Six inches of aggressive Maestro Suspension offer maximum control when it’s needed most. With a balanced ALUXX SL aluminum frame, including a super-stiff OverDrive front end and 15QR thru-axle fork for maximum control, you’ll master technical climbs and flow down rough descents on the all-new Reign.
Fox 32 Float RL with 15QR thru-axle, 150mm travel,
tapered steerer tube suspension fork, Fox RP2
Boostvalve with XV sleeve, rear shock
SRAM/Shimano component mix with Shimano M445
hydraulic disc brakes
Submitted by
punkhead69
a Weekend Warrior
from union city,ca usa
Date Reviewed: December 23, 2011
Strengths: light and very steady.goes up the hill pretty good almost as good as an xc bike and you can bomb the down hill.maestro suspension kills it so far on all the bikes i have tested
Weaknesses: the rear shock(fox rp2) needs a little bit more air than the normal set up. rear brake is a bit weak specially on highspeed downhills(maybe needs a bigger rotor)other than that the bike just owns!
Bottom Line:
this bike will give you more confidence wherever you go!
Favorite Trail: greenbelt trail hayward ca./JMP oakland ca.
Duration Product Used: Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$2000.00
Purchased At: eden bicycles
Similar Products Used: santa cruz heckler/santacruz butcher/bmc trail fox/bmc speed fox
Bike Setup: just added rockshox rever command post and everything else stock
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Submitted by
Tone's L'axeman
a Weekend Warrior
from sydney city Australia
Date Reviewed: November 18, 2011
Strengths: Massive bang for buck,lighter than my STP hardtail,maestro pivot strong and tight,great welds,nice geometry for chucking around,looks the bomb in saturn black/gold 2012,best reign colours ever IMO,feels great to ride anywhere
Weaknesses: stem to long,changed to 50mm. bars to short and low,changed to 710mm 50mm rise. rp2 rear shock bottoms out on 4-5 ft drops no matter how much psi,fox could do better, avid breaks rotor rubs on pads sometimes after drops,no chain guide provision, bad squishy giant grips.
Bottom Line:
This 2012 reign is black magik. with a few small changes its riding like a dream. nimble, no slop, im 80kg, 1m70cm, I ride a Medium size, and it feels perfect for me. If your round my height DONT get a Small size, its to cramped. This bike feels great on the trails, rides/feels like a D/J bike even with 6" travel. fox fork is tougher than i thought,holds up well to most abuse. This bike loves eating up city flights of stairs, im surprised just how well. Rides great uphill n better down. No pedal bob at all, with right psi in rear. The reign looks slick back in black. So buy this bike if your thinking bout it,you wont regret it. Hope this review helps a fellow rider out there, cheers n happy ridin....
Similar Products Used: spec pitch comp,[reign kills it]
Bike Setup: 2012 Black/Gold reign 2,Medium size Blackmarket underboss stem 50mm, Deity DH/Street 710mm 50mm rise handlebar, Crank Bros 50/50 pedals, Odi rouge grips, rest is stock
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Submitted by
Steenbra
a Weekend Warrior
from Santiago, Chile
Date Reviewed: November 11, 2011
Strengths: Great suspension. Bang for buck!!
Weaknesses: Depending on riding style, change the brakes
Bottom Line:
Nothing better in the price range. Giant spec their bikes great for the price.. The design is flawless.
All mountain machine but would need to change the Fox Float for more demanding downhill. With the pro-pedal at the back great for XC as well. At approximately 13kg a breeze on the climb..
Submitted by
chachi
a Weekend Warrior
from Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: September 25, 2011
Strengths: Lightweight, sexy looking, Maestro is amazing for uphill or downhill. Climbs like a mountain goat, descends like a dream. Easy to throw around in the air on dirt jumps. Hardly notice casing the rear wheel when I come up short.
Weaknesses: Rear brakes seem to fade and require 2 fingers on the downhill in the steep rooty/rocky gnar. My seatpost was cut too short.
