Anyone ride a Transition Spire?

Seen a frame (carbon) I fancy buying and doing a build on.

The numbers seem about right – SA a bit slacker than I want, but think it will be ok

Seem to get good reviews. Any real world experience?

I don’t (yet) but am considering the same as you. As you say looks like it would build into a great bike. Some good reviews too.

I was between a spire and Madonna, went Madonna as couldn’t find the spire in the fade to black colour I wanted at the time. Have since seen one in the flash and it’s a lovely looking bike. I’ve read nothing but good things about it

Will be looking at a build similar to this, but a bit more of an individual touch

I have the alloy, GX build.

Absolutely love it. Pedals remarkably well for such a big and capable bike. Very confidence inspiring on the downhills.

I am going nowhere near what it’s capable of but just love riding it. It’s a bit of a handful on tighter twistier trails but I have a carbon Scout for those trails. I may be dealing with a small Transition addiction…

I have a carbon Sentinel of the same kind of vintage (v2 carbon) which I run with a cascade link for 155mm rear travel and a 160mm Lyrik on the front.

Its pretty much my perfect all round bike – pedals ok, does technical climbs well, can do mellow flow trails ok and descends the best of any bike I’ve had before.

I just keep going faster and faster on it at the moment each time I go out – had an alloy sentinel first then switched to the carbon version at the start of this year for a bit of weight saving.

Id say it feels more ‘trail’ with the X2 air shock on it, with the coil I have also got it feels more like an enduro bike – it hoovers pretty much everything up.

Not ridden the Spire but it sounds like it’s just a bit more of the slack and more of the travel. Will presumably descend like a demon – although I don’t think it’s a full plush / plow monster like some bikes (looking at you Forbidden Dreadnought).

https://bebikes.com/the-hub/transition-sentinel-vs-spire/

Yes

Carbon XT

Absolutely love it

I bought it thinking it would be my ‘big’ bike. I’ve ended up riding it everywhere. I look at the BFe but more often than not grab the Spire.

Everything from trail centres to uplift, 5500+ feet days at Golfie or 35 miles in the Peak District to laps of Bikepark Wales (. I’ve cleaned climbs on it that I haven’t on other bikes. Maybe not quickly but it winches up the tech.

The only place I didn’t enjoy it as much was Sherwood Pines. What a surprise. I was riding with an 8 year old and should have taken the hardtail, but the Spire was new. Was still ok.

I’ve had a couple of warranty issues. Not great, but sorted very fast and efficiently by the importer.

It’s a decent weight but not light. It’s slack and long so can take some muscling on tight turns.

Hopefully that covers it.

I’m on a carbon GX. As said above epic on DH stuff but it pedals/climbs way better than it should, quite at home on an XC/trail loop but dumbs things down a bit obviously.

Had an Alloy one before this, suffered from a well documented issue with frame alignment. New frame sent out with no quibbles.

I started a ( and forgot to complete it above!

At BPW we thought we’d done 9 laps of uplift so decided to pedal up to make it double figure runs.  Turns out we’ve had 10 uplifts, and pedalled the 11th. Spire took it all, all day long (Roots, 50 Shades, Insufficient etc), and was still OK to ride back up for a last one…

Are any of you guys around 5.10-5.11 with long (33-34 trouser) inside leg?

I’m having reservations about the slack (actual) seat angle

I’m a shade under 6′, only 32ish” inside leg, Large frame with a 210 dropper about 20mm out, gives a saddle height of 730mm.

With the seat pretty central on the rails, seat angle feels great on long climbs, puts me nicely forward and can just sit and pedal.  I quite often out climb mates on 150 bikes with similar fitness levels.

Edit – if my quick maths is right, the difference in actual and effective seat angles is 7.6 degrees.  Raising the seat 50mm (2″ inside leg – mixed units ’cause bikes) would move the seat back about 6mm, well within seat rail tweaking.

https://www.mtbr.com/threads/spire-2022-thread.1193886/

Grab a cuppa and some biscuits

If you’ve got biscuits left there’s 200 pages to got at on Pinkbike too!

https://www.pinkbike.com/forum/listcomments/?threadid=229783

Well, my decision has been made for now. The frame that’s been available for weeks and weeks has now sold just as I was hovering. Tis always the case