If you've ever cruised our Bike Check section, the largest collection of badass bike builds on the internet, you know that Vital members spare no expense when it comes to radifying their rides. Always on the hunt for a backstory, we reached out to the owners of these seven trail slayers from the PNW to find out what went into each project. Carbon or alloy, custom graphics or stealthy factory steeze, these rowdy rigs all have one thing in common: they were born to charge. What do their owners have to say about them?
Age: 36
Where do you live? In Bavaria, Germany.
Favorite local trail to ride? The natural trails deep in the Franconia forest.
Why did you pick the Transition Patrol? I like the straight lines of the frame. The performance of the rear suspension is really good. The perfect mix of a plow and playful trail bike. I can ride hit a fast downhill with jumps and with the same bike go on mountain ride with 2000 meters of climbing. It is an all-in-one-device-suitable-for-every-purpose bike. Here in Germany we say "eierlegende Wollmilchsau" which translates roughly to "egg-laying wool-milk-pig”, a mythical animal which combines every possible advantage with no disadvantages...
Is this Transition Patrol your only bike? In the winter months I ride an Enduro-Fun-Hardtail: a Transalp Summitrider. It is slower than the Patrol but it is a lot of fun too. And you are shaken up properly ….so you warm up faster!
What bike did this replace / What bike were you on before this? Liteville 301.
Did you go for an off-the-shelf build or did you customize the build? The bike is a customized build.
What’s your favorite part about the bike? The suspension front and rear. Both work perfectly. The Rock Shox Pike with open oil bath and titanium coil is very sensitive.
What would you change on it? At the moment I’m looking for a new crank…because the RaceFace Next SL is broken.
How long do you plan on riding this bike? Minimum 2 years.
If you could get another new bike (any kind/type) right now, what would you get? The Liteville H3 is a very nice frame…
bubbaz's Transition Patrol
Age: 25
Where do you live? I live in Finale Ligure, Italy.
Favorite local trail to ride? Ruggetta Trail in Finale Ligure.
Why did you pick the Transition Patrol? Because I had the aluminium version before and I really liked it.
Is this Transition Patrol your only bike? Yes.
What bike did this replace / What bike were you on before this? Transition Patrol Aluminium 2018.
Did you go for an off-the-shelf build or did you customize the build? I customized all parts of the build.
What’s your favorite part about the bike? I love every part of my Patrol :-)
What would you change on it? The wheels.
How long do you plan on riding this bike? 1 year.
If you could get another new bike (any kind/type) right now, what would you get? Transition Sentinel Carbon.
the_owl's Transition Patrol
Age: 45
Where do you live? New Mexico, USA.
Favorite local trail to ride? Otero Canyon or REM, tough call.
Why did you pick the Transition Patrol? I picked this bike as my big bike to compliment my Evil Calling and Trek Session. The SBG geo, slack head angle and wheelbase were intriguing. It's totally different than anything I've ridden before.
Is this Transition Patrol your only bike? No.
What bike did this replace / What bike were you on before this? Canyon Strive.
Did you go for an off-the-shelf build or did you customize the build? Definitely custom.
What’s your favorite part about the bike? Planted feel. Neutral steering. I'm surprised how well it climbs.
What would you change on it? Bringing it back to 170 on the fork. 180 is just too much.
How long do you plan on riding this bike? Until it gets stolen. This is New Mexico.
If you could get another new bike (any kind/type) right now, what would you get? A V10 is on the radar before DH season starts.
Simão Oliveira's Transition Patrol
Age: 43
Where do you live? Portimão, in the Algarve, Portugal
Favorite local trail to ride? I love to ride near the natural trails by the ocean cliffs (Arribas in Portuguese).
Why did you pick the Transition Patrol? A friend had one that I tested. The carbon frame and aggressive geometry (at that time) were the main reasons behind the decision to pick it.
Is this Transition Patrol your only bike? This Patrol is my only Enduro bike. I own other vintage bikes: a Proflex 953 (Bike of the Day a few months ago!), a Schwinn Moab 3 and a foldable Orbita with a rear shock.
