you were a big rider, you'd end up replacing parts after a couple seasons. That bike wanted you to send it - hard. But it didn't have the parts spec to stand up to that sort of thing for long. Looking at this year's Reign 2 at $3,400, it seems like that parts spec is quite a bit up from what there was in 2010, and they have the good sense not to sell a super-low-end version with disposable kit. Makes sense to me.

twozerosix (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:49)

Shoulda put that $1500 on the S&P 500 back in 2008 - you could have afforded the $6000 bike now.

mddigger (Dec 8, 2014 at 12:01)

www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/reign.27.5.2/18766/76219 do you guys ever use google? Or look at any other website other than pb? $3,400 for the reign 2, yeah its still expensive, but cheaper. good luck finding a decent brand new bike for $1500...

hayden (Dec 8, 2014 at 12:02)

Karo, the difference between a 2015 and 2008 reign is gigantic. Have you ridden both back to back? I have, and the difference is staggering. They are completely different bikes, despite sharing the same name. The confidence increase descending alone makes the price increase reasonable in my books. Tackling technical descents at a place like the sunshine coast or Squamish on the two different bikes would be like night and day.

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kdstones (Dec 8, 2014 at 12:39)

I don't care who it's from, $6000 for an aluminum set-up is simply ridiculous.

panaphonic (Dec 8, 2014 at 12:45)

You may be forgetting that in 2008 there was a Reign 0 so if made today your bike would be a reign 3.

DARKSTAR63 (Dec 8, 2014 at 12:45)

different bike, different spec, and the better part of a decade ago. Please.

topherdagopher FL (Dec 8, 2014 at 13:37)

yeah the inflation is a fucking travesty. 3 years ago a reign was like 3k and now it's doubled in price.

DARKSTAR63 (Dec 8, 2014 at 14:06)

It's only a small part of the equation. This bike is not a 3k bike.. even from three years ago it's not. It's near top of the line save for carbon wheels and frame. I can't tell if you are being sarcastic or not.

dmrrider95 (Dec 8, 2014 at 14:24)

Do you f*cktards moan about the cost of bugatti veyrons and F1 cars aswell? No? Then why moan about a high end bike costing alot of money?

If you can't afford it, well guess what? You can buy a cheaper one.

topherdagopher FL (Dec 8, 2014 at 15:02)

well i own one so...

jrocksdh (Dec 8, 2014 at 15:26)

And then there's usa=highest corporate taxe rate thing...dang rich guys. Lol

Ninjasstolemytv (Dec 8, 2014 at 16:50)

The Reign 2 and the Reign 27.5 1 are not the same bike, it worries me that you can't understand that.

si618 (Dec 8, 2014 at 20:07)

FWIW, I paid $AUD2.4k for mine (RRP was 3k), even with the better suspension and drivetrain that's a pretty big jump in only 2 years.

si618 (Dec 9, 2014 at 0:37)

...2013 model Reign 1, so pretty much twice the price.

Trailsoup FL (Dec 9, 2014 at 1:41)

At $5975, the Reign 27.5 1 costs two thousand dollars more than my carbon uber-bike that still checks all of the boxes. I'm sure this is a nice bike, but come on...

cuban-b (Dec 9, 2014 at 11:06)

there's something about the word F*cktard that made me read this entire thread.

browner (Dec 9, 2014 at 13:57)

So were all in favour of high end bikes costing loads cool naebother disnaymatter

philip9175 (Dec 9, 2014 at 22:35)

The 2015 Trek Carbon Slash 9.8 is priced at $200 less, with a pretty close parts spec, how can giant justify charging the same amount for an aluminum bike?

dthomp325 (Dec 14, 2014 at 15:36)

I had a 2011 Reign. I demoed the 2015 Reign and ended up buying the 2015 Trance SX. The new 2015 is a completely different bike than my 2011. I would say that the 2015 Reign out performs the 2008 Glory on a full on DH track by quite a margin. That's how much the bike has changed. The Trance SX outperforms the old Reign and Reign X on downhill runs by quite a bit, and still manages to climb just as well or better. The base model Reign is right around $3k, although it's a tank.

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g-42 (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:54)

"If you wonder whether you should wear your full-face or half-shell each time you ride, then the Reign 27.5 1 is probably the bike for you."

That about sums up the Reign, and a number of other bikes that are for some reason sold by their manufacturers as Trail/AM bikes. I think a better way to describe these would be something like "descent biased Enduro race bikes". Seems like the Reign has always fallen into that category, though. When you hear trail bikes, you pretty much envision stuff that is ridden all over. I used to take long, grueling, boring rides up fire roads to get to my favorite descents when I owned my 2010 Reign, rather than the readily available, not even all that technical climb trails - the bike was just too frustrating to climb single track on. I also then found myself with a bike that, to come alive, needed to be ridden way harder and faster than my skillset allowed. I'm now riding a long travel (5") 29er - and find myself riding more. It's just more fun - more variety (not the same endless rides up the fireroads). At my (admittedly non-spectacular) skill level, I flow a lot more and am actually faster down all my favorite descents (but getting less air - not necessarily a bad thing given my middling skills).

This whole Enduro inspired burly bike fashion is cool - these bikes are ridiculously capable. I would just caution that most people who don't routinely shuttle, and who aren't incredibly skilled riders, will be having much more fun (and will be going faster, and progressing more quickly) with a more moderate trail bike (say 5" instead of 6"+ of travel).

zede (Dec 9, 2014 at 2:56)

I own a 2012 reign, and I climb "without any problem" on quite technical trails. Obviously it would be easier on a full sus xc 29er, but that's not what I want for the downhills.
Now, considering that the 2015 reign has 27.5 wheels and a 130/160 fork, I think It would climb better than with 26'wheels and with a 150mm fork.

But actually, you raise a good question, because I had never bottom out my 150mm shock and fork, so I don't see why I would need a 160mm mtb.
Also, I think people shuttle nearly only in northern america. It's not really in the culture here

pascalchristen (Dec 9, 2014 at 5:55)

"people shuttle nearly only in northern america. It's not really in the culture here"
true. but we do have waaaaay more (little) gondolas that take bikers up the mountain... taking a gondola is kinda the same as shutteling.

zede (Dec 9, 2014 at 6:12)

mh. I don't know lots of people from the Alps but, those I know in France and Austria don't use these "gondolas" (and btw I think this word is typically swiss).
And I never saw any of these gondolas in the Vosges, Jura, Pyrenees, or Massif Central.

g-42 (Dec 9, 2014 at 15:26)

@zede - the 2012 Reign was a lot lighter than the 2010, as they started using their newer alloy forming technology on that frame. That same technology is responsible for this year's carbon frames only being 2-300 g lighter than their alloy counterparts, which is impressive (and means the main reason for carbon, then, would be for the greater stiffness and such). But it's not just a bike weight issue - my 2010 Reign, ridden competently, could be made to climb technical stuff. It just wasn't fun, so I didn't do much of that. For me, at my skill level, I wasn't nearly good enough to really exploit the descents on that bike to the point where the tradeoff worked for me. The trail bike I got instead is not a xc machine - it's still got over 5" of suspension travel. So it's not at the far other end of the spectrum, it's just one or two notches over - and that made it a better fit for me.

