Great review thanks! I also have that same bike, best value in the 2022 Giant lineup IMHO. I’m always interested to hear what others think of it too. At 65.99 yrs old I’m definitely not pushing this bike to its limits but just love it in every aspect of riding. Reign E+2 is my second e-mtb geometry (and value) is really what pushed me towards this model. Great videos, will watch for more. Cheers! 👍
Thank you Jeanmarc, I will be racing this bike next week so i'll have a fun video up about that and how I get on with it. We'll see how well the battery level goes under those conditions.🙂
Great review Gary, nice to see you speak your mind and be critical of any failings. That is what we want in a bike channel. A big fan of the Reign, bar changing the tyres (to Assagais) there is very little worthy of upgrade, and they are super value in the current market.
Thanks Don I have a new video coming up soon on the bike including the range test of the battery which includes the new 800wh battery that Giant have just released.
Hi folks, it was good to see a fellow E+2 rider review, especially in English and on gnarlier trails, not just 4wd tracks & fire roads. FYI - now had mine for 7mths after previously owning a Trance E+SX 0 which was mulletted (a very capable enduro setup), so had a good base for comparison. Found new bike to be supper solid over the roughs and confident on steeps, once contact points (tyres) and suspension fine tuned. I ride lots of steep gnarly (grade 5/6) trails on this. Have most recently dropped to the lower rear geo setting and fitted (to compensate) 150mm Mirada cranks, with no noticeable downsides to these being this short. I run CushCores front & back and fairly high rebound rates, to get this beast to pop better - Luv it! Hopefully I can afford a bigger battery one day
I'm going to see how the cranks are after this weekend at the race, it's pretty steep and rocky so if I'm going to hit them it will be then. I have just ordered the 800 battery and hopefully will be here before the weekend.
Like you said, you can set the brightness in the Giant RideControl app. Great vid btw. I have the E+1 and the bike rocks. Also, like you I had covid after 2.5 years of avoiding it, and given I'm 52, it knocked the snot out of me for a couple of weeks (although the main symptoms only lasted a few days). Hope you're back to normal now.
Thanks mate, yeah I'm the same age (52), I had it pretty bad and still feeling the effects, hopefully it will pass soon enough. Thanks for the feedback on the video, it's a great bit of kit, very impressed with it.
Maxxis - Max terra (faster rolling but harder compound) - You have the Max Grip which is much softer. On top the exo+ is a harder casing and would feel a bit harsher too than just a normal exo
Great review, agree, the surge in the A.I mode is a bit weird, and I think it uses a lot of battery. My 1st E bike, best toy I've ever bought. I use high geo setting, lots of rocks on my trails, no problems and head angle still plenty slack for full steep tracks.
Thanks I've just started using the high position more often and I must admit that I don't feel much difference in handling but definitely less pedal strikes, although saying that I did bend a pedal racing at the weekend (a brand new one 😭).
I wish you could do a nice video on how to use the power controls on frame and bar in detail and how to set up power and torque settings on the giant control app. it would be cool.
cool, I took my Reign for its first ride yesterday! very different than a regular bike! it my first ebike coming from a giant Trance x 29er.@@PedalhoundsTV
I have the same bike, I don't like the auto mode all that much on tech climbs. A little too punchy. It is an amazing bike and deal 6100 here in USA. Beast on downhills and bigger drops is so smooth. Enjoy!
The main reason I went for the +2 was the forks and shock. Having owned bikes with an X2 and Fox forks I swear I would never own those shocks again, I just can never get them to feel the way I liked, just too much adjustment. The zeb is fantastic, even in its basic form, the rear is nothing special but works very very well.
@@PedalhoundsTV interesting, because I’m a bit of a rockshox fan for the same reason , much quicker and easier to find the sweet spot . I’m wondering how this bike would go with a coil ?
I 100% agree I rode exclusively fox forks all my life, first time on my Reign which has a Zeb fork, so plush and buttery, i like it better than the fox 38 i had on my last bike@@PedalhoundsTV
@@david029014 they are great forks, however, don't be tempted by the upgrade kit for the damper, the 3.0 version with the buttercups, it's a bit harsh on the tuning side. The stock damper is much easier to live with unless you intend on racing it.
