Giant's latest Reign Advanced E+ enduro eMTB is cut from the same cloth as so many other gravity-focused ebikes on the market.
While that's no bad thing – after all, we expect long-travel eMTBs to handle gnarly terrain and certain elements will be shared across all bikes – some will argue it's not exactly pushing the boundaries of our sport.
The slack, long and low geometry, plenty of travel and robust frame design could be transposed onto any critically acclaimed eMTB on the market.
Its aesthetics are typical of swathes of other bikes – for good reason – and the SyncDrive Pro 3 motor – which has 90Nm of torque and 800W of peak power – isn't exactly winning the arms race of more, more, more.
So, why should consumers choose the Reign Advanced E+ over the Santa Cruz Bullit, the Orbea Wild, YT Decoy, Pivot Shuttle LT and others?
On the face of it, it feels as though innovation has stalled.
But look beyond the standard must-haves and the Giant packs in some incredibly well-considered details that stand out and show brands are still innovating, but not always in the most obvious places.
Hiding beneath the Giant's rather generic surface is a bike that looks capable of being a resounding success.
Breaking the mould
I am being unfair in suggesting the Advanced E+ doesn't appear to break the mould. Well, yes, I probably am.
Beyond the foundations you'd expect to find on any good bike, the new Reign Advanced E+ has quite a lot of really cool tech.
Torque is up to 90Nm, but according to Giant, this isn't the latest motor's peak output, it's how much it can sustain.
Most other manufacturers' claims relate to the motor's peak figures rather than constant output, potentially nudging the Giant ahead.
Thanks to the battery and motor's 48-volt architecture – up from 36 volts previously – it means amperages can be lowered, by 30 per cent according to Giant, for the same power demands.
This equates to less heat build-up and stress placed on the motor and battery; the in-built 560Wh battery is claimed to last up to 2,300 charge cycles, which is more than "any other [eMTB] on the market," Giant says.
There's an external 280Wh range extender, that'll be shipped with all Reign Advance E+ bikes in the UK and Ireland, upping total capacity to 840Wh. This will have to be bought separately in other markets, however.
Even more integration
There's a new integrated top tube display – one that all ebikes are now expected to have – dubbed RideControl Go Lux, which shows key ride data.
Boosting that onboard, integrated information screen with even more stats are Giant's Tyre Pressure Management System (TPMS) valves.
Named the Aegis Tyre Checker, these battery-powered valves – that are compatible with both inner tubes and tubeless setups – connect automatically to the Go Lux display to keep tabs on your tyres' pressures in real-time.
While Quark's TyreWiz has offered this for a while via a smartphone, it's the first time a TPMS has been integrated into an eMTB.
it's a neat idea and looks to be well executed.
The next step would be doing the same for the front and rear dampers – whether that's via Fox's Live Valve protocol or RockShox's Flight Attendant – to boost the integration of important and useful information.
Anti-theft measures
A lot of ebikes now support remote deactivation or bricking via their smartphone app, and Giant's new Reign is no exception.
Giant's Aegis E-Lock disables motor support when activated, and sounds an integrated alarm if the bike is moved. Importantly, it also integrates with Apple's Find My network.
Instead of having to buy a separate AirTag and attach it to the bike, the Reign's onboard battery powers an AirTag-like Bluetooth transmitter that pings its location to compatible iPhones.
The bike then appears on Apple's Find My network, so you can always track its whereabouts without having to worry about charging up or hiding a dedicated AirTag.
This isn't unique to Giant, however.
Specialized, VanMoof and Velotric also offer Apple Find My network compatibility, and Bosch has its own system with a similar setup.
Still, it's a neat feature that shouldn't be overlooked.
Lots of little things add up
Its chain device, bash guard and under-frame protection are also quite fancy.
With the low-slung belly most eMTBs have – the Giant being no exception – the chainring and motor are particularly prone to being walloped on the ground on drops and crests thanks to reduced breakover angles.
Giant has looked to mitigate this potentially motor-damaging occurrence from causing any harm.
Along with a large, slippery stronger-than-aluminium titanium under-frame plate that protects the motor's casing, the bike's chain device and chainring bash guard are loaded with tech.
This bash guard is suspended by elastomers where it bolts to the motor, which are designed to cushion the relatively vulnerable electronic components from excessive shocks during floor, rock or root strikes.
Improving the longevity of your eMTB's most costly components is a good thing, and Giant's solution to a common problem is commendable.
There's more
The Reign's geometry figures hit the sweet spot across its four-size range.
Reach numbers start at 430mm and lift to 510mm, and chainstays are 450mm across the board.
Elsewhere, there's a gravity-friendly 63.5-degree head tube angle and steep, comfortable 77-degree seat tube angle.
But Giant has gone further than most with adjustability.
Not only is there a three-position flip chip in the upper Maestro rocker link with low, mid and high settings, there's also a reach-adjusting headset cup with three positions.
Thanks to a -5mm cup, a neutral cup and a +5mm cup, the bike's figures are enormously customisable depending on your needs.
A compelling purchase?
The new Reign Advanced E+ is – on the face of it – just a bit boring and really highlights significant convergence across the market.
It's a full-powered, long-travel ebike with about the same torque, Watts, suspension kinematics and geometry as every other similar bike out there from a host of other brands.
And with a 22.7kg (medium) claimed weight, it's also par for the course given the relatively small 560Wh onboard battery.
However, dig a little deeper and there are glimmers of technical brilliance; the integration, electronics, protection and geometry adjustment, along with a solid warranty, mean the Reign Advance E+ could edge ahead of the competition.
The most affordable model in the range – the Reign Advanced E+ 2 – costs £6,499. The next one up – the E+ 1 – is £7,499, and the most expensive E+ 0 costs £9,999, but each gets the same fundamental battery, motor, protection and frame tech only with a slightly different spec list.
In a sea of copycats, all costing roughly the same amount, the Giant Reign Advanced E+ looks like a compelling purchase.
