Anyone have one? New bike time.

I wanted one but the rear travel just couldn’t put my mind at ease for peak riding. I’m sure it’s totally capable but 140mm seemed a minimum for me.

I did test ride a Patrol, in fact I really wish I’d have got one.

Rear travel Peak riding ? In 4 trips there I habe taken my fs once and my ht 3 times.

OP there was a long thread on the Patrol from jimjam with some Smuggler comments. I have a Covert I like bery much and have had my eye out for a Bandit frame from time to time. I think they are a very well sorted brand TransAm included. As I am only interested in 26 anything new I don’t keep up with anything new.

Patrol ticks some boxes too, it is the traction while climbing and generous standover what drew my attention on the Scout. I ride a slightly longer travel MEGA TR. Medium which just feels a little bit tall.
I am between small medium size with a 805mm inside leg.
If I was 2 inches taller, I would be straight in at medium.
damn genetics

I’ve got one, it’s ace, get one

Anyone ride them hard on uplift days.
I know the patrol is made for that but for the other 29 or 30 days of the month the Scout would do.

If I had to have one bike it would be a Scout. I love my Patrol and it feels like it has more than 155mm travel (In a good way). I imagine the Scout would feel similar.

Have one. Love it. I’m 5’11” and the large feels spot on. Although I might be shortening the stem to 35mm from the current 50mm.

I’ve ridden mine 4 times now (twice in the Peak) and it’s bloody brilliant, so much fun.

I’ve knock decent chunks off my best Strava times on a few descents in the Peak without really trying.

Gratuitous pic:
[url=https://flic.kr/p/FMhq8F]The Scout[/url] by Sam Dexter, on Flickr

Lovely. Thank you all very much for the advice.
Transition Scout it is. I have visited LBS. I can try one of their ones out. Just before I purchase.

Do it, you won’t regret it. See what you think when you demo it, but I would say for the vast, vast majority of UK riding, the Scout is more than enough – and it’s a better bike than the Patrol for most of the riding that most of us actually do, most of the time!

I’d get one with the monarch plus shock – suits the back end better than the standard monarch.
not the best pedaller, but a hoot on the way down. 125mm of travel is fine if you run the shock nice and progressive, just run a sturdy rear tyre on a wider rim, as you’ll be battering into stuff like its a 160mm bike…

Would have had one if they did a carbon one (sure it’s on it’s way). Went for 5010 instead, similar idea. Had big travel rigs. These mid travel/agressive geo trail bikes (mojo 3, 5010, scout) are more focused on fun rather than capability/smash through stuffability. Their great geo makes up for a lot.

Best thing you can do is demo one.

Would have had one if they did a carbon one

Me too, the day they release it, I’m going to really struggle to keep the money in the bank.

Still half tempted with a Smuggler too, if they ended up making a carbon one of each I’ll be really stuck for choice 🙂

After a long day on one riding everything from dirt jumps to DH to more natural terrain I came to the conclusion most riders might as well buy a Patrol instead.
Why? Well.. To be frank. Despite the marketing hype. It’s really not the playful short travel bike it’s made out to be at all. it’s far too long in the front (if you go with recommended size) to be and the rear suspension isn’t poppy/supportive enough. Don’t get me wrong. it’s a very capable/stable bike and it descended very well.
one of the reasons it feels so capable is that it blew through the midstroke (even running way higher shock pressure than recommended) making it very active. It’s designed to be run with a lot of sag so it has a lot of end stroke ramp up, never really allowing you to bottom it out harshly and giving the impression it has more travel than it does. The other main reason is the longer more stable front end (Which I hated). I do come from a BMX/Dirt jump background though so stability is not big on my list of requirements. Especially when looking for more playful/stiffer, nimbler slopestyle/DJ characteristics from a short travel bike.
Depends what you want it for but that poor midstroke support combined with the low BB doesn’t make it the best technical climber either. (and I’m very very used to low BB bikes). The Scout should make most mediocre descenders feel like better descenders. The better a rider you are. the less so.
With characteristics biased more towards stability than playfulness I just think it makes more sense to have longer travel too.
Don’t take my word for it though. As with any new bike purchase, ride one and find out for yourself.

