LUKE’S GIANT REIGN ADVANCED PRO 2 £4,699
Is the Reign too much to handle for tech writer Luke?
It’s bloody brilliant having a speedy bike – something that irons out the trail like a steamroller but changes direction like a rally car. That is, however, until mountain biking bites back. Now, I’m the not-so-proud owner of the quintessential mountain bike injury – a broken collarbone. Of course, this wasn’t the Giant’s fault, but purely down to rider error. And, naturally, it’s happened just as the trails are slowly drying out and the Reign has established itself as one of my favourite enduro bikes I’ve ever ridden.
So, what’s made the Giant so good, and a bike that I’m keen to return to ASAP? Well, I’ve made a few changes recently to keep pushing its capabilities. In the past, I’ve found Giant’s alloy AM 29 wheels to be a little soft and damage-prone, so I’ve replaced them with the carbon fibre Reynolds Blacklabel 329 Trail Pros we tested for the grouptest in MBUK 430.
These are light but tough, with a reactive feel, making them ideal
