Today I called to order a frame for my friend. They had a 2005 21" reign 1 frame for $600. Wheel world had the reign 3 for $399, but would not do mail order like this company would. Talking to the salesman, he said the 21" would not be that far off from the 20". So with that info I placed the order and the frame was shipped out today. Looking at the geometry I see that the headtube is huge, it is an inch longer and therefore makes his old fork unusable. Now I am worried about this 21" frame size being too big. My buddy is approx 6' tall, weights approx 220 lbs and is an aggressive rider. He tried my 18" trance and it felt too cramped. The salesman I spoke to said the 2005 reign 21" frame would feel like a 20" trance. Please tell me this was not a big mistake? Bike will be used on tight single track and light freeride when the oportunity exists.
2005 Reign 20" or 21"
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well, I'm just over 6' and ride a 20" reign. Likely, he will feel the 21" is on the big side and a liitle too long. If any shops have a Reign in stock in size 21 he can see how it will fit, that way you will know if you should just immediately return it, and hopefully only lose out a few bucks on shipping.
What kind of a build do you have if you don't mind me asking (heavy - thin)? My buddy feels that the frame will be ok, so we are looking into getting a marzocchi all mountain 2 fork that can go from 130mm to 150mm. I called the company that the frame was ordered from and it was shipped out already, so it could not be cancelled. I asked them again about the size and I was told that other riders that are similar in size to my friend are seated way back in their saddles to fit the frame. They assure me that 21" will not be a problem. I really believe 20" is the right size for him, but it is all guess work when there are no local shops that have this bike in stock. All they say is we can order the bike for you, but that is no good if you want to tryy it out first for sizing.Jwiffle said:
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I'm 6 ft and ride a 20" as well. Its well big enough , I think a 21" would be too long for me , but I haven't actually sat on one. Bummer about the steerer being too short for that frame though. You could have at least built it and tried it out.
General rule of thumb seems to be:
< 6' = 18"
6' - 6'4" = 20"
> 6'4" = 21"
....but its still personal preference. I could have gotten by on an 18" but decided to shorten the cockpit of a 20" instead. I think us 6 footers are stuck in the middle of 18" and 20":madman:
General rule of thumb seems to be:
< 6' = 18"
6' - 6'4" = 20"
> 6'4" = 21"
....but its still personal preference. I could have gotten by on an 18" but decided to shorten the cockpit of a 20" instead. I think us 6 footers are stuck in the middle of 18" and 20":madman:
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Tall and lanky. I have fairly long legs, which means a shorter torso, I guess, which is why the 21 would feel too long for me. If he is planning to do much freeride or downhill on the bike, you will certainly end up shortening the cockpit-ie, shorter stem, non-setback seatpost. The all mountain would be a nice fork for the bike.
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Another data point: I'm 6' 2", inseam 35 3/4". I tried both the 20" and 21" and went with the 21. It's definitely a large bike. I also have a 20" Trance and it's noticeably longer, maybe a little less agile (even when I have the Revelation travel reduced to 100mm). Having said that, my times on rocky, rooty singletrack are the same on both, if not faster on the Reign. My reasoning was that I wanted it to be closer to the aggressive XC side than the freeride side. I noticed that I was close to maxing out the seatpost (to get the height and stretch I needed), which was pushing me further and further back over the rear wheel. I judged this would have significantly hurt its in-saddle climbing ability.
FWIW, I'd say your 6 ft friend may find it a bit big.
FWIW, I'd say your 6 ft friend may find it a bit big.
Thanks for the feedback!
I called Giant today and the guy I spoke to said he is approx 6' 1" and fits better on the 21" frame. He felt it would not be a huge disaster like I originally though it might become. My buddy was able to try an 18" reign today and it was way too cramped, so he knows that a 20" or 21" is the ticket. After all his comparisons between the stump jumper frame dimensions and the reigns, he believes the frame will be perfect for him. Lets hope so, otherwise someone will have a chance to get a new 21" 2005 reign frame for what I paid.
My buddy does preffer to freeride over xc, so I may be swapping my thompson 90mm x 5mm stem for his 100mm x 5mm stem and both of us can fit better on our bikes. My trance fit is pretty good, but the longer stem should help out.
I was able to get a marzocchi all mountain II eta 130mm/150mm fork for $365 with free shipping from http://www.downshiftcycles.com. This is for my buddys reign and I have a fox talas 130mm on my trance.
I called Giant today and the guy I spoke to said he is approx 6' 1" and fits better on the 21" frame. He felt it would not be a huge disaster like I originally though it might become. My buddy was able to try an 18" reign today and it was way too cramped, so he knows that a 20" or 21" is the ticket. After all his comparisons between the stump jumper frame dimensions and the reigns, he believes the frame will be perfect for him. Lets hope so, otherwise someone will have a chance to get a new 21" 2005 reign frame for what I paid.
My buddy does preffer to freeride over xc, so I may be swapping my thompson 90mm x 5mm stem for his 100mm x 5mm stem and both of us can fit better on our bikes. My trance fit is pretty good, but the longer stem should help out.