I have no issue with endoro-inspired bikes. What I have an issue is that a lot of people are buying these bikes for descent capability they won't truly exploit, believing the hype that these things climb oh-so-easily. Yes, they do climb much better than similarly capable bikes of years past, but then the more moderate AM trail bikes climb so much better than their predecessors, too. In relative terms, if you get more DH capability than you need, you end up paying a steep price on the climb (bad pun, sorry...) without reaping the full reward on the descents. For really aggressive riders who truly know how to get all the DH goodness out of these bikes, that tradeoff is worth it. For most riders who bought into that trend whom I see out on my trails (we have a fair amount of pretty aggressive terrain here), not so much. It's a little bit like people buying super capable off road trucks; if you're actually off-roading, yay, that makes sense. If you use them to maybe hit a dirt road or go to the ski mountain, a Subaru would be a better choice. One size does not fit all.

dthomp325 (Dec 14, 2014 at 15:41)

I used to ride a 2011 Reign and it's a pretty exceptional climber for technical trails. It kinda sucks for smooth fire road climbs, but the rear suspension stays active at low speeds and provides tons of grip when you're muscling over rocks and roots. I would pick it any day over my Anthem 29er for technical climbs. Strava actually backs me up here, as the Anthem is quite a bit faster on smooth stuff, but as soon as the climbing gets techy there is virtually no difference in speed between the two for me. I'm not sure why you had trouble climbing on the Reign, maybe you stuck with the stock long steerer tube? I know I cut about an inch off of mine when I bought it.

The 2015 Reign is MUCH more descent focused and aggressive than either the old Reign or Reign X. It's a mini-DH bike. In fact, while test riding the Reign, I had the same thought that Richard had. "This bike is extremely capable and I should probably not be pushing it anywhere close to it's limit without a full-face, and since I don't want to drag a full face around with me all the time, this is probably not the best bike for trail riding." I bought the Trance SX instead, which is still much more capable on the descents than the 26" Reign, but also climbs very well.

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iqbal-achieve (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:54)

I feel deeply offended every time I see a bike with internal cables. Why they're still producing new bikes with this shit gimmick is beyond me.

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LiquidSpin (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:09)

it makes the bike look cleaner. Sure it's a bit of a pain to change cables but there are tricks to make it easier. Still internal cable routing to me is worth it and worth it to a whole lot of other people I might add.

mentalhead (Dec 8, 2014 at 13:21)

It may looks cleaner, but I can't even imagine the pain of brake replacement - tube joint kit required and bleeding required as well. Plus half of the brake cable is externally routed anyway.

KJP1230 (Dec 8, 2014 at 13:45)

@liquidspin I completely agree. I get why mechanics complain, it must suck to have to spend an extra few minutes fishing a cable out - but as a consumer I prefer internal cable routing. Makes the frame look cleaner and significantly reduces the chances that anything will happen to my cables in a crash or rock strike. How often are people sorting out cables/brake lines anyway? It's not like these are parts that you are swapping around weekly or even monthly (in most cases). So what? You spend an extra 5-10 minutes getting the new lines through the frame and it leaves you with a nicer looking frame and less cable rub.

I don't see it stopping anytime soon - think of how long it took companies to catch on that anyone under 45 didn't want a 90mm stem on a 160mm bike.

rewob (Dec 8, 2014 at 14:22)

I'm really surprised this is an opinion with upvotes. It never occurred to me people wouldnt like internal routing. It seems to have more benefits than downfalls but I guess it really is mostly an aesthetic choice when it comes down to it. I personally prefer internal routing, and that's speaking as someone that spent 3 hours fishing a dropper post cable through the bottom bracket of my frame.

Fix-the-Spade (Dec 8, 2014 at 14:40)

@ Rewob, I've encountered plenty of internal cable lines where the brake fittings didn't fit through the guide holes, so you either pull the fittings out and re-bleed the system and shorten the hose when you put the brake back on, or in some cases rip out the little plastic grommets on the frame holes and create a rattly bike (they never go back in the same) or both. What the benefit is over cable tie saddles running along the top of the downtube and along the top of the swingarm (on FS frames) is beyond me, it's usually the extreme ends of the lines (lever/caliper) that snag and get damaged anyway and they're still expose even with internal routing.

jeffhall124 (Dec 8, 2014 at 14:48)

i hate internal cable routing that looks like total shit when it hangs way below the bottom bracket!!!!

rewob (Dec 8, 2014 at 14:48)

Makes sense. I haven't had the displeasure of trying to route brake lines I guess.

davidsimons (Dec 8, 2014 at 16:33)

Cable rub on the exterior of the frame is never good, even worse on a carbon frame. I wonder though, do those internal cables rub the interior of the frame and cause wear that can't be seen?

wake-n-rake (Dec 8, 2014 at 16:51)

Shops should just charge per minute for installing internally routed cables / hoses / dorpper posts. It's be interesting to see how long the trend lasted then!

TahoeOrange (Dec 8, 2014 at 18:23)

You know I never thought of it until now, but I think I too would rather have the cables routed exterior on the bottom of the down tube. I'd rather my brake, dropper, and derailleur cables take the hit than my sweet sweet carbon frame.

LiquidSpin (Dec 8, 2014 at 19:20)

I saw a video not too long ago on ways to do internal routing making it faster and easier. There are clever tricks out there so I'm glad you agree with me having a clean looking bike is rewarding. As much as it is fun to ride but most of us take pride in how our bikes look as well. Like a nice exotic sports car. Fast yet super sexy.

mych79 (Dec 8, 2014 at 22:13)

Get some perspective, it's only cable routing!

iqbal-achieve (Dec 8, 2014 at 23:45)

To me it looks no different aesthetically, it just looks pointless. Cables disappear through holes only to reemerge at the linkage, pop back in, pop back out when they reach the caliper/ mech. Reminds me of the Borg. A lot of 'internal' bikes still have more exposed cable than they do inside the frame anyway.
In my opinion it's a pointless gimmick with more disadvantages than benefits that is being added to bikes as a 'cool' extra and bumping the price of bikes higher. This isn't like 650b (though it's being used to sell bikes); there are no performance benefits even suggested, it's for people who want to think they're cooler than the other guys; the all the gear and no idea guys/ gals.
I'm not saying that everyone who has internal routing bikes fits those categories because you'd be hard pushed to find a new bike without it (there are more important factors...) just that that is who this gimmick is aimed at snaring - in my opinion.
And that is why it offends me.

AlexH691 (Dec 9, 2014 at 2:37)

...ok so the aesthetics are up for debate...but that will always be the case as its a matter of opinion. However internal cabling, when done right prevents cable rub, and helps clamping & cleaning so its a good thing with the only compromise being a a slightly more involved installation. Now tell me that stealth cabling for a dropper post isn't a great thing?

iqbal-achieve (Dec 9, 2014 at 3:02)

I don't think it is a great thing, for me its all nonsensical. Why route a seatpost through the frame? It's more likely to be removed than any other of the cable components, especially since they don't seem to last long between services. For me whatever minor pros can be squeezed out of the topic, the cons will always outweigh them. I don't know why cable rub is all of a sudden such a problem, we've been routing cables on the outside of bike frames for years. Internal has been tried in the past, most manufacturers saw sense and went back to the more sensible way of doing things - external. We just have a fad going on at the moment with it that I'd rather see come to and end.

KJP1230 (Dec 9, 2014 at 9:10)

I just think it is funny to hear people try to suggest that cables on the outside of the bike actually looks better. It's like suggesting that what you really want in your flat screen TV set up is for all of the wires to be showing.