What bike did this replace / What bike were you on before this? This bike replaced a Blue Banshee Rune V2 from 2013.
Did you go for an off-the-shelf build or did you customize the build? It's a customized build. And since I bought it, it has been a constant "work in progress", just now I've upgraded the suspension and the wheels (Lyric RC2 BoXXer Red and DT Swiss EX 471 and XM 481 rims on Hope Pro 4 hubs).
What’s your favorite part about the bike? I love the geometry of the bike and the way it handles in the air. It's not like I'm a great or even a regular jumper but I started to do some handlebar tricks and some new moves since getting this bike.
What would you change on it? I believe I would change the rear brake. At the time I decided to buy the Hope E4 for the front brake and a Hope X2 for the rear. The X2 is enough for almost all the trails but when the things get a bit more rough they don't give you the same security. Right now I would go with the E4 in the rear.
How long do you plan on riding this bike? Not sure. The market is in a constant change...longer, lower and slacker...electric bikes... On the one hand I would love to try new frames, new geometries, new trends but then I look at my bike and it's near perfection. Why should I change, why should I follow the new trends when I'm happy with my rig?
If you could get another new bike (any kind/type) right now, what would you get? I would go electric, an electric Enduro rig, not sure about the wheel size or the brand (although the Specialized Kenevo is mesmerizing). And then again the new Transition Patrol frame is sooooooooo good looking...arghhh damn you and your hard questions :)
View Simão Oliveira's bike check.
Ulysses Yarbrough's Transition Patrol
Age: 17
Where do you live? I live in the Santa Fe, New Mexico area, USA.
Favorite local trail to ride? Favorite local trail to ride is a DH trail built by me and some friends. Favorite legal trail would be Jagged Axe in Glorieta.
Why did you pick the Transition Patrol? I’ve been riding Transition bikes for a few years and they have all the characteristics that fit my riding style. Durability is big for me too, and I don’t mind some extra weight if it means fewer broken frames.
Is this Transition Patrol your only bike? This is currently my only mountain bike. I have a SS road bike for training.
What bike did this replace / What bike were you on before this? My previous bikes were a 2017 Patrol Carbon and a 2016 TR500. Sick bikes, sold them both for this build.
Did you go for an off-the-shelf build or did you customize the build? I really went all out with this build and used all my favorite components that I’ve ridden over the years. Stoked to say it’s my dream bike.
What’s your favorite part about the bike? My favorite part about the bike would have to be how well-rounded and capable it is. I can rip around all day in the bike park like it’s a DH bike, then do a 3,000 foot climb the next day. It feels like the perfect bike for anything I throw at it.
What would you change on it? The only thing I might change in the future are the handlebars. I’m digging the carbon bar feel but I’ve seen enough disasters with carbon bars that I may switch to alloy for the racing season.
How long do you plan on riding this bike? I plan on riding this bike until it’s too clapped out to pedal!
If you could get another new bike (any kind/type) right now, what would you get? I’d love to get a Transition TR11. I can’t justify owning another DH bike right now for financial reasons but I’m hoping that will change in the future.
View Ulysses Yarbrough's bike check.
nunonobrega's Transition Patrol
Age: 38
Where do you live? Portimão, Algarve, Portugal
Favorite local trail to ride? I have 3 spots that I love to ride:
- Sintra (near Lisbon) – Awesome Trails, handmade with different difficulties, terrain and features for all levels. Stunning place just outside Lisbon in a mythic forest.
- Lousã (central Portugal) – Natural trails with some love from the locals. High speed tracks in an enchanted forest (for me).
- Monchique/Marmelete (south of Portugal): Way more natural than the other two places, with beautiful landscape and scenery.
Why did you pick the Transition Patrol? I changed from Banshee Rune V2 because I wanted to change to the FSR system for getting more sensibility and a better reading of the terrain. The other reason for changing was the philosophy of the brand that focus on having fun with a bike, friends including some beers. All about the lifestyle. Rode with an alloy version for a year and I fell in love right away and if the alloy version was an enduro racing machine, I had to try the carbon one. The bike didn't disappoint and all the small negative points were resolved in the carbon version. The upgrade was worth it because I like to hit the turns hard and specially like to race. The stiffness is insane and the weight loss makes it a race ready bike.
