Thread: I found my dream bike (please help!)

...and now I need to find some cash.

After an insane amount of time wasted, I found the bike that I need to get.

The Transition Preston fr


This bike looks like it does it all, does anyone have any real experience with transition?

Now for a few questions:

1. It seems that mtn bikers everywhere have spare parts up the ass and are ready at a moments notice to build up a frame, I on the other hand, have jack shit. Is it a better value to buy the kit for 1000 more or go with the frame, shock and fork and build from there?

2. Anyone have info on Iron Horse bikes? I keep looking at them on supergo's website but every time I end up drifting off to the higher priced bikes, I figure if I am already going to spend a big chunk of money might as well get something that is quality. specifically I was looking at this one or something like this one

3. I currently have a specialized rockhopper a1 comp, it listed at like 900, I bought it for a touch over 600. Its a few years old but still in awesome shape, what is a good price for me to sell it at? A few of my friends say they wanted it but I dont want to rip them off, or give them the deal of the century either. 250? 300?

sorry for all the JONGy questions, this is all i have to do as I wait for the snow to melt.

sooooo...do the iron horses suck? and should I go in debt to get the bike I know i want? any suggestions for bikes comparable to the preston?

I don't know anything about Transition bikes, but I noticed that it has the rear pivot on the seatstay, not the chainstay like a true HORSTlink bike. I find (and this is a big generalization) that seatstay rear pivots tend to stiffen the rear suspension more when braking than a HOSRTlink setup. Also, that rocker arm has a lot of CNC work. I'd be leary of hitting any big drops with that.

Now to try and answer your questions.
1. I believe it's cheaper to buy the bike with the components you want (or as close to the components you want as possible) than it is to buy the frame/fork and build it up. Bike manufacturers buy in BULK and get a much cheaper price on components than you ever will.

2. Ironhorse bikes are a LOT of bike for the money. Now that they have a true DW-link setup, they are a sweet ride. The Yakuza and the Hollowpoint are VERY different bikes. Both excellent, but very different. You need to be honset with yourself about what type of riding you will predominantly do, then buy the bike that best suits that type of riding. If you are DHing a lot, doing urban, or bike parks, then the Yakuza is the better fit. If you are just riding some techie trails, then the Hollowpoint is the better fit.

3. The general rule of thumb about selling bikes is to expect about half of what you bought it for. I'd have to see the bike to judge your selling point. Maybe explain to your friends what you paid for it and ask them to make you a reasonable offer. You can also search the classifieds on MTBR.com for similar bikes or even Ebay.

to add to SS post:

nice to have a cool unique bike, but if you brake anything parts are a bitch to find, install, local stores might not/ will not have them, and will be big $$$. I like to suport the little guy, but just be ready to wait and spend if stuff blows up. Also usually more $$$ then the big company version.

Iron H bikes are good value. I'd go that way, but again if no one local deals with them and you have problems???

I'd buy local and bigger name and have less problems, but less cool/unique factor.

There is a long ongoing thread on the Transition over at MTBR. Check it here

Seems like a good frame and a really good deal for the whole bike. It's generally much cheaper to just buy the whole bike than to build it up yourself.

I'll kind of echo a lot of what has already been said.

I don't have any first hand experience with Transition bikes, but I have been looking at the Preston as well. They are local Seattle boys, and the Preston is named after my favorite trail in the area.

snow_slider is right, the Preston is not a true four bar design, it is actually just a single pivot with a linkage instead of just one swingarm. A little digging around on MTBR will get you all the arguments you want on which one is better and why. Truth is, there are a lot of very respectable, well performing single-pivot bikes out there, and I'm sure this is no exception.

That said, there is nothing wrong at all with Iron Horse bikes either, they are an incredible value. They just have a bit of stigma associated with them because they are one of a few full-bike brands that is distributed on the internet.

Getting parts for the Preston shouldn't be a huge problem. Transition's site has a whole price list of crash replacement parts. Take a look at it and if you agree, there will be no suprises later down the road.

It will be cheaper and save you some time and headache to get the bike built fully from Transition. Even though they are a small builder, they will still generally be able to get better prices on components than you will.

