We like Transition Bikes at Singletrack, so news of a brand spanking 130mm travel lightweight trail bike from the American company got us all excited. It’s called the Bandit and it uses the same single-pivot-with-linkage suspension layout as the popular Bottle Rocket but with a tapered head tube and lighter tubing.
When Matt tested the Bottle Rocket in Issue 57 he called it a “sprung BMX on steroids” and it got our Singletrack Recommended award, so we’re expecting big things from Transition’s little bike. It should be perfect for riding downhill so fast our eyes go blurry and be able to spin all the way back up without making us sick. We’re already trying to get our grubby hands on one – full release is below. No news on price yet but importers Surf Sales say they’re due in the UK in May…
“The Bandit is a true to form lightweight trail bike designed to rip up and down the mountain. We pushed the envelope of tube design and machining of frame parts to create a bike that absolutely floats through singletrack. Careful attention to pivot placement and leverage curves make the Bandit feel like a long travel bike on the descents and a XC race bike going up. Our goal was to create a trail bike that combined the ultimate uphill pedaling feel along with a playful spirit on the downhill that is a treat to throw around corners, bunny hop and pull the front end up over obstacles. The Bandit gets you the best of both worlds without compromising and will put a smile on your face going up and downhill.
SPECS:
REAR TRAVEL: 130mm (5.1″) Rear Wheel Travel
REAR SHOCK: Fox RP23 7.5″ x 2″ (Forward Pin 15.75mm x 8mm, Rear Pin 15.75mm x 8mm)
FRAME MATERIAL: 6061 Custom Hydroformed Heat Treated Aluminum
SIZES: Small, Medium, Large, X-Large
COLORS: Coming soon…
FRAME WEIGHT: 5.5 lbs (Size Medium Without Rear Shock)
COMPLETE WEIGHT: 25-30 lbs (Depends on Build)
WARRANTY: 2 year defect warranty, lifetime crash replacement.
SEATPOST/CLAMP: 31.6mm Seatpost/34.9mm Clamp
HEADTUBE: Tapered 1.5″ / 1-1/8″ (1.5″ 49.6mm ID Lower Cup / 1-1/8″ 44mm ID Upper Cup)
BOTTOM BRACKET: 73mm shell x 51mm chainline
REAR DROPOUT: 135mm x 10mm
FRONT DERAILLEUR: 34.9mm High-Clamp, Bottom-Pull
CHAINGUIDE: BB Mount Only
Available Spring 2011
Price: $1549 w/Fox RP23
Comments (9)
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Yumm…
So……when can you get one to review and compare it to the Mythic Spitfire (and any other bikes in that “short travel but slack HA, steep SA and longish TT” category) ?
that looks perfect for me…Dear Father Christmas I’ve been a very good boy…
Bit of a faux pas leaving off ISCG mounts.
I like the look of it but cant help thinking the name will lead to all sorts of abuse.
Liking that very much.
I was thinking the covert, but I don’t know now.
“Bit of a faux pas leaving off ISCG mounts.”
Why? What are they for?
Looks good, bit like a Spesh/Cannondale etc
While I think it looks nice and I like Transition. I can’t help but feel that the reason I liked the Bottlerocket so much was it’s clean lines, round tubes and low slung appearance.
Whereas this looks like a lot of other bikes out there.
Obviously I’d still like to ride it before judging, but I never really liked the curved tubes on the Covert either.