Is this Transition Patrol your only bike? No. Fortunately I have an enduro hardtail named Bardino from Nordest Cycles and a gravel bike, GT Grade.
What bike did this replace / What bike were you on before this? I had the Transition Patrol Alloy and the Banshee Rune V2 (neon green).
Did you go for an off-the-shelf build or did you customize the build? All my bikes are custom built/assembled by me with all my love (ahahaha), even the graphics. I have a clear vision of what I want from an enduro racing bike, with a combination of look and efficiency. There are parts that have to be on my bike that I can´t live without, for example Hope E4 brakes or Look pedals. Fortunately my favorite shop (Just Bikes) has all the things that I need to make a unique bike.
What’s your favorite part about the bike? The beautiful lines of the frame. Smooth and clean.
What would you change on it? The cable routing (that fortunately they changed for the new models) that passes under the bottom bracket. I also miss a small hole to drain the water inside of the frame.
How long do you plan on riding this bike? I normally ride the same bike one year and half. I like to try different set-ups and bikes.
If you could get another new bike (any kind/type) right now, what would you get? I already have a new bike…yeeahhhhh! I have the new Transition Sentinel (check my bike check page). I was that guy that said that the 29ers are cross country bikes for shaved legs because my thoughts were based on opinions of others or of magazines. I had to try for myself to have a concrete and honest opinion of them. With this change, I know that I lost a little bit of the fun part regarding the maneuverability in super tacky and fast tracks and especially in the air aka big jumps, big drops and so. But my opinion about the 29ers I leave for another occasion. I love the Transition Patrol and in a near future I will consider a return to this bike. I had great adventures and great memories with this bike. I recommend this bike for all the riders that just want to have fun and don´t want to over think things too much on the trails.
View nunonobrega's bike check.
Roots_rider's Transition Patrol
Age: 28
Where do you live? Jackson, Wyoming, USA.
Favorite local trail to ride? Lithium.
Why did you pick the Transition Patrol? I’ve been friends with the guys over at Transition for a long time now so I’m pretty partial to them haha. But after riding the new version “update to metric, not SBG” at Bootleg a couple years ago I was sold.
Is this Transition Patrol your only bike? No, also have a TR11. I no longer actually own this Patrol as I’ve replaced it with a new SBG carbon version.
What bike did this replace / What bike were you on before this? My trail bike before this was an aluminum Devinci Spartan.
Did you go for an off-the-shelf build or did you customize the build? I’ve only ever done frame up custom builds as there’s always different parts I want to try, or some brands I’m pretty loyal to and have run for years. The completes, from any brand, have never really had exactly what I’m looking for.
What’s your favorite part about the bike? How confident it was. When I first rode this bike at the Bootleg demo, it was the first time I’d ridden a “longer” frame, and the fit just felt right. Combined with a very good rear suspension design, the bike didn’t feel like it could be overwhelmed very easily no matter how steep or rough the trail was. Favorite part of this particular build was probably the Bike Yoke Revive and Wolf Tooth remote. It was nice to finally have a dropper that you could actually rely on.
What would you change on it? This was a Medium, after riding my Large TR11, I would have probably gone with the Large frame. The MD was a similar fit to the MD Fury I had just gotten at the time though, and made going from one to the other comfortable. Plus this and the Fury were already so much longer than the bikes of past that they felt perfect to me at first anyhow. My style has probably changed a bit since then, and now even at 5’9”, I’m pretty happy on most modern Larges. Basically stem and reach combined around 500-510mm.
How long do you plan on riding this bike? Rode it for about 2 summers. From XC trails in Fruita, CO to Mt. 7 in Golden, BC.
If you could get another new bike (any kind/type) right now, what would you get? I’ve got a new Large SBG Patrol Carbon frame hanging in the garage to build up this winter. First time riding this new version on demo was a lot like riding the last one, it just felt like it fit me better and wanted to go faster than everything before it.
View Roots_rider's bike check.
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1/7/2019 1:44am
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