Quick Tranny Scout review

[dfinn]

TL;DR : super fun, very playful, great all around trail bike



Bike: Large Transition Scout 2
Me: 5'11, 220lbs, 32" levis. not great shape but not horrible either, can ride a bike OK, mostly DH background but been riding more trails lately

This showed up on Wednesday, got it built in time for 3 days of riding in Moab, all on new trails that I had never been on. I rode it on a mix of chunky and slightly less chunky. I swapped out the stem and bars for something shorter and wider and also added a stealth reverb dropper, other than that it's the stock 2 build kit.

I was looking for something that would be playful but could still take a beating and handle light DH riding. I do have a DH bike but don't ride it a ton around Salt Lake because most of our trails just don't really require a full on DH rig so the trail bike spot in the quiver does tend to see some good abuse. This bike will also get used for longer days and messing around but I do have a hardtail that I generally grab for more XC'ish stuff. I'm coming off a 26" Knolly Endorphin. I was pretty happy with the Knolly but had some issues with it which I won't go into here but it was time to move on, they weren't with the bike but the company.

Uphill:

Pedals really well. It's definitely very active on the climb, even with the Debonair in trail mode. I don't mind that and it was one of the things I liked about the Knolly. Seated climbing on flat stuff didn't produce much bob but I did get some while out of the saddle. I went with the 2 build kit knowing I would be replacing most things and right now the wheels, cassette and cranks are on the heavy side and it's noticeable but once I drop some rotational weight I think this bike will do just fine.

Downhill:

This bike is exactly what I was hoping for. It's very playful, it wants to jump off of and over everything but it will also do the plow things just fine if that's what you want or you get tired. Feels like more than 125mm of travel in the rear. Corners great with it's super low BB but that is definitely something I have to be cautious of, I got tons of pedal strikes and I think I also hit the chainring a few times too. It was just while climbing but I definitely have to be very mindful of where the pedals are on the DH. Easy to manual and get the front end up and over things. It has that in rather than on feel that I was hoping for. It doesn't seem to do anything weird and I was immediately feeling comfortable on it. The L seems to fit me perfectly, it's just slightly longer than the L Endo it's replacing.

Compared to the Endorphin: Maybe doesn't climb quite as well but it's close, faster and more playful on the descent.

I think that's about it. Generally really psyched about it.

[grinch]

Nice choice. Been eyeing up something in this range. Like the numbers. 3 I've been looking at are the scout, rocky tbolt and consiquently the knolly endo. All shorter travel but still not too steep on the ha and short stays, low bb. Curious what probs you had w knolly. No experience but always heard they're good to deal with. Price pt keeps steering towards the scout or tbolt though. Sort of dhers xc bikes I guess

[dfinn]

It's a difference of opinion on what should or should not be a warranty issue. It's something they have fixed on the newer bikes.

[grinch]

It's a difference of opinion on what should or should not be a warranty issue. It's something they have fixed on the newer bikes.

K thanks. Think I have an idea on what now.
Scout, patrol, smuggler all getting good reviews it seems. Nice looking rides

[kidwoo]

This new ilk of transition horst link bikes seem pretty damn awesome. I borrowed a buddy's patrol for a few days and those things rock. They're going to make transition a different kind of company........one based on merit as much as the likeability of the guys in the company.

I was really impressed with how well that thing rode. I bet the scout is pretty friggin fun (and fast)

Bummed I missed you down there man.

[dfinn]

Next time for sure!

I also got to pedal around a Patrol last week. It felt like it pedaled really similar to the Scout but that's a bike that seems like it would just destroy things. I think for general trail biking and all around use I made the right choice in the Scout but if I wanted something to pedal to the top of DH trails or I lived in an area with less manicured riding I'd be on the Patrol. Should be interesting when they come out with the plastic version of these.

I also wanted to mention that it took a bit of leg work on my part tracking people down but Knolly has made things right with the warranty situation so all is good there.

[bagtagley]

Update?

I'm coming to the painful realization that my current bike is too small. The Scout 2 has a nice build for the price and I'm liking the numbers. May have to start saving.

[grskier]

I've been eyeing a scout since they got announced... time to upgrade the covert.

[dfinn]

Sure, seems about time for an update. I've put probably somewhere around 250 miles on the bike. It may be the best trail bike I've ever owned. I've upgraded the wheels to I9 enduros but everything else from the scout 2 build is still in place and working well. I picked up a set of offset shock bushings thinking I wanted to lower/slacken it a bit but they are still sitting on the work bench at home, I think Transition really nailed the angles and I'm also not sure if I could safely go any lower with the BB.

