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About Transition
Transition Bikes started in 2001 when Kevin Menard and Kyle Young quit their telecom jobs and built bicycles out of a Seattle basement. The first complete bike, the Dirtbag, shipped in 2003, and in 2005 the pair moved the company to Bellingham, Washington, to sit next to the steep Pacific Northwest trails they wanted to ride.
The brand stayed rider-owned and gravity-leaning while most peers optimized for cross-country weight. Transition’s Speed Balanced Geometry (SBG) pairs a longer front-center with a shorter fork offset and a steeper seat angle, a setup the company argues keeps the front wheel planted on steep terrain without making the bike feel long everywhere else.
Today Transition builds a full mountain range in carbon and alloy: the short-travel Spur and Smuggler, the all-mountain Sentinel and Scout, the enduro Patrol and Spire, and the TR11 downhill race bike. It also runs two e-MTBs, the lightweight Fazua-powered Relay and the full-power Repeater, both built around the same SBG handling. The company stays privately held in Bellingham.
Most popular Transition models
Transition’s mountain lineup runs the full travel spectrum, all sharing SBG geometry and offered in both carbon and aluminum. The 120mm Spur is the cross-country and down-country bike; the Smuggler and Scout sit in the short-to-mid trail range; the Sentinel is the do-everything all-mountain 29er; and the Patrol and Spire climb into enduro territory at 160mm and 170mm of travel. The TR11 is the dedicated downhill race bike, with more than 200mm of travel for bike parks and World Cup tracks.
The Relay and Repeater carry SBG into the e-MTB category. The Relay is the lightweight option, hiding a Fazua Ride 60 motor in a trail-bike package, while the Repeater is the full-power SRAM Eagle Powertrain enduro bike for big days and bigger descents. A carbon Transition build runs from roughly $3,500 well past $11,000, the kind of replacement value a homeowner’s policy usually caps below, which is where stand-alone electric bike insurance from Velosurance fills the gap.
The 120mm cross-country and down-country bike, carbon only, built to climb fast and still descend like a Transition.
The short-travel 29er trail bike at 130mm rear, the do-it-all option in carbon or alloy.
The playful 27.5-inch alloy trail bike with 150mm of travel, the most affordable way into the lineup.
The all-mountain 29er flagship at 150mm rear and 160mm front, offered in carbon and alloy.
The 160mm mixed-wheel enduro bike, a race-bred descender that still pedals to the top.
The 170mm long-travel 29er enduro bike, Transition's biggest pedal-powered trail weapon.
The dedicated downhill race bike with more than 200mm of travel for bike parks and World Cup tracks.
The lightweight e-MTB, a Fazua Ride 60 motor hidden in a trail-bike package with SBG handling.
The full-power enduro e-MTB on the SRAM Eagle Powertrain, built for big climbs and bigger descents.
Why Velosurance is best for your Transition
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