Bottom Line:
This is the quintissenial "all-mountain" mountain bike. It definately lives up to the hype. You may want to upgrade the brakes if you're serious about downhilling. An adjustable seat post would also be handy if you ride XC and DH and DJ.
Submitted by
North
a Weekend Warrior
from QLD Australia
Date Reviewed: July 27, 2011
Strengths: Great overall product and even better for the price. Climbs hills well and can be thrown downhill. The suspension set up is great and give alot of confidence going down any terrain. Solid ride with half decent components that are eaisly upgradeable.
Weaknesses: Rear suspension needed more air than the shop suggested. Other than that nothing Recent service indicated everything was still working perfectly and tight.
Bottom Line:
Great overall bike and it couldnt be beaten for the price. Specialized Pitch was the next closest and was still running an older suspension set up. I am able to keep up climbing hills with my XC mates and with the 5" travel it can be thrown into any corner or terrain with no worries at all. Couldnt be any more happier with my purchase. Even happier after seeing the Reign 2012 colour range.
Bike Setup: NS bikes pedals and NS Bikes shorter headset stem.
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Submitted by
fordolet
a Weekend Warrior
from Anchorage, AK
Date Reviewed: July 25, 2011
Strengths: The bike is light, it weighed in right at 31lbs (medium size) with some pedals that aren't the lightest. It shifts well no matter how much tension is on the line. The brakes seem to work well, but the front did get hot quicker than I would have expected. They are plenty powerful. I was worried about them being lower end but they worked out just fine. The front shock works well. I didnt need to lock it out as the bike climbs so well without doing so. I was able to stay on my seat and pedal across some larger tree roots and decent sized rocks. It climbs as good as my NRS if not better with the better suspension.
Weaknesses: The rear shock. It is much too soft in the midrange area. I adjusted the air pressure in the shock 5 times or so to get it right where I wanted it. I weigh about 195 and have to have 230 PSI in the shock to get the sag right. I have to leave it in pro pedal mode the whole time or I blow through it quickly.
Bottom Line:
This bike can definitely handle XC stuff as well as good downs. I was a little disappointed in some of the components, but to my surprise they all work well together. The seat post will have to be cut down to work on the downhill. I would say if you have to have the nicest bike on the trail just to have it, look towards the Reign 1 or 0, but if you need a well functioning bike to actually ride, this is it.
Bike Setup: The bike is all stock with some terrible Giant Platform pedals.
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Submitted by
Northstar5600
a Cross Country Rider
from Park City Utah
Date Reviewed: July 19, 2011
Strengths: Super solid feel like most Giant MTBs -Fox and Miastro perfect combo-Bought the 2 with the intent to upgrade comps because the 2 in white was a great looking bike-I havent found the need to yet it has felt as good as any upgraded 3k to 4k bike I have owned and I have beat the crap out of it and its still as tight as the day I bought it.
Weaknesses: A a some what cramped lay out for flat land to the trail miles -a bar riser and seat adjustment solved that
Bottom Line:
Climbs with ease and downhills with the best what else can you ask for ?
Similar Products Used: Stump Jumper -Camber pro -Prophet
Bike Setup: Large stock with rizer
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Submitted by
nemesisnight
a Weekend Warrior
from Gilbert, Az
Date Reviewed: June 27, 2011
Strengths: Great value, good build quality, fairly light, Maestro suspension is amazing, nice set of components with all Fox
Weaknesses: Honestly this bike is good to go stock and I have nothing bad to say about it. If someone wants better components they can be upgraded as u please but stock works great, the frame and suspension is very solid.
Bottom Line:
Great all around bike!!! I couldn't be more pleased with my purchase and the price I payed for it can't be beat.Very plush downhill but I can still hang with my XC friends and am able to climb quite well so overall its a great all mountain bike with everything I was looking for. I am very suprised how light my bike is as well for a Large frame 6" travel bike it weighs in only just over 30 pounds
Similar Products Used: First all mountain bike ive bought, owned a specialized P bike before this.
