Well here goes. I’ve been riding this bike for over a year now and I figure it’s time for a little review on it. Here are the specs taken from the Transition website.

Frame Features:
::170mm Rear Wheel Travel
::Manitou Swinger SPV Coil 4-Way 7.875″ eye to eye x 2.25″ stroke (Rebound, Preload, SPV, Bottom Out Resistance adjustments). Romic Double Adjust Coil Shock also available.
::Fox DHX 5.0 Air and Coil Shocks available for upcharge, see pricing
::7000 Series Heat Treated Aluminum
::Colors: Matte Black, Matte Army Green, Matte Baby Blue
::Oversize 8mm thick headtube (1 1/8″) and gusset
::Custom CNC rocker arms (Ultra Stiff 16mm thickness)
::Custom one-piece CNC’d Bottom Bracket with ISCG mounts
::Compatible with up to 8″ dual crown forks
::Accepts 8″ Rear Disc Brake Rotor
::Easily fits up to 2.8″ rear tire
::Works with Front Derailleur or Chain Guide
::Frame Weight (including rear shock): 10.9 lbs
::1 year defect warranty, Lifetime crash replacement
::Sizes: 16″ (Small), 17″ (Medium)”, 18″ (Large)

Sizing:

5′2″ - 5′7″ Small

5′7″ - 6′0″ Medium

6′0″ - 6′6″ Large

Transition Stock Photo

So, where to start? I came off of a Kona stinky primo basically because it was getting to the point where the frame was just worn out. I have always been a fan of the 4-Bar linkage personally, and wanted to stick with it. Its a proven frame design just by the test of time. There are a number of companies who make similar frames to the stinky, but I needed something that will hold up for a while due to the fact that, well, I’m broke and can’t afford a new bike every year. I had heard raves about the Transition preston from my fellow huckster Wyld Willy and started to look at the dirtbag. Long story short, I ended up talking myself into getting an 06′ Dirtbag.

I bought the frame only. Transition does offer a few build packages that are pretty decked out as well. Heres the build specs for my personal Dirt Bag:

Frame: Medium w/ Manitou Swinger 4-way
Fork: Marzocchi 888 / switched to Marzocchi 66
Drivetrain: Sram shifters/Derailleur
Cranks: Saint
Seat: WTB
Seatpost: Thompson
Stem: Azonic Shorty 75mm
Handlebar: Answer Pro Taper 2″ Rise
Brakes: Hayes 8″
Tires: Maxxis Mobsters 2.7
Pedals: Wellgo
Wheels: Mavic 321’s
Headset: Chris King

About the Frame
Lets start with the frame and rear shock. I purchased mine with the manitou swinger 4-way for two reasons. The first being money. This shock comes with the frame. The fox DHX 5.0 is an extra upgrade charge. The second reason was that I wanted to try something different than a Fox. I have been happy with the manitou for the most part. I blew out the seals in it after about 9 months of riding. Coming up short on a road gap can do that though, so it was expected. As far as the frame goes. Its Burly. Every pivot is supported by a cartridge bearing. Not to keep comparing this bike to a Kona stinky, but the kona had smaller bolts in the pivots as well as plastic bushings in the pivot right above the rear dropouts. The dirtbag has bearings in every pivot. This is one of the features I really liked about the Dirtbag. I knew that these bearings were going to prevent the rear end slop that I had in my Kona. The frame also looked to be overbuilt, which is definately a good thing. I didn’t feel as if it was too heavy or bulky, but rather well built and able to handle anything that could be thrown at it.

Heres a shot of the custom CNC’d rocker arms. Their 16mm thickness provides plenty of lateral stiffness to get you through the rooty and rocky sections in a straight line. You can also see that the 2.7 mobsters still have plenty of tire clearance to allow for those not-so-true wheels that we often have to run.

Here is a shot of the rear dropouts. As I mentioned earlier this pivot has a cartridge bearing unlike the kona’s plastic bushing crap. You can see also that the dropouts are CNC’d as well. The bottom bracket shell is also CNC’d.

