Anyone got a Transition Trans Am? Compared to BFe? In XS

I used to have an XS BFe, for some dumb reason I sold it..
Anyway getting back into the hardtail groove now and I could just get another BFe, as I adored the last one, or I am considering the Transition Trans Am.

Has anyone got a Trans am? Whats it like? If you have ever ridden a BFe and could compare…

Bump for evening crew..

I think the cotic is lighter or certainly made from better steel IIRC. The transam has some funky dropouts that let you run SS or geared. If you had an XS BFe could the transition bank be an option?

I ride a simple and it is the best bike I’ve owned since the original chameleon.

Cheers for your input. I had an xs bfe because I am a munchkin. It was a great all day and do everything bike, I dont think I would get on with the Bank in the same way.

I’m not fussed about the steel quality, I guess what I would like is anyone who has owned a trans am and what it was like to ride?

Why not? I’d choose a bank over a Bfe every time.

I have a TransAm.
I run it with a 150 fork onboard

Not tried a BFe tho.

TransAm is a really nice ride. rear dropouts (2011 model) are a bit of a faff tbh, prefer the 2012 ones. Bolt thru is awesome tho, it absolutely doesn’t wander off the line you put it on.
2012 paint is nicer too.

Climbing is OK. I can get up everything I could get up on the inbred it replaced.
Mine is 31lb built with pedals.

what else do you want to know? – it’s a hardtail, it does what it does.

You are welcome to try it, but it’s an 18inch.

GW I guess if I had your inate gnarr I’d probably have a bank for each day of the week, but I’m not exactly captain airborne like you, but I am short and fat and like to do a few little jumps. I’ve actually got an aluminium hardtail frame in the Saracen Zen I’ve just got as a donor bike for whatever steel hardtail I get (so far its been brill and this may all be academic as I might just stick with the zen). I loved my BFe, as an all day do everything bike, it might not be designed for that but it worked like that for me, hence considering the trans am. I just don’t see the bank fulfilling that. I wonder have you ridden a trans am and could relate that experience to me?

Crotchrocket, thanks, I was only considering a 2012 as I didn’t like the look of the 2011 drop outs. I found the BFe dead impressive hammering through rock gardens where it would feel really precise and not get knocked off line, it feels great and doing little jumps/gaps. Is the trans am good when the going gets tough/rocky and good at jumps/drops, steep stuff etc?

oh and the 2012 one can take a reverb 😀

Yeah reverb (or equivalent) is a defo . I had a reverb on the BFe, it rocked.

Toys – check out the geometry of the XS Bfe and compare it to that of the S Bank carefully.
(Cotic uses a silly “sagged” fork measurement for their geometry charts, take that into account and you’ll see the Bank’s figures are actually based on a slightly longer Axle to crown fork)
This is one reason why (for me) Bfe’s ride far better with a short fork.

The Bank has shorter chainstays which is a bonus imo.

<EDIT> No I haven’t ridden a transam, looking at the geometry tho, it’s quite a bit steeper H/A than the Bank and Bfe which is bizarre considering it’s in part down to the (not overly slack H/A that makes them jump so nicely when fitted with a short fork).

A common misconception is that a Dirt jump bike has wildly different geometry from an XC bike, in reality they don’t DJ bikes are just built stronger and to have minimal standover and not overly stretched out top tubes.

GW I know it’s similar, the Zen is also similar, the trans am is too and I want a steel frame. Otherwise I’ll just keep riding the zen which so far has proved brilliant. I had my bfe on 140mm fork, which was fine for the kind of stuff I like, a bit of every thign but capable at hammering rock gardens (have you ever ridden on dartmoor granite strewn trails with no relief..)

If the bank was steel (and as light as it is now), I think I would have it in flash..

added an edit to the above ^^

“(have you ever ridden on dartmoor granite strewn trails with no relief..)” Not Dartmoor but I’ve ridden plenty mental rock strewn trails on a 100mm Alu DJ bike.

I’m not fussed about the steel quality

sorry, I thought you meant you’re not bothered about steels qualities ie. alu’d be fine.

although having ridden a Bfe back to back with my own Alu DJ bike I didn’t feel any extra “relief” from the frame

GW are you reading the same page as me? The head angle on the trans am is the slackest at 68.5, bank at 68.75 and bfe at 69 (altough like you said with130mm fork sagged 40mm). I’ll do some trig in a minute and work out what they are with the same forks.

Not Dartmoor but I’ve ridden plenty mental rock strewn trails on a 100mm Alu DJ bike.

I keep saying it, I am just not as gnarr as you.

