my new ''enduro'' bike

Sold my stumpjumper end of Feb and was on the lookout for a new frame to build up for this summer, I had made my decision and found this for a good price, like new immaculate transition covert 2012. I had decided to build it with a top of the line spec, xx1, then decided I didn’t need 11 speed, and being a Shimano man, changed my mind to xtr. Now, I am no weight weenie and inpatient so I just decided on xt.

Here’s the spec.

Frame – Transition covert 2012
Forks – Rockshox pike rct3 160
Shock – fox rp23 kashima adaptive logic
Headset – fsa gravity sx pro
Wheels – stans ztr flow ex
– 15mm front, 12×142 rear
Hubs- hope pro2 evo
Brakes – Shimano xt
-icetech 203 front 180 rear rotors
Cranks – Shimano xt
Chainring – raceface narrow wide 32t
Bottom bracket – Shimano xt
Rear mech – Shimano xt shadow plus
Shifters – shimano xt
Cassette – Shimano xt
Chain -SRAM pg1051
Seat post – cheapo/rockshox reverb
Saddle – Charge spoon
Stem – Renthal strata duo stem 50mm
Bars – Renthal fatbar 780×20
Grips – renthal kevlar grips
Tyres – maxxis minion dhf 2.5 42a front
– maxxis minion dhf 2.35 60a rear
Pedals – Superstar nano tech & 10mm pins

I am borrowing a mates wheels at the mo, so excuse the arch ex and purple hubs 😀 they will be changed for flows with black pro2 hubs, and a reverb 😀

Here’s a few pics from along the way, couldn’t give a monkeys about tire logos etc.

Weight is 31lbs, but there’s a bit more to go on with my flows, proper tires and reverb, It’s been out on a few rides now, really chuffed with it, pedals just aswell as my stumpjumper, slight bit of pedal bob but nothing that’s realistically going to make any difference, front end gets light on steep climbs, but it more than makes up for it on the descents, just cannot wait for my reverb as its a pain in the arse stopping to adjust seat height.

Craig

You realise it will ride much better if logos are aligned 😉

Nice work looks shitloads of fun 😀

Looks ace. Nice job

Looks great. Purple hubs with blue frame though…

Cheers guys, when I get my wheels the logos will be aligned, but I was in a rush and exited to get out on it.

Grum, the purple hubs is because I am borrowing my buddies wheels off his dirt jump bike until I can get mine, mine will be black 🙂

Heh, I think I nearly bought that same frame, good choice sah.

How does it ride compared to your old stumpjumper then?

My old stumpy was a 2009, so not really a fair comparison, but here’s my honest opinion off the top of my head

Covert pedals just aswell on flat and climbing, when it gets real steep and techy the covert front gets light, but its not really a problem, I just shit my weight forward a bit. I could of gone for dpa pikes instead of my solo air, but I wanted the ability to experiment with the tokens, which you aren’t able to with dpa, so glad I did as I love how the fork rides, which I’m sure you are all aware, its awesome, I run my bars quite high as I suffer from shoulder/neck ache with them too low, so the forks are at 65psi with 2 tokens in, small bump compliance is awesome, they ride nice and high in the travel and absorb big impacts comfortably, 3.5ft to flat I’m around 5-10mm off full travel, I’m not sure how its going to react to a big drop to tranny, there isnt any in my village 😀 my old kashima ctd forks were awfully linear, the 2014 damper wasn’t much better. I have some volume spacers coming for the rear shock to get it matched up to the front.

Stumpy with fox 32’s with qr both ends, covert has pikes with 15mm and 12×142 rear, so stiffness is another level, you aim and shoot through rock gardens.

The longer wheelbase and slacker ha took a little getting used to, but oozes confidence.

I noticed at the hope line at gisburn it seemed to get air very well, so my local park has a few little gap jumps built, about 1.5bike lengths so not massive, but I used to go on the stumpy a fair bit to muck about and used to manage fine,went on the covert, set off and overshot the landing ramp and landed to flat, man does this thing jump well.