I think the 'fad' is more a case of shop employees (understandably) and home mechanics complaining about the extra time spent fishing cables through internally routed frames. Given that at least 95% of bike enthusiasts pay shops to do nearly all of their mechanical maintenance, I still see the clean lines and protection of internal cables as a feature and not a drawback. Just like I wouldn't want my brake lines running down the body paneling of a Ferrari, I would prefer internal cable routing.

For those of you that hate internal cable routing, but also like to pick on Specialized as a brand you hate - its worth pointing out that other than seatpost routing, they are still making frames with external routing.

iqbal-achieve (Dec 9, 2014 at 9:46)

I didn't think anyone was suggesting that external cables look better than internal. I think you may have missed my point that aesthetics are the least of concern here as either way looks pretty similar - you have a cable going from your bars to some other bits.
TVs and ferraris don't have there innards showing because it makes no sense. Nor does it make any sense to try and hide cables on bikes.
And the issue here is not simply a matter of it taking more time to service.
If you take your bike to a shop to be fixed, you're not an enthusiast.
Sorry couldn't help myself there ;-)

mentalhead (Dec 9, 2014 at 10:32)

Usually changing a brake requires only to screw in and out a few bolts and I really hope that more than 5% of our cummunity can do that by themselves. I don't change my brakes everyday, but if I have to, I'd like to do that as easy as possible. I'm not against things being clean looking. I'm against things being not as simple as they can be. I completely agre with Thom. External routing doesn't look notably worse than internal routing, but it is much much simpler.

iamamodel (Dec 9, 2014 at 13:11)

Internal routing is easy on Giants: insert from the BB area and push up towards the head tube. Remove rubber grommets on both sides so you can see when the hose/outer comes into view. Fish it out with the j-bend of an old spoke until it pokes near the upper hole and push from below until it pokes out. Job done faster than having to fit and cut zip ties.

iqbal-achieve (Dec 10, 2014 at 0:10)

Then fit and cut zip ties to the rest of the cable ;-)

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Cooltemplar (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:05)

I think the Transition Patrol beats this bike. At 5999 USD MSRP, you get a better specced bike with equal weight and frame geometry (65 degrees HA).

XX1 rear mech, XT Brakes and RaceFace Handlebar + Stem.

If I had 6000 dollars to spare, I would buy a Transition Patrol 2015 and not a Giant Reign 2015.

panaphonic (Dec 8, 2014 at 13:05)

Here in New Zealand the Reign is 6k and the Patrol is 7.4k

Fix-the-Spade (Dec 8, 2014 at 14:32)

Proper BB fitting too, not a 'you can fit anything as long as it's got a 24mm spindle' PF92 or whatever abomination Giant are using this year.

Cooltemplar (Dec 8, 2014 at 19:51)

Giant is a "giant" global company (no pun intended). It is probably much easier for them to access the international market than it is for Transition, thus explaining why the Reign is less Expensive than the Patrol in New Zealand. Same thing goes for Specialized, Trek, and all those big companies. So it is probably a good choice to buy such a bike in New Zealand (the Reign), but first I would check if any local NZ bike companies makes similar bikes. You could be surprised.

si618 (Dec 8, 2014 at 20:08)

I own a 2013 Reign 1 and agree with you. At least they've killed OD2, but a pity they went back to pressfit. Not fussed about internal cables, actually prefer externals on my model since it's not routed under the bb and downtube, but I reckon that rubber downtube guard needs to be longer and a bit wider, as my aftermarket carbon guard has taken impacts higher and on the edges of the downtube.

HobNob (Dec 8, 2014 at 23:39)

Giant's frame weight 6.1lbs, the Transition is a tank @ 7.85lbs.

panaphonic (Dec 9, 2014 at 0:43)

Yes that will be why i ordered the Patrol.

jaame (Dec 9, 2014 at 4:31)

I'm not giant's biggest fan, but they make beautiful frames. The tech and finish quality is amazing. Put a tranny and this side by side and you'd be mad to get the tranny even at the same price. I was going to order a tr250 until I saw one in the flesh. Overpriced for the tech that's gone into their manufacture.

waffleeater (Dec 9, 2014 at 8:33)

come to the US. buy the patrol. use "extra" money to travel around and ride a few trails. pack bike up and then go back home. holiday with a purpose!

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HobNob (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:21)

Bit odd to call the frame 'chubby' when the aluminium version weighs the same as most carbon 150-160 superbikes?

2.46kg w/o shock according to Giant...

bermroller FL (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:48)

Yep, 6.1lbs with shock in medium. Same as the carbon Nomad.

cuban-b (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:00)

what they're also proving is that aluminum has come a long way in the past decade. nowadays you can form it to be as comparably stiff and light as carbon. comparably

blackthorne (Dec 8, 2014 at 16:24)

Pink one, y u no review Carbon Reign Advanced????

cuban-b (Dec 8, 2014 at 16:28)

because if they did, you'd complain they didn't review a bike that's more affordable. so they reviewed this one, and people still complain....

blackthorne (Dec 8, 2014 at 16:33)

Except that I think the reign deserves to be compared with carbon-only super bikes like the mojo hd and nomad. It's an insanely capable bike.

bermroller FL (Dec 8, 2014 at 16:59)

The alloy Reign is just as light as the carbon competition. The carbon Reign frame is only 200 grams lighter than the alloy frame. That's half the weight of an inner tube. That really only leaves the Reign Advanced as an option for the few who are wealthy enough to not care about the price and have-to-have-carbon-because-of-carbon-hype, and highly competitive enduro racers who are getting bikes free, or at a huge discount.

TahoeOrange (Dec 8, 2014 at 18:26)

@blackthorne because the orange/yellow is sexier than the puke green/brown, $3k more for carbon and XX1.

kanioni (Dec 9, 2014 at 10:30)

@mecabeat That's one fat inner tube.

cuban-b (Dec 9, 2014 at 11:05)

ok maybe one entire inner tube.

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marshall-h-h (Dec 8, 2014 at 15:38)

The whole press-fit bottom bracket thing really needs to stop...like now

Verbl-Kint (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:22)

Has anyone tried a different fork on this bike? Is the custom offset truly that important to the geo?

lmcd (Dec 8, 2014 at 16:43)

Template for AM/ Enduro bike test on Pinkbike is as follows. Pedals surprisingly well given the nature of the bike and although it is a bit of a slog on the climbs, it makes up for it on the downhills.
Come on guys actually COMPARE bikes because it looks like you have the same review for every bike be it 5k or 10k. Maybe I should just keep the extra 5 thousand if my pocket considering all the bikes do the same thing, no?

greddyvox (Dec 8, 2014 at 21:01)

I agree. Almost every bike reviewed here that isn't pure-XC gets the same conclusion. But maybe it's just because bike companies are all making bikes this way now? I dunno. But I am anticipating the PB review of the Yeti SB6C to convince me that i should ditch my Mojo SL for a 27.5 enduro steed

jaame (Dec 9, 2014 at 4:35)

No company is going to pay pinkbike for a bad review. I just look at the pictures.

crowgj (Dec 9, 2014 at 7:34)

I agree as well. All AM/Enduro reviews seem to be almost cookie cutter in nature. Swap out some pictures and change an adjective or two and bang zoom, new review complete.

