Seriously, None Of Us Should Ever Say I Can't....

For the last couple of days Mountain Bike Action Magazine has been posting pictures of a rider on their Facebook page and asking what was unusual about the image:

Can you see it?  No it's not the bike, or helmet, or wheels.  Try this one:

Got it now, he's only got one leg.  The best part is he rips.  His name is Patrick Male and he lost his leg to cancer as a kid, but it hasn't slowed him down.  Seriously none of us should ever say I can't....because he proves that if you have the drive then you can!  Here is a video I found of him riding, so Patrick if you ever see this post I would just like you to know that I think you are rad!!!!


Patrick at Carlmont from keithdasneak on Vimeo.

Giant Reign 1-The Review

Giant Reign 1

Since May I have been working at Two Wheels One Planet Bike shop in Costa Mesa, and one of the many benefits is that I can grab any of the demo bikes to ride whenever I want.  I have tried out several, but the Reign 2 has been my favorite.  It is lighter than my Marauder yet has the same amount of travel, it has a slacker head angle than the Marauder, but can out climb it and out descend it.  The bike looks great (it is the red one in the picture) and rides even better.

Here's the spec's:

Sizes	S, M, L, XL
Colors	Satin Blood Red/Orange/Black
Frame	ALUXX SL-Grade Aluminum, 6" Maestro Suspension
Fork	RockShox Revelation RL Dual Air w/ 15mm Thru-Axle and OverDrive Steerer, 150mm Travel
Shock	RockShox Monarch RT High Volume

COMPONENTS
Handlebar	Giant Connect SL, Low Rise 31.8
Stem	Giant Connect SL
Seatpost	Giant Contact Switch-R, 30.9
Saddle	Fi'zi:k Gobi XM w/ Manganese Rails
Pedals	N/A

DRIVETRAIN
Shifters	Shimano SLX, 3x10 Speed
Front Derailleur	Shimano SLX, Direct Mount
Rear Derailleur	Shimano SLX
Brakes	Avid Elixir 5, [F] 180mm, [R] 160mm
Brake Levers	Avid Elixir 5
Cassette	Shimano HG81 11x36, 10-Speed
Chain	Shimano HG-74
Crankset	Shimano SLX, 24/32/42
Bottom Bracket	Shimano Press Fit

WHEELS
Rims	DT Swiss E540
Hubs	[F] Giant Tracker Sealed/CNC w/ 15mm Axle, [R] Shimano Deore, 32h
Spokes	Stainless Steel, 14/15g
Tires	[F] Maxxis Minion DHF, [R] Maxxis High Roller, 26x2.35 Folding

SIZE	HEAD ANGLE	SEAT ANGLE	TOP TUBE	HEAD TUBE	CHAIN STAY	WHEEL BASE	STANDOVER HEIGHT
Inches	Degrees	Degrees	Inches	Inches	Inches	Inches	Inches
S	67.5	73.5	22.2	4.6	17.2	43.5	31.6
M	67.5	73.5	23.2	5	17.2	44.5	31.9
L	67.5	73.5	24.2	5.9	17.2	45.4	32
XL	67.5	72	25.2	7.5	17.2	46.4	32.6

The Review:

The first thing I notice is the frame.  In the shop this bikes stands out due to the red color scheme, most bikes   are black with some other color.  It comes with Giants Contact Switch remote dropper post, Shimano SLX 3x10 drive-train and Maxxis tires on DT Swiss wheels.  On the showroom floor this bike looks ready for action.  Showroom looks are one thing, but what really matters is how the bike works in the dirt, and this bike flies.  The slack head angle and Maestro suspension make descending a breeze and allow me to take on trails that I have always slowed down for at a much faster pace.  The 3x10 drive-train allows for a broader range of gears so you feel like you can always push a little harder on the flats.  The Reign makes you feel fast!

So some people may think that this is a bike built to descend, but despite the head angle it pedals up the hill admirably.  I tried it with the suspension locked out in front (the fork has a lockout, but not the rear shock) and in climb mode in the rear, and with everything open and found that I prefer to climb with the front locked and the rear open.  Riding up hills like this I have been able to clean several hills that have given me trouble in the past.

The Maxxis tires grab the trail with the tenacity of a wolverine, but still seem to release in all of the right places.  The performance that the tires have provided have given me a confidence boost in hard corners.  The Contact Switch seat post is another confidence inspiring feature.  I had not used a dropper post before this, but now I hate to ride without one!

Feelings, Nothing More Than Feelings:

While I love this bike and have tons of fun on it there are a few things I would change!

The first thing I would change is the stem.  Giant likes to put long stems on their bikes.  A shorter stem with wider bars (29.5-30") would make the cockpit perfect for me.

The second change I would make is the 3x10 drive-train.  I would like to see this as a 2x10 with a bash guard, I really don't use the big ring much.

The features that I loved,  there are a few.

The Contact Switch Seat post, I really can't say enough about the difference this made in my riding, all I can do is say to go demo a bike that has one and feel the difference and I can almost guarantee that you will walk away wanting one.

The Maxxis tires, especially the Minion DHF are awesome and will be going on any bike I have in the future.      They grip, but don't track, and they roll great!