The headtube is beefy to go along with the rest of the frame. It incorporates a square tube front end with an added gusset for extra strength. No one likes it when a headtube snaps off, and I don’t think that would ever be an issue with this frame.
How does it ride?
The first ride on this bike felt like the 100th ride. Immediately I felt comfortable and at home on it. The cockpit felt perfect for me and absolutely ripped on the trails. By the way, my frame is a medium and I’m 5′10″ or so. Also, I had a 500 lb spring on the rear shock which rode fine on trails, but for drops and bigger hits I stepped up to a 550 lb spring. I weigh a whopping 165 lbs too. Anyways, on to the ride. I noticed right away that the frame tracked straight through rough, choppy terrain and felt perfectly balanced while in the air. This frame seemed to make you want to go faster down trails. Stability is a major plus for the dirt bag. No matter how hard you push the bike it remains stable. Coming off of frame that I felt was being pushed to its structural limits, this frame feels like it has no limits.

Climbing was one area that I was surprised with. This bike climbs like you would’t believe. Yeah, Its a freeride bike with almost 7″ of travel, but it will still get you to the top without killing you. I think it may actually encourage you to climb to the top instead of shuttle. It’s a plus that the frame is front derailleur compatable. We pedal alot around here.

The rear end of the bike has 170mm of travel. It really does feel like more than that. It feels balanced with both a 200mm 888 on it as well as a 170mm 66 on it. Thats really a preference thing I guess. I personally don’t notice much of a difference between the two different forks. Obviously the 888 is a bit more stiff, but the 66 performs just as well. This bike really will do a bit of everything. It rips on trails, sails big jumps, handles big drops. Pretty much anything you’d like. This is what I was looking for in a bike. Something that can do it all comfortably and easily.
The Good
The good is easy to define for this frame. Its bombproof without feeling like a 50 pound bike. My bike weighs in around 44 pounds I believe and I’m no weight weenie at all. It may weigh 44 pounds but while riding it, it feels like a 35 pound bike. Its still very nimble on tight and technical trails and will bomb fast gnarly downhill runs with all the big downhill bikes. It truly is a do all bike and will shine in any setting you put it into.

The bike also has a high enough bottom bracket height to get you through the tech sections without making you feel like your top heavy. The geometry seems to give you a fairly low center of gravity which probably adds to the stable feel of the bike. Super thick rocker arms add rigidity, cartridge bearing pivots provide smooth, non-sticky travel, geometry is perfect, and customer service is stellar. You really can’t go wrong with this bike.

The bike climbs like a hardtail and decends like a huge downhill rig. Best of both worlds! The frame is compatable with running gears, which enable you to actually pedal it. If you’re not going to pedal this bike I would recommend taking the crank arms off and putting some pegs in place of them. Kidding of course, but seriously, this bike climbs very well, and you should take advantage of it any chance you get.

Another plus is the price. ($1039) Nowhere else can you get a frame for the price of the dirtbag that is as durable, rides as well, and comes with stellar customer service. Transition isn’t about all the shiny bling BS. They make good, quality bikes for a reasonable price. They also offer a few build combos as well as frame/fork combos to suit your needs.

The Bad
Well, this is a bit tougher to pick out. One thing that strikes me is that my brake line busted when I ran the hose through the lower cable guide on the seat stays. Now I run the cable just through the top one with a bit of tape around it. I think that running an 8″ rotor puts the caliper closer to the guide which puts the brake line in a bind when the suspension is compressed. Basically over time the hose cracked from repetetively being compressed. Its an easy fix though as you can see in the pic below. A few minor things are that the paint comes off easily and I personally prefer a quick release seatpost clamp. Due to the type of riding that is done around here (XRFD) cross ride free downing, you need to have your seat up and down constantly. Paint durability? Really, who cares. Its a bike, but I know that some people care if there is a scratch on their bike. I look for a bike that is structurally sound and isn’t going to break. Full length cable housing guides would be nice as well. Because of the sloppy conditions we ride in alot, I like to try and keep as much water and dirt out of the housing as possible. A few zip ties and some electrical tape fix that problem quite easily.

The Final Word
To sum things up, this bike is well worth your money. If you’re looking for a bike that can do anything this is the one. The amount of travel the frame provides it perfect for aggressive freeriding. Its not too much, but enough to get you to the end of the trail in one piece. To go along with a great frame, you get great customer service from guys that ride bikes just like you.

Check out the rest of Transitions Line at www.transitionbikes.com

• Post Rating: 5.5

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