Thanks for the video and all the best to you. As a maintenance rookie what I would love to see for this exact model is how to change the chainring and would like to know if it is compatible with the eagle x-sync 2 chainring, if not, how to change the bottom bracket to fit that one in?
I'm not sure if the Sram chainring will fit but I will certainly check for you. The majority of manufacturers make crank arms for the yamaha motor, you would need to change those not the bb because the spline of the bb is part of the motor itself, it is isis type.
I love this bike a lot. Very reliable parts and a great paintjob. Got mine for 5700€ with discount. What I don’t like is the hole where the damper is connected. There is getting so much Little Rock’s and dirt in it’s hard to clean. There is no mudguard for the rear because of the construction. If you have an idea let me know.
I use a bit of motofoam in the cavity where the shock fits, keeps the dirt out but it does stay wet so moisture can have an adverse effect on the suspension bearings so not a great solution. I made a mudguard for my Mondraker Summum which has a very similar bar down the inside of the rear triangle, I'll have a look for the pictures, might help.
Hi, nice video, congratulations. did you have any problems with the bottle? does it hit the shock absorber? in the video you talk about a bottle of max 500ml? right? thank you!!!
H Robert, no the bottle does't hit the shock but the smaller bottle fits into the frame area with a sideload cage, a 600ml or 750ml won't go in because of the length , they hit the top tube toward the headtube side.
Also found I would regularly bounce off the Trance's motor guard, on this new bike, the chainring (36T) now is lowest point and occassionally takes a knock. To help mitigate this being made worse by my lower the rear with flip-chip, I've decided to wear the Retro look (+ red colour only about) and fitted a RaceFace (BCD fitting) chainring guard. Couldn't fit upper MRP chain (retention) guide, without a quick modification (could be neater), but some extra peace-of-mind?
Luckily I haven't hit the bottom yet but just incase I do I have an E13 lower bash guard fitted, (it goes up to 36t) should work a treat. Piece of mind is always good when you are flying down the trails 😊. I'm glad you like the video, I'll have an updated video after the weekend, two days of hard hammering should definitely give us a good idea on how the bike holds up.
This link shows my current setup with an expertly (yeah-right) MRP top chain guide. drive.google.com/file/d/1ALo7twtSpSdDhnA2JawRAcibP8k_be_Y/view?usp=sharing
@@alistairhall5993 yes my bad, the E13 is fitted to my Jekyll not my Reign, I was chatting with someone regarding the Jekyll and got mixed up with both. I can't open the link you have posted to see yours?
Hey how's it going. Personal the Reign E is way better than the Trek, it's more planted, corners better, better geometry, better seat position, in fact just about everything. I was never so disappointed in a bike as much as I was with the Rail, it never stopped creaking, it was twitchy and much more expensive. The Reign is a no brainer especially now they are reduced in price, absolutely love mine.
@@PedalhoundsTV thank you for you fast and honest response!! I can find the reign E1 and E2 with 750 battery at very good prices. Also I saw the problem with the water bottle on the trek rail. Do you know if is more space in the reign size medium?
Im in the same boat as you when it comes to sizing. I'm 177cm but longer inseam and i like a bike with a reach of about 475. You went with the medium? How tall/what inseam are you?
@@petergriffin4724 nope they come from factory with 125mm! Even in Germany. 150mm only when they have no other Option available for the moment but its pretty rare. I live in Germany and work as a Bikemechanic and owned a Reign E+0 MY22 and we sold pretty much Reigns so i know exactly that they come normally with 125mm in Medium
No nothing at all, I have a new video on the way addressing some of these problems people seem to be having. It will be uploaded soon, keep an eye out for it.
@@PedalhoundsTV Great, I watched a few videos of mostly similar riding to what ill do(no tech climbing) and decided to purchase! pickup the 2024 E+2 tomorrow!
@@PedalhoundsTV I think i am, If you watch my latest video from about 2:35 on you can hear it clearly, Obviously can hear it throughout the video. I've put up a short that shows some internal gearback lash that i've been told is apparently normal?? If you could compare would be great. The whole bike doesnt sound much different to a Bosch motor'd bike with its rattle... I've read some reviews who compare the noise with being the same as the bosch etc. The bike shop is 3.5 hrs away so Need to be sure of what it is or if its normal before taking it back
@@Ignitionmtb I hear that rattle yes, I do get some knocks now and then from motor kicking in when the pedals move forward and the motor trying to get engaged. I'll do a short for you later to compare
I'm 6 foot tall. I normally rode large bikes, my last bike a Giant trance X 29er, and always felt she was too big for me, never got comfortable on her. I recently picked up in the used market a giant reign E + 3 size medium, and she feels great! Better than my trance x 29er, Weird, I wonder why?
