Transition sentinel owners? Or similar bikes?

Sorry for the what bike thread, actually not sorry. It beats the hell out of ebikes are good/bad.
I like my commercial meta am but it is a lot of bike to cart around when 90% of my riding is more trail stuff.
So I want something a bit shorter travel. I’m pretty happy with the meta geometry (medium frame)
So the privateer 141 looks most of what I want but admittedly a heavy beast. I’m curious on something a bit lighter. Only thing I can see straight away is a sentinel or Santa Cruz Hightower.
I’m curious as to what people have done about sizing? I’m 5’8” and both bikes seem to be either a good bit shorter in medium or long in large. I could probably test a Hightower but sentinel may be more tricky. Unless anyone lives near Dursley has one and fancies a ride?! Any other ideas?

I’m 5’10 on a large Sentinel, and on the days I’m in the woods in the slow, tight stuff I wonder if I’d rather be on a medium – it feels pretty long in those situations and needs more work than a much shorter YT I also ride.

If you’re on a 2021 Meta, then I’m not sure you’ll think it rides that much differently to what you already have – it’s not a snappy ride…

It’s almost one step above where I want to be maybe, on paper the medium was way shorter than my meta so thought it may feel cramped. I want a burly trail bike I think. Capable of some racing but generally just blasting natural fod or South Wales off piste
Is a trail bike the right way to go?

Not that I’ve ridden either, but what you describe sounds more Spur than Sentinel. It’s a dilemma I find myself considering regularly.

I’m just down the road and do the same stuff, FoD, Nibley/Dursley, South Wales and so on, i ride a transition patrol and although a lot of bike, it just allows you to do stuff a little bit more DH, and of course days out in BPW and so on. I’m 5’7 and on a medium patrol.

I’d say it depends what you’re normal stuff is, when you go to FoD are you hitting off-piste, if so what type, is it the hard stuff in places like Wastelands, Mallards, etc, or more of the flowing smoother stuff in and around Dowies or the likes, same with Nibley, is it runs up and down, the natural stuff around the hill, or hitting those gap jumps on the built up stuff?

I believe SUAR in Bristol have a large sentinel in stock just now, might be worth throwing a leg over it if you’re in the market?

I went from a Smuggler to a Sentinel and I think the biggest difference in the ride was going from Fox 34 at 140mm to 36 at 160mm, and the slacker head angle. I never really felt the Smuggler needed more rear travel but felt beaten up on the front on some rides, which is why I stepped up.

For the kind of riding I’m doing at the moment I don’t think I’d want less than a 150mm fork, which for me would probably rule out the Spur for me.

This is why it’s a dilemma. The Spur seems like the idea bike, but what’s the downside of a Sentinel? Bit more weight, bit more travel, sturdier build and will take a coil shock. There’s also an extra set of pivots to consider which arguably makes it more supple.

The Spur for me is really in that XC/trail bike mould, the suspension design is all set up to take trail chatter with the odd big hit out rather than sustained big hits, so will work on most trail stuff that you see in FoD and the likes, but if you’re hitting up the likes of BPW and doing big jumps, that flex stay would worry me a bit, as they removed that pivot to make the bike more efficient uphill, so there must be a bit of a sweet spot as to when it stops feeling as plush as a standard horst 4bar.

I like the sentinel though, i’m thinking of going 29er soon, the sentinel is a great looking and well regarded bike, personally if you wanted to go inbetween i’d say the sentinel does it better if you married it up with a shock that could be more tweakable via compression to give you a bit more uphill performance when you need it over rear suspension suppleness.

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Onzadog
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[…]what’s the downside of a Sentinel?

Not sure there is one to be honest, other than the longer travel and longer wheelbase mean it’s not as playful in the woods on tight, steep rooty stuff. Not sure I’d step down in travel to sort that, as opposed to stepping down a size (to add, because I think I’m between sizes really, and erred on the longer side)…

Yeah fod is mainly off piste, Staunton, mallards, dowies etc
Then South Wales is largely off piste, risca kind of deal with some bike park thrown in. Ride everything around here (nibley/stinchcombe).
So I test rode a patrol before going 29er and the medium felt cramped pedalling. The large felt long but manageable. The large sentinel has a similar reach as my meta but longer ett and slacker seat angle. Guess I can always gain a bit by sliding the seat forward. Always maintained heavy bikes are fine but my curiosity over lighter bikes steers me away from the privateer. My airdrop edit was 4 bar so missing that steers me towards 4 bar again.
I’m running my meta mullet at the minute which makes it a bit more fun. Feel a patrol wouldn’t be much of a change!

The sentinel isn’t a ‘light’ ‘nimble’ or ‘peppy’ bike.
You know how some bikes urge you on to hammer the pedals and reward you with a forward surge, that’s not the sentinel.
So if that’s what your after, it’s not what you’ll get.
It really is still an enduro bike albeit short on travel, it’s still more steady winch and plummet IMO great bike but not sure you’ll see a night and day difference between that and a meta…

Ah, i think it’s actually the Spur that shut up and ride have in bristol, might be worth a look, not sure it fits the bill though if you’re going for jumpy stuff now and again, it’ll do it, but those steep chutes in FoD might feel steeper on the spur, and the gaps will feel harsher when landing i’d guess, but it is lovely, and in large as well.

Hmm ok maybe I’ve got the wrong end of the stick sentinel wise. I figured it more filled the lighter enduro/burly trail style. Think I preferred the ride of my rocket max to the meta but that steep meta seat angle is exactly where I want to be. Best get looking around!

Have you consideed the Bird Aether 9?

I’ve looked and I’m sure it’s a great bike but I just can’t get past the looks of the bird! Which however shallow is how it is!
Nukeproof reactor is a bike that should fit but just doesn’t look good to me

I know what you mean. One of the big appeals of transition is that they look like classic bike frames.

Having sat and rode my friends Large sentinel around that area, and me being 5ft 11 and being just about comfortable I’d say large may be too big. You need to sit on one though, maybe travel.

Bike wise I think it’s a good compromise between full enduro and trail. Not too heavy and rolls quick but can handle the rough. Was impressed!

I had similar thoughts. I ended up getting the scout as it has plenty of travel but is also able to be used as a silly bike (low standover – feels like a big bmx), great fun to ride xc (proper trails) and play in the bike park

I have also gone from a Smuggler to a Sentinel. I’m 5’9 and the large feels a little cramped. I have shifted the saddle right back, and that’s helped. I’d echo the thoughts on the Sentinel not being a ‘peppy’ bike. It feels sluggish on pedally tracks, and the slack head angle means its not happy at slow speeds on twisty runs. But get a bit of gravity assist, and its bloody awesome, and climbs just fine. I’d like to add some spacers to the rear and see what that does. Overall I’m thrilled with the Sentinel – it does what it says on the tin. I’m keeping my Smuggler though.