Giant Reign E +1 Review

The Reign E+1 is the most enduro focussed electric bike within the Giant lineup - with impressive specifications and numbers to back this up. There’s a massive 160mm of travel, a 29-inch front wheel and a 27.5-inch rear wheel. The geometry is slack and long, massively updated in 2021 - the motor and battery in this bike has been developed in conjunction with Yamaha to work with the Maestro suspension - there’s 85Nm of torque, as well as 250W of power - there’s also a 625Wh battery.

Suspension-wise, riders will be pleased to see the Float X2 performance forks and shock - and braking power is provided by Shimano’s impressive XT M8100 parts. The rest of the components and parts are made in-house by Giant, with the tyres being provided by Maxxis.

The frame is designed with strength in mind and uses Giant’s own ALUXX SL 6011 alloy blend - which has been developed and manufactured in Giant’s own aluminium plant. This alloy blend gives the bike an incredibly strong frame - and Giant claims that unique welding technology used across the frame increases ride quality and performance. Aesthetically, the frame also provides - with internal cable routing through the downtube and chainstays - a bottle cage mount.

There’s a boost rear axle, and there’s also chain slap protection on the chainstay. The battery is housed in the bike's down tube - and the top tube features a mode and battery life display. Suspension is the Giant’s Maestro suspension system - there are two links joining the shock, swingarm and mainframe together - giving a floating pivot point which provides excellent, supple performance across all terrain and riding conditions.

The Yamaha motor we mentioned above has been specifically designed for off-road use, there are quick responses to pedalling, whatever the terrain. The 625Wh battery capacity allows for up to 190km of assistance. There are five different power assist modes - all indicated by different colours on the top tube of the bike. There’s also a smartphone app which connects to the bike via Bluetooth for additional control.

There are four sizes within the range, running from small to extra large - and all have a high and low setting controlled via flip chip.

Giant Reign E +1 Ride

The bike is incredibly fun to ride - its seat angle allows you to feel well-centralised on the bike. It climbs well, as you would expect - the motor feels powerful and keen to get going. When descending on the bike - the handling feels crisp and precise, riding this bike hard the rider cannot escape how quick this bike is. It’s a bike which rewards confident and committed riders.