I was able to get a marzocchi all mountain II eta 130mm/150mm fork for $365 with free shipping from http://www.downshiftcycles.com. This is for my buddys reign and I have a fox talas 130mm on my trance.
If your buddy prefers freeride over xc, I think he might be better off with a 18" frame - in my opinion. A 21" frame would typically by for riders 6'3" and over.
At 6', like someone mentioned earlier, you would be right between 18" and 20". I'm saying 18" because he's leaning towards freeriding. My buddy is 6', and I'm 5'11", and we both ride 18" Reigns.
I've read many times that a 6' rider would normarly ride a frame with a top tube between 23" and 23.5". Some people like being stretched out while riding though, so it does come down to personal preference. Good Luck!
At 6', like someone mentioned earlier, you would be right between 18" and 20". I'm saying 18" because he's leaning towards freeriding. My buddy is 6', and I'm 5'11", and we both ride 18" Reigns.
I've read many times that a 6' rider would normarly ride a frame with a top tube between 23" and 23.5". Some people like being stretched out while riding though, so it does come down to personal preference. Good Luck!
Although it was a bit too late, he was able to try out an 18" reign today as mentioned in my last post. He could barely fit the 18" frame, felt very uncomfortable and cramped! That is why the 20" is a definate, but the 21" may also be ok. Only time will tell, like by next wed/thur when the frame should arrive.Jordan47 said:
The reign is to make for a more beefier trail bike to replace his fragile stump jumper. With this new bike he could go above and beyond xc, yet continue to ride xc trails as well. He has a kona stinky for when he wishes to freeride!
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I think you guys are on the right track with the stem as far as reach goes. When I got my 18" Reign, I felt like I had to stick my legs out further to reach for the pedals, like they were a couple inches too far forward. I swapped my lay back seat post for a straight seatpost and it feels awesome now. If your buddy feels at all uncomfortable with the frame being too big, I'd recommend getting a straight seatpost and see how it goes.
I'm the person that Mavrim is trying to describe. Let me try to shed some light on the situation here. I do have a large 16 inch frame for my Stinky. I like that bike slightly shorter when I freride for quick handling during Freeride and Downhill. My Stinky is WAAAAAY to heavy for general use weighing in at a Whopping 48 1/2 lbs it's not really trailworthy and it makes going up hill a chore. I don't really use this bike for just pedaling from point a to point b. What I'm looking for is a long travel trail bike that can handle some freeride stuff. Not looking to make it a dedicated freeride bike at all. More of an all mountain bike with long travel. I used to ride a 19 inch large 02 Stumpjumer and loved the long top tube while riding that rig. I kinda like being slightly streched out over the bike. Lets me really lean into the turns and "carve" the bike through most turns. I tried out the 18 inch reign and I hated it! It was way too short, it felt even shorter than my Stinky did! My knees were easily touching my elbows plus it felt like my body was straight up and down like my Stinky is. I'm about 6' foot and have a differnt style of riding when I use my XC/Trailride then I do when I freeride. Like I saud two differnt ways to ride each bike. Kinda very worried right now cause by the numbers from Giant the 20 inch is not too much differnt form the 18 inch. Even with Mavrim Trance with a Lay-back seatpost I still feel cramped in the cockpit on the bike too.
My only thinking is this, when I tried out a medium 18.5 nch NRS it was too short, most people traded up to a 20 inch Trance or Reign from there. If I rode an NRS before I would prefer a 20.5 inch NRS, wouldn't that put me in a 21 inch Reign? This is my thinking along this line, just hope it wasn't a mistake now cause trying to find a 20 inch Reign is gonna be tough.
My only thinking is this, when I tried out a medium 18.5 nch NRS it was too short, most people traded up to a 20 inch Trance or Reign from there. If I rode an NRS before I would prefer a 20.5 inch NRS, wouldn't that put me in a 21 inch Reign? This is my thinking along this line, just hope it wasn't a mistake now cause trying to find a 20 inch Reign is gonna be tough.
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Hey Cyfer , I can totally relate to your situation and I'd like to reassure you about the 20" Reign. I used to ride an 18" Stinky and it was perfect for my size (6ft) and the type of riding I used it for. I now ride a 20" Reign with 70mm stem and set back seat post with the seat all the way forward. In other words , the 20" is almost too big , but like you I tried an 18" and it was too short in the TT.
Like you , I like to be slighly stretched out for trail / XC riding. I think you'll find the 20" to be the right choice , and with enough scope to fine tune the cockpit length with stem and seatpost selection.
Like you , I like to be slighly stretched out for trail / XC riding. I think you'll find the 20" to be the right choice , and with enough scope to fine tune the cockpit length with stem and seatpost selection.