Even more maddening is the fact that every AM/Enduro review says the same thing. Then some how when AM bike of the year nominees come out, we get no explanation as to what made said nominee stand out from the other bikes that seemed to get nearly identical reviews.

Please conpare the bikes and talk about strengths and weaknesses relative to each other. The formula has been out for years, pick up a motocross magazine and read a shootout.

yxbix (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:06)

so, at 5975USD it is considered an affordable bike? Good spec for sure, but I keep wondering why the heck am I into MTB with the minimal wage in my country at something about 350€...

Forgetting about the price, the bike looks like one I could enjoy riding!

6 18

WAKIdesigns (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:55) (Below Threshold)

Haha, elite mountain bikes are not made for Eastern Block

surprisingly enough, many Poles sport incredible, up to date, top shelf bikes on Enduro and DH comps

10 2

honourablegeorge (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:34)

Either one of those colours would have been just fine, Giant. But not both. Not both.

Bluefire (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:39)

Wait, what now about Inlines? I've heard a lot of optimism about their performance, so that comment deserves a headline of its own; I imagine one is forthcoming...

groghunter (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:06)

This. I want to hear more.

waxyfeet (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:07)

I'll be putting my inline on my Reign very soon

Karpiel073 (Dec 9, 2014 at 10:23)

Cunningham talks about it a couple comments up.

bikeblur (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:00)

Dig the paint!..seems so like so many "Enduro, All Mt" bikes climb just OK and descend well...seems to me that this "new" category of bike has ALWAYS been around except for the 27.5 wheel size..I have two bikes: a Kona Entourage built at 32.9lbs..and a Giant Faith currently built at 31lbs even..both could be made even lighter..BOTH pedal uphill pretty darn well and descend, jump, etc. etc...REALLY well...both built with Much nicer components than pretty much any of the stock Enduro/All Mt. offerings at a fraction of the cost... So..my Enduro/All Mt. alternative to the new giant Reign..A Giant Faith with a RS Monarch Plus shock, a RS Pike fork, RaceFace Next/Cinch etc. Crank set, Set up with Hans Damp Tubless and a few other light components, and Bingo!..A 28-29lbs Enduro/FreeRide, blah blah Monster with a 66.75 degree head angle all for the bargain price of $3k-$3,500 depending the details...OR,..Spend $5,000-$9,000 (depending on what you've been convinced you "need" on a new generation "Enduro/All Mt." bike that you would want to change a few things on anyway..bars, or pedals, etc..OK, my rant is over.

ukr77 (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:01)

"Everyone rushed for test bikes with velvet smooth Cane Creek DBinline shocks - which blew up shortly thereafter."

Without further explanation, this statement is a tad inflammatory no?

andrewbikeguide (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:52)

Is that stick catching black loop under the bottom bracket the line to the dropper post? That could create an interesting moment on the wrong bit of trail ie steep rooty chute. Just do not understand how so called experienced bike designer/ engineers can look at something like that and not think "I could route that a better way".
Conversation in Giant's design department last year: "Well we've removed the retarded external cables from under the down tube on the Glory so we need to create a really stupid cable/ hose path on one of our bikes, Reign Team, you get the short straw!!"
And PF92 more creaky roadie ideas that require special tools to change the bottom bracket bearings!
I'll stick with my Nomad.
Oh my Gandpa said always to finish on a positive: Bold colours and nice wheels!

egshane (Dec 9, 2014 at 11:36)

They must have been in rush to build this bike or don't know what they are doing. All the ones I had in my demo fleet are routed internal. 100%

Alias530 (Dec 8, 2014 at 15:22)

Why the HELL is that bike six grand?

The lowest spec 1x11 in existence and an alloy frame?? Wtf?

Specialized, who is known to charge a lot, gives you X01 vs X1 and a carbon frame at $5,900

crispy4505 (Dec 11, 2014 at 13:36)

Enduro Expert Carbon is $6,600. Yes, you get X01 derailleur and cassette but you also get lower spec fork, specialized seat post and specialized wheels and no chain guide/bashguard.

Specialized saves a ton of money by making a lot of their own components

Alias530 (Dec 12, 2014 at 7:11)

I was referring to the Stumpjumper Evo Carbon @ $5,900. That, the Enduro, and this Giant all have Pike forks so how is one a "lower spec" fork? If you're talking about dual position vs. not, some people do not value that at all for weight/reliability purposes.

Chain guide/bashguard is irrelevant and not necessary with clutch derailleurs and narrow/wide chainrings. And even if you think it is, I don't think anyone thinks getting one is a fair trade for a carbon frame.

crispy4505 (Dec 12, 2014 at 8:47)

The Reign and Stumpjumper Evo are not really comparable bikes. The Trance SX and Stumpy Evo are.

If you really wanted to compare those two, the stumpy has a lower spec (cost) shock, fork, seatpost and wheels. Yes, both have pikes but SRAM offers different internals for manufacturers save money. RC vs RC3, the RC is a lower spec (cost) fork.

Also, Specialized saves a ton on development and manufacturing costs on the stumpy evo 650 b frame b/c the front triangle is the exact same front triangle as the stumpy evo 29er.

Chain guide/bashguard is completely relevant. Your comment was around price and the bashguard/guide is a $100 accessory.

Alias530 (Dec 12, 2014 at 11:38)

$100 is pennies when you're talking $6k bikes. Carbon frame vs non carbon frame is a MUCH bigger cost component.

Also, the facts that Specialized make their own parts or that they use the same front triangle is totally irrelevant as well. The only thing that matters as a consumer is what we pay, not what they pay to produce it.

If you take two equal bikes (parts spec) and tell me that Specialized paid $4,000 to make it and is charging $6,000, while Giant paid $4,500 to make it and is charging $6,500, I'm picking Specialized. I give zero shits what they pay, it's what *I* pay that matters. If Specialized is more efficient in manufacturing, has better bulk discounts with suppliers, whatever the reason, it doesn't matter.

crispy4505 (Dec 12, 2014 at 14:51)

"If you take two equal bikes (parts spec) and tell me that Specialized paid $4,000 to make it and is charging $6,000, while Giant paid $4,500 to make it and is charging $6,500, I'm picking Specialized. I give zero shits what they pay, it's what *I* pay that matters" - I couldn't agree more if that were the case.

However, bikes you're comparing are NOT the same. One has better components and the other has a carbon frame. And, with those tradeoffs, they end up with a similar price.

So it's up to you as the consumer to decide which you prefer. Giant's product managers are betting one way and Specialized the other.

If you're hellbent on getting carbon, Giant makes a Reign Advanced for $4,750.

Alias530 (Dec 12, 2014 at 19:21)

Except the parts spec is a wash (overall), if not better in favor of the Specialized.

Of the big companies, nobody charges $6k for a non-carbon frame, except Giant apparently. $6-7k gets you the cream of the crop on components AND a carbon frame usually.

