Howdy All,

So it’s finally time for a new bike and currently at top of the list are Transition Spur and Evil The Following V3.

Normally I’d get a demo ride and make my mind up but this year it doesn’t look like that is possible at all. So I’m looking for feedback from owners on what they think about their bikes.

Initially I went for the Spur but after some more reading I think The Following might be a better fit as it seems like its bit more agile, fun and poppy bike. The Spur appears to be a slack and stable.

I’m looking for a short travel trail bike. I want the geometry of more capable bikes as it makes steep bits more fun and less scary but my trails are not rough enough to warrant 150mm of suspension and these bikes appear to fit that bill well and are available from shops nearby.

Had a Spur for 6 months nearly how. It rips. It’s seriously playful, feels very agile and is so light it’s scary. Not ridden the Following but it’s heavier and the geo is a little steeper. Both would be great, they got top marks in MBRs test. I love the Spur, it’s immense and really feels fun, fast and just a hoot to ride. Only 6 bearings to change in the frame too and a lifetime warranty.

Thanks for the feedback. How do you find the sizing on the Spur?

Honest opinion, they will both do a great job, know folk with the spur and they love them, but it’ll be how you build and ride them that’ll matter, and your short list is similar to what i like, i love the look and design of the Evil, and i have a Transition already, so can’t see you getting too many problems with either.

Best bet is to just see them to get a feel for the size and stretch of the bikes, the important bit really for me, is standover good, do you feel in the right position with the appropriate length stem, etc, etc.

I’m just over 6ft and a large with the standard 50mm stem fits me like a glove, I could have gone XL and used a super short stem, but the handling with a 50mm stem and short 44mm offset is amazing.

I was particularly surprised how it handles low-speed; there’s a mega, mega tight hairpin on a section of Llandegla (dave the fox if anyone knows it) and on every other bike I’ve never been able to carry any speed around it, either the front wheel washes if you try to go to tight and fast or if you go wider you just have zero speed. First time on the Spur I stayed super tight to the apex and carried ungodly (for me!) speed through it without really trying. No washing out, no sliding wide, just tonnes of grip and plenty of speed.

Honestly, the only downsides I’ve found on it is the paint is a little thin (invisiframe is a must), especially compared to my old T130 which seemed to have 6 inches of paint on it and was battered for 4 years with hardly a big mark on it. The back end also has a few fiddly bearing shields/spacers where the swingarm bolts to the rocker, which went walkabout when I took it apart to check things over, but that is it really, pretty minor in the grand scheme of things. Ohhh and they are like rocking horse poo at the minute, though my LBS (Tweeks) got 2 large GX builds, one of each colour, delivered yesterday apparently.

Very interesting review/comparison of the Spur and Tallboy over on NSMB.com

Kind of surprise me, I’d have thought the Spur was the more aggressive, capable, modern geo bike out of the two, but that wasn’t the case.

If I had the money, I would have got a Spur instead of my Banshee Phantom. It ticks a lot of boxes for me and I love the look of it.

Yeah the Spur/Tallboy comparison is interesting, a riding buddy got a Tallboy V4 around the time I got the Spur. Both GX based builds, but the Tallboy is a good KG heavier (even bigger gap once I put my hunt wheels on) and bobs noticeably more on climbs. It does seem to be a real traction factory though, difficult to compare like for like as different tyres but the Tallboy does seem to generate more grip on loose climbs, but seems slower on smoother climbs. I think the VPP suspension and possibly overbuilt frame helps the Tallboy on descents compared to the Spur; the Spur might be longer wheelbase/reach wise but the suspension has a firmer feeling to it seems and is lighter and a little less “solid”. I mean it’s not a flexy bike by any means, but it does feel like it has more give and compliance.

Still waiting for my Spur frame on order since August.

There appears to be waiting list, no one has one in stock that I can sit on for size or try out so its bit of a leap of faith committing to the bike.

So thanks all for the feedback so far, feel free to keep it coming. If anyone has the new Following some feedback would be great.

The online reviews for the Spur are little contrasting, the MBR review states

CONS: Business-like way it keeps wheels on the ground.

Where as the STW review and feedback on here suggests its still a fun poppy bike.

I have a Smuggler and a Patrol and was intending on replacing the Smuggler with a Spur until I realised that for my application a bike with a motor would be better than a bike with a slightly lighter frame

I now have a Smuggler, a Patrol and a Trek Rail (on order)

That bit doesn’t help you much but my research agreed with most of the above, Tallboy a bit more aggro so maybe better as an only bike but alongside an enduro bike the Spur is the one

Yeah I didn’t get that either with the MBR review. They also mentioned in the first ride that the BB was too high and the front end was flexy, but then made no mention of either in the back to back test with the Following… make of that what you will. For me though, it’s plenty poppy and playful enough. I do like Evil as a brand (I lusted after the original Sovereign hardtail way back when and the unreleased “Sect” alloy precursor to the Uprising) but the Super Boost spacing and complexity of the Delta link put me off.

This thread needs pics, so here’s mine from the weekend!