The “releif” I mentioned was related to the 140mm fork. As regards to the whole aluminium/steel feel thing, I don’t think I have anything like the sensitivity to notice the difference, at 14 stone and 5ft5 I’m just a little barrel on a bike. I trained orginally as a metallurgist and have done lots of work in the steel and alumiunium industries, and I have a thing for steel..

ok, fair enough.

when you’ve done the trig you’ll realise the TA is actually pretty steep compared to the other two (with same length forks)

BFes are ace. Transam looks like an Asda bike.

well seeing as the bank was designed around a 100mm fork, I think it would be silly to fit a 140mm, which is why I havent considered a jump bike before – so I retract my statement about having the bank if it was steel! So I’m discounting the bank. (happy days I don’t want it anyway)

Anyway, fag packet calcs, bfe unsagged with 140mm fork (used same numbers as trans am calc at 529.4 axle to crown) head angle is 68.1, trans am we already know is 68.5. Close enough to mean eff al to a mere mortal like me. The bank is 67.15.

anyway I digress as this is why I cannot be arsed to talk about head angles etc, this is all obvious from the specs, and I just think I would not be able to discern a difference of 0.4 degree. I’m more interested in the user experience.

I’m similar build to you (5’6″ and around 14st) and I have an XS BFe running 150mm forks as a do-it-all bike. Previously bike was a 16″ ali Identiti Mr Hyde running 100mm forks. Apart from frame and forks components are pretty much the same (swapped over).

Apart from steep switchback climbing the BFe (for me and my blunder-through-it riding style – YMMV) pisses all over the Mr Hyde in terms of singletrack handling, descending, ‘trail’ jumping/dropping and confidence-inspiring solidity.

Never ridden a Trans Am, but given the similar angles and intended purpose can’t really see how it would be any improvement over the BFe for UK riding – especially if you’ve had the Cotic in the past and liked it.

slainte ❓ rob

Rob thanks for your input. I’m looking for reasons to buy the trans am as I have two other transitions (tr450 and covert) which are so good. But I can’t see much to make me consider it over the bfe so far. I do like the abilty to fit tapered forks and 142mm rear end though..

Yeah, I was checking the Transition site as I posted and the headtube and rear end seemed to be the only big points of difference.

Not sure I’m at the level to really tell the difference there though.

Sizing might be an issue too I guess – how small is the small Trans Am?

Sounds like this is a ‘heart over head’ type of decision to be made? Both are very similar and will do the same job, so I reckon it comes down to brand image, colour, etc. (price?). Just go with what you WANT to ride.

That’s how I ended up with the BFe over any number of other UK designed nutter hardtails.

slainte 🙂 rob

How about “it’s anti-rust treated inside”?

Or

It’s got transAm written on it.

Or

Because you don’t need a reason?

using a 140mm pike (a-c 517mm) for all.

T.am with unsagged 140mm fork = 69*
Bank with unsagged 140mm fork = 67*
BFe with unsagged 140mm fork = 66.5*

*deg(ish)

smoke bigger fags 😉

gw, I rechecked this morning and made a mistake, the bfe comes out at 66.75 (it was late) so you are right. Would I notice is the question. I do like steep stuff..

As others said its about want, I loved my Bfe, but I fancy the trans am, if it will be as good as the Bfe then thats OK.

Hmm the joy of choice.

if it helps, which it prolly doesn’t, I find my TransAM to be an outstanding all-round ride.
solid and very predictable on rocky stuff – it really holds a line.
stable on landings
I’d like a better fork (obviously irrelevant to you), for more pop on singletrack and smaller stuff (Talas?), the 150 sector doesn’t have enough knobs to tweak.
Climbs well enough even with a silly long fork on it

I’m not a fundamentalist about the bike I own (I don’t like the whole ‘buy this i got one so it’s the best’, type attitude. for me it’s all about taste and a degree of impartiality is greatly respected by me)

A bike is a tool, an engineer always picks the right tool for the job. Don’t use a clawhammer to remove a screw.
So: following the same logic, if you intend to ride all types of trails, pick a generalist. if you intend to ride whatever the BFe is designed for buy that.

but with a head angle like that, I suspect the BFe is gonna be barge compared to the TransAm in tight whippy singletrack, but the BFe will be slightly more composed on stupidly steep rocky shit (where I’d be riding my fullsus).

For me the job the tranny does is: everything*, except The Alps/DH days (have a big bike for that)

*66% of the time climbing, 33% descending, 1% washing. Mostly I ride: England, with some trips to scotland (natural and stanes), and wales (natural and trail centre). TBH I haven’t felt under biked on it yet.

Your requirements might be different.