NickB01 (Dec 8, 2014 at 22:06)

Gotta throw in my 2c here, I've got one of these and the I disagree with two statements in the article. The bike climbs very well for its size and I love my dual position Pike, in fact I ride most of the time with the bike in 130mm mode and only hit the 160 mark for descents. In 130 mode the bike actually feels closer to a light weight trail rig. Yes the fork can feel softer, so for hard pedaling I flick compression over a bit. I rode the steepest trail in our soon to be bike park, and accidentally rolled a step down and still didn't hit the bash guard even after realizing I'd left the bike in 130 mode! Second, be sure to try the bike before you choose your size!! I always ride large, but after seeing the length of it I was sure I'd buy a medium. I test rode the medium and instantly knew I needed the large, as the handling was far too snappy. The large size feels perfect for my just over 6ft, and its actually pretty good around corners and over jumps. PG-1180 cassette clicks though which is annoying, otherwise an insanely good all-rounder.

krispymtb FL (Dec 9, 2014 at 15:39)

I've had my 2015 Reign (booger colored, then rebuilt with my personal spec) for a few months now. I ride a small which is longer than any small I've ever seen but still shorter than most mediums. With a 50mm stem it's comfortable on the climbs and just rips the descents. I like the geo more than the Reign and Reign X's I've had in the past. I do typically ride trails that consist of long climbs to get to difficult techy descents and a lot of bike park.

I was unsure of the Dual Position Pike too but it's actually turned out to be really nice. It is super smooth- like my Solo Air Pike is. It's more progressive though, it feels like a Solo Air with 1 extra Bottomless Token. I think reviewers find it to be less plush than a Solo Air- but most stock bikes don't have an extra token in them. I don't use the travel adjust all that often, but on long smoother climbs it makes the bike more comfortable and faster to the top. If it's a rocky climb then i just leave it at 160.

I'm a light rider, but i jump a lot so i added 1 bottomless Band to the Monarch Plus and that made it more progressive which allows for lower air pressure/more sag, or more bottoming control depending on the trails I'm riding.

I had a 2014 Trance with a 150 Pike on it before this and i do love the Reign on the rowdiest trails. i must admit though, the Trance was more versatile and really fun on most trails. The Reign begs for fast rough trails otherwise it makes many trails boring. I seek out the nasty stuff and that's exactly why i got it.

NorthVanMan (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:25)

The rebirth of freeride.

hamncheez (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:41)

but without the 40 pound bikes

derrie (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:59)

*50 pound

skelldify (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:42)

I wish they'd show us how much rear tire clearance there is on these short-chainstay bikes! Either that or tell us the largest tire that could be run.

Rlvinas (Dec 8, 2014 at 14:40)

Just got my Reign 2. Swapped some parts got her down from 32 to 29.5 lbs. Bike climbs well, if you got a decent pair of legs. I don't think a single swinging d%$ck out there expects it to climd like a cross country bike. I normally ride a large which on this bike is a medium. Point it down...smiles.

endurojeff29bzh (Dec 8, 2014 at 16:57)

This guy looks having fun with it: www.pinkbike.com/video/389253

barnz0rz (Dec 8, 2014 at 19:46)

"Enduro racing, however, has encouraged a handful of bike makers to develop a sub-genre bike - one that emphasizes the downhill skillset in both the sturdiness of its chassis and with its longer, slacker frame numbers. Pedaling flat-out, while racing down timed sections which are largely steep and technical, weights the bike's handling at least equally to its pedaling efficiency. The Reign's frame construction and its component selection reflects the possibility that its future owner will be sending it like a big bike or racing Enduro World Series events."

....... or you could say "Giant made a 650b Reign X".

I have a 2012 Reign X frame that I have set up with 27.5 wheels. It's awesome and not that far off this bike. Same chainstay length with tire clearance. Shorter wheelbase (46") with a 160mm 27.5 specific fork (Manitou Mattoc). A 14" BB height vs. 13.6". I'll take my threaded BB over press fit any day. The only thing I would like to change on my bike would be a very slight change to the seat tube angle but even then I don't know if it would make that big of a difference.

Giant was overdue in making top tubes longer, they've been behind in the game as far as that is concerned. They're bikes have always been short. This new Reign? A great bike, I rode one. But far from revolutionary. It's basically the same bike as the older Reign X with minor geo changes and new linkage designs that save a very small amount of weight. Very small.

Also, the point about heavier riders is spot on. If you're heavier than about 170, on any Giant, you're going to need some custom suspension tuning. I'm on Giant #5 and that's always been the case.

headshot FL (Dec 8, 2014 at 22:09)

Agree on the suspension tuning. I have a '13 Reign 1. I have the biggest volume reducer Fox make in the aircan and I weigh 82 kg. Yje plis is almost bottomless suspension that handles my local dh track easily and is still plush on the small stuff.

soobieneil (Dec 12, 2014 at 13:11)

I recently sold my '09 Reign and bought a '14 Slash. The Reign made me a believer that a trail bike could be a capable all around every day kinda bike. I had my doubts w/the Slash's geo. It's Trek's equivalent to this year's Reign. But after hitting up my favorite trails, once again I am in awe. OK, it does get loose on the steeper trails, but unlike this reign, it doesn't have an adjustable fork. Anyways, these new AM/Trail bikes can be a ton of fun no matter what trail you ride. And when you take it to your favorite trails to descend, you can carry a bit more speed and are rewarded that much more for all that climbing.

lovemyride (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:49)

5975.00 ??? I'm looking at buying a carbon spartan from devinci, custom build with all top goodies from Fanatik Bike, 1x11 etc. for about 6120.00, certainly not thousands more !!

taskmgr (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:43)

price is in CAD for sure. becuase our dollar sucks, buying canadian is definetly the best option for us. ( my wilson's on the the way

jduffett (Dec 8, 2014 at 14:58)

Canadian MSRPs for Giant are actually substantially lower for some reason - $5300 CAD in this case.

L-train (Dec 8, 2014 at 16:03)

I think he's referring to Specialized S-works Enduro and Santa Cruz top end Nomad that can run close to or over $10k.

ledude (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:46)

neg prop away i've never liked curved tubes...call me old school, but I've always prefered the traditional old school straight tubing

blackthorne (Dec 8, 2014 at 20:35)

That's fine but there ain't no way you're going to get a 6.1lb frame weight with straight tubes.

greddyvox (Dec 8, 2014 at 21:02)

I'm with you ledude. That's why i like the older Canfield Jedi more than the current generation ones - just by looks alone

twozerosix (Dec 8, 2014 at 21:12)

Curved tubes can be funny looking sometimes - this is one of the better ones - but its probably 80% function and 20% aesthetic driven. See that head tube/dt/tt conglomeration? It adds up to a roughly 5" x 7" x 2" welded mass that blows away the stiffness-to-weight of three straight tubes plus gusset plates. The down tubes are curved at the BB in order to get a better welding surface to the BB shell. About the only gratuitous curving on this bike is at the linkage, and that's probably a forged part.

You want a fugly curved tube bike, the old aluminum SC Nomad was rather arbitrary, and looked awful in small sizes.

flipoffthemonkeys (Dec 11, 2014 at 6:35)

it's also about front wheel clearance under the down tube when the fork is fully compressed.

twozerosix (Dec 11, 2014 at 9:20)

@upchuckyeager yup - and trying to fit all these requirements into a frame, while keeping it light, and allowing more and more suspension movement, means that at some point you have to go to carbon in order to make a compelling bike.

