Product Reviews
Giant Reign X by Monk
This is a long term test - The Giant Reign X is one of THE most versatile bikes I have ever owned. I have been beating these bikes up for close to two years now.
I started off with a size large and built it up with a beefy mix of parts. It tipped the scales on the heavier side of the all- mountain spectrum but was still an able climber. I found it really excelles at technical climbing and is super easy to hop up onto boulders and ledges. I like to compare climbing a bike like this to rock climbing in a Jeep...the nearly 7 inches of rear travel is actually beneficial when the trail is technical. On fire road climbs and long burners the Maestro suspension hardly bobs a bit. When pointed downhill the suspension feels much like a full on downhill bike yet with a livier and "popier" feeling. The low bottom bracket helps this bike RAIL corners but you may have to adjust your riding style a bit as some people find they clip their pedals on obstacles more often.
After giving the size large a full on beating for over 6 months I opted to try out a smaller size and build it up more on the gravity side with DH wheels, 180mm Rock Shox Totem, single ring chainguide and some big ol wide bars. This bike shines as a dedicated "park" bike and with this setup I dream of riding it all day long in the WHistler Bike Park.
After floggin the piss out of it for 4 months like this I again switched up the build. This time I tried to get it as light as possible. I used an air rear shock, adjustable travel Fox Talas air fork, lightish wheels and tires ( 2.25 Racing Ralphs ) Salso Pro Moto Carbon bars, light cranks etc. This build put me right at aroun 31 pounds (14kilos) which some would call HEAVY but a bike with nearly 7 inches of travel this is light! It climbs really good in this light, all mountain configuration and loses NOTHING on the downhills.
Final thoughts - this bike gets better and better the lighter you can build it. With a lightweight, air shock setup it climbs like a goat and RAILS the downhills better than most DH bikes. It is not going to win any XC or endurance races but it will put a bigger smile on your face than any lycra wearin racer boy has ever had ;)
Peace and see ya out there
Monk
Similiar bikes the author has ridden:
Felt Compulsion - a tad lighter with a little less travel (150mm). Good climber, Equilink not as "small bump sensitive as Maestro though.
Felt Redemption - heavier with about the same amount of travel
BMC Supertrail - lighter, more expensive, not as beefy (only a short term test conducted thus far...may be the best bike on the planet though...furthur testing is needed to confirm)
Scott Ransom - nice, lightish, proprietary shock makes it not a good choice for me, blah blah carbon not wanted on a bigger bike
Crank Brothers Joplin height adjustable seatpost - TCF Crew
Probably on of the only items available GUARANTEED to make you faster. The ability to raise and lower your seat on the fly is almost cheating. Slam the seat for descending and then crank it back up for the climbs and never have to dismount.
The Crank Bros Joplin is one of the most time tested height adjusting seatposts available. We have been using different versions of this post for nearly two years. There were some mechanical problems with it when they were first released but those issues have been addressed and they seem to work flawlessly now. If you do happen to ever have a problem with yours though, you can rest assured TCF and Dirt Works, the distributor for Crank Bros in Australia, will take care of you in a speedy and courteus manner.
There are two different versions of this seatpost. One with a remote handlebar mounted switch to make the adjustment and the other with a little switch that is activated from under your seat. Most of my time has been spent on the one with the switch under the seat. You have to adjust your riding style a bit because there is a bit of planning that needs to be done in order to take one hand off the bar and adjust the height. It is a bit tricky but you get the hang of it pretty quick.
All in all, amazing product...one of the more innovative products out there. Right up there with the disc brake, suspension fork and Roncoe electric food dehydrator.
Peace and see ya out there
TCF Crew