Bike Setup: 2011 Giant Reign 2, I added a KS supernova 150mm seat dropper post, Time x roc s pedals, won some Magura MT8 brakes ill be putting on soon, stans tubeless conversion, other than that stock
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Submitted by
titaniumpopo
a Weekend Warrior
from temecula california
Date Reviewed: June 23, 2011
Strengths: For 2011 reign 2.....strong aluuxx sl frame, Good components, fox brand suspensions is what i also dig about this bike for the right price. The Maestro pivot is the main reason why you have to get a giant brand. the agressive look and performance of this all mountain style bike wont let you down. I was getting a lot of compliments at the trail...even gary fisher owns a reign 2!
Weaknesses: If you think this bike have weaknesses then get the next level up...for its price i dont see any negatives
Submitted by
Warlok1
a Cross Country Rider
from Invermere, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: April 9, 2011
Strengths: This is for the 2011 model. Just picked it up, hot from the factory.
Strengths: Strong, but light. As far as I can tell this thing defies the laws of physics... Nothing this light should be this strong, and nothing this strong should be this light :) Perfect geometry, tracks perfectly. This thing is point and shoot. You want it to go somewhere and it goes there, no complaining, no slop, razor sharp handling. And the suspension... beautiful, plush, solid. Good build kit for the money. I did a lot of research before I bought and this thing has a better build kit than anything I could find in it's price range.
Weaknesses: A bike like this should come with a bash guard setup, in my opinion. I bought a small and it has a place for a water bottle cage, but a bottle would never actually fit there (not really a complaint, more something that I found funny. I'd rather have a frame engineered strong than have a weak spot just so I can have a water bottle handy). No real complaints.
Bottom Line:
Get this bike. You won't be disappointed. This bike climbs like crazy without the pro pedal, then you turn the pro pedal on and it screams up the climbs. Then you get to the top, it's time to go down and this this thing rails on the descent. This bike is a cross country bike on the climbs and turns into a freeride bike as soon as you point it downhill.
If you are a cross country rider looking to get into all mountain riding get this bike. If you are newer to the sport and you're looking to up your game get this bike. If you are just getting into mountain biking and you're looking for a bike that can grow with you get this bike.
Bottom Line: If you are any person looking at buying a mountain bike (as long as you don't need a cross country race bike, or a pure downhill 7" plus travel bike), and you can come up with $2,200, or so, then get this bike. It's worth every penny and it feels like it's worth way more. If you're looking to spend more, then I'd check out the Reign 1, or Reign 0. I bet they rock.
Similar Products Used: Cannondale Gemini, Specialized Hqardrock Pro Comp Disc.
Bike Setup: Stock it was pretty much perfect. The only things I added to it were white Deity Decoy pedals, ODI Rogue lock on grips (personal preference, I used to ride motocross and I like the meaty grips) and I changed out the big ring for a Race Face bash guard. Oh, and I had some red hockey tape that I used to make a chainstay protector.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
James06
a Weekend Warrior
from France, Riviera
Date Reviewed: April 6, 2011
Strengths: I have model 2010. Great all mountain bike, light enough.
Good tires (nevegal), Good derailleurs and shifters (sram X7).
Not too expensive for the quality.
Weaknesses: Crap, absolute crap rear hub from formula. Cassette holder/freewheel had a 1/2 mm rotating play on from factory. Can't even find repair pieces. WTB laser disks + formula (rear) and giant (front) hubs make for a "gummy-eat-your-power" feeling. Did not even bother with guaranty, this is crap, would be replaced by crap !.
Original rims and wheels are a bit weak to my taste, and they got out of true rather quickly, which is not the case from the current (overbuilt) set.
Race Face bottom bracket joints dead after 6 months (disappeared in friction).