Great review thanks!
I also have that same bike, best value in the 2022 Giant lineup IMHO. I’m always interested to hear what others think of it too. At 65.99 yrs old I’m definitely not pushing this bike to its limits but just love it in every aspect of riding. Reign E+2 is my second e-mtb geometry (and value) is really what pushed me towards this model.
Great videos, will watch for more. Cheers! 👍
Thank you Jeanmarc, I will be racing this bike next week so i'll have a fun video up about that and how I get on with it. We'll see how well the battery level goes under those conditions.🙂
Great review video. Got my Giant E+0 on order, 1st eMTB, can't wait!
Thank you , you are gonna love it, takes a spin or two to get used to the weight difference but when you do it's a game changer.
Don't know how I missed this video but I'm glad I found it. Brilliant.
Thanks Paul, I have a few more videos coming up on the bike you might like 👍
@Pedalhounds TV
I will look forward to them. I've had a Pedalhounds morning, which I've thoroughly enjoyed, and got some great advice.
Thank you.
Great review Gary, nice to see you speak your mind and be critical of any failings. That is what we want in a bike channel.
A big fan of the Reign, bar changing the tyres (to Assagais) there is very little worthy of upgrade, and they are super value in the current market.
Thanks Don
I have a new video coming up soon on the bike including the range test of the battery which includes the new 800wh battery that Giant have just released.
Hi folks, it was good to see a fellow E+2 rider review, especially in English and on gnarlier trails, not just 4wd tracks & fire roads. FYI - now had mine for 7mths after previously owning a Trance E+SX 0 which was mulletted (a very capable enduro setup), so had a good base for comparison. Found new bike to be supper solid over the roughs and confident on steeps, once contact points (tyres) and suspension fine tuned. I ride lots of steep gnarly (grade 5/6) trails on this. Have most recently dropped to the lower rear geo setting and fitted (to compensate) 150mm Mirada cranks, with no noticeable downsides to these being this short. I run CushCores front & back and fairly high rebound rates, to get this beast to pop better - Luv it! Hopefully I can afford a bigger battery one day
I'm going to see how the cranks are after this weekend at the race, it's pretty steep and rocky so if I'm going to hit them it will be then.
I have just ordered the 800 battery and hopefully will be here before the weekend.
Hi Alistair
That guard looks perfect, great job
Top review SIR !
Thank you Ste
Good video mate, enjoyed it :)
Thanks Michael
Like you said, you can set the brightness in the Giant RideControl app. Great vid btw. I have the E+1 and the bike rocks. Also, like you I had covid after 2.5 years of avoiding it, and given I'm 52, it knocked the snot out of me for a couple of weeks (although the main symptoms only lasted a few days). Hope you're back to normal now.
Thanks mate, yeah I'm the same age (52), I had it pretty bad and still feeling the effects, hopefully it will pass soon enough.
Thanks for the feedback on the video, it's a great bit of kit, very impressed with it.
Maxxis - Max terra (faster rolling but harder compound) - You have the Max Grip which is much softer. On top the exo+ is a harder casing and would feel a bit harsher too than just a normal exo
Great review, agree, the surge in the A.I mode is a bit weird, and I think it uses a lot of battery. My 1st E bike, best toy I've ever bought. I use high geo setting, lots of rocks on my trails, no problems and head angle still plenty slack for full steep tracks.
Thanks
I've just started using the high position more often and I must admit that I don't feel much difference in handling but definitely less pedal strikes, although saying that I did bend a pedal racing at the weekend (a brand new one 😭).
@@PedalhoundsTV whoops !
I'm more into moors ect tyoe if riding but fancy this bike/ how well do you think it climbs? cheers
@@sandstau the climbs are great fun. you will defo search for them with a bike of this power. honest!
I wish you could do a nice video on how to use the power controls on frame and bar in detail and how to set up power and torque settings on the giant control app. it would be cool.
