Transition Bottlerocket as an all round ride

I really do like the look of these bikes but wondering if it can be a do it all type of ride.

I’m looking to extend the riding in trail centres that I do to include some downhill as well as regular singletrack riding.(3-5 times a week and 15-20 miles at at time)
I will not ride for longer than 3-4 hours at a time so don’t need all day comfort. Climbing is also not that regular a feature of my routes?

Does anyone have experience of one and also what they are like in terms of reliability maintenance etc.

Thanks

Richard

I’ve had one for about four months now. I’ve done maybe 10 – 15 rides like you describe on it. My other bike would be best described as a hardcore hardtail – so I’m using that as the basis for my comparison.

The Bottlerocket is heavier than my other bike, but not so much so that over the course of a circa 20 mile ride, I really notice it. Obviously as an owner of one, I’m somewhat biased but will state for the record that it’s a really enjoyable bike to ride.

The one I bought came with 1×7 SRAM kit, not a problem in itself, but I’ve noticed that on the longer rides I’ve done so it’s worth mentioning.

Jedi suggested that I speak to Graeme at Surf Sales (the distributor) about demoing one. Through them and Marshall’s in Welwyn Garden City I was able to borrow the bike for about a week in the end. Both were really helpful. It might be worth exploring avenues in terms of demos if you remain unsure.

Hope that helps. If you live in the Hertfordshire region, I’d be happy for you to join me on a ride to demo mine.

Dan

love my BR and it handles amazing. I mainly use it for mini dh type of riding, a lot of people do use them as all rounders but at my level of fitness its maybe a little heavy. Having said that i do have a coil shock and coil sprung forks etc all set up for bigger stuff.

As Dan says while Graeme/GRF may oome across as a bellend (or antiPC legend depending on POV) online, in the real world he is a genuine helpful guy who would not want you to buy the wrong bike/frame for you so I would get in touch with Surf Sales and see what he can sort out with your nearest dealer.

As a wheels on the ground midget he is innately suspiscous of bikes that weigh more than he does or with fork travel longer than his inside leg measurement so he would not want someone to buy more bike than they need then slag it off to their mates/online/etc

I love my bottlerocket. Close to my 1 bike to rule them all 🙂

They are really great fun bikes that won’t break, even on huge drops but also feel great and snappy on forestry singletrack type stuff (oh, and sublime on A-Line, Crank-it up etc).
I’ve had two and there’s something ace about the geometry.
If you want one to be 34lbs or under, you’ll need to have an air shock and probably an air fork though.
Get one

Thanks all, I’ve dropped them a line this evening.
Richard

Should be fine i do the same on a Orange 5 AM

Sounds like you’d be better off with a Covert to me?

Sounds like you’d be better off with a Covert to me?

I’d agree. The Bottlerocket is more of a jumpy, freeride bike.

They look awesome, but dont sound ideal for what you want. What about one of those transition bandits?

Mate had one for a year, yes good for jumping etc… but imo not a bike you want to be doing any sort of distance on. He ended up flogging the frame on ebay for not very much and getting an orange 5 frame.

To be honest I think he mainly bought it because it looked ‘cool’. Which it does.

Unless your fit lugging a 35lb + bike around is going to get tedious.

It did ride surprisingly well in the alps.

A simple “Is a BottleRocket for me?” decider question would be:

“Do you really like doing jumps?”

Yes- Buy a BottleRocket

No- There are better options out there

I’d love to have a Bottlerocket for bike parks. By bike parks, I mean the Whistler style of motorways with jumps, though unfortunately there aren’t any of those in the UK, so no, I wouldn’t buy a bottlerocket. It’d be horrible to ride any distance on.

Past/current owners: any idea on sizing? I’m 5.10 and on the cusp of small and medium, but would hate to have a jumpy bike that’s too big.

I know it’s not a BR but I ride a GSpot, a similar type of bike I think, as my only bike. It’s 36.5lbs. I do big epics a lot and usually ride with people on lighter bikes but don’t find it an issue at all. For me it’s all about the downs, first to the top doesn’t win any prizes! (The only problem with the weight is if I have to carry it for a long time and then it’s a PITA)

There are days I’d like a lighter bike when I’m guiding XC whippets on Scott Scales for example but then I’m never really going to enjoy days like that 🙂

So I’d say don’t be put off by the weight alone. The GSpot works because it doesn’t bob and has a steep seat angle I think. Test out the bottlerocket and see what you think. It’s fantastic to have one bike for everything… singletrack in the morning, DH courses in the afternoon and then hit the local jump spot on the way home.

my bottlerocket is 33-34lbs i ride it everywhere and love it 🙂

Simples

get a Nukeproof mega

BR are are bikepark bike as suggests above…

I almost bought one, but even the largest frame would have meant about four feet of seat post showing at full pedalling height.

