Giant Reign 29 SX review – Supersized for super fun?

Can you achieve harmony with a huge 170 mm fork paired with only 146 mm rear travel? Is the reign of the Giant Reign SX over, or can a supersized fork add to its fun?

For an overview of the test fleet head to thtrue oup test: What’s the best 2020 Enduro Bike under € 3,500 – 9 mountain bikes in review

The Giant Reign SX in detail

The Reign is iconic in Giant’s lineup and it could even be considered royalty even, and the latest 15.7 kg SX 29er with 170/146 mm of travel is targeted firmly at the bike park enthusiast. True to their name, Giant are something of a super-sized brand and with such buying power, always deliver on value. The € 3,399 Giant Reign 29 SX is no exception and stands out in this test when it comes to componentry. Who could miss the massive 170 mm FOX 36 Performance Elite fork up front with the all-important GRIP2 damper, boasting a whopping 24 mm travel more than the rear. That’s not the only supersized component. We were pleased to see SRAM CODE R brakes running proper 200 mm rotors front and rear. At the back, a FOX DHX2 Performance coil shock (400 lb/in spring, size L) controls the 146 mm rear travel and a SRAM NX drivetrain is a popular choice at this price point. The build is finished with EXO casing Maxxis Minion DHF 29 x 2.5” WT and Maxxis Minion DHR II 29 x 2.4” WT tires rolling on Giant’s own 30 mm internal aluminium rims laced to their Tracker Performance hubs, as well as their own Contact Switch dropper post.

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Geometry of the Giant Reign 29 SX

This iteration of the Giant Reign is the brand’s most progressive yet, with a tall 464 mm seatpost, 64.5° head angle and 76.4° seat tube angle. Chainstays are average at 439 mm, in contrast to the long 488 mm reach and tall 631 mm stack in size Large. The geometry feels tall with a high top tube, like you are sitting on top of, rather than integrated with the bike. However, the 27 mm bottom bracket drop stops the bike feeling too unbalanced.

Size	S	M	L	XL
Seat tube	380 mm	431 mm	464 mm	496 mm
Top tube	603 mm	638 mm	658 mm	683 mm
Head tube	95 mm	95 mm	115 mm	125 mm
Head angle	64.0°	64.0°	64.0°	64.0°
Seat angle	72.0°	72.0°	72.0°	72.0°
Chainstays	435 mm	435 mm	435 mm	435 mm
BB Drop	4 mm	4 mm	4 mm	4 mm
Wheelbase	1,182 mm	1,217 mm	1,240 mm	1,267 mm
Reach	415 mm	450 mm	464 mm	487 mm
Stack	583 mm	584 mm	602 mm	611 mm

Quiet, fun and predictable. With a superb build kit, the Giant Reign SX 29 makes a great bike for an intermediate rider looking for a confidence-inspiring ride.

Can a big-travel front and short-travel rear be a match made in heaven? The Giant Reign on the trail

The sitting position of the Giant Reign feels a little more compact than the numbers suggest. The 488 mm reach in size Large sounds stretched but the tall 631 mm stack from the long fork gives the bike a comfortable, upright and open feeling. It does feel like a big bike though and the high top tube robs the Reign of that ‘immersed’ feeling. It’s a bike that is best suited to taller riders, so be cautious if sizing up. Like most of the bikes in this test, it’s not a rocket uphill. The long fork, average chainstays and slack seat angle position you to the rear of the bike when it gets steep. However, running the saddle forward and reaching for the easy to reach compression adjuster on the FOX DHX2 Performance coil shock to control the slight bob from the rear improves matters. The aluminium frame feels very stiff and solid and is really well finished. How much of this feeling of stiffness is due to the super-wide Powercore bottom bracket is unclear, but traditionalists will no doubt be polarised by the 92 mm press fit bottom bracket. One disaster were Giant’s own-brand grips, which quickly snapped inside and allowed the outside grip portion to twist freely.

Hitting the descents, the first thing that impresses is just how quiet the Reign is – not a rattle, not a squeak, everything feels very well put together. With the huge travel at the front and tall frame, there is a feeling of riding ‘on top’ of the Reign. However, the Maestro suspension is very active and super plush without any insensitivity, offering a masterclass in comfort and feedback. The mid-stroke is supportive, allowing you to weight the bike in corners, but hit a big drop and the coil shock gives up the last third of its travel easily, bouncing us off the end stop. A Fox X2 air shock would have been a better choice. In tight turns, the Reign feels a little taller, bigger and more clumsy than the best bikes in the test, preferring instead to charge through longer and faster turns where the excellent fork and Maestro suspension combined with the DHX2 coil find every last morsel of grip. When you really go for it, you start to wish for just a little more travel in the rear and a lower top tube. It’s an easy-going bike and there’s a lot to like in the comfortable and stable ride with its awesome build.

How does the Giant Reign compare to the competition?

The closest competitors to the Giant Reign are the Nukeproof Mega and Ibis Ripmo AF. Both those bikes combine an all-rounder appeal with brutal downhill speed. The Giant feels taller and bigger than these bikes though and is better suited to taller riders. As soon as it gets really tight, the more immersive Nukeproof and Ibis start to pull away. The Giant Reign is best suited to open, fast trails where it can make the best use of its potent suspension fork.

Tuning tips: reduce the fork travel to 160 mm if you don’t live near a bike park, or save a little more for the Giant Reign 29 1 |fit better grips

Conclusion

The Giant Reign SX is composed, quiet and capable of rapid speeds on open trails. When it gets tighter, the tall feeling frame does limit radical moves for smaller riders. With a great specification, our testers came to the conclusion that the Giant Reign SX makes a good bike park smasher for an intermediate rider who values grip. Riders looking for a more balanced all-rounder would be better off saving a little more for the air shock equipped Giant Reign 29 1.

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For more info head to: giant-bicycles.com

The test field

For an overview of the test fleet head to thtrue oup test: What’s the best 2020 Enduro Bike under € 3,500 – 9 mountain bikes in review

All bikes in test: Canyon Torque AL 6.0 (Click for review)|GIANT Reign SX 29 | Ibis Ripmo AF Coil (Click for review) | MERIDA ONE-SIXTY 700 (Click for review) | Nukeproof Mega 290 Expert (Click for review) | Privateer 161 (Click for review) | Propain Tyee CF (Click for review) | Trek Slash 8 29 (Click for review) | YT Capra Comp 29 (Click for review)

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Words: Photos: Trev Worsey, Finlay Anderson