Big companies like Giant have access to crazy hydroforming capabilities though - so they can do amazing contortions in metal without the tooling and processing of carbon.

acerocker3 (Dec 8, 2014 at 12:06)

was talking to a guy who reviews stuff in the uk, cant remember what mag it was for, he said this bike is the best giant hes ever ridden, however, the pikes have been custom made for this bike with a different dropout offset as giant wanted to have a slack head angle but it still be nippy in the corners but if it gets really rocky the front end just pings about everywhere. over all his take was fantastic bike... but sell the forks off cheap and buy a proper off the shelf set

Rubberelli (Dec 8, 2014 at 13:17)

"we are left to wonder how the Schwalbe tires may have affected the outcome of this review" - umm... you're PinkBike. How about you go take those off another sled and tell us?
One more thing -why is it suddenly unusual for an enduro bike to be basically a DH machine that can climb? Isnt that what they are all supposed to do since the Nomad was first introduced? If not, go get an XC or trail rig. It will climb better and handle better on the descent.

DARKSTAR63 (Dec 8, 2014 at 14:23)

I found that an odd statement too. I don't wish to judge the bike on the oem tire anyways, I mean let's talk about it but if it's really an issue throw some different rubber and have a go. With that said... nothing wrong with a minion high roller combo, doesn't affect the "outcome" at all imo. I think the review was fair overall save for the criticism of the fork, which is clearly intended to get the front down for grueling climbs.. not to pound through rock gardens with the fork low.

crispy4505 (Dec 11, 2014 at 13:39)

Just picked up a new trance sx and I also got the same maxxis tires on mine. I wonder if something happened between giant and schwalbe or schwalbe had inventory shortage.

egshane (Dec 9, 2014 at 0:58)

if your complaining about price get a better job or save your money. Price out that DT swiss wheel set and you find some hidden cost. Not a cheap wheel set but pretty darn light.

badpotato (Dec 11, 2014 at 11:37)

"If you wonder whether you should wear your full-face or half-shell each time you ride, then the Reign 27.5 1 is probably the bike for you" ...you forgot about sayin' "...and you are not able to afford a new Nomad..." ;]
Great bike!

Gasket-Jeff (Apr 13, 2015 at 8:50)

I just bought a Reign 2 ('15) to replace a '13 trance x that was stolen. I researched and researched and parking lot rode a lot of different bikes and narrowed down to the reign and a norco range. The range felt exactly as the reviews said, "more playful" but only slightly. I took my reign out for its real riding day last weekend. I expected it to be a hard bike to climb on (after all the reviews i read), I was actually pleasantly surprised to find how great this bike was for climbing point and shoot for the uphills. It climbed far better than my trance ever did. when it came to dh I was also surprised to find that it did not dh as well as i expected. I read that it was essentially a mini dh bike. my dh rig is an '07 santa cruz vp-free and i have ridden quit a few other dh rides, and the reign is nothing like a true big bike. I did not feel that stable going down. all in all i am happy with the bike just for the way it climbs.

Panikk (Dec 10, 2014 at 23:40)

I live in Norway! I would rather not see all those pics of sunny, dusty backcountry riding!! Makes me sick with envy! Minus 5, snow, ice, plus 5, rain, minus 10, more ice etc. STHAP

tbart1 (Aug 2, 2015 at 16:32)

I'm almost 5'9" and the medium reign feels short? I just came off of a 2015 enduro medium. I test rode a aluminum reign and pulled the trigger on a carbon. Feels like a different bike.

waffleeater (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:09)

l am gonna win this bike next week! (donate to share the ride!)

taletotell (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:04)

I was thinking about that the whole article.

Karpiel073 (Dec 9, 2014 at 10:24)

I'd gladly take the test bike! HAHA

hamncheez (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:47)

That cable routing that comes out under the downtube and BB is going to get destroyed

dingus (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:58)

Compared to a Specialized which has the cables running all the way down the underside of the down tube I'd say they're pretty much out of harm's way.

jase111171 (Dec 8, 2014 at 12:24)

Them cables say "tear me off and ruin my ride"

thrasher2 (Dec 8, 2014 at 13:41)

I've never had any trouble with Specialized bikes with full cables/brake hoses running under the bottom bracket. The chainrings/bash protect them. This always comes up when Specialized bikes are reviewed. It does seem like they are vulnerable, but in practice its not an issue.

dingus (Dec 8, 2014 at 13:46)

Two of my friends have had issues with hoses being burst by rock strikes on Big S' bikes.

DARKSTAR63 (Dec 8, 2014 at 14:25)

if you "burst" a line down there you landed directly on a rock with your bb and somehow the sprocket didn't stop you....

thrasher2 (Dec 8, 2014 at 14:58)

Bad luck I guess. I have a small dent on my Enduro under my brake hose from a rock. It dented the frame through the hose without cutting the hose. I guess it could have pushed the hose out of the way. Either way it was from a serious crash, not normal riding. If you are regularly hitting this area of your bike...

StackingItSince1991 (Dec 8, 2014 at 17:29)

I agree the cable routing is dumb (also this applies to Specialized). Chainrings and bash guards don't from all impacts from rocks as they are all shapes as sizes. Busting a hole in brake cable is never going to be good.

jase111171 (Dec 8, 2014 at 21:19)

There are some great bikes out there,which I'd love to maybe buy one day,but cable routing under there is an absolute no no,for where I tend to ride,the nukeproof mega I ride isn't the greatest bike,or the best looking,but it's practical and well thought out,boring almost I suppose.

thrasher2 (Dec 12, 2014 at 8:42)

Cable routing wasn't even a thought when I bought mine. 3000 mostly rough miles later and I wouldn't know there was an issue if people on the internet didn't tell me there was.

waxyfeet (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:52)

I got the booger coloured one coming in a few weeks time

iandt (Dec 9, 2014 at 9:02)

Where you getting yours from? I've been told by numerous shops its not available until July, I need a large

waxyfeet (Dec 9, 2014 at 10:30)

@iandt , i was told the same....so contacted Giant concept store in London st Pauls. They were able to nab me one

iandt (Dec 11, 2014 at 8:44)

I'm heading down to the Bristol store some time over Christmas so hopefully I can use the same tactics

brandama (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:41)

" ..... and if you do not begin to visualize shred, I'd suggest a brain scan"

Haha I am pretty sure I need a brain scan but now I know for sure! I love pink bike. Back to reading the review....

thegstyle (Dec 9, 2014 at 19:13)

so how does it climb? i know its no xc bike, but would it be sweet for someone who hasn't got the room for three bikes and wants to ride trail and enduro?

NickB01 (Dec 10, 2014 at 18:00)

Pretty damn well. I've done almost 3000m vertical in the first few days I've had mine with no worries, and I use the dual position quite a lot to get up knarlier climbs. I highly recommend it.

fullbug (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:16)

surprised not running the fox squish with the same 70s retro colors

rickaybobbay (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:35)

yeah, i only weigh like 190-200 with gear (water and all that crap) and i have my Monarch at 240 PSI and it still has 30-33% sag.

paulwatt (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:41)

Looks like a sweet whip, but checking the numbers, it's incredibly close in every stat to a Banshee Rune. Except Giant calls their large a medium.

mych79 (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:41)

My new bike, getting it delivered tomorrow yeeeoww! UKGE here we come!

Jake-anderson (Dec 8, 2014 at 12:05)

This makes the enduro look like shit

ripinitup (Dec 8, 2014 at 12:08)

Dig the obnoxious paint scheme. Not sure about the cable routing for the dropper, the spec for RS or the $6000.00 price tag. but it sure looks like a fun bike to ride.

