LUKE’S GIANT REIGN ADVANCED PRO 2 £4,699

Is the Reign too much to handle for tech writer Luke?

It’s bloody brilliant having a speedy bike – something that irons out the trail like a steamroller but changes direction like a rally car. That is, however, until mountain biking bites back. Now, I’m the not-so-proud owner of the quintessential mountain bike injury – a broken collarbone. Of course, this wasn’t the Giant’s fault, but purely down to rider error. And, naturally, it’s happened just as the trails are slowly drying out and the Reign has established itself as one of my favourite enduro bikes I’ve ever ridden.

So, what’s made the Giant so good, and a bike that I’m keen to return to ASAP? Well, I’ve made a few changes recently to keep pushing its capabilities. In the past, I’ve found Giant’s alloy AM 29 wheels to be a little soft and damage-prone, so I’ve replaced them with the carbon fibre Reynolds Blacklabel 329 Trail Pros we tested for the grouptest in MBUK 430.

These are light but tough, with a reactive feel, making them ideal for the Reign. The wheel swap has dropped roughly 800g of rotational weight, too, giving the bike a much more responsive and dynamic feel on the trails, while the near-instant 0.52-degree freehub engagement gives quick acceleration when putting the power down. Inside, I’m running my usual RimPact inserts, for a little extra rim-cushioning and comfort.

I’ve also shaved off a bit of weight by fitting a Manitou Mezzer Expert fork, which surpasses the stock RockShox ZEB Select with its plush yet wellsupported travel. This year, I’m keen to make the bike as light as possible. There’s something to be said about the fun, nimble, and perceived effortlessness of a lightweight trail bike. Trying to blend that with the geometry and suspension performance of an enduro sledgehammer seems ideal to me. The best of both worlds, hopefully.

I do have a couple of nit-picks with the Giant, though. The chainstay cable routing sends the cable into the rear mech at such an acute angle that it causes shifting problems. I also don’t like the press-fit BB. It hasn’t caused any issues, so far, but I’ve had problems in the past with press-fit units creaking and wearing out quickly. I hope Giant stop fitting these as standard and return to using external BBs.

What they have got right is the frame feel. The Reign’s geometry is on-par with that of my previous Canyon Strive – it’s aggressively low and slack, with a 63.5-degree head angle and 35mm of BB drop, which help give the bike exceptional handling. Here, though, this is boosted by a chassis that isn’t stiff and harsh, like the Canyon could sometimes feel. While the Giant is still precise and accurate, this is balanced with a forgiving feel, which inspires confidence. So much so, in fact, that you end up hitting gaps on blind trails and messing up the narrow tree-stump landing! Still, the bike is fine, so it’ll be ready to go when I’m back for summer. www.giant-bicycles.com