So to sumerise, I’m absolutely overjoyed, it descends like a beast, pedals like a sub 30lbs bike and makes me want to go out and just ride everynight, what more do you want:D.

Sounds good man !!

Nothwind, thank-you for not beating me to it 😀 it really pops in the sun, I had a choice between this mint 2012 and ex demo 2013, 2013 was a bit cheaper but didn’t want a marked frame, so went with the 2012.

The extra 10mm travel of the 2013 means diddly squat to me, this bike can manage everything I will throw at it and more

Nice build. I sold my Covert frame, now got a Bandit 26″ Great bikes though
had a white 2012 Covert 🙂

Just finished building a Covert 29 with nearly exactly the same spec, 140mm pikes instead of 160 and havoc carbon bars and xtr shifter. The thing is immense but keeps trying to kill me. Cannot get over how well it climbs and that’s coming from 4 years of 29er hardtails. I’m sure yours will be the same but they are lovely and balanced in the air.

Congrats on the new build, transitions rock 😉

but its not really a problem, I just shit my weight forward a bit

I would imagine this technique is not a popular one with any riding buddies who may be following 😉

That looks lovely.

Are you a midget though? That shed looks tiny for a man cave.

transition1 – comments on Covert vs Bandit?

Nice. Different cable routing to most other coverts I’ve seen though. I route my brake/shifter cables down the same side as they come from (rear brake goes down left side, shifter right) – I had thought about doing it the way you have here so the cables cross over properly at the headtube.

I was riding my Covert in BPW whilst a mate was riding my Bandit.
Rode them back to back at Bedgebury a tame XC place, was swapping between them with a mate! Bandit a quicker bike, the Covert is more fun on the downs being a slacker HA. Just got a Covert 27.5 in orange to Build at some point. Both bikes are adequate do it all 1 bike options. Lad I know who raced at PORC on his Covert said he rode it everywhere at Whistler BP that he rode his TR450. A good advert for the Coverts capabilities in the right hands…..

Prezet, I routed my cables that way, so like you say, they crossover properly at the headtube, its neater, just means the rear brake crosses back over at the same place as the shifter cable, obviously the opposite way, much better imo. Damn yanks run their brakes the opposite way around to us

why is there an exhaust pipe on your kennel / rabbit hutch?

I am in the process of rebuilding my propshaft on the car, exhaust has to come off lol

hmmm, tempted to play routing mine the same way 🙂

Had my first crash last night at my local downhill track, on the covert, gets mega slippy in the wet, I have ridden many wet muddy tracks but for some reason it gets real greasy, walking back up is a real chore, anyway, came down a real steep rocky muddy chute, in way too hot, rolled it out and came to brake at the bottom when both wheels locked up, I went straight over the berm landed in a pile of boulders and a tree, bit of a sore elbow, but ok, rear brake master cylinder hit hard, and managed to pull the bleed screw out but without damaging the threads, which is strange, everything else. looks ok, master is chipped and scratched but don’t think its cracked, so hoping a new screw and bleed up will sort it.

a few updated pics with my own wheels/tires.

Finished spec:

Frame – Transition covert 2012
Forks – Rockshox pike rct3 160
Shock – fox rp23 kashima adaptive logic
Headset – fsa gravity sx pro
Wheels – stans flow ex & hope pro2 evo – 15mm front, 12×142 rear
Brakes – Shimano xt m785, icetech 203 front 180 rear rotors
Cranks – Shimano xt
Chainring – raceface narrow wide 32t
Bottom bracket – Shimano xt
Rear mech – Shimano xt shadow plus
Shifter – shimano xt
Cassette – Shimano xt
Chain – Sram pg1051
Seat post – rockshox reverb
Saddle – Charge spoon
Stem – Renthal strata duo stem 50mm
Bars – Renthal fatbar 780×20
Grips – renthal kevlar grips
Tyres – schwalbe Hans dampf 2.35 trailstar front, schwalbe Hans dampf 2.35 pacestar rear
Pedals – Superstar nano tech & 10mm pins

That looks smart, I thought Enduro bikes had 650b wheels though?