SlinkySammy FL (Dec 8, 2014 at 12:50)

I'm hoping Rocky Mountain comes out with a Slayer 650b. I love my 26", but nobody buys those anymore. It would be a very similar bike to the Reign, but Canadian company.

deeeight (Dec 8, 2014 at 13:25)

Wait to see what they show at Sea Otter with but Slayer and Flatline have been discontinued as of 2015 catalogs, which though on pages 46-47 have a two page layout of the new DH race model (the Altitude Rallye edition is considered the Enduro race model) sans decals, clear details, or a model name as of yet.

dirtdoctor (Dec 8, 2014 at 15:45)

I dig orange retro, but the black/blue is much easier on the eyes. No 26" version is also strange, Giant in Vancouver, land of the last 26ers? Kona did it with Process 167, that rig is shaping up to be their baby... and $500 cheaper than Reign with a better fork 170 Lyrik RC2DH. Pike two stage is lame and 160 is not enough travel for Whistler brake bumps, or gnarly dh, imo.

Ctk11 (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:05)

So for one bike to do everything; trail riding, park riding, and Enduro/SuperD racing... Reign or Trance Sx with 160pike???

treesmoker (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:13)

Probably depends on the frequency of the park riding/which park.

crispy4505 (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:54)

@treesmoker is right. Which park is probably more the question to ask. I just picked up a new trance sx as my everyday ride and I'll be using it for trail, enduro racing and light park. Coming from specialized enduro, it doesn't feel like I lost 20mm of travel at all.

Ctk11 (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:10)

Mountain creek and highland (easy coast) but I ride trail 75 percent of the time.

crispy4505 (Dec 8, 2014 at 13:04)

Sounds like you're in similar situation. I ride mostly trail with the occasional trip to highland or burke bike parks. I think the trance sx will be great for what your looking for. Sizing is definitely on the larger side. I'm going to put on a super short stem to correct the extra top tube length

Ctk11 (Dec 8, 2014 at 14:33)

6'1 and not totally done growning, (I'm 15) do you think I go with the large and get a shorter stem?

crispy4505 (Dec 8, 2014 at 16:18)

Yeah, that should work. I'm 5'9 and riding a medium.

Ctk11 (Dec 8, 2014 at 16:20)

Thanks for the help man.

m1na (Dec 9, 2014 at 5:37)

How much is possible insert seatpost inside frame? I got 491 long seatpost, so i need long insert ...

ashyjay (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:11)

according to giant's website the bike can take 300lbs, so for a lot of riders the rear shock should be ok.

Jubbylinseed (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:28)

The air can on the monarch plus (debonair) is only good to 275psi, which comes out to about 30% sag for a 210lb rider with the leverage ratio the bike has. The frame's rated to 300lb, but a 300lb rider would need 400psi in the can - which would mean goodbye air seals.

bentown (Dec 9, 2014 at 0:55)

@Jubbylinseed what does this mean for riders heavier than that?

headshot FL (Dec 9, 2014 at 2:56)

They must take up another sport or lose weight?

Jubbylinseed (Dec 9, 2014 at 7:13)

@bentown it means that heavy riders who want to ride a Reign should get a normal-size (non-Debonair) air can for the Monarch. I'm 108kg/238lb without gear, and I'm running a non-Debonair Monarch in my AM bike (Commencal Meta AM V3) at 240psi, which gives me 25% sag and I very rarely get near the end of the shock's stroke. My previous bike was a 2011 Giant Reign X with a similar back end to the 2015 Reign (10mm more travel) equipped with a Fox DHX Air 5.0. I ran the shock at 250psi and that gave me 35% sag - enough to make the bike pedal like a waterbed. Incidentally the DHX Air had a similar-size air can to the Debonair-equipped Monarch. The take-home message is if you're heavy and you want a Reign, go find a smaller can for the shock - or some volume-reducers like RC suggested - and call it done.

bentown (Dec 9, 2014 at 10:39)

@Jubbylinseed Nice one, cheers. I already bought the Reign 2 without knowing about this restriction. I am ~95 kg without gear and 275 psi is about 35% sag. Is there any wiggle room for that 275 ceiling or will that damage the shock?

headshot FL (Dec 9, 2014 at 22:53)

Not sure about RS, but Fox have volume reducers for their float shocks. I am 82kg and needed the largest spacer on my 2013 Reign. The spacer has the same effect as a smaller air can ie it makes the spring more progressive which is what you want as a heavier rider.

digr (Dec 9, 2014 at 23:59)

You can definitely get volume spacers for the monarch shock. they are called bottomless bands. should be easy and cheap to get hold of. definitely easy to install. I'm 85kg in riding gear and I have two in the back of my 2015 reign. definitely like the more progressive feel. also run two bottomless tokens in my solo pike fwiw.

Jubbylinseed (Dec 16, 2014 at 14:17)

@bentown the bottomless bands will do the trick, and they're cheaper than the standard size air can. It would bother me a bit putting volume reducers in an air can that's specifically designed to increase air volume, but that's just me being anal. You can run higher pressures in the shock (all the slopestyle guys have been doing it for years), it just means that you're off the map as far as service intervals, product durability and warranty coverage are concerned. In my experience, if you overpressurize a shock you raise the likelihood of air seal failure and/or damping circuit failure. The air seals are more likely to fail just because they're having to work harder than they're designed to work in order to hang onto the air in the shock, and the damping circuit is more more likely to fail because the high shock pressure forces damping fluid through the shock at higher pressures than the damping fluid is designed to manage.

There's no hard and fast rule about whether or not it's okay to overpressurize a shock (or violate any given manufacturing guideline), but generally speaking I'd say it'd be worth while putting up with questionable pedalling for a while until you can get your hands on either the bands or the smaller can.

Barkit (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:18)

Maybe I'm saying total BS but I thought the Dual position spring was made for climbing purposes only and not designed to be ridden in low position. :s

treesmoker (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:23)

Sounds like they weren't wild about climbing with it, not sure what you're getting at.

dingus (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:34)

They didn't say the used it in the low position for anything other than climbing, but that can still include chunky terrain where there are plenty of objects to catch your pedals on when your BB is low.

groghunter (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:07)

Especially here in 'zona.

Silliker269 (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:11)

Basically 130 mm setting is good for fire roads or climbing smooth single track to get to the top of your ride

powderturns (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:12)

personally I'm not fussed about the fork performance in the lowered setting - I'm mostly grinding out mindless logging/jeep/mining roads, which to me, is what a freeride bike is all about anyway, but I realize others may not share that interpretation (or terrain). but this is the first I've read that the dual's performance does not equal the solo's in the full travel setting. that bothers me. wonder if the new 36 talas also suffers like this.

toemarse (Dec 9, 2014 at 0:20)

I've found dual position great for technical steep climbs and while pedal strikes can be a problem it is still better than at full travel.

headshot FL (Dec 9, 2014 at 2:53)

Agree, I use the TALAS on my Reign all the time on climbs at 120mm. It runs slightly softer than in 150mm mode but I find that perfect for smoothing out the trail especially with more weight over the front.

jerryhazard (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:39)

Cool... so it's like the Faith reborn....

shnboardman (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:48)

Got my Reign 1 brand new in 2010 for £1950.00, it is still a good bike and cannot justify spending $5950 on the latest one.

mddigger (Dec 8, 2014 at 12:07)

www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/reign.27.5.2/18766/76219 same bike. lower spec, lower price... U guys realize pb pretty much only reviews the high end bikes right?

bonastab (Dec 9, 2014 at 4:18)

If it wasn't orange it would look a lot nicer, it looks like a fruit salad wrapper.
Reminds me of my RM RSL though :-)

kollynlund (Dec 9, 2014 at 8:56)

Hey check my profile I am selling a 2014 Giant Reign 27.5 2 ! Brand New

OCTAGONFIGHTER (Dec 10, 2014 at 14:48)

looks a lot better in the flesh.

sewer-rat FL (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:23)

Just needs an angle set

pedalupbikes (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:23)

But the real question is, how is the bike balancing in these pictures?

mikekazimer FL Editor (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:58)

There are magical vortexes in Sedona.

g-42 (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:43)

If you look really hard, you can spot the glare of the magic crystal used to align the forces for this shot.

yboc (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:45)

I asked the same question on Paris Gore's instagram once. His reply "Mike Levy is standing just outside the frame and holds the bike and lets go for 2 seconds while I snap the frame and then he grabs the bike before it falls"

I don't know about you, but the stupid simplicity makes it awesome.

lovemyride (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:50)

Oh yes probably under 30 lbs. also

jrocksdh (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:22)

2014-15 norco range c review yet or did I miss it?

