Giant Reign SX review

Setup

Setting up the Reign SX was relatively straightforward.

I inflated the Fox 40’s air spring to 80psi, which is a bit more than the 77psi recommendation for my 75kg weight. I left the rear shock’s 450lb spring installed.

After an initial shakedown test, I decided to fully open both the front and rear damper adjustments (low-speed compression and rebound) – which is how the suspension felt best – and then left the bike like this for the duration of the test period.

After trying both the mid and high geometry settings, I preferred the mid setting and left the bike in this position.

The EXO+ front and DoubleDown rear tyre casings meant I could use my usual tyre pressures: 24-26psi front and 27-29psi rear.

During testing, I lifted the bike’s front end by 5mm by sliding the fork’s stanchions through the crowns. Initially, the front end felt quite low, but sliding them through vastly improved its overall feel.

Giant Reign SX descending performance

Hopping on the Reign SX for the first time reveals a particularly short-feeling front end when seated; the distance between the bars and saddle leaves little room to manoeuvre, caused by the Reign’s enduro-ready steep seat angle.

However, stand on the pedals and an opened-up hand-to-feet relationship materialises, the 476mm (large) reach figure providing plenty of space to move about.

That position is central and unbiased; your weight doesn’t sit too far over the front wheel or too far over the back, boosting control.

When ploughing into a technical, steep or rough section you don’t have to work it to ride quickly or stay fully in control.

Remaining relatively inert on the pedals seems to get the best results, revealing how much of the heavy lifting it does on wild terrain.

With the front end set higher, its terrain-devouring demeanour is boosted. You sit behind the bar rather than over it, instilling masses of confidence when the trails get wild; the risk of going over the bar is virtually non-existent.

The low-slung bottom bracket (337mm) helps, keeping your centre of gravity as close to the floor as possible. The mixed wheels (29in front, 27.5in rear) amplify this, hunkering down on the squat-feeling rear end.

Those mixed wheels also speed up handling. The smaller rear hoop increases turn speed and makes it easier to initiate turns; you lean and the bike goes.

Equally, a small flick of the hips and a dipped shoulder will get the rear wheel to break traction in a fun and engaging way.

Picking up and placing the front and rear wheels when choosing lines or setting up for tighter turns is easier compared to a full 29er or downhill bike, once again harking back to the Reign’s enduro credentials.

Ostensibly, then, it’s easier to ride than a full-blown DH bike on tighter terrain.

Open the taps and a dedicated 200mm front- and rear-travel bike will pull away on the roughest, fastest terrain, but the difference isn’t as marked as I was expecting.

The balanced geometry combines with fantastic suspension to boost performance further; the Reign’s Maestro rear end is a true highlight.

Working its magic with the DHX2’s shim stacks, Giant has tuned the shock impeccably.

Supple and quick to respond, the damper works hard to smooth out rough root- and rock-strewn trails.

It’s also got loads of support in high-load turns and through compressions; the bike doesn’t use its 165mm of travel too quickly when you don’t want it to.

Staying propped up, its dynamic geometry is maintained predictably; you’re never left guessing how it’s going to feel when you hammer a turn.

The rear end’s traction-rich feel consistently fooled me into thinking I had a soft rear tyre. The suspension offers up abundant grip, ironing out the trail with impeccable precision.

On the brakes, it’s the same story; hammering on the anchors doesn’t stiffen the suspension up. Instead, it remains free to move, absorbing bumps and providing extra traction, helping you come to a stop even quicker.

Matching the rear end’s performance is Fox’s 40 fork. Although it’s only equipped with the more basic GRIP damper, there’s loads of comfort and support. Plus it responds quickly to high-speed hits, helping keep the front wheel in contact with the ground.

While the Giant’s overall ride is exemplary, there are some slightly unusual spec choices.

The front and rear tyres use the right casings (EXO+ front, DoubleDown rear), but the compounds are wrong. The MaxxGrip rear would be better on the front and the MaxxTerra should be fitted on the rear.

The grips feel very stiff – both in compound and rotational give – bringing the sense of a harsh ride. The saddle is too long and wide for downhill, its shape better suited to pedalling rather than descending.

The 10-speed drivetrain – while functionally okay – has a cheap-feeling shifter.

However, the biggest miss is not playing up to the Reign’s enduro credentials with a dropper post and wide-ratio 12-speed 10-51t cassette.

Neither would impact its quasi-DH bike performance – the Fox 40, geometry and suspension take care of that – but it would expand its performance beyond descending, making the Reign a pedal-friendly DH bike.

Still, even in its standard guise, performance is brilliant.