First Look: Transition Bikes’ redesigned 2015 lineup

In the information age, it is rare to be surprised by a new product release. But this is one of those rare cases. Transition redesigned all of its trail bikes for 2015, with new model names as well: Smuggler, Scout and Patrol. For right now, all bikes are aluminum, with carbon frames in the works, and all three use Transition’s take on the Horst Link/chainstay pivot suspension design, the Giddy-Up link.

Smuggler

First up, and maybe my favorite (at least on paper, no rides yet) is the Smuggler. It sports 29-inch wheels, 115mm rear travel, a 130mm fork, 435mm chainstays, 40mm of bottom bracket drop, and a 67.5 degree head angle. There will be a Smuggler 1 ($4,899) and Smuggler 2 ($3,299), both with RockShox Pike forks and Monarch Debonair rear shocks.

The Smuggler is also 1x only, with the high end model getting a SRAM XO1 drivertrain. The Smuggler 2 uses a Deore/SLX  1×10 drivetrain with an aftermarket 42 cog. This looks to be a solid contender to bikes like the Kona Process 111 and Specialized Camber Evo. Frame only option is $1,799.

 

Scout

Next up, the Scout. Hitting the middle of the wheelsize and suspension travel realms, with 27.5 wheels and 125mm of rear travel matched to a 140mm fork. Transition says the Scout “has the character of a slopestyle bike blended with the comfort to pedal big mileage in any terrain.”

Geometry is slack and long for a short-ish travel bike, but Transition likes it that way. Chainstays at 425mm, head angle is 67 degrees, and 24mm of BB drop should make this thing a playful yet stable beast on the trail. Two models, Scout 1 ($4,899) and Scout 2 ($3,299) with similar spec to the Smuggler (1x drivetrains and Shimano brakes). Frame only is $1,799.

 

Patrol

Finally, the longest travel of new bike, the Patrol. This bike looks to compete with the slackest of trail bikes on the market (Nomad, Enduro 650B, Process 167) while remaining more playful and lively due to shorter travel and short (430mm) chainstays. Head angle rests at 65 degrees, travel is 155 rear and 160mm front, with 27.5 wheels and a Pike fork.

The Patrol has three models. Patrol 1 ($5,999) gets a XX1 drivetrain and XT brakes, Patrol 2 ($4,899) is X1 and SLX brakes, and the Patrol 3 ($3,499) get the 1×10 Shimano drivetrain with 42 cog hack and Deore brakes. Schwalbe Magic Mary and Rock Razor tires keep things rubber side down. Frame only is $1,999.

Lastly, I noticed another bike as I was snapping pics of the spec/geometry pages, the Suppressor. Very similar in travel and geo numbers to the Patrol, the Suppressor is 26-inch wheels! While be a frame only option at $1,999. The frame wasn’t there, but here is a picture of the description and frame numbers.

 

One more…

Transition’s website isn’t updated yet, but stay tuned, it will be soon.