Transition Spire Carbon // Bike Review
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 มิ.ย. 2021
- Reviewer Stats: 5’11” & 215 lbs
Transition’s new sled, the Spire, is described by the Bellingham-based company as their “nimble bruiser”-an ultra-capable long-travel trail bike that prioritizes stability at high speeds and down steep terrain. Sporting 170 millimeters of travel front and rear, 29-inch wheels and a 63-degree headtube angle (in the high setting), the Spire seems to lean much further toward “bruiser” than “nimble,” though, after spending time aboard the huckleberry-colored bike, I found it to be surprisingly well-mannered and easy to scoot uphill. Braced with a Fox 38 Performance Elite fork featuring a GRIP2 damper and chunky Schwalbe tires, the Spire comes prepared for just about any gnarly trail you throw at it right out of the box and is clearly spec’d to provide plenty of impact absorption and grip on any surface.
Overall, the Spire is an all-mountain brawler. It’s not the lightest ride to spin up to the top of a mountain, but it’s hard to imagine a more stable trail bike for the way back down. The Spire would be just as at home at the Whistler Bike Park as it would be climbing to a gnarly double-black backcountry descent-so long as its pilot doesn’t mind putting in a tiny bit of extra strength getting it there.
Read Full Review Here: freehubmag.com/reviews/transi...
Transition Website: www.transitionbikes.com/Bikes...
*Geometry Specs reflect HIGH Setting*
Wheel Size: 29"
Rear Travel: 170mm
Fork: 170mm
Wheelbase: 1287mm
Chainstay: 446mm
Reach: 485mm
Head Tube Angle: 63°
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Absolutely rippin' Spencer! We're glad you had a good time on that thing, and noticed the balanced weight distribution. That's one of the most magical pieces of the Spire.
You guys gotta send this guy the new Patrol!
Awesome. Ordered mine today.
Hello, good jolly mates! Do you sell your bikes in the Philippines? Thanks!
hey just wondering can u put 27.5s on the spire? thanks
@@shopcomfycove yes you can when the flip chip is in the high setting
Another killer review in a near perfect format.. so consistent. My one suggestion, in addition to the "who's this bike for" at the end, do a "compared to" and maybe compare to 2 or 3 other bikes in it's class. This would give an idea of where each bike sits in the spectrum with regards to things like agility/stability, uphill/downhill, pop/plow.
The review we have all been waiting for!
definitely lookin faster than usual on that trail! great review, cheers!
You guys honestly do the best bike reviews out there, please don't ever change.
+1 for a New Patrol review. Great video as always
I dont comment often, but that was a fantastic review and finished just as the trail finished..... BAM!! Skills aplenty with riding and reviewing!! Cheers
Major ”Chris Harris on cars” vibes in this video! So fresh to see in a bike review, keep doing what you’re doing, the passion goes through the screen! 🤙🏻
Another new freehub video, another killer review. Well done once again
🙏
Fantastic review.
First, the audio was unreal. Zero wind noise with perfect vocal clarity. Your set up is dialed. Second, how were you able to talk so steady while absolutely shredding the trial?! Riding at that speed would take 100% of my concentration.
Oh, and awesome bike too.
Probably a lav mic with a wind muff connected to a tiny recorder like the zoom f2 or tascam dr-10l. Then sync the audio in post. Also, post processing the gopro audio helps a lot with vocal clarity too.
I am a trail rider but I am willing to put in the extra energy on the climbs if that allows me an amazing downhill experience. I am very glad to hear that this bike climbs well.
Looks like the perfect Kamloops shuttling bike, a bit much for Bellingham (for me & my type of riding). Great video as always!
I like that your reviews are simple and short. Too much tech talk these days about angles and leverage rates. I have a Spire on order as well.
I am blown away by your riding, man. Beautiful bike, but you must be close to EWS level. I sat thru this on the edge of my seat. You are talking during the interview for ppl not to believe this is played fast forward. And the way you pull a manual effortlessly even right before tight corners. Wow...
Love your vids and reviews bro !!
Love the ride-a-long reviews Freehub, keep it up! Hoping to see a new Patrol one soon?