Novic (Dec 8, 2014 at 17:44)

Reign is the shit

a-m-c (Dec 8, 2014 at 21:24)

Love these alloy offerings. Don't love the paint.

ontopoftheworld (Dec 9, 2014 at 11:12)

make it reign all day long !!!! that bike = rad !!!!

loamydog (Dec 9, 2014 at 16:47)

I really think 160 mm bikes are great

FoxDaCosta (Dec 11, 2014 at 7:27)

Nice bike but 27.5" it's a turndown for me!!!

DanielOCallaghan (Dec 8, 2014 at 16:01)

sexy bike!

Ricei (Dec 26, 2014 at 20:28)

hahaha,very good!!!

Ricei (Dec 26, 2014 at 20:30)

But it is not my love color......

panzer103 (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:12)

That paint... Wow.... (Eye roll)

bigbear (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:16)

160? Nah I want 6.7

el-nombre FL (Dec 8, 2014 at 12:37)

I'll sell you my 07 Reign X for the GBP equivalent of $5975 if you want, that's 6.7. In fact, as I'm feeling generous today, let's just call it a round $5k

jaybird951 (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:24)

wow

RedBurn (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:32)

I want it

portable (Dec 8, 2014 at 17:27)

Wheels are just a little too big... Mountain bikes are starting to look silly.

Eirami94 (Dec 13, 2014 at 20:39)

sick efin bike

zephxiii (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:45)

That Giant makes me wanna Reign the trails.

blackthorne (Dec 8, 2014 at 16:29)

Nice try

blackthorne (Dec 8, 2014 at 16:29)

Not to reign on your parade or anything

ethanhagle (Dec 9, 2014 at 0:52)

Got burned like that paint job!

klerric (Dec 8, 2014 at 12:36)

That paint job don't fool me....it's like mutton dressed as lamb

mych79 (Dec 9, 2014 at 6:01)

What a sage!

Xc2dh1 (Dec 9, 2014 at 11:04)

Reign sucks at square edge bumps. Regardless of shock tune.

Below threshold threads are hidden

noahcharles (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:43)

Would be too bad to buy this bike and decide indeed that you dont like the fork. Then youre stuck trying to sell an orange and yellow pike that takes a 1.25" stem :S.....good news is fox's stock decals would match the paint scheme equally well

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mikekazimer FL Editor (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:46)

Giant no longer uses their OverDrive 2 standard - the Pike on this bike has a 'normal' tapered steerer tube.

hamncheez (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:48)

Thank the mountain biking gods!

12 0

noahcharles (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:54)

oh neat! when did they decide that '25% stiffer' was not worth 99% more hassle?

FuzzySockSucker (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:04)

It's overdrive, not overdrive 2. Standard 1 1/8 top bearing. Decals are easily replaced or removed.

MikeyMierk (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:12)

www.slikgraphics.com

mbl77 FL (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:24)

Standard steerer, but the fork has a custom offset.

Fromthe208 (Dec 9, 2014 at 0:28)

^ whatever color you want....
www.slikgraphics.com/collections/fork-decals-rockshox

Sshredder (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:20)

The Giant Reighn used to be an afordable heavy duty trail bike. Now it is a pretty bike with big wheels. i used to like this bike. now its whimpy .....but is shur is purty.

Rlvinas (Dec 8, 2014 at 15:07)

You can get the 2 for $3,400. Still a lot of dough but in this day and age its "affordable".

blackthorne (Dec 8, 2014 at 16:28)

Wait how exactly is this wimpy????

blackthorne (Dec 8, 2014 at 19:20)

I bet you it's stronger than that old tank known as the 2006 Reign with the hole in the down tube.

yamahawarrior (Dec 8, 2014 at 14:27)

Looks like the suspension design of choice by many companies. Its like Trek, Norco, and transition. glad to see that i have no need to switch bikes from the trek slash.

justincs (Dec 8, 2014 at 17:24)

Giant is four bar virtual pivot, Trek and older Transitions are link activated single pivot, Norco and newer Transition bikes are four bar Horst link.

tsheep (Dec 8, 2014 at 21:28)

umm, look harder? Giant's maestro link is closest to the dw link design, not a single pivot or horst link like all of those companies you mentioned.

yamahawarrior (Dec 9, 2014 at 1:12)

Fine let's get technical here. It's similar in looks and style I personally don't see much of a difference worth switching to this style of suspension. Yes before you rail me I see the differences I am more noticing the similarities. The frame designs shapes and in general the similarities putting the technical aside for a moment here

headshot FL (Dec 9, 2014 at 3:01)

Ya, if you paint your Slash yellow and red it will be exactly the same....

Rlvinas (Dec 9, 2014 at 9:09)

That fact is although esthetically they may look similar they actually behave quite differently. The vertical position of the shock and a rocker is shared by various manufacturers but are quite different. Even the same companies suspension designs differ. I can tell you there are noticable differences with my Trance and my Reign, same design different leverage ratios, they pedal and descend differently.

T-woot (Dec 8, 2014 at 9:34)

Why would you spend that much for alloy? Carbon bronson with x01 is basically the same price.

Ctk11 (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:09)

The Bronson is a very different bike designed to do different things, plus you can get a carbon version for 4,800

bermroller FL (Dec 8, 2014 at 10:37)

The Reign is comparable to the Nomad, not the Bronson. A carbon Nomad with the same build would be the same weight, and almost $1000 more, than the alloy Reign.

jrocksdh (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:35)

Isn't the nomad frame at least a pound lighter? Most of the xl nomads I've seen=27.5ish

bermroller FL (Dec 8, 2014 at 11:51)

@jrocksdh Those were probably $8000-10000 builds with XX1, carbon rims, carbon bar, carbon cranks, and lighter fork.

HobNob (Dec 8, 2014 at 12:47)

@jrocksdh - no, the frame is the same weight as the new Nomad Carbon.

The 27.5lb XL Nomads are either lying, or built with inappropriate XC parts.

jrocksdh (Dec 8, 2014 at 13:42)

Wow, surprised the giant Al is that close to sc carbon. I know trek Al is similar.
Sc publishes frame weights(from 6.2), I don't think giants does.

HobNob (Dec 8, 2014 at 13:51)

Giant don't market the weights, but they do tell people if they ask.

I think the carbon version of this frame is only ~200g lighter too.

Just goes to show how good an aluminium frame can be really.