That is not a huge-drop bike, but it can definitely handle a lot of what anyone but a superhero rock star could throw at it.

my quick 2.

the preston fr may be hevier than you think. Look into frame weight before you buy. The piviot on the seat stay will have brake jak but it's not alot of travel back there like a DH bike so you prob not even notice it. the romic rear susp. can be unreliable a times search mtbr for that one. designer from romic started push ind.

IH bikes = good freakn deals - go 7.5 for price and sell the boxxer if you don't like it and get the 7" sherman. If the 7" rear is more travel than you want try the MK series. Sources say they will have a mountain cross MKIII that should rip and blow the preston out of the water.

Bottom line I will not dis the preston but after riding one I found it to be a little heavy and sorta overkill. Haven't been on the MK or 7 series yet but they should rip. check the IH message boards at mtbr for more on that

The reason I was leaning towards the preston is that it seems from all the reviews that it is one bike that can do it all. Mainly i just ride singletrack but there are many stunts and jumps that I try to ride as well. There is a core group of riders up here with (big) travel bikes who build some insano shit, and the topography is different than most of the midwest, sustained downhill runs can be had as well.

I want a bike that can do it all and what I have now is holding me back, the bike is too large and it is too xc oriented, so it sucks balls taking (small, i am not that good yet) drops or when I run it through the tabletops in the DJ run. I know that just more and more practice will help as well but I want a bike that will help me get better not be another obstacle in my way.

However...climbing is important as well as the only lift serviced around is in Marquette and I wont be going there more than a few times this season. Also this town is built on a hill and I live at the bottom and the trailhead is at the top, so it is a formidable climb up pavement to start every ride. Plus I would ride it to school everyday.

After thinking about that I always end up thinking I would just be better off with a good hardtail but I am so sick of getting tossed around on the trail, I want a f/s bad.

soo....The yakuza or 7 point too much bike for no lift access around? Hollowpoint decent off of the tech singletrack?

damnit this is hard

edit- so the 7point series has the same rear suspension as hollowpoint, but more freeride oriented? seems that this is a decent bike
http://www.supergo.com/profile.cfm?L...04&referpage=#
thoughts on that one?

The trail the Preston is named after has a required 1500ft in 3mi fire road climb to get to the trailhead. In looking at it myself, I have had no worries about that thing being able to climb when I need it to.

Will it climb as well as a 3" rear racerboy XC bike? No, but who cares?

If I was going to get it, I'd get that Dangerboy adjustable rocker link to be able to bump the travel up to 5" on occaision.

edit: aha.. it looks like the adjustable rocker is standard on the '05s.

The Hollowpoint is a 5" all-mountain bike: the Yakuza is a 7" freeride bike. If you're looking at the Preston for strength reasons you'll want to be in the Yakuza or 7.x series.

But if you are going to spend $2400 on a Preston, I'd look at this deal over any of the current Iron Horse stuff:
http://www.bicyclebuys.com/Items01.a...SKU=YEASX3PART

For the few hundred dollars you'd get for your hardtail, I'd keep it. Some days you'll want to ride mellow singletrack and any big FS bike will be total overkill.

Great bike from what I've heard. Also search the forums for rider reviews at nsmb.com.

Sounds like you want a MKIII or a coil heckler with 5.6" rear and two sets of tires. One for FR stuff and some light ones for xc stuff.

the preston fr is a solid bike, designed, tested, and thrashed on trails harder then those leary of it would ever be able to handle...

nsmb.com tested the 4" travel bike, and the 5" bike is probably even sweeter http://www.nsmb.com/gear/transition_review_04_04.php

also, transition is no longer a seattle company, as the boys moved up here to bellingham to be closer to the goods across the border


oh yeah, you should (shameless plug ) order your preston from www.dropnzone.com. Allen will hook you up!

i've heard good things about transition but that could just be cuz i'm from seatown. the only thing i'd be worried about is warranty but looking at the info on they're site i'd say they're pretty good about it. if you break your frame in a crash they'll give you one at about half price.

well, looks like this dream will have to wait at least another year, I just bought a road bike.

took the mtb for about a 10 mile road ride today and about scared the shit out of myself on some of the big hills around here, can't wait to try it on a road bike.

speed is fun.

still in the market for a new mtn bike, probably a new hardtail now, oh well.

how can I be so compulsive yet indecisive?