I'll see what I can do for you.
cool, I took my Reign for its first ride yesterday! very different than a regular bike! it my first ebike coming from a giant Trance x 29er.@@PedalhoundsTV
I have the same bike, I don't like the auto mode all that much on tech climbs. A little too punchy. It is an amazing bike and deal 6100 here in USA. Beast on downhills and bigger drops is so smooth. Enjoy!
I totally agree with you Kevin, the more I ride it the better it gets.
Thanks for watching 👍😊
Very interesting review. I’m thinking of getting the reign +1 but after seeing this I might need to review my plans.
The main reason I went for the +2 was the forks and shock.
Having owned bikes with an X2 and Fox forks I swear I would never own those shocks again, I just can never get them to feel the way I liked, just too much adjustment.
The zeb is fantastic, even in its basic form, the rear is nothing special but works very very well.
@@PedalhoundsTV interesting, because I’m a bit of a rockshox fan for the same reason , much quicker and easier to find the sweet spot .
I’m wondering how this bike would go with a coil ?
I 100% agree I rode exclusively fox forks all my life, first time on my Reign which has a Zeb fork, so plush and buttery, i like it better than the fox 38 i had on my last bike@@PedalhoundsTV
@@david029014 they are great forks, however, don't be tempted by the upgrade kit for the damper, the 3.0 version with the buttercups, it's a bit harsh on the tuning side.
The stock damper is much easier to live with unless you intend on racing it.
Thanks for the video and all the best to you. As a maintenance rookie what I would love to see for this exact model is how to change the chainring and would like to know if it is compatible with the eagle x-sync 2 chainring, if not, how to change the bottom bracket to fit that one in?
I'm not sure if the Sram chainring will fit but I will certainly check for you.
The majority of manufacturers make crank arms for the yamaha motor, you would need to change those not the bb because the spline of the bb is part of the motor itself, it is isis type.
I love this bike a lot. Very reliable parts and a great paintjob. Got mine for 5700€ with discount. What I don’t like is the hole where the damper is connected. There is getting so much Little Rock’s and dirt in it’s hard to clean. There is no mudguard for the rear because of the construction. If you have an idea let me know.
I use a bit of motofoam in the cavity where the shock fits, keeps the dirt out but it does stay wet so moisture can have an adverse effect on the suspension bearings so not a great solution.
I made a mudguard for my Mondraker Summum which has a very similar bar down the inside of the rear triangle, I'll have a look for the pictures, might help.
@@PedalhoundsTV thank you for the advice
Hi, nice video, congratulations.
did you have any problems with the bottle? does it hit the shock absorber? in the video you talk about a bottle of max 500ml? right?
thank you!!!
H Robert,
no the bottle does't hit the shock but the smaller bottle fits into the frame area with a sideload cage, a 600ml or 750ml won't go in because of the length , they hit the top tube toward the headtube side.
Also found I would regularly bounce off the Trance's motor guard, on this new bike, the chainring (36T) now is lowest point and occassionally takes a knock. To help mitigate this being made worse by my lower the rear with flip-chip, I've decided to wear the Retro look (+ red colour only about) and fitted a RaceFace (BCD fitting) chainring guard. Couldn't fit upper MRP chain (retention) guide, without a quick modification (could be neater), but some extra peace-of-mind?
Luckily I haven't hit the bottom yet but just incase I do I have an E13 lower bash guard fitted, (it goes up to 36t) should work a treat.
Piece of mind is always good when you are flying down the trails 😊.
I'm glad you like the video, I'll have an updated video after the weekend, two days of hard hammering should definitely give us a good idea on how the bike holds up.
@@PedalhoundsTV Pardon my ignorance with this component but how does that E13 guard fit - aren't they ISG fitment (which we don't have)?
This link shows my current setup with an expertly (yeah-right) MRP top chain guide. drive.google.com/file/d/1ALo7twtSpSdDhnA2JawRAcibP8k_be_Y/view?usp=sharing
@@alistairhall5993 yes my bad, the E13 is fitted to my Jekyll not my Reign, I was chatting with someone regarding the Jekyll and got mixed up with both.
I can't open the link you have posted to see yours?
they recently did a firmware update to giant connect app, I wonder what changed or improved?
I haven't updated mine yet, very little changes from previous updates.