Great Contend, awesome rider! 👌🏾🔥
He was shredding at such a level i barely noticed what was said in the review.
Bro you were absolutely ripping double black/ double down!! 🤘
Why are these videos so damn relaxing lol?!
Ripping!! I already wanted this bike, but now i gotta have it!
Rad review as always. Been waiting for this one. I’ve enjoyed my status for a while, nice to see a really balanced and slack bike. The status is a ton of fun but gets bent out of shape at speed and has weird balance in the corners when you try and push hard. Maybe the spire is the answer
Best reviews out there!
Out of all of the bikes I’ve watched you bomb down these trails, personally the one that I feel like you had the most fun on was the Evil Wreckoning.
It’s awesome to have someone review a bike who can actually rip! Most reviews are useless cause they are done by Jerry’s
love the geo animation at the beginning
Man! Looks like Spire has inspired me to spend some money down in STEEZVILLE at my local shop!
Gotta say I can’t imagine how much this things hauls down rough shit when the 125mm scout I rented was a plower in itself.
Nice review as usual..can pls do a review on the 2021 Devinci Troy?
Another great review!! Really love the concept of the POV reviews!! Ps. What is that creaking/clicking noise?
I’m pretty sure it was the bars/stem. We had a tight window with the bike - otherwise we could have cleaned them out for optimum silence.
@@johnsospencer hey spencer , this vs sentinel vs insurgent mx . Which did u love the most ? And which one is objectively better ?
How is it against the Sentinel V2? Pros and cons and what should someone choose between them? Once again, awesome ride and review! 🤙🍺
Yeah this is the dream bike right now, I really want to demo this one
I hope Transition gives you a kickback for the bike I just put a deposit down on after watching this video. 🤣
x2
the matte purple is a killer color
Dude, forget mach chicken, you are riding mach rooster! That thing is an absolute monster of a bike!
Love all your reviews! Curious if you have to go for a gnarly terrain, would you take out the spire or the norco range?
Killer review, as always. Can i get your opinion vs the Range? Have one on order, but this bike is so tempting! Would be great to get a comparison between the two. Cheers!
I love these reviews! Curious how you decide which bike to review?
Great review. Super helpful. How about the new Patrol?
Awesome review!! I’m looking for a big bike for my local park Snow Summit at Big Bear. Did the bike handle big jumps well? Any thoughts on it compared to the new Trek Slash 9.8?
YEAH!!! that's gonna be my next rig (coming from 2019 Devinci Spartan Carbon 29er), I'm gonna bring my Coil Ohlins TTX since it will fit the Spire too, I also plan to make it Double Crown with the new 180mm travel Formula Fork that is going to hit the shelves next spring. What do you think about this project?
How does this feel compared to the sentinel? Does the ride feel dead at all? Great review as always
Amazing video as always. You absolutely haul! Big question - this or The Wreckoning?
There is a massive difference in the chainstay length. So if you find yourself going really fast I'd say spire, but the Wreckoning is much more nimble at low speed. I find the Wreckoning to be more playful and the Spire to be more stable.
@@johnsospencer Awesome, thanks for replying!
How do you think it compares to the Nukeproof Giga(or even Mega)? I'm wondering whether I should just order this bike, or hold out until Nukeproof bikes come back in stock.
I noticed you reviewed the new norco range also I am considering both of these bikes can you give me thoughts on the two similarities and differences and also recommendations?
Awesome content and insane skills! I would love to see a few hardtail reviews for the purists. Also if you included a recommended skill level in your final thoughts it would be great. Beginners like myself may not know our style yet and we just want to know if a bike is newbie friendly.
Are your POV’s shot on GoPro? Do you have any vids that outline settings? The footage is perfect, so easy to watch with horizon lock 👌🏼
Hero 7 with karma gimbal. Superview, low sharpness, and auto shutter for the woods.
Will you review the new patrol?
How do you get such fantastic video quality without the pixelation I always get. I must know the magic recipe!
Spire vs. Mega/Giga, which will you choose for trails like in the video?
When are you guys gonna review the new patrol?!!
