Transition Bandit owners

ej2320

I'm thinking about getting a 2014 Bandit

I assume it's the same other than the 650b wheels but I'll look past that...

I know this bike will manage any climb I give it or any red graded trail
But what about blacks?

I would probably fit a 150mm Pike to slacken it out to a HA of 67.5 degrees, so how would you rate this on black DH runs? I know it's not built for that technically but I want the climbing ability so I'm put off the covert

I wouldn't take it on uplift days but I ride downhill runs as part of a longer ride so I really want to know how it handles the hardest terain..

Thanks

jairaj

From what I've heard the new frame will be very similar just changed a bit to accept 650B wheels.

Do you actually mean Downhill? or do you mean descending on black graded trails?

Either way it'll be great. I ride my Bandit at Aston Hill and its really really fun. But then again I used to ride a hardtail down those trails too albeit a lot slower.

It works fine with a 150mm fork, obviously it slackens the front out a little bit so takes some of the climbing out but its still very manageable up tricky climbs at 150mm. I think it climbs better than my old C456.

If you are prepared to wait for the new frame I'd also be inclined to wait for the new Revelation. While I'm sure the Pike is great fork as all initial reviews seem to state I think its probably more suited to the Covert.

Do you intend to ride DH a lot? If so I would consider the Covert too it is designed to climb a little bit too not totally focused at going down all the time.

also ask about a BOS Vipr shock upgrade. I bought a frame only earlier this year and the BOS Vipr was only £50 more. IMO its much better controlled than the Fox.

ej2320

I mostly ride Red graded trails and some blacks, occasional cross country grassland stuff and some proper DH tracks as part of a bigger ride..

Essentially I want a do it all bike..

I could get a Bandit, Covert, Nukeproof, Santa Cruz, Decinci, Pivot, Banshee from local shops but the Transitions really caught my eye and the Bandit has a great write up, my current forks are 32mm and I do notice some flex so just wanted something stiffer maybe

I will have to wait for 2014, the Bandits sold out long ago..

jairaj

OK sounds like the Bandit would suit better than the Covert. It will cope fine with what you're asking. Transition bikes are designed to descend first and climb second :-)

Which 32mm forks do you have? and what kind of flex do you notice? Fore and aft when braking or ploughing into rocks? Or twisting in rougher sections and when turning?

The Fox 32 mm chassis has much more flex than others. Also a tapered steerer will help loads with fore and aft type flex while a though axle will help with the twisting.

Surf Sales the UK distributor for Transition have a demo fleet and can arrange to send a bike to your local dealer free of charge. Speak to your dealer about getting a demo bike and try it out on the trails.

ej2320

I thought the covert would suit me better but after hearing that the bandit descends like a 160mm bike I thought why not

Rockshox Reba with a tapered steerer, mainly just back and forth wobble on bumpy ground, I don't notice the side flex as much and the axel is 15mm which seems fine.

I just thought with the Bandit being so stiff I may as well put a pike on, but with that it matches the nukeproof mega TR so I will try to demo both

Really? I'll look into that, they sold their demo bandit last year due to the demand!

jairaj

I'm of the opinion that mountain bikes are much more capable then most people think so for the kind of riding you describe which is similar to what I do the Bandit was perfect. Have a look on Transition's website for videos and see the stuff they ride on the respective bikes.

The Revelation has more stiffness than a Reba, but if you're fine with the extra weight of a Pike then go for it. But I find the Rev works well for me.

OK well Surf sales usually keep a demo fleet but I guess if demand is high they would sell that too. I'm sure they have a new demo fleet with the new frames soon.

ej2320

jairaj wrote:

I'm of the opinion that mountain bikes are much more capable then most people think so for the kind of riding you describe which is similar to what I do the Bandit was perfect. Have a look on Transition's website for videos and see the stuff they ride on the respective bikes.

The Revelation has more stiffness than a Reba, but if you're fine with the extra weight of a Pike then go for it. But I find the Rev works well for me.

OK well Surf sales usually keep a demo fleet but I guess if demand is high they would sell that too. I'm sure they have a new demo fleet with the new frames soon.

I currently have an XC bike, 100mm rear and 120mm front and I would say I'm a good rider.. just not a confident one

I can easily keep pace with 140mm and 150mm bike on the trails and downhill runs and I'm often faster so that probably proves your point about the bike being capable.. I just feel with my current riding I've outgrown mine and want something with slacker geometry and a bit more bounce so i can really enjoy the speed.. (It's somewhat sketchy on a 100mm bike as it's a bit out if it's depth)

I would consider anything up to 160mm travel if it climbed well enough for me to be happy

I really really want to try this http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/categ ... e-13-47469

(Interesting they call it a trail bike with 160mm travel, more like an enduro bike)

I could also shell out £1.8k for the new Bronson frame but it would have to be superb for me to pay that much

the price between the revs and pikes is so narrow I fell I'll regret not getting the pikes on those nasty decents

ej2320

Also when I say they old the demo bandit I made it unclear, I was referring to my local bike shop not the distributor. However I suspect due to the demand and sell out they probably would have sold it

jairaj

Yep its all down to personal preference really, what I like maybe very different to what you like.

Demoing bikes is really the only way to be sure. Its a great trail bike biased slightly towards going down a hill but built strong so can take a bit of abuse if you want to do rougher stuff on it. I don't ride DH everyday so I'm willing to sacrifice a bit and go slower but I still have fun, I'm not crapping my pants all the way down.

Stick the Bandit on your shortlist and wait till you can get a demo and find out for sure. It was by far the most fun bike I have ridden. Not the most composed over rough stuff or light weight etc but what ever I rode when I got to end of the trail I definitely had a bigger smile than on the other bikes.

FYI - I'm not sure if are going to continue with the Bandit 29er next year with the Bandit 650B too but the 29er is supposed to be more "All mountain" than the 26er which is supposed to be more "trail"