# Beef up Giant Reign for freeride/bike parks?



## Drewbis1 (Feb 9, 2013)

I recently ditched my 29er, and was swayed by the new Reign 1 for my type of riding. I normally ride technical trail/AM, but get stoked when I reach a fast downhill section. This bike seems to fit the bill with the majority of my riding, and seems to be pretty versatile.

The dilemma: One of our local ski resorts is going thru the final phases of approval to build a lift access bike park on Mount Hood. The trails are going to be designed by gravity logic, designers of Whistler. I know I will spend a lot of time up there.

The question: Is it worth it to beef up my Reign with a 34 or 36mm fork, and more capable shock, possibly a stronger wheelset? In total it would cost between $1500-$2K depending on brand, X-Fusion is where I'm leaning, Fox or RS would be more like $2K with wheelset. The conversion would then have to be made every time I was going to the bike park, or to Black Rock (freeride trails). Then switch back to Fox Talas, light wheels, and float shock for my normal trails.

Or is it more realistic to take that money and get a used dedicated DH bike and leave the Reign to the trails?

If you have any input, I'd appreciate it.


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## aedubber (Apr 17, 2011)

If you have access to a park like that and as you mentioned you will be there often TRUST me lol use that 2k for a used DH bike . Keep the Reign for your local riding and bust out the beast for your weekends at the bike park . It will be a lot more fun too .


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## finch6013 (Jul 9, 2011)

I live in the PDX metro area and ride a lot of the same trails you do most likely(black rock, sandy, cold creek, post canyon). I have a reign x that I built up with a fox 36, fox dhx rc4 coil, flow ex on hopes and all the other heavy duty free ride capable parts and it still rips our local single track all day but when things turn more DH/FR I still feel right at home. If that is the path you want to follow your standard reign could be capable, but I think you'd be better off either buying a used DH bike or selling your reign and take the profit plus your upgrade money and get a something more DH/FR oriented that can still pedal. Just to throw out a few that I would consider, Transision TR250, Canfield Bros One, Specialized status 1.


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## slimphatty (Sep 9, 2011)

You can buy yourself a badass DH bike for 2k. Save your reign for the trails.


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## Lopaka (Sep 7, 2006)

I have a Reign with a RC2 36 Van. It is an awesome front shock. With lighter wheels and lightweight high volume tires, I hit the scale just under 30 lbs. on a large frame. I have done lots of downhill rides on this bike including gravity parks and for 90% of the dh stuff it is great. I also have a Glory with the RC2 40. 90% of the time it is too much bike, but when facing that 10% that is so sketchy, so gnarly, so it has much more consequence, the Glory is like dh heaven.

I'll do the same trails on both bikes, but on the Glory I ride flat pedals, wear armor and a full face helmet and just shoot straight lines through whatever is there. On the Reign, I'm clipped in, might wear elbow and knee protection, a regular helmet and I watch my lines closer. Bottom line, I enjoy having both, and ride each differently.

I say keep the Reign and buy a dh bike as well.


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## nmfly (Sep 28, 2007)

I also have a Reign and a Glory - the Reign is good for what it was designed for, although it can be made "better" for lift served trails, these changes will detract from it's ability for your "normal" trails. No matter what you do to it, it's geometry will never be that of a dh specific rig.

Look for a deecent used dh bike - then enjoy both.


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## motochick (Jun 22, 2010)

Keep the Reign as your pedal bike, buy a dedicated park bike. I have a Reign and would not want to ride it at a park or on anything resembling a DH trail. $2k will get a very nice rig if you have some patience.


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## Drewbis1 (Feb 9, 2013)

Thanks for the replies. I agree, a second bike is the way to go. Even just for the time saving factor of not switching parts around everytime I head out to the trail.

Any recommendations in the $1.5K price range for used bikes? Not really looking for a very slack head angle DH bike, but something more freeride like, similar to the Spec. Status 1. 35-36mm stanctions, maybe 170-180mm travel.


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## motochick (Jun 22, 2010)

Turner Highline or Ellsworth Rogue are worth looking at....I would consider a headset slacker thingy for either if running a 180 SC. Both can be had for well under 2k.


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## ronnyg801 (Oct 4, 2008)

I bet if you looked around you could find a status for 1.5k. Locally there is a ventana quervo for like 1300 bones with a Boxxer WC (im in slc) if youre into it I can link you, pm me, no this is not my bike or a friends.