Well I'm gonna give it a shot I'm about 6ft 1in and have a 32 1/2 inch inseam plus a 27 inch arm reach too so I'm gonna give the 21 inch a try. When it came to the 18 inch I felt like one of those clowns that ride the little bikes around in the circus. Did not agree with me at all. When it came to a 18.5 inch NRS I felt the same way and would have prefered a 20.5 inch NRS too. I currently ride a 19 inch Stumpy that is on it's way out but that bike is built long in the cockpit too. Plus I use a 100mm stem on that bike comfortably too. I'll have to wait and see if the bike fits me right. Mavrim Trance that is an 18 inch with a layback seatpost still feels cramped too! So I'm guessing I like my regular bikes on the longer side of things. :madman:Pinky said:
After what seemed like a long week and a half wait, the reign frame finally arrived on friday! I built a rough version of the bike to get an idea of the size. Installed the fork, wheelset, stem / handlebars and seat. Frame felt pretty good for me, and I ride an 18" trance. So I installed the bb and crankset so that my buddy (cyfer) could check the fit. Perfect, it was just the right size! With that, I finished the build up this morning and we went out for a test ride. Sold, another Giant convert! I had a couple of unexpected snafus that had to be delt with to get the bike built. 1st problem was the headset, the fork was binding up when the topcap was tightened. After swapping the bearings from top to bottom I realized that the aluminum race was allowing the crown on the fork to rub and therefore bind. I had to take the steel race from the trance cheapie headset that I yanked and press that race on with a pvc pipe. Bingo, this race was a tad bit taller and allowed the fork to turn like butter (although not as nice as a chris king). Next snafu was the cable stops holders for the shifter cables. I sized the rear derailleur cable from the shifter to the frame, cut to length, only to find that there were no stops for the housing, they were through holes. This frame was meant to run a continuous shifter line from the shifters to the 1st cable stop on the rear triangle. Took a breather on that and this morning used shrink tubing on the avid flak jackets and made a continuous run from shifter to the 1st stop. One bike shop told my friend that the faith has cable guides like this, but they never heard of a reign with through hole cable holders? 3rd snafu was the fork. It was supposed to go from 130 to 150mm, but they sent the 130mm fixed fork. Last minute it was decided to use it since we waited so long for the frame. The marzocchi all mountain II at 130mm maximum travel was perfect for the bike. In hindsight, 150 would have been much for regular xc tail rideing. Since the bike is not designed to do freeriding it is a trade off he was able to live with. Last snafu was that the front hydraulic line was too short and had to be replaced with longer hose. Fortunately we bought hose for the rear, but that ended up fitting without being redone. What was shocking was to find that marzocchi had post mounts on this fork like manitou does. What the [email protected]#$??? Marzocchi's manual shows quite a few models with post mounts for 2006. Good thing my friend uses xt calipers that feature universal mounts, work with iso and post.
Last words I heard him say were "this is dementedly sick!". Converted, another new giant reign owner. Bike rode better than his stumpjumper with FSR linkage.
One problem that showed up during riding was with the granny gear and small cog combo. Chain was jumping off the ring and it was found to be too much chain. The chain was sized on the big ring and large cog and cut to allow 2 additional links plus the quick link. I recall having one less link on my trance due to a mistake when cutting the chain. So far I removed 2 links from his chain, but it still looks like there is a problem with the chain still being short. I'll have to look it over tomorrow, I was shot today and no mood this evening to try to fix it. I used a 118mm wide shimano bb to mount his hollowtech II octalink cranks. Do all reigns come with 68mm x 118mm bb's? My trance had a 118mm truvativ bb, so that is why I had to get the same size shimano bb for that build up. As far as I know, the chainline is identical on the trance and reign?
Last words I heard him say were "this is dementedly sick!". Converted, another new giant reign owner. Bike rode better than his stumpjumper with FSR linkage.
One problem that showed up during riding was with the granny gear and small cog combo. Chain was jumping off the ring and it was found to be too much chain. The chain was sized on the big ring and large cog and cut to allow 2 additional links plus the quick link. I recall having one less link on my trance due to a mistake when cutting the chain. So far I removed 2 links from his chain, but it still looks like there is a problem with the chain still being short. I'll have to look it over tomorrow, I was shot today and no mood this evening to try to fix it. I used a 118mm wide shimano bb to mount his hollowtech II octalink cranks. Do all reigns come with 68mm x 118mm bb's? My trance had a 118mm truvativ bb, so that is why I had to get the same size shimano bb for that build up. As far as I know, the chainline is identical on the trance and reign?
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You should avoid this combination, anyway. Not good for the drivetrain. you can find the same gearing using the middle ring and a cog in the middle. Also avoid big rng to big cog. Doesn't matter what length chain you use--long, short--it will always give you a problem in granny gear and small cog.mavrim said:
I hear ya! On the bike stand his chain appears to have so much slop to it and this is not evident on my trance. Perhaps with the reign having more travel it makes for a different chain tension? All I know is that I usually size up a chain by placing it over the large ring and large cog and then adding 2 additional links before cutting to size. Then I install it throught the rear derailleur and all is well. On my trance I made a mistake and went one link less than usual.Jwiffle said:
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