I was wondering if you could tell me what kind of front fenders you have on this bike. I would like to have them.
Hi Thomas, they are RRP Pro-Guard, you can get 3 sizes in the front and 2 sizes for the rear.
@@PedalhoundsTV thank you
Hello, nice videos man!! Can you compare this bike with the Trek rail 9.8 2021 that you already rode? Cause I'm between of two. thank you
Hey how's it going.
Personal the Reign E is way better than the Trek, it's more planted, corners better, better geometry, better seat position, in fact just about everything.
I was never so disappointed in a bike as much as I was with the Rail, it never stopped creaking, it was twitchy and much more expensive.
The Reign is a no brainer especially now they are reduced in price, absolutely love mine.
@@PedalhoundsTV thank you for you fast and honest response!! I can find the reign E1 and E2 with 750 battery at very good prices. Also I saw the problem with the water bottle on the trek rail. Do you know if is more space in the reign size medium?
@@AntonisG. You can get a 550 ml bottle on the Reign with a side load bottle cage, it's not a big bottle but it's something.
Im in the same boat as you when it comes to sizing. I'm 177cm but longer inseam and i like a bike with a reach of about 475. You went with the medium? How tall/what inseam are you?
I'm 178 and 81 inseam, the medium is just perfect for me, very comfortable bike.
I tried the large not so many weeks ago and found it a struggle.
I'm 6 foot 31 Inch inseam and medium feels good, I also have trance x 29er in large that always felt big...
@@PedalhoundsTV I went with the medium, glad i did!
@@jmerodgers nice one, seriously fun bike 👍😊
I could fit 190mm of OneOp drop on the same medium frame... amazing! 😁😁
I think 170mm is enough for me 😝
For me the 210mm fits perfect 👌
You upgraded directly to 150mm dropper? Because from Factory the medium comes with 125mm
No mine came with a 150mm from Giant
@@PedalhoundsTV then you are lucky, 150mm comes only with large frames.
@@mpvabi95 not here in Ireland, it comes with 150mm
www.giant-bicycles.com/ie/reign-eplus-2/axapta
In Germany they have 150mm too
@@petergriffin4724 nope they come from factory with 125mm! Even in Germany. 150mm only when they have no other Option available for the moment but its pretty rare. I live in Germany and work as a Bikemechanic and owned a Reign E+0 MY22 and we sold pretty much Reigns so i know exactly that they come normally with 125mm in Medium
no real issues with cranks hitting?
No nothing at all, I have a new video on the way addressing some of these problems people seem to be having.
It will be uploaded soon, keep an eye out for it.
@@PedalhoundsTV Great, I watched a few videos of mostly similar riding to what ill do(no tech climbing) and decided to purchase! pickup the 2024 E+2 tomorrow!
Do you get a little motor or battery rattle?
No nothing at all, are you having troubles?
@@PedalhoundsTV I think i am, If you watch my latest video from about 2:35 on you can hear it clearly, Obviously can hear it throughout the video.
I've put up a short that shows some internal gearback lash that i've been told is apparently normal??
If you could compare would be great.
The whole bike doesnt sound much different to a Bosch motor'd bike with its rattle... I've read some reviews who compare the noise with being the same as the bosch etc.
The bike shop is 3.5 hrs away so Need to be sure of what it is or if its normal before taking it back
@@Ignitionmtb is the chainring loose or is that motion blur from the camera?
@@Ignitionmtb I hear that rattle yes, I do get some knocks now and then from motor kicking in when the pedals move forward and the motor trying to get engaged.
I'll do a short for you later to compare
@@PedalhoundsTV chainring is tight.. think its motion blur causing that.
How tall are you?
Hi
I'm 5ft 9in 😊
@@user-nn4wj8gk9s I think you could ride both sizes but medium would definitely be more manoeuvrable in the tight stuff.
how tall are you?
I'm 5ft 9 David
I'm 6 foot tall. I normally rode large bikes, my last bike a Giant trance X 29er, and always felt she was too big for me, never got comfortable on her. I recently picked up in the used market a giant reign E + 3 size medium, and she feels great! Better than my trance x 29er, Weird, I wonder why?
@@david029014 these are a long bike with good reach, I have the Reign Advanced pro and that is a medium but also feels shorter.