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Upgrade to Transition Covert?

4K views 27 replies 10 participants last post by  jij0226 
#1 ·
I currently own a 2010 Specialized stumpjumper fsr expert.

After riding with it for a year i have noticed that i ride more downhill and that i would like more travel. Also the Fox Triad shock has play and it will cost me at least 150 euros to repair. ( But it Works. )

Is Upgrading to a Transition Covert a good idea? how do the frames compare?

What do you think? would you do it?

Thanks,
fredb
 
#2 ·
if you do more dh put a coil on the covert- ccdb! you can dial up the compression for climbs if you wanted but the level of grip would increase 100% all around. it would be heavier that way but no worries on heat build up on long nasty stuff.

i have done the opposite of you. had a '08 covert with a ccdb and now riding an enduro with a rs monarch plus. i like the grip the fsr gets w/the monarch alot. geometry wise i like both. the new covert is up to 160mm and probably amazing and durable. i would think geo-wise it should be slacker, so better for dh that you're riding. I'd own a covert again but put a monarch plus or ccdb again. that shock spoiled me! It's nice to be able to have shock options unlike spesh's proprietary mounts(got lucky on mine from Push).
hope that was helpful. get a new toy! haha
 
#6 ·
i wouldent really like to put a coil shock on it as i may ride xc sometimes (rarely). i really just want a bike that can do it all, and do it well! :p
I agree the splesh's proprietary mounts are stupid... :madman:

Thanks for your help! :)

Check the Stumpy Evo as an option. More travel, more slacker, Fox 34, 12 x 142 rear, etc. All things that lean toward the descent. To me the Stumpy Evo is sort of like a light climbing Enduro Jr.

I'm sorry, I know this isn't what you asked. Just thought I'd throw it out there in case you wanted to stay with Spesh.
I have:) its really good! the frame is past my budget:/ and its hard to find the frame itself...:/

i also want to get away from specialized... i want something a bit more rare:p

Thanks for your help! :)

Knolly Chilcotin or and Spec Enduro
i want to get away from specialized, i want something a bit more rare...:p

The knolly chilcotin looks like a beast! and is awesome because its rare!! unfortunately it exceeds my budget...:/ :madman:

are there any other cool frames like the chilcotin but a bit cheaper?

The Covert is pretty amazing, can you test ride one?
Yea, this guy that was biking in my local mountains let me try his... It was a Large which is kinda big for me... but it felt so nicee and plush...!
 
#3 ·
Check the Stumpy Evo as an option. More travel, more slacker, Fox 34, 12 x 142 rear, etc. All things that lean toward the descent. To me the Stumpy Evo is sort of like a light climbing Enduro Jr.

I'm sorry, I know this isn't what you asked. Just thought I'd throw it out there in case you wanted to stay with Spesh.
 
#8 ·
Hard to beat the bang for your buck factor of the Transition Covert.

What you'll get with a covert:
> Heavier than avg aluminum frame, but that comes with the renowned durability of a Transition bike
> Simple yet predictable single pivot suspension platform
> Middle of the road geometry (67 HA for a 545mm fork), but should be playful with the shorter chainstays and single pivot design
> It's a transition, so you know the boys designed it with the intention of maximizing your fun while going down
> Not everyone has one!
 
#14 ·
thats a really good idea... but i live in portugal, and here you cant find people selling good frames... I dont really like to order a frame from another country without having a look at it first... :/

are you looking at the '12s or '13s? i totally agree with zebrahum about the coil! i live in texas and travel to socal and to washington state and never felt the ccdb held me back on a climb there or in austin hill country with loose rock everywhere. crap, this is making me miss my covert!
Both, i was looking more at the 2013 covert with a CTD, i would never have enough money to get a ccdb... :/

Obviously this is my opinion, but very few bikes have the striking appearance of the new Covert. The only other bike that I think is on the same level is the Knolly Chilcotin. I have a new Rune V2 coming in, and I'm seriously salivating over the Covert!
yea, i feel the same way mate... the chilcotin and the SB66 would be awesome if i had the money...
 
#11 ·
are you looking at the '12s or '13s? i totally agree with zebrahum about the coil! i live in texas and travel to socal and to washington state and never felt the ccdb held me back on a climb there or in austin hill country with loose rock everywhere. crap, this is making me miss my covert!
 
#16 · (Edited)
i have 3 friends with the el guapo. great bike. two have dhx 5s and the third a Monarch. great burly bike! it's just like your spesh that it's a licensed fsr/ horst link design. so it soaks up just like your stumpy would. i think the angles maybe be a little steeper up front than the covert. you could save 500-600 dollars if you get an el guapo. my buddy got his for $1k just a few wks ago. if i were u I'd be excited to try a new design & get the Covert!
 
#19 ·
Yea i agree, i should try somthing new...

The covert is about 1lb heavier than the el guapo. I think you have to realize the NW riders like to huck their bikes quite a bit, hence why brands like Banshee, Transition, and Knolly err on the side of caution when it comes to adding extra material to their frames ( all their AM bikes are right around the 7lb mark without shock). If you're planning to up the ante into the light freeride realm, I think you gotta look at bikes like the Enduro, Rune, Chilcotin, and of course the covert. If you just want to do more aggressive trail riding, there's a lot of other bikes like the stumpy evo and (along with two dozen others) that should be up for the challenge.

