2016 Giant Reign rear shock question

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This topic has 17 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 8 years ago by wrecker.

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2016 Giant Reign rear shock question
tom13
Free Member

Hi guys,

Looking to buy a Giant Reign 2 and the rear shock is a RockShox Monarch Debonair R. I was concerned about the shock not having any adjustment on though.

I never lock a shock out really but I like the trail setting they have usually, just to help assist with climbs and flatish bits of singletrack. Has anyone rode one of these and thought they needed it or is the maestro rear end that good that you can get away without it. Will be used for gravity riding but also long days in the saddle.

Any help much appreciated.

Tom

Posted 8 years ago

wrecker
Free Member

I have a Team, so I have all the bells and whistles. I use the pro pedal lever quite a lot if on a normal ride. Sorry.

Posted 8 years ago

tom13
Free Member

Good to know. I really need to demo one but they are in short supply at the moment.
Might have to try the bird out.

Posted 8 years ago

Fresh Goods Friday 700 - The censored edition

wrecker
Free Member

Get a Trance 2 and use the left over moneys to upgrade the fork (to a 150 or 160). I have both, trust me.

Posted 8 years ago

Tom_W1987
Free Member

I have one – It doesn’t lock out the shock but just firms it up massively. It is still totally ridable on tame singletrack when the pro pedal is flipped on.

You could always buy an ex-demo and put the shock on in that you want. The bike pedals pretty well in open though.

I would argue that the bike is great for gravity and enduro use, but for long days in the saddle, the 33 1/2 lb heft of the bike is a bit much. You will be upgrading to tubeless, 1×11 and lighter wheels pretty much off the bat if that is what you want to do.

The amount of grip from the rear is quite nuts though, considering the basic shock they specced it with. It’s got more rear grip than any other comparable bike that I’ve tried.

Posted 8 years ago

Hob-Nob
Free Member

I never rode one with the basic shock, but I have one, with a shock that has no lockout & never felt the need for it (even if Fox officially offer it as an optional upgrade now).

Then mine isn’t standard, so is a good 5+ lb lighter than the above posters, so it pedals well. It’s still a big going fast/race bike though.

Posted 8 years ago

Tom_W1987
Free Member

You knocked 5lbs of a Reign 2 Hob Nob or are you running a carbon one?

I’d love to know how you did that, the most I reckon I can get mine down to without going bat shit mental is 29lb. 29.5lb for much more reasonable money than the final 200 odd grams.

There comes a point when you may as well have gone out and bought a higher spec one, but I hate Rock Shox so I’m pretty happy I didn’t. Everything is going bar the frame. 😈

Posted 8 years ago

Hob-Nob
Free Member

Mine is the carbon frame, but everything else isn’t stock.

Posted 8 years ago

wrecker
Free Member

There’s only 200g difference between the carbon and the alu anyway!

Posted 8 years ago

Hob-Nob
Free Member

Yeah, I think although Giant stated that, officially it’s a bit more, I weighed my old alloy one & the carbon one & it was nearer double that. Which to be fair even still it a very light aluminium frame.

Posted 8 years ago

chakaping
Free Member

I had the 2015 Reign, which had the Monarch RT.

That had a switch to firm up the compression and it was handy on climbs, but by no means essential.

Very good for a “basic” shock, I thought. Supple in the initial part of travel and it had good support in the midstroke. Didn’t have quite the same ability to track the ground as a top-end twin-tube damper like a Cane Creek, but I didn’t have any complaints.

I did a review the other day, mostly focusing on the frame & shock…

Review: Giant Reign 2015

Posted 8 years ago

wrecker
Free Member

Have you managed to pick up a large Chaka, or are you looking for something else?

Posted 8 years ago

chakaping
Free Member

I’ve gone full Kona.

Posted 8 years ago

wrecker
Free Member

Fair play! How you getting on with it?

Posted 8 years ago

chakaping
Free Member

Only had one ride but it’s a great big heavy lump of fun.

I’m rapidly turning into a Kona fanboy, I love how their bikes ride and their approach to design.

Posted 8 years ago

SirHC
Full Member

I would argue that the bike is great for gravity and enduro use, but for long days in the saddle, the 33 1/2 lb heft of the bike is a bit much. You will be upgrading to tubeless, 1×11 and lighter wheels pretty much off the bat if that is what you want to do.

30lbs with the EX471’s on, with a lighter set of wheels/tyres can drop the weight to 29lbs.
As far as all day pedalling, typical rides at the weekend are 15-20miles and 4000ft of climbing, don’t miss the lack of lock out on the X2. The X2 is a massive improvement over the monarch which the bike originally came with, being able to adjust the high/low speed damping, rather than having to make do with with the fixed damping tune of the monarch. Shock is more supple, more traction and better mid stroke support. Is it any better than a Vivid, don’t know, haven’t tried it, but was advised by TF that the Fox is more reliable and spare parts more readily available, something which RS seems to struggle with.

Posted 8 years ago

chakaping
Free Member

Yeah mine was about 30lbs with XT 11sp, Crossmax XLs and a carbon bar.

It was OK for the big rides I did in the Lakes and Wales, but it is firmly an enduro bike rather than a long-travel trail bike IMO.

From the OP’s description of his riding it sounds like a good choice.

Posted 8 years ago

wrecker
Free Member

Crap photo but here are the girls!

Posted 8 years ago