Im loving a lot about my new Spire. Climbs OK enough, although if a climb is challenging for me on my hardtail, its become a push-up. That said, not sure this bike was made for 2000ft climbs before every ride! Regardless, it gets up smooth ones just fine, just slowly, the janky ones where you need to think about pedal placement are a bit harder. Descends as the numbers would suggest. Bike was delivered with a 150mm dropper which was very disappointing. My LBS is trying to help me out with a proper dropper; I never would have imagined that this big bike would come with an XC dropper. Very disappointed in that.
What size did you get? I thought the dropper matched the size? I ordered a large, if it comes with a 150 dropper I’ll be bugged too.
As an overweight 250 Bham blue trail rider, I'm sure the new alloy Sentinel makes way more sense, but dang if I'm not intrigued by this Spire.
I'm on an XL sentinel V2 now and while I love it, it's WB is definitely longer than I prefer. I could trade for a L sentinel but I fear the low reach number @188cm+long arms. The L spire with 64HTA (angle set) and in the 160mm shock setting would end up having quite a bit shorter wheelbase than the XL sentinel.
I love big huckability but like a bike that responds well to pumping and hopping and is well balanced. Terrain I ride is so diverse I usually look for all rounders as bikes. What would you advise me to do?
Hoping you can help me out at similar body length and with experience on both bikes
Suggestions for your Sentinel V2:
1) install the angleset for 64 HT
2) up the fork travel of your Sentinel to 170 to reduce the reach.
3)Install a cascade link to make it into a 170/160 almost a Spire.
Hey guys, can you review the Cube stereo 170 please?
Sentinel or spire for a one bike stable?
Trails time in the mtns with occasional DH days at Winterpark?
should I trade in my rascal for this thing? probably too much bike for me lol
OMG ..amazing
Have you considered setting all the bikes you review up with the same tyres? I got the specialised enduro you reviewed a while ago and in my experience It’s a totally different bike (and much better) with some non-balloon tyres on it, I would have been interested to see how it compared to this one on the same rubber.
Agreed! Tires are a key component with how the bike feels. We review the bikes with the tires that come Spec'd on the bike so you know what you will get as the consumer.
Mountain goat nah that’s the Capra bro 😎
Sentinel's big brother.
Internal or external rear brake wiring?
Already have a Spur for trail riding. If I wanted something for shuttling, bigger mountains, some bike park, would you go for this or the Sentinel? I want a 38 or Zeb because I am tall and kinda heavy (200lbs+), so I like the idea of just getting it off the bat with the Spire.
I think Spur and Spire would be a perfect 2 bike quiver. Right now I have a hardtail and a Patrol (2015) - kind of similar, but the Spire is even closer to a DH bike - while my Patrol is still accepted as a trail bike.
I’d add the spire in that case too. I had the sentinel and ordered a spire. If I can add a spur in the future, that would be a killer quiver.
I'm coming in at 5'11 too and on paper, this bike seems huge for a size large. It's almost tempting to go with a medium. At any point, did you feel like this bike was too big and getting away from you? I know a lot of reach numbers are in this ball park these days, but I'm not quite used to these long reach bikes.
I'm goin Medium
Can you do the transition scout 😬
Any comparisons to the specialized enduro? Seems like this belong in the same conversation
I would love to know how the enduro compares to this bike also.
Do you prefer this bike over the Norco Range?
What trails are featured in this video?
Yo!!!! What camera set up you rockin' this is excellent
Hero 7 with karma gimbal on chest mount. 4K 24fps, Superview, low sharpness, and auto shutter for the woods.
How does this bike compare to the sentinel for long 30+ mile rides is it similar or is the sentinel noticeably better and preventing any bonking?
Neither of those two are made do 30+ mile rides 😂😂
@@DavidFoundCo I bought a sentinel and regularly do 30 mile, 6000ft climb rides and it feels great. Took it out a week ago for 9 hours and 10,200ft no problem at all actually.
How does this bike compare to the Norco Range?
When u say heavy how heavy exactly?
Can you release the name of this trail in Bham?
Holy fook. I thought I was going fast hahaha. I'll stick to my training wheels after this haha
Would this Bike be an Option for Enduro Racing ? Or still the Sentinel ? Wich Bike would be the Best Bike for Enduro Racing ? Sentinel , Spire , Patrol , Scout ?