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## Hoban (Oct 14, 2012)

If you're going to want to swap back and forth...that'll be a pain in the ass. I ride Sandy, Blackrock, etc. on my 5.5 inch Santa Cruz. A beefy wheelset is all I wanted to have. Ride smooth, shouldn't be a problem depending on how smooth you rode.

If you REALLY plan to huck though, get a 7-8 inch bike and keep it a pedaler. Maybe a used Big Hit or Sunday?


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## schlockinz (Feb 6, 2009)

You should get this

Banshee Scream w/ Marzocchi Shiver + Avalanche - Pinkbike

Or start trolling your local internets and see what you can scrounge up.


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## CharacterZero (May 19, 2004)

Hey Drewbis - 
I went with the do-it-all bike for years, and I'm stronger for it. 

Pedaling around a 38+lb freeride bike on the local trails made me a stronger rider, and it was relatively quick & painless to throw on a different set of wheels/rubbers/stem/post when it came time to take a trip to the mountains (note - I only get a couple trips a year to DH/FR, not nearly the opportunity you have), I'd suggest going the separate bike route.

As a matter of fact, I was forced to move to a more appropriate trail bike this year, and I picked up a used Status to compliment it. In the end, it will not have cost me nearly as much as what you anticipate putting into wheels and stuff, and I get to keep a trialbike in great shape year round, and have a DH bike that if/when I break stuff on, won't keep me from riding when I get home. I've broken bits on AM bikes taking them DHing in the past...some can be trip-enders, some wont be, but my list includes headset cups, a shock, stripped crank pedal threads, etc....

FWIW, Trestle bike Park is selling their used fleet. I just grabbed a used Status from them, it needs a bit of service, but is overall in great shape. PM me for more info and the deal I worked out with them.


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## Drewbis1 (Feb 9, 2013)

Found a deal on a local Specialized Demo that seems decent...


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## Drewbis1 (Feb 9, 2013)

2005 med. Specialized Demo Nine 9


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## motochick (Jun 22, 2010)

Too old.


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## mykel (Jul 31, 2006)

Agree - too old.

If you look you can find things like this 2011 Intense 951 for 2K

2011 Intense 951 NEED GONE NOW! - Pinkbike

michael


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## chef7734 (May 4, 2011)

if you can come up with 2600.00 you could get a 2013 giant glory
2013 Giant Glory 2 brand new - Pinkbike


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## forty (Apr 22, 2010)

another vote to snag a fr/dh bike and keep the reign more am worthy
also from where that demo on cl is listed it appears i am local to you...
my gf got a new job and i am moving away to flatland soon and will be possibly selling my fr bike in a month, if a 09 sx trail interests you at all hit me up, right around that 2k pricepoint and its pretty well dialed for blackrock which is where i build/ride locally


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## BaeckerX1 (Oct 19, 2007)

I'll repeat what everyone else has said here for several reasons. 

You could do bike park on that bike, but it won't be quite as fun as a dedicated DH or FR rig. I've even done a couple days at Trestle with my Pivot Mach 5.7. It was interesting and different and made me a better trail rider, but I wouldn't hit any really hardcore stuff with it.

Bike parks are hard on bikes, especially trail bikes with lighter components. You shouldn't do serious off-roading with your daily driver, and I wouldn't do consistent downhill with your daily trail bike. It's just too much abuse to put the bike through on a regular basis and it's really not designed for it. You'll also be heartbroken if you break it and can't ride.

It's a pain in the ass to constantly change a bunch of parts out and it's so much nicer to be able to just grab a bike and go. There will be a day when you go out drinking the night before or forget to change your parts over and you'll want to go to the bike park early in the morning then be cursing trying to get everything switched over. Or maybe you won't change the parts back over after a downhill day and some friend will call you last minute for a long epic trail ride and you'll have to switch everything over again.

If you get 2 wheelsets you'll need to get 2 cassettes if you want to minimize the hassle with wheel changes. You'll be keeping the same chain on though, so you could get weird chain/cassette wear. The chain won't wear with each cassette consistently so you could eventually have a chain that skips cogs and grinds when trying to pedal hard. For an idea of what I'm talking about, put an old worn chain on a brand new cassette or vice versa.

Front derailleurs can suck at bike parks. Even with dual ring chain devices and lots of finnicking, my chain sometimes wants to skip off on the front or get jammed in the FD when I hit really bumpy trails where the chain is constantly bouncing (I haven't tried one of the new clutch rear derailleurs yet). A single ring with a secure chain device is so much nicer for anything that's not relatively smooth.


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