Avid juicy 3 are not bad, not great either.
Comes mounted in 2.35 Nevegals with 1.9 air chambers. That's where manufacturers keep their announced weight low, multiple punctures and snake bites guaranteed at first ride :-)
Bottom Line:
This bike is stable.
I am 1m 80, and use a L model. Beware of vendors, for some reason, I have noticed they advise you to take models one size under, which will make nice wheelies uphill at the first step :-) Don't understand the reason behind it but it it is about biking straighter, this is changed from stem and handle bar, not the bike size ! Must be that enduro mode, they all choose M when they measure L...
Conditions here are anything, from wet to dry, flat to terribly steep, packed , loose, small to huge sharp boulder or smooth pavement and roots. Can do all of that in the same 2h ride in mid season. The Kenda Nevegals are a big part of the success of this bike, front in stickE and back in DualC, good enough everywhere, bad nowhere.
It is a good climber, very stable on trails and downhill. It can still climb some quite steep stuff, and I have been able to upclimb some expensive XC lefty canondales and other carbon specialized, with some good people on top. Yet it is difficult to catch with downhill with my current setup.
Quite happy on muddy, dry, rocky, flat or awfully bouncy trails. It goes where you want it to go, safely and surely. Largely enough suspension for going fast everywhere without loosing too much uphill with 150 mm front and back.
30% rear SAG and 27% front SAG is good for me, and maestro suspension is so good that I only set the propedal in tough hyperbolic or very long uphils. But then, right I do not race, just enjoy.
This bike plays good with much more expensive bikes, whether they are enduro or XC, it can compete for half the price and eventually a few adaptations. The one adaptation that allows it to close up on other top bikes from other categories is the telescopic seat post and the good quality wheels+hubs+nevegals I now have. (which as I paid the bike 400-500$ less than steet price brings me to street price).
Components are not that bad, yet not that great, and can eventually be upgraded as they die or fail, like all components, even the most expensive will eventually do.
Yet I admit that I have had crap bottom brackets and crap hubs lasting and performing better in similar conditions...
Once these are fixed, the bike is GREAT.
The 2011 Version has gone shimano for the rear hub and transmission + pedals, as well as brakes, so it shall be better to start with. At least some tries on a friend's 2011 show the bike is as responsive as mine. Will see if it lasts better ( and also 200 euro more expensive, even after my upgrades :-) )
Similar Products Used: 120 mm full suspension, Rockrider 9.1
Bike Setup: Nukeproof wheels with XT casette and G3 disks rotors with nevegals mounted getho tubeless, fantastic wheels, rock solid, and light.
KindShock 950 telescopic seat post.
Heim 3rs chain guide.
Time Z strong pedals are much better to the legs than overrated shimanos SPD.
Larger and ligther 1" higher handle bar.
WTB pure V seat, much better than the ass-breaking fizik (I like my shorts un-padded and my genitals at normal temperature ) :-)
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
dthomp325
a Cross Country Rider
from Tucson, AZ
Date Reviewed: April 3, 2011
Strengths: Suspension, weight, price (significantly cheaper than similar quality alternatives such as Trek Remedy and Specialized Enduro)
Weaknesses: Tires, saddle
Bottom Line:
This bike is light (29.5 lbs w/ pedals and adjustable seatpost), and the Maestro suspension is the best out there. I also have a Giant Anthem, and the suspension setup of both bikes is easier than any other bike I've ridden. Just set sag to 25%, and everything works great: full travel and little bob.
The suspension is the best part about this bike. It's fully active and plush, without any harshness at either end of it's travel range. The suspension really shines on slow, steep, ledgey, technical lines. I've already been able to ride 2 new lines that I could never get on my old bike. You can be hard on the brakes, moving at a snails pace, and the Reign's suspension still sucks everything up, it's actually quite an amazing feeling coming from a single pivot that essentially locked up under hard braking.
