Giant Reign goes big for 2023
More travel, more storage and a dual-crown Reign SX park bike
Photo by:
Sven Martin
Giant’s enduro and all-mountain Reign is back, bigger, burlier and more refined than ever before. There’s more travel, more storage, a mixed wheel option and more adjustments than previous versions.
The Reign has held a spot in Giant’s line since way back in 2005. In that time, it’s gone from 26″ to 27.5″ wheels and finally 29″. Throughout that long run, it’s mixed race pedigree with the all-round fun of a bigger bike. That all carries through to 2023. Especially, in the Trance Advanced Pro line, the race heritage.
Developed in B.C. and around the world, with McKay Vezina and fellow Giant Factory Off-Road Team racer Youn Deniaud, the new Reign already has a year of real-world experience under both athletes at the Enduro World Series. Deniaud already has a top on the bike, from Loudenvielle, France EWS round.
“We spent more than a year getting everything just right with the new Reign,” said Deniaud. “I got more and more comfortable with it throughout the season and had my best results later in the year. I think a lot of that has to do with the bike, which is really helping me push new limits.”
Here’s what’s new about the full 2023 Giant Reign line.
2023 Giant Reign: Alloy or Composite
Giant is rolling out five versions of the Reign, for of which will be available in Canada. The two Reign Advance Pro models feature a carbon fibre frame. Two more Reigns use an Aluxx alloy frame. Finally, the Reign SX takes a big step up, mixing the alloy frame with a dual-crown DH fork for a park bike option.
All models include more travel than previous versions, the option to run mixed-wheels, a storage compartment, a new three-position geometry adjustment chip and some minor frame changes.
More Travel
Giant continues to inch away from the “less is more” approach to suspension. First, the Trace line upped it’s travel. Now, the Reign bumps up 14-mm of rear-wheel travel from the previous version. That pushes the Reign into proper enduro territory, going from 146mm up to 160 mm of Maestro suspension, largely at the request of its EWS racers. Giant also uses a longer stroke shock (62.5mm compared to 60mm) for more sensitive and smoother action throughout the full range of the Reign’s travel. Up front, the Reign runs a 170mm fork.
To get that extra rear travel, Giant lengthens the Reign’s rear center length by 3mm. Chainstays are now between 445mm and 442mm (depending on flip chip position), adding more stability at speed.
Flip Chip geo adjust
More and more enduro and trail bikes are coming with some sort of geometry adjustment. Some are getting complicated, with all kinds of independently adjustable features. Giant keeps it simple with a three-position flip chip that changes head angle, BB height and seat angle together in a way that makes sense.
Technically, Giant’s flip chip system is two chips. One offers high and low options while a second chip gives a neutral, middle position. Together, the chip system lets you tune the Reign’s geometry for steeper or more low-angle riding. It also helps keep geometry more consistent when switching to a 27.5″ rear wheel. The system gives a head angle range from 63.5-degrees to 64.2, a 10mm range in BB height and a seat angle range of 78.3-79 degrees.
Mullet approved
For riders that really want to push the Reign’s capabilities, or just make the bike more fun instead of just fast, Giant includes the option to run a 27.5″ rear wheel. Unlike some bikes, the Reign can run a 27.5″ rear wheel in all three of the flip-chip settings.
In-frame storage arrives on the Reign for 2023. Photo: Austin White
Full downtube protection is also new. Photo: Austin White
Storage and frame details
Giant started including frame storage with the Trance Advanced Pro. Now the downtube compartment comes to the Reign for carbon fibre and, in a first for Giant, the alloy frame series.
The new frames include built-in full down tube frame protection to protect against rocks and debris. Giant claims this also makes the Reign quieter. Finally, updated cable ports improve looks and are more secure compared to the older design. All frames also fit a water bottle in the main triangle.
Reign SX hits the park
Like the Reign, the Reign SX takes a big step up for 2023. Giant turns the burlier version of its all-mountain racer into a full-on park bike. The Reign SX is built around a 190mm fork (which uses the same axle-to-crown as the 170mm single crown forks on the Reign, keeping geometry mostly consistent). It also uses a longer-stroke coil shock for 165-mm of rear wheel travel.
The Reign SX is designed to work with a 27.5″ rear wheel only. It also only works in the medium and high flip chip positions, likely due to the 5mm extra travel out back.
2023 Giant Reign: Canadian pricing and availability
Four models of the 2023 Giant Reign will be available in Canada. Both carbon fibre Reign Advanced Pro models head north of the border. The Reign 2 offers an alloy version of the 160/170mm travel bike while the longer-travel Reign SX is also ready for bike parks across the country.
The Reign Advanced Pro 1 uses Fox’ Performance Elite line, with a 170mm 38 fork and the Float X2 shock. Drivetrain is SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed while Shimano SLX brakes (with huge 220mm and 203mm rotors) slow the Reign down. The Advance Pro 1 rolls on TRX 2 carbon fiber wheels.
The Reign Advanced Pro 2 moves to RockShox suspension with a Zeb Select fork and Delux Select+ shock, a mix of Shimano SLX shifting and Deore brakes and Giant AM alloy wheels.
The alloy Reign 2 uses RockShox Yari RC fork, Deluxe Select + shock, and the same mix of SLX and Deore shifting and brakes (but with a Praxis Cadet crankset) and Giant AM alloy wheels as the Advanced Pro 2.
Finally, the Reign SX jumps up to a Fox 40 Performance 190mm fork, Fox SHX2 Performance Elite coil shock, Shimano Deore shifting and SRAM Code R brakes and a fixed, Giant Contact seat post.
All four bikes come in four sizes, from small to XL and are available through Giant and Giant retailers across Canada.
| Reign Advanced Pro 1 | $8,000 |
| Reign Advanced Pro 2 | $5,700 |
| Reign 2 | $4,300 |
| Reign SX | $4,900 |
