SUSPENSION AND DAMPING

Similar to the longer travel 210mm (8”) TR450 the 250 has a similar single pivot with linkage suspension system which offers up a good transition through the range, ramping up evenly from a supple top stroke through to good bottom out control. The boys over in Ferndale say this is done without excessive sag or mid stroke wallow. We found a slight harshness in the 450’s ramp up, so we were interested in this one from that angle.

A Fox Van 180 RC2 FIT takes care of matters up front whilst the rear travel is managed via a same brand DHXRC4. The geometry certainly allows full use of those long legs up front.

Whilst the Revolution wheelset is reasonably durable in terms of standing up to rim abuse we’ve been less than impressed with previous Revolution wheels in terms of overall robustness, particularly the wheel bearings and spoke tensions. Up above, the Maxxis Minion 2.5 in 3C casing do a grand job but in this instance it has turned out to be a similar story unfortunately. The fact that the bearings have worn out quicker than the rubber doesn’t say much. We fitted 2.4 Maxxis Ardents later in the test to compare the TR250’s performance on faster pedalling sections in 160mm mode and were very, very impressed. Yes we took this bike trail riding after a thorough shake down in both the Alps and home soil.

On the whole there are no weak points in Transition’s component specification in terms of suitability for the style of riding its intended. From the saddle to the stem, seatpost to shifters, it’s all well up for the task in hand. We have never had any issues with Sram X9 or the Descendant cranks. Together with Avid Elixir CR brakes the story remains the same. In fact the 250 has been a shining star. Given that the big sell is based around giving it abuse, chuck it in the shed it should be – but hey it ain’t going to work folks. Look after this bike, cut down the bars, keep an eye on the pedals, and get some bearings in for the hoops.

Strangely enough one of the Transition’s strongest assets was its speed across flat ground. Given its slightly portly build this came as a bit of a surprise, yet it continually shone in the sprint battles with immediate power transfer and superb mid stroke support. At any given moment the 250 can be throttled out of a situation. Across the bumps and amidst the gluttony of geo and eco morphology – if there is such a thing – the Transition’s suspension works pretty good, yet for a bike that works so well in maintaining a balanced ride it is slightly on the harsh side over continuous hits, although still a touch more forgiving inch for inch than the 450. That said the rear framework is pretty damn sturdy offering little in the way of sideways movement, which might add to this.

In the air and in the tight it mixes stuff well, giving a character quite and fully of beans. It encourages more and more attack in nearly every situation and has the steering precision and stability to back it up. Swapping the shock down to give 160mm travel simply gives you more of a pounding. Downhill angles luring the rider into a false sense of cushioning, the shorter setting is definitely better placed to hold you tight in smoother terrain.

Four grand plus, lot of money folks, slightly too much given the poor reliability of the wheelset. The need for a box full of Allen keys to swap shock settings, slightly frail rear axle locknut and gloop accumulation in the pivot area makes me question whether you can in fact chuck it in the shed. I’d be keeping it in the kitchen. But as a ‘bag full to the brim of beans’ there’s not much better than this and I am totally happy with the Tranny’s mindset. We would like to try a BOS or Vivid rear shock in this bike to see if it could get even more fluidity amidst braking bump chaos, but overall the bike is simply great company.

Agile, manoeuvrable, stable in the air, attacking, quick uptake on pedal transfer, fast, precise, these are all things I think about the TR250.

Transition TR250 Frame inc rear shock £2150

Complete bike £4525

www.transitionbike.co.uk, www.transitionbikes.com, www.surf-sales.com

SPEC

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

TR250 Frame inc rear shock £2150

Complete bike £4525

http://www.transitionbike.co.uk/

http://www.transitionbikes.com/

http://www.surf-sales.com <http://www.surf-sales.com/>01303 850553