Has anyone ridden one, do they make a good trail bike? Thanks

Jedi to the forum please…

Great bikes, only probably a BIT overbuilt as an allround trailbike. The frame with shock is something like 10lb, when your average 5″ full sus frame with shock is down around 6lb these days.

If you want a short travel superbike for throwing off things, ragging DH and generally abusing all the time, then they don’t come much better it would seem.

What kind of riding will you be doing? The Covert is more of a general trailbike if you want to stick with Transition.

Short and quite active suspension, but my favorite ‘play’ bike if your happy to pedal it alot it’s doable as a trail bike, but as ashfanman says the Covert is the more trail orientated model in the range and would take a fair amount of abuse, without the weight penalty.

But it puts a smile on my face as soon as I get on it and it’s a blast, if you can get the weight to about 35lbs surely that’s doable as a heavy duty trail bike?

my rocket is overbuilt and weighs 35lb. it does everything i want it too. i tried to find an alternative and found none

I have an Orange 5 as my main/only bike at the moment and I ride mainly trail centers and my local natural trails but I do like to have a play on the pump tracks and small jumps, and maybe work my way up to some DH tracks local to me,and there is a freeride area at Llandegla that I’d like to have a go on,I will keep my 5 for long rides, but fancy something that will take a bit of abuse from learning these skills, I don’t want a full DH rig , I built one a couple of years ago and only used it a couple of times, I was not skilled enough to do full on DH. I was looking at the NP Mega but noticed the Transition Bottle Rocket. So I suppose it will be a bike more for messing about on with a bit of compensation built in for me pushing my skills. 😀

Hello Jedi, 35lb doesn’t sound too heavy my 5 is about 31.5lb and is fairly lightly built, I would have Float 36’s ZTR Flows on Hope Hubs, XT cranks and saint mech and shifter , tyres 2.35 Minions, brakes Juicy 5’s ,Sunline V1 bar and stem on the Transition,

people get too hung up on weight. the bike suits me and my riding and belive me i tried to break the 1st one 🙂

people get too hung up on weight

LOL

You’d have happily lost a few lb off it that day round Cannock last summer… 😉

yeah full 2.7 dh tyres etc..was a ball ache but my mates stayed with me 🙂

Hi Jedi;

found a new trail today in the Surrey Hills, 5 or so steep switchbacks like your Alpine area. Remembered what you told me and nailed them 2nd time round (admittedly, I rode into a wood pile first go 😳 )

I’ve even started to consider that i might actually be a half decent rider after all…….

JonV (April 5th session)

johnv, high5!!!! 🙂

Jedi, 2.7 DH tyres would be painful on a 20lb XC bike 😀

I think my build would be around 35-37lb ,

So it sounds like it will be a fun bike, that can be ridden if need be on longer rides, 8)

yeah no worries. with 2.3 minions or simular it feels awesome

Jedi, a quick question is the seat post 30mm ? and do you know of any dropper posts that will fit, most seem to be 30.9 or 31.6 or 27.2, I suppose a 27.2 with a shim !! Thanks

27.2 with shim

I have a Bottlerocket, love it.

However, it’s no trail bike. Wouldnt be much fun on a XC route. Sure, you could build it up with dual ring, light components etc, but the frame is still heavy; if you want a bike that’s happy going up hill, start with a frame that’s happy going up hill 🙂

As I see it, for me at least, its a mini UK DH bike/freeride (as much as I hate the term) bike, ie can take the larger hits, rough stuff, jumps etc.

FWIW, a pic of mine;

And in action 🙂

Thanks everyone for the input… 😀

yeah, i love mine to duanne

Tony by andy_carter, on Flickr

I’ve read all your feed back and it sounds a great bike but after sleeping on it, I’ve bought a Remedy 9 instead , I think I will get more use out of it in the long run, and should be tough enough to have a play on the jumps and freeride areas. I would not be able to push a Bottle Rocket like you guys , I know my limits Thanks. 🙂

i got a blood which is a bit lighter but very similar and its a full on weapon i love it! bit of slag going up but it rides like dirty sex coming down!