Excellent vid! I have the exact same Regin E (right down to the color!) and I did similar upgrades: fork out to 180 mm, Charger 3 damper, added a DHX coil with a Sprindex to the rear and swapped the Code levers/master to Code RSC but left the calipers. I recently changed out the wheels to Nobl TR38s with Onyx hubs and have been really happy with the change. Keep up the rad work!
I know that sound from a fall! I have more than a couple of those on film. Thanks for the tip on the damper. Sounds like a worthwhile upgrade with the next service
There's a dude on the EMTB forums who created a 3D-printed battery top mount that saves like 350g of weight over the OEM one. Apparently it takes about 40 seconds to remove the battery with the new part, but that's a worthwhile tradeoff IMO. I know people say they don't care about weight on an already heavy ebike, but my '22 Reign E with essentially the same setup you got is tipping the scales at 56.5 lbs. Definitely a chonky bike. A weight reduction from up high and forward where the battery mount is would be a welcome upgrade. If Giant comes out a dual-crown compatible, lightweight Reign E+ Elite, it's game over. One Reign to rule them all... and in the darkness bind them.
@@mtb_alan thanks for the great vid, i just got the base model reign e+3 & I want to put my Fox x2 from my old bike on it. The size is 205x65 but the reign e+3 is 205x62.5. will this work ok?
Heck yeah! You’re stoked! A dual crown with 190mm will work well assuming you over stroke the shock to a 65mm stroke (165 travel). You’d essentially be making an E version of the Reign SX. What I like to call a “Reign SEX”. 😆 I’ve ridden one and it’s A LOT of bike. You would have to decide if your trails will still be fun on such a rig.
The Reign E downtube is super fat, so you'll have a very limited steering 'lock' due to lack of clearance with the stanchions. But I met a Giant mechanic to who put Fox 40s on his and he said it's fine. I mean, the Reign E is not the bike you get to ride super tight switchbacks anyways, right? lol
I recommend a Maxxis Aggressor in the rear and Minion DHF in the front for a well balanced performance or the Assegai if you want great traction for cornering and braking.
Good recommendation. I ran the DHF on the front for a long time, and have found that on these dusty SoCal tracks, the Assegais save my butt...or face. 😆 They might roll a bit slower, but especially in places like Snow Summit where it can get downright beachy, that extra grip is key. I also run dual Assegais at Snow Summit. The Aggressor on the back is solid on the trail. I like that it lets loose a bit easier and has good rolling speed.
@mtb_alan thanks for the reply. Interesting....zebs are not specced on any models of the reign e, so this must of been an aftermarket build prior to you purchasing the bike.
I like the 180mm fork as well as bumping up the rear travel a bit. I would like to know if you gave any frequent pedal strikes due to that low bottom bracket?
I did the 180mm fork and 65mm stroke shock on my 2022 Reign E soon after I bought it. I got the flip chip in the high position. It maintains much of the stock geometry of the low position, but just raises the whole bike up about ~7mm*. Which is good cause I was getting crazy pedal strikes in the low position with stock travel. *flip chip in high usually raises the rear about 10mm, but I'm running more sag with my upstroked shock which offsets it a little.
I did this last year when they first came out. It’s a decent upgrade, but in my opinion, it wasn’t worth the money that I spent the damper two worked pretty well. The shock is more tunable now for sure, but I definitely had to take a token out as it rode different. I felt like the rear shock upgrade was much better upgrade for the money.
Your riding has definitely improved, but you can tell your wrists is favored on one side because the bike is pulled. If your position is correct on the bike you should almost be able to just let your hands float on the bars. The best bike is one you fell confident in, it doesn’t require a lot of thinking that way.
whats weight of your bike? i just got a cannondale monterro aluminum with 750w battery and cx bosch....it must weigh 65lbs......lol... no way im using it to pedal manually...i think ill get a lighter ebike next
The last time I weighed it, it was about 53lbs. I would say, if you want a lighter eMTB, the Trance X Elite is more like 40lbs, and it has become my favorite. It's got a smaller battery, a convenient range extender, and the full 85Nm that big battery eMTBs have. With the range extender, I've been getting about the same range as my buddies who have the heavier eMTBs, and with the full 85Nm of torque, I'm not working any harder on the climbs. Here's a playlist: ru-vid.com/group/PLkT3RbfY8x2UlDgZVwV6moDIjz9jjD6QQ
thanks for the review on TRP trail brakes, I was looking at those, the DHR are so expensive. I am currently running XT lever with Zee caliper, been flawless, but itchy to try TRP trail. do I really need 2.3 mm thick rotor? I have a bunch of SRAM and shimano rotors, brand new, but I think 1.8mm thick.
No worries! I think you can use your rotors, but you won't get the same feel and power. I did something similar with another set of TRPs because I couldn't get my hands on the thicker rotors. I would check with your local bike shop and see what they think though.
yes you need the 2.3 thickness. SRAM HS2 are 2.3 i believe. I had the TRP Slate 4 piston on one of my bikes and replaced them with SLX. The shimano are miles better FYI.
Hey Alan. Check out EThirteens carbon wheel sets. Looks like they are on sale. I just picked up a Trance Advance E plus elite recently with said wheels and a Lyrik 160 with the Charger 3. Watching your video has been informative for helping me set up the Lyrik's tire pressure. If you're running in the 50's I must be way too high. Do you run any tokens?
Yo! Thanks for the suggestion. That's rad. re: fork pressure. I wouldn't base your numbers on me. Remember that my fork has more volume so it might require less pressure to hold me at proper sag. Your sag level is more important. I was afraid someone was gonna ask me about tokens. I don't actually know what's in there. 😂
You should put a Vorsrung smashpot in that fork it will blow your mind! So good! Plus once you get it setup and dialed You will be able to just focus on riding and having fun!