@fathomer there is no such as a gratuitous photo of a bike in the Peak, to the contrary its to be encouraged.

blew through the midstroke (even running way higher shock pressure than recommended)

This is probably best addressed with volume reducers rather than cranking up the air pressure, which won’t change the spring rate, I have two in mine on my smuggler at about 85kg.

far too long in the front

welcome to 2015 😀

I’ve had mine for 8 months it was a 2015 version so came with no volume spacers in the can and I really struggled with it for the first month with very harsh bottom outs as you blow through the 125 travel on rough terrain. This was solved with 3 volume spacers. The the suspension is very active but also very efficient for the sort of bike it is, I pretty much leave my shock in descend mode 99.9% of the time despite running 35% sag.

It’s long at the front so is a bit of handful climbing but on the other hand that suspension linkage generates huge amounts of grip for technical climbing, however the low BB takes some getting used to and will cause issues on some terrain.

The bike works really well with 150 fork and because of the low BB I wouldn’t fit anything else. This bike is an absolute monster on flowy, twisty, smoother trails. It also loves to change lines and corner hard.

Where it isn’t is good is high speed stability on rough terrain that 425mm chainstay coupled with just 125mm travel means when it doesn’t give you that that planted, stable platform like you get on some other bikes with more travel and longer chainstays.

If it was me and I was riding a lot of Dark Peaks trails then I would get the patrol. I used to ride them more but since I got the the scout I don’t find it the best tools for smashing down those descents.

AT the moment I’m considering swapping out to the Patrol frame (5mm longer chainstay and 30mm more travel) or keeping the scout for what it’s good for and getting something like the GT Sanction or BMC Trailfox for the stuff it isn’t so good at.

(EDIT)

Forgot to mention massive plus of this frame! It is ridiculously stiff, so no flex when you slam it into a corner.

Thanks again for all your input. It is greatly appreciated.

Maybe I shoud take my Covert to the Peak more often but all round I prefer the BFe where imho its in its spiritual home. Yes the Covert will just gobble up at speed something like Jacobs ladder but I want to feel like I’ve ridden down it not over it.

I live in the peak and had a bfe never enjoyed riding it here though, horses for courses I guess. I had a go in my mates patrol at the weekend, nice bike could not believe how small the large felt though I am 6″1.

or keeping the scout for what it’s good for and getting something like the GT Sanction or BMC Trailfox for the stuff it isn’t so good at.

That’s my plan, however I’m just waiting for a ccdb inline to turn up which may make me think slightly differently. I’m hoping it will help on the rough fast chatter that the scouts not hot with, we’ll see.

Just swapped from a Large 2015 Scout to an XL 2016 Carbon Patrol.

I was initially worried about the slacker head-angle/extra travel/longer frame as the Scout was so manoeuvrable and I thought that the Patrol would be a bit of bruiser.

After the first ride at the weekend, all my fears were quashed!

The Scout is a great bike though and has taken everything I’ve thrown at it (including some pretty harsh runs at Wharncliffe!).

the rear suspension isn’t poppy/supportive enough

I’m 6ft 2 and about 90kg and never found the shock unsupportive in the midstroke with the recommended 35% sag – it wanted to pop off everything!

I’d say the Patrol & Scout have similar ride characteristics, but the extra travel gives you a get out of jail free card, when the going gets rough.

A Transition it is then. The LBS has a Scout and a Patrol.
I will get a shot of both.
Thanks yous all.

Be interesting to see what you think of both. Report back!

Beer. same weight. and with the rec 35% sag it blew straight through the entire midstroke horribly on the upslopes of jumps.

Big Jim’s solution may well have helped but not being a postie I didn’t happen to have any spare ‘laccy bands to hand. Just a shock pump.

Hoke – If it was a 2015 bike they came with no spacers in 2016 come with 2 and I would say they need to 3. Makes a huge difference.

darrenspink i shall report back. it should be around six weeks before i purchase the bike. plus or minus a week or two.

Mine turned up yesterday. Built today but not yet tested in anger. Will report back after a shakedown tomorrow.