When you think of enduro MTBs, you naturally think of Specialized, but also of the Giant Reign. Because the Reign was already an enduro bike before the term was even invented. Since 2005, the Reign has been aiming to ride comfortably uphill and downhill at full throttle. For the latest version of the bike, the wishes of EWS racers have finally been heard and the 27.5-inch bike has been joined by a bike with large 29-inch wheels, which should be able to do everything even better at high speed. Smoothness, stability, efficiency and rollover capability. However, the Reign 29 should not have lost its playfulness despite the large wheels. Here are the details.
For the first time in 29 inches: very smooth and yet manoeuvrable
65 degree head angle, a steep seat angle of 76.8 degrees, the Maestro rear triangle with 146 millimetres of travel, 160 mm forks with 42 or 44 mm offset at the front, short chainstays for agile handling. 29 inches. Whereby short is relative, because although Giant calls 439 millimetres short, from our point of view this is rather medium to long. Anyway, these are the key data of the new Reign. Even if Giant doesn't dare to experiment with anything extreme, the bike remains progressive.
The head angle should provide a racy compromise between stability and agility on the downhills, and with a seat angle of almost 77 degrees, the climbs shouldn't be a problem either.
The Giant Reign in the EWS - Giant rider Josh Carlson on the new Reign 29
"We've been racing on 27.5-inch bikes for years and we knew we wanted to keep the speed and agility of those bikes," Carlson reveals. "So the task was to transfer these proven riding characteristics to a bike with 29-inch wheels, which we hoped would give us another noticeable advantage and even more confidence on fast, technical descents, but without making any compromises. It took a while, but in the end the team hit the nail on the head with the new Reign 29."
Maestro rear suspension with 146 millimetres of travel
The team riders are at least enthusiastic, but on paper, 146 millimetres of rear suspension travel doesn't sound like a lot for a self-proclaimed race bike and long-travel 29er. But caution is advised here, as the "Maestro" rear suspension has been at the heart of Giant's touring and all-mountain full-suspension bikes for almost 15 years for a reason.
They often shine with a lot of sensitivity, and the old problem of low sag resistance was already history with the last bike. Technical features such as a metric shock with trunnion mount, a stiff carbon rocker on all bikes, a large bottom bracket and head tube area for more stiffness and internal cable routing on both the aluminium and carbon models are almost self-evident.
Prices and equipment: Carbon frame, aluminium frame and freeride version
In terms of equipment, the customer has to choose from three product lines. The Reign Advanced Pro 29 (8500 and 5000 euros) and the Reign 29 (3700 and 2800 euros) come with the same 160/146 millimetres of travel, the latter with a budget-friendly aluminium frame, the former with a stiff and expensive carbon frame. Fans of aluminium will be pleased: The Giant Reign 29 with aluminium frame is also available with good equipment (Fox 36 and X2 Elite suspension, GX Eagle). This is no longer a matter of course with the big brands. The Reign SX 29 (3400 euros) offers a little more reserves on the downhill with a 170 mm fork, but is only available in one version with stable components, steel spring shock and aluminium frame. However, if you are occasionally out and about in the bike park, you will find the right companion here.
All information about the new Giant Reign 29 can be found on the Website of the manufacturer.
Adrian Kaether
Editor
