TESTED: Giant Reign SX

Words: Ben Morrison                                                                                  Photos: Nick Waygood

Compared to the standard Reign product line, the Reign SX is different in several ways. One of these is the amount of suspension travel going from a 170mm travel fork to 180mm travel fork, bumping the front out with a slightly slacker head angle from 64.5 degrees to 64.0 degrees. It has also increased the trail on the fork from 120mm to 123mm which will offer you a little more control and grip at speed.

The rear end keeps 160mm travel but you lose the remote lockout found on other Reign models which is a bit of a nod to the Reign SX being more about going down than going up. Giant also shifts away from a carbon frame with a full ALUXX SL alloy frame for the Reign SX coming in at a shade over 16kg including pedals for the complete bike in a medium size.

This increased travel and slacker head angle mixed with no lockout on the DVO Jade coil rear shock have made a very noticeable difference to how the Reign SX climbs. While the other versions for the Reign are not mountain goats on the climbs, they do have the lockout option. This means the Reign SX is focused squarely at those who love to shuttle and ride bike parks.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The Reign SX really does is tick the value box. Giant have always made bikes that are value for money but with the increase of European direct to consumer brands like Canyon, Commencal and YT, Giant have started to kick it up a gear with bikes like the Reign SX. It almost harps back to that great value Giant had with its down hill bikes in the mid-2000ss where you were getting a complete bike with top of the line suspension for not much more than what some competitors were charging for a frame kit.

This is great for a number of reasons, one being you can actually jump on one at your local bike shop and chat to someone while you are doing it. You will want to want to do this, as the Reign SX tends to be longer than the normal Reign. To put some numbers to that claim our medium Reign SX’s top tube measured close to a large Rocky Mountain Altitude and is longer than a large Specialized Stumpjumper. The Reign SX really is built for speed, and the extra length helps with stability.

Sticking on the value train, Giant have gone with an alloy frame, this most likely to keep costs down and keep people less stressed about damage in the result of a crash into a big pile of rocks. There is 100% nothing wrong with alloy bikes. The extra added value and performance from brands like Giant and alloy only brands like Commencal are able to get out of new technology and manufacturing techniques using alloy is brilliant for all of us.

Now we get to the part you all what to know about and is likely one of the reasons you are even looking at the Reign SX! DVO suspension on a bike for $4499.00 and it’s not entry level DVO even if that was such a thing. DVO is a brand for people who know what they want and are very happy to pay what it costs. It is generally more than big hitters like RockShox and Fox who are charging for a product in the same category.

Giant moved over to DVO for its World Cup Down Hill and Enduro Teams 2 years ago and as a result DVO have had some great time testing with these teams and developed custom tunes to suit a few models in the Giant range. Being a premium brand you expect lots from what you pay for and perhaps a little more when it comes to DVO.

The Reign SX comes with a DVO Onyx SC (single crown) suspension fork. It’s essentially a single crown version of their DH fork. It’s got both high and low-speed compression adjustments and their OTT adjustment feature. OTT stands for Off The Top and controls stiffness in the first part of the suspension stroke. This is that butter smooth and soft first inch of travel you feel when pushing down on your mate’s new fork. You will also find a host of other adjustments to help you get the ride you are after.

When it comes to the rear end there’s a DVO Jade Coil rear shock out the back. The shock has features like a bladder style internal design that helps eliminate cavitation, something some air and lower end coil shocks suffer from. This means the shock will retain its performance on long descents. You can also adjust low and high speed compression damping but take note of your adjustments as all of this freedom to change things can result in some really bad setup if you don’t know what you are doing. But with experience and patience you can tune the feel of the shock at the start and end of the shock’s stroke just the way you want it. Again the use of a Shock Wiz on a high-tech shock like this can save you lots of time and knob fiddling.

ON THE TRAIL

The build on the Reign SX is deisgned to very obviously lean in the direction of one of its strengths, that is being really fast and composed on rocky trails where the fastest line is straight over or through everything! This being said the Reign SX is very predictable in the air when given the chance and can hold a line very well while keeping the nimble ability to change lines at a drop of a hat, due to its 27.5” wheels.

The Reign SX is a bike that is becoming more and more relevant with outstanding bike parks like Maydena Mountain Bike Park popping up and many other parks such as Stromlo, Red Hill, Mystic, Old Hidden Vale, Falls Creek and Green Valleys offering uplift services. And don’t forget Thredbo where the lifts run all summer!

