Every so often a new bicycle gets launched that causes a stir and when news first broke of the new 27.5″ Giant Reign the world took notice. Enduro racing was already in full swing and most manufacturers had a bike pitched at Enduro racing, but very few had a bike designed and build around this form of racing. A Large Reign Advanced 1 has just been introduced into our long term fleet.
The new Reign and Reign Advanced fully embrace longer, lower and slacker geometry. With feedback from the Giant Factory Off-Road Team, the Reign was shaped into the trail monster it is today. Giant worked with RockShox on a custom Pike to overcome some of the negative effects a super slack head angle can have on pedalling and climbing. They built three different Pikes with varying offsets and tested them with Adam Craig (team rider). Following feedback from him and the rest of the Off-Road Factory Team, they settled on a Pike with a 46mm offset, an increase of 4mm over the “standard” Pike. In short, the greater offset reduces trail which helps offset the increase in trail due to the slacker head angle. You can eat your cake and have it after all!
The use of a carbon front triangle on the Reign Advanced has allowed Giant to drop the weight to a claimed 2260 grams (without shock), making it the lightest Reign the company has ever produced. The Reign makes use of Giant’s Maestro dual link suspension layout, which uses a rocker link mounted on the seat tube and another link that curves over the bottom bracket to join the rear swing arm to the front triangle. The frame features an integrated downtube protector and can take a full size bottle in the front triangle. 434mm chainstays help keep the length of the wheelbase in check, although at 1217mm for our Large, the Reign should be super stable at high speeds.
Spec highlights are numerous and will most likely end up with me listing the full spec here. The Advanced 1 comes dripping in kit from Rockshox, with a Monarch Plus DebonAir and Pike RC Dual Position (130mm-160mm) doing suspension duties. All models in the Reign line-up except the Reign 2 (base aluminium model) come standard with a RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper. The internal routing of gear cables and brake hoses keep things clean and neat. The drivetrain and brakes are Shimano’s highly rated SLX groupset in a 2×10 configuration.
Specification
- SizesS,M,L,XL
- ColoursGreen
FrameAdvanced-Grade Carbon / ALUXX SL Rear, 6.3″/160mm Maestro SuspensionForkRockShox Pike RC Dual Position Air, 130-160mm travel, 15mm Thru-Axle, Giant Custom 46mm OffsetShockRockShox Monarch Plus DebonAir RTHandlebarGiant Contact SL DH, 800×31.8mmStemTruvativ Holzfeller (40-60mm)SeatpostRockShox Reverb Stealth, 30.9mm, 125mm (M-XL) 100mm (S)SaddleGiant Contact, UprightShiftersShimano SLXFront derailleurShimano SLXRear derailleurShimano XT, Shadow+BrakesShimano SLX [F] 200mm [R] 180mmBrake leversShimano SLXCassetteShimano HG50 11-36, 10-speedChainKMC X-10CranksetShimano SLX, 24/38 w/ MRP 2x Guide with bash guard (AL backplate)Bottom bracketShimano Press FitRimsGiant P-AM2Hubs[F] Giant Tracker w/ 15mm Axle, / [R] DT Swiss 350 142x12mm, 32h w/ SRAM Maxle TASpokesSapim Race, double-butted, blackTyresCustom [F] Schwalbe Magic Mary 27.5×2.35″ Snakeskin Trail Star w/ Race Guard [R] Schwalbe Hans Dampf 27.5×2.35″ Snakeskin Pace Star w/ Race GuardWeight13.9kg all inRRPR 49,999
From the manufacturer:
The anticipation of a new trail. The adrenaline that goes with dropping a new line. These are the moments that inspired the creation of the all-new Reign 27.5 range. With a lightweight, stiff and sharp-handling frame—long and low to optimize its new 27.5 wheel technology—plus 160mm of smooth Maestro suspension, it’s made for pushing limits in aggressive terrain. Make the most of your riding experience. Make it Reign.
- OverDrive headtube for maximum front end stiffness
- Stable 65-degree headtube/seattube geometry for outstanding aggressive trail riding characteristics
- Air or coil-shock compliant frame design
How did I end up in this situation?! 
This thing continues to surprise. And what a difference the volume reducers make to the shock... It now feels super poppy, whereas before it kinda wallowed in the mid-stroke. That's mainly due to my size though, cos at 105kg ex kit, I'm not exactly in the designers' "target range" for a Debonair / High Volume can.