I have a Blood which is very similar in concept & geo to the BR – as mentioned previously, there’s something about the geometry which makes it a hoot to ride. I use mine for everything.

One bike to rule them all 😉

(3-5 times a week and 15-20 miles at at time)
I will not ride for longer than 3-4 hours at a time so don’t need all day comfort.

seeing as that’s an average speed of a whopping 5mph (ie. walking pace) I’d imagine you could use a 50lb DH bike if you really wanted. Bit OTT for trail centres tho, no?

GW I see from some of your other postings that you have a reputation for helpful postings…..

To be more specific I ride solo 3-5 times per week 15-20 miles at a time. Close to home are many undiscovered tracks and jumps feature through our local woods. I’m usually out 1-2 hours.

When I have more time I visit trail centres, I ride at places like Gisburn and Llandegla, Grizedale and to date have covered mainly red routes in c. 2 hours.
Due to time constraints and family the most I’d anticipate riding is 3-4 hours in one go.
I have no plans to ride in the Alps or compete in a Megavalanche style event.I’m not interested in 90km marathons and all day or 24 hours in the saddle.
I’m fit but @ 6 foot and 105kg’s so on the larger side.Big heavy bikes don’t really appeal but <36 seems doable with a BR.

So I have criteria which include a fun bike with a certain wow appeal when I ride it. I’d like to ride a bike that has a great reputation and backup from the producer. I like to do my own maintenance so something that is relatively lo tech and bomb proof for simplicity appeals.

Finally I really “like ” the look of this style of bike… sorry if that offends.

I have a DMR Trailstar and Nicolai Helius CC at present and I love both bikes but need to be realistic and go down to one.

Thanks for everyone’s input so far. In my initial posting I was very keen to get opinions of the people that have owned the BR and what they liked or disliked about it.

Strange to come on this forum ask for help and get flamed by someone.

Richard

Have you considered an alpine 160? Doesn’t have the same bombproof strength, but will cover the riding you will be doing. Also at your height rocket will be quite small for any saddle up riding. Mega is probably a good bet too.

that wasn’t a flaming! 😆
I like the “look” of Bottlerockets too.
I’d absolutely love them if the BB was lower, H/A a little slacker and they had more active rear suspension under braking.

so you would love them if they were a mini dh bike? like the tr250?

I still think you’d be better off with a Covert – it’s designed to be more of an all-rounder than the Bottlerocket, which is more of a specialist jump and park bike. I’m sure you could ride it all day (or for 3-4 hours at least), but you’d probably be more comfortable – and therefore enjoy the ride more – on a Covert.

Also, Transitions are really solid frames and can take a lot of abuse. I recently took my Bandit – which is basically the lighter, more XC-focused version of the Covert – to the Alps and it absolutely gobbled up rocky descents that had me hanging on for dear life! The Covert is designed with more of a gravity bias, so I imagine would be capable of handling some pretty extreme terrain.

And I know you may like the look of the Bottlerocket – and who doesn’t, it’s a great looking bike – but the Covert isn’t exactly bad looking either…

my riding is about 50-50 between jumping/ larking about and going for a few hours around the peak, though even that tends to be focussed on the fun downhills rather than exploring.

im trying to find a suitable alternative to the bottlerocket as my brother has just bought one and a few folk i ride with have them. im struggling though…

I did a skills day at Ft Bill with James Shirley (hes a bit mint on a bike) he was using an Orange Blood. Seemed to like it.

He used it on 4x doing huge jumps, then onto the Red then onto the main DH track. He had it with 36’s on and std rp23 air shock.

im trying to find a suitable alternative to the bottlerocket as my brother has just bought one and a few folk i ride with have them. im struggling though…

Why bother? If you’ve tried your brother’s and life it, just get one. You can always get a different colour if you’re worried about having the same bike.

That said…

my riding is about 50-50 between jumping/ larking about and going for a few hours around the peak, though even that tends to be focussed on the fun downhills rather than exploring.

This is a pic of Kyle, one of TBC’s owners, jumping a Bandit 29 (and humping the bar). That’s a less burly bike – with 29″ wheels – so I’m sure you’d be fine larking about on a Covert.

Why don’t you test both and see how you get on?

Or what about that blindside? How does that fit in? They say its 35.4lbs and pedalable.

so you would love them if they were a mini dh bike? like the tr250?

Nope! there’s a clue as to why in my previous post 😉

Or what about that blindside? How does that fit in? They say its 35.4lbs and pedalable.

That’s a 180mm mini-DH bike. I definitely wouldn’t want to be pedalling that for any prolonged period at all.

ummm… because you like to disagree with people on principle and are desperate for everyone to know how ‘rad’ you are? 😛

ummm… because you like to disagree with people on principle and are desperate for everyone to know how ‘rad’ you are? 😛

calm down now, I can only imagine how pleased you must be coming up with such a witty retort but you only need to press the post button the once. 😉