Something of note with a fork like the DVO Onyx with all of its adjustments, it is worth grabbing Quarq ShockWiz for a day as you will actually be able to make use of all of the  suggestions when it comes to set up, unlike other forks with limited adjustments.

While the Reign SX did allow us to bomb runs and launch gaps, it wasn’t a trouble-free ride at the front of the bike. When riding in Thredbo, we found that the OTT adjustment would actually back itself off a few turns after a few runs on both the Flow and DH tracks. This is something we were unable to fix and something Giant Australia said a trip to NSDynamics (who looks after DVO in Australia) recommends. There’s no other instances of this according to Giant so we assume this is a once off, and something the bike went to have sorted out post test. Otherwise, DVO’s Onyx fork offered excellent grip and confidence at speed once we had the fork dialled in.

The back end was rarely thought about once the DVO Jade Coil was set up. This shock is a great little bit of kit which is a super smooth offering with outstanding small bump compliance – exactly what you want for a bike destined for bike parks and trails with high traffic and braking bumps. We would have liked to have tried a few heavier spring rates to see if we could get more performance and keep the suppleness of the Jade. At times it does feel a bit under sprung and it is hard to tell if this is a just a smooth shock or a soft spring as the bottom out was never very harsh.

Over the rest of the build the notable features were Giant’s Contact dropper which is a big improvement on previous versions. You also get a well specced set of Maxxis 3C Minion tyres which are already set up tubeless with only the need to add the supplied sealant. Giant have done this on their mountain bikes for a couple of years now and it’s a great step – who runs tubes anyway?

It’s hard to pick the spec of the Reign SX apart when you look at the price and the suspension you are getting. But if we had to, it would be the SRAM NX group set, which in its own right performed with no issues, it is more the fact that being a very entry level group set it may not stand the test of time on a bike like the Reign SX which will see some rather hard and rough trails.

Gratefully the SRAM Code brakes come with with big rotors! Thank you, thank you, thank you Giant for adding some big brakes and rotors to the Reign SX. We say this time and time again that often it is the power of the brakes that make a great Enduro/trail bike a good one. As expected these brakes performed without issues and it is because of this we were really able to ride the Reign SX properly and get a real feel for what this bike can do, when you know you can reel it back in whenever you want after letting it loose.

OUR TAKE

Looking back on our time with the Reign SX it surprised us and was a really great, fun bike to ride (with a chairlift). If you’re after a solid all-mountain bike to chase the enduro scene and thrash after work – you are probably best suited to another bike in the Reign line up. But if you are more keen on getting bang for your buck for a bike that lives for the descents and you’re more into shuttling than earning your turns – the Reign SX has your name all over it.

By sticking with an alloy frame, Giant have been able to up spec the suspension to highly tuneable DVO units, and include the tyres and brakes to make sure you can squeeze every bit of performance out of the parts package that slides in at $4499. With the increasing amount of bike parks with uplift services, or even chair lifts, the Reign SX is likely to find a home in plenty of bike sheds around the country.
 
Brand: Giant Reign SX
RRP $4499.00
Weight: 16.4kg (as tested)
From: giant-bicycles.com/au
Available Sizes: S, M, L XL
 
Frame Material: ALUXX SL grade Aluminium
Fork: DVO Onyx SC, Boost, 180mm
Shock: DVO Jade Coil
Fork Type: DVO Onyx SC, OverDrive steerer, 15x110mm, 180mm travel
Shock Type: DVO Jade Coil, Trunnion mount 160mm travel
Shifters: SRAM NX Eagle
Derailleur: SRAM NX Eagle
Crank: Truvativ Descendant Eagle DUB 32t
Bottom Bracket: SRAM DUB Press Fit
Chain: SRAM NX Eagle
Cassette: SRAM PG 1230, 10-50
Hubs: Giant Performance 28H
Spokes: Stainless Steel 14G
Rims: Giant AM Tubeless 27.5”
Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF/DHR 2.5/2.4”
Brakes: SRAM Code R 200/180mm
Stem: Giant Contact SL
Handlebars: Giant Contact SL trail
Seatpost: Giant Contact
Saddle: Giant Contact neutral