Climbing is good, but it will bob a bit when you're out of the saddle if pro-pedal is turned off (unlike the Anthem, which doesn't bob at all, even with pro-pedal off). I switch the pro-pedal on for rolling trails, road climbs, and easy XC climbs. I leave the pro-pedal off for steep technical climbing, because the more active suspension is more of a benefit than the reduced bobbing. The 2011 shock has a 'boost-valve' feature which decreases the harsh 'platform' feel of older pro-pedal shocks, enabling you to leave pro-pedal switched on for rolling terrain.
The geometry of this bike was another selling point for me. The 67.5 degree head angle is great for trail riding. I don't even need all 6" of travel, but I MUCH prefer the Reign's geometry over the Trance. If Giant made a shorter travel Trance-like bike with the Reign geometry, I would have bought that instead. Some people claim that slack angles hurt climbing, but I think the people who say that are probably XC racers riding up fireroads. I prefer the Reign over my Anthem for steep, technical climbing.
If you ride rocky trails, you'll probably shred the Kenda Nevegals within your first couple rides, so I wouldn't even bother with them. Change them out before riding. As another reviewer noted, you will shred XC tires and destroy XC rims if you push this bike to it's limit. I'm already disappointed in the Stan's Flow rims I bought for this bike. I don't think they'll last more than a season. When they die, I'm probably going to go back to the heavier Mavic Crosslines if I can find a QR15 adapter. I currently use lightweight 2.35" XC tires like Panaracer Rampages, or Continental Vertical Pros because I use this bike on rides with 3,000-5,000 feet of climbing, but if you use all 6" of suspension on the way back down, you will be buying new tires every month. I really should upgrade to 2-ply freeride tires, but they're so damn heavy...
The other thing I would swap out is the stock saddle. It has a great shape, but almost no padding. I went back to my beat-up but comfortable Fizik Nissene after several rides.
One last thing: those hydroformed tubes look freaking amazing. That's some freaky alien technology used to build this bike.
Submitted by
HowMaybesGo
a Downhiller
from Blue Springs
Date Reviewed: October 19, 2010
Strengths: geometry and seating position, components, suspension
Weaknesses: seat is a little narrow and it didnt come with nice bar ends
Bottom Line:
The bike is my first full suspension and i love it. i use it to ride up and rip down. the thing actually climbs fairly well and when you open up the rear shock to descend the bike comes to life. its like a whole other monster. sucks down and shoots through turns while gliding over rocks and roots with ease. before this bike i said i would never spend $2000 on a bicycle....... now i cant find one reason why i shouldn't have purchased it. worth every penny :)
Submitted by
hector b.
a Weekend Warrior
from plantation, florida
Date Reviewed: July 23, 2010
Strengths: suspension, gears, tires and specially brakes
Weaknesses: non so far except that I prefer narrower handlebars so I had to trim them down.
Bottom Line:
after I got a grip of mountain biking two times a week I decided to go from my Giant Rincon to my Giant Reign 2 and the ride is perfect, this is a great bike, very reliable and responsive. It was money well spent!
Just bought the new tapered Lyrik RC2L 2-step for my 06' Reign 2, any suggestions on how to set it up for a 200lbs guy? Im also getting the cane creek 1.5" conversion so i can mak Read More »
Hi,
Just wondering if I should get the 2011 model or get a 2012 model of the reign x.
main difference
2011 vs 2012
Overdrive 1 vs Overdride 2
Fox Van R vs Rockshox Kage R
Read More »
Good Evening,
I currently own a bad hardtail bike, which is in very bad condition because of too much " Hardcore" use.:P
I want a light bike, Which dose it all, when i ride, Read More »
Hi, I'm new to MTB and am looking to buy my first bike! I've narrowed down my choices between the '12 Trek Fuel EX 7 and the '12 Giant Reign 2.
I will mostly do some trails, a Read More »