I ended up adding tokens to the fork (at 3 now, it came with 1) and adding some volume reducers to the rear shock. I think I've got it pretty well dialed so that it feels soft off the top and ramps up well, every so often I'm using full travel up front or pushing the o-ring off the rear but not every ride.

The bike does everything really well and doesn't do anything weird. It definitely feels like it has more travel than it does. Only once so far in all the rides I've been taking it on have I kind of wished for something with more travel and that was on the upper Section of Lithium on Teton Pass. If your not familiar it's a fast and fairly techy, bumpy section that I think most people ride DH bikes on. I was able to keep up with the DH bikes but when we stopped to re-group I thought my thumbs were going to fall off.

I don't think any of my thoughts have really changed since the initial review, it's an extremely fun trail bike that likes to jump, pump and play around but will handle monster trucking just fine too.

[bagtagley]

Thanks for the follow-up. Looks like these things are few and far between, which is probably for the best given my current broke-ness.

Guy from work just ordered one that I'm gonna take for a spin. It's been a while since I've ridden a HL bike. I've become a bit of a DW link evangelist, but I'm interested to see how their version of the HL compares.

[dfinn]

I think at the time I got mine it was one of the last available in the US. I think I read somewhere that they would have more around aug/sept.

[shirk]

Every time I see a Transition referred to as a Tranny I want to stab someone in the eye with a blunt object.

[Steven S. Dallas]

Every time I see a Transition referred to as a Tranny I want to put on high heels and a miniskirt.

Good for you, man.

[dfinn]

Every time I see a Transition referred to as a Tranny I want to stab someone in the eye with a blunt object.

cool story

[mangle]

I picked up one of these as my first real mountain bike back in June. It's a Scout 2 plus a KS Lev Integra and some decent flats. I'm 6'2" ~175lbs and on a large. My background includes lots of time on the track on a motorcycle.

I'm midway through a permanent move out west, and my friends there told me that this is what I need. Most of my time on it so far has been lift-served downhill at Highland Mountain in New Hampshire, but I have done a bit of trail riding around Boston.

I'm loving it, though I really have very little against which to compare it. It draws lots of complements in the lift line. I have swapped bikes with a friend for a few downhill runs and can say that a real DH bike is a completely different animal - the scout is much more lively and entertaining on smooth, flowy stuff, but the DH bike steamrolls all the braking bumps and generally makes going fast downhill much easier. The Scout is easy to pop off of little lips, and as long as you're landing in the right spot, does quite well with decent-sized jumps. I haven't had a hard bottom-out yet, but am using most of the suspension travel on most downhill runs with the recommended settings on both ends.

It's fun. I'm hooked. A quiver of bikes will do far more damage to my finances than a quiver of skis. Damn you all.

[jm2e]

Is a Tranny Scout like a baseball scout? Quietly sitting in the bleachers, waiting for that one great Tranny to show himself/herself and then scoop him/her up with a lucrative contract?
I thought this tread was a review of such scouts.

[bagtagley]

Anybody have time on the Scout and the new 5010? I'm gonna demo the SC this weekend, but don't have any demo options for Transition that don't involve a long drive.

[::: :::]

something missed the first time round...how much is it?
(as ridden)

[kidwoo]

Good for you, man.

I missed THIS the first time around.


Can we be friends?



Just friends I mean.

[Shredhead]

I love my Scout1.
I'm the least techy guy here, but I probably ride the most.
I'm also old and rather slow fwitw.

[jm2e]

Lots of folks scouting trannys here in North Carolina. I say Leave Them The Hell Alone. But some people just care too much about other people's business.

[milestogo]

I demoed the 2016 5010 in California and own a 2016 Scout. They are both fantastic bikes, very similar in style, like excited puppies on the trail. You can't go wrong with either one of these--I just went for the Transition because of LBS loyalty. Switching brands would mean switching shops and I saw a negligible difference in bikes, actually favoring the transition anyway.

[dfinn]

but I probably ride the most.

oh rly? bold claim.

[Shredhead]

oh rly? bold claim.

Daily, year round. 150-200miles/week.
Mostly flat though.

There used to be a bike messenger that posted here, but I think he's gone.
Maybe I'm wrong

[farmguy]

I just bought a Scout, med frame build 3. After riding all cross country bikes mostly hardtails with only 1 Spec Epic for full squish I can say this is one of the best bikes I have ever ridden. It will climb very nice for it weight and geometry but going down hill is a whole new world of fun.