Giant Reign 27.5 1 Review

Matty Graham
Dec 13, 2014
1 min read

When the chance came up to test ride the 2015 Giant Reign 27.5 1 I jumped at it. Being more of an endurance rider I am more use to a hard tail, so I was keen to see what sort of trouble I could get into with 6 inches of travel between my legs.

Below are some of my thoughts on the Reign

Climbing: Riding on the road to the trails I defiantly felt the grunty tyres, smaller wheels, heavier bike weight and suspension. However, it is probably not a fair comparison to make to the Giant XTC 1 29er that climbs more like a road bike than a mountain bike. This sluggishness disappeared once I hit the trails and it climbed really well and the SRAM 1x11 provided ample gear options.

Descending: With the remote dropper seat post and upwards of 6 inches of travel front and rear, the control on the downhills was second to none. While the test terrain was well within the limits of the bike I wanted to test the bike on familiar trails to get a good feel for it. I am hoping that I will be able to get out again on some bigger terrain that is more fitting for the bikes ability.

Overall: The Reign is a serious bike for serious riding. If you get one of these machines be prepared to have serious fun!