Spire or sentinel, depending on the track
@@SpencerBaum I am thinking on Spire being more versatile.. short stroke it may be and lighter build ? I dont want to have (well I want, just should not) have 2 very similar bikes.. I think one can play with a works component and address a little bit the geo depending on the terrain with this one..
Any trails with slabs in your neck of the woods?
not really, just some big rock faces
Bought a spire yesterday based mostly off this video
Happy NBD!
How are you liking it?
@@jorcor78 I love it but the x2 shock was super loud right away. It had a clanking noise on every bump and was pretty annoying so I've sent that in for warranty. But the bike itself I have 0 complaints and love it.
Well hot damn!
What camera do you use?
Hero 7 with karma gimbal. Superview, low sharpness, and auto shutter for the woods.
How tall is Spencer?
Am I the only one hearing the headset creak non stop during the climbs?
What size did you ride? How big are you?
size large bike. rider is 5'11" at 210 lbs
what gopro setup do you use?
Hero 7 with karma gimbal. Superview, low sharpness, and auto shutter for the woods.
@@freehubmag best pov provider around imo, for sure the quality of riding helps!
what are you GoPro settings/setup?
Hero 7 4K 24fps with karma gimbal. Superview, low sharpness, and auto shutter for the woods.
@@freehubmag thanks, what do you use for audio?
@@dimitrithomas Zoom H1n recorder with a Lav mic attachment W/ large wind fuzzy
🥰😍😍🥰
what mic do you use, any wind filter. Also, do you use flat color profile then color grade or use out of camera?
The mic is a RODE smart lav with a wind filter on it. A mini dead cat. I shoot in the flat profile and drop the shadows in post to taste.
@@johnsospencer thanks. You use a wireless GO as well?
@@samgriffmedia No, it actually just records directly into a zoom H1
Your downhill skills are obvious, but your ability to talk in nearly full sentences while pedaling uphill told me everything I need to know about this bikes (and your) ability to climb.
You don’t ride often enough!
3:40 ''Not really feeling real stable on this thing''
- Huh? 🤨
3:51 ''This feels so good at speed''
Haha, his comment at 3:40 is actually "yeah, already feeling real stable on this thing". Riding and talking is hard sometimes! 😉
@@freehubmag Ahhh, Ok, that does make better sense! Did you like riding it as much as the Mojo4, though totally different beasts
is it possible chris porter was right?? in 2017 lol
So quiet
Creaking already
Yeah I noticed that on the climb you need to check the bolt torques out-of-the-box on those
First
So, your climb review is completely un educated. You have a freaking paved highway of a climb trail. Most people are curious as to how it will climb on a REAL trail. Most bikes these days can definitely rip down hill pretty well. Including the Evil Following, Transition Spur and even the Rocky Mountain Growler (short travel bikes and even one hardtail) But when you rate a bike “great for climbing” on a damn paved highway of a climb trail, It is an inaccurate representation of how the bike actually climbs. Put it through the actual paces. Off camber, roots, ruts and punchy stupidity. If you ever want a “real” up hill and down hill tester, send some bikes to the Mount Washington Valley of NH, USA. We have real gnar and flow here. Its true mountian biking here.
LOL! So the only “true mountain biking” is the type that happens to be where you live? Reviewers can only review on the trails they have available in their area. They can’t go ride the bike on every imaginable type of trail. I could understand your criticism if he was just grinding up a fire road, but he’s climbing some steep trail with tight switchbacks. He also mentioned climbing some other technical trails and it climbed them well. Chill man
Take it easy east coast guy.
"uneducated" -- single word, oh the irony...
I live in the east. I ride the White Mountains frequently. Many of the same trails Alex rides. I have a transition spire and I will attest that it climbs nasty single track very well. I will also say there are plenty of machine built climbing trails and fire roads in the east in addition to snot. I’m sure there’s plenty of nasty snotty climbs where the reviewer Spencer is also. I really don’t wanna watch it on TH-cam though. Cheers to riding bikes wherever you may live and whatever terrain you may have.