There are quite some deals floating around on Rocky Mountain Slayers at the moment.
Yea, i wanted a light freeride bike, that can take 1.75m drops without struggleing too much...

Ive looked at rockymountain, i dont really like their frames, and i know two guys that own slayers...
 
#17 ·
The covert is about 1lb heavier than the el guapo. I think you have to realize the NW riders like to huck their bikes quite a bit, hence why brands like Banshee, Transition, and Knolly err on the side of caution when it comes to adding extra material to their frames ( all their AM bikes are right around the 7lb mark without shock). If you're planning to up the ante into the light freeride realm, I think you gotta look at bikes like the Enduro, Rune, Chilcotin, and of course the covert. If you just want to do more aggressive trail riding, there's a lot of other bikes like the stumpy evo and (along with two dozen others) that should be up for the challenge.

There are quite some deals floating around on Rocky Mountain Slayers at the moment.
 
#20 ·
Does anyone know if Knolly is going to release a 2013 Chilcotin? maybe i could get the 2012 model at a reduced price...

I have another problem.. :/ Knolly does not have a dealer here in portugal -.-

Does anyone know a website ( preferably in europe ) that may sell them?

Thanks,
 
#23 ·
I agree with you wanting to get away from the specialized mainstream. I owned an enduro first then a nomad, chilcotin, XAM, reign, reign x, sanction and a slayer. All great bikes, however, I found my self missing the enduro the most. It's impossible to deny, they nailed it with the enduro.

I love my enduro. I paid $2,300 USD for my 2011 Comp, brand new, in a size medium about a month ago. I put a talas fork on mine because there's some 22% grade climbs where I live and your back can start to hurt on these long legged bikes with slack geo. The lyrik is a superior fork overall, I just need that travel adjust-ability to make it the bike I want.

I chose an enduro over a covert because it has a longer wheelbase and is slacker by half a degree. I rode a covert and it's definitely a solid bike and a great choice but the enduro will be a superior descender because of the longer wheel base and slacker frame. If you want a coil on an enduro, you can always go big and get the EVO which comes ready to freeride and still climb decently. My enduro can still hit those 1.75m drops no issue with air suspension, it just needs to be tuned properly. I run my enduro on a heavy all mountain light freeride setting so I only bottom out on the huge hits but I'm not being rattled alive on the small ones. The enduro receives a lot of praise on this forum because it's earned it.

Plus, mine is GREEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 
#24 ·
I agree with you wanting to get away from the specialized mainstream. I owned an enduro first then a nomad, chilcotin, XAM, reign, reign x, sanction and a slayer. All great bikes, however, I found my self missing the enduro the most. It's impossible to deny, they nailed it with the enduro.

I love my enduro. I paid $2,300 USD for my 2011 Comp, brand new, in a size medium about a month ago. I put a talas fork on mine because there's some 22% grade climbs where I live and your back can start to hurt on these long legged bikes with slack geo. The lyrik is a superior fork overall, I just need that travel adjust-ability to make it the bike I want.

I chose an enduro over a covert because it has a longer wheelbase and is slacker by half a degree. I rode a covert and it's definitely a solid bike and a great choice but the enduro will be a superior descender because of the longer wheel base and slacker frame. If you want a coil on an enduro, you can always go big and get the EVO which comes ready to freeride and still climb decently. My enduro can still hit those 1.75m drops no issue with air suspension, it just needs to be tuned properly. I run my enduro on a heavy all mountain light freeride setting so I only bottom out on the huge hits but I'm not being rattled alive on the small ones. The enduro receives a lot of praise on this forum because it's earned it.

Plus, mine is GREEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nice bike you got there! How does the enduro compare to the chilcotin you owned?
 
#25 ·
fredb- I would recommend the Enduro Evo for ya, go coil :) . You will love it, the enduro is such a fun bike , light , easy to throw around, its climbs ok but really flys downhill and its stable...

The Chilcotin is a different beast to compare it with, but its def a pricey build . I just got done building mine up so i need to still break it in and get used to it, esp being out from a bad injury since July.

As mentioned before, i think the enduro will be a great choice for you.
 
#26 ·
The chilcotin was a great bike....EXPENSIVE though. Did I say it was expensive? The frameset alone is the price of my entire bike and it didn't ride that much better. It was a little better than the enduro on the DH side and has more potential for turning in into a serious DH bike, but the Enduro is a superior all rounder. The Enduro just does everything well. It's a jack of all trades, master of none, but seriously strong in every category of riding. There is no one bike that does everything well, some excel in different places. The enduro is 40% good at climbing and 60% good at descending where as a bike like a Reign or stumpjumper EVO is the opposite. The Enduro Evo would be on par with the chilcotin downhill but won't climb as well as the standard enduro.
 
#27 ·
I have a V3 El Gaupo and the thing amazing. I was going to buy a Covert in the spring but by the time I was ready to buy, the frames were sold out everywhere. I can't say I've been sorry about it at all though. I was able to test ride the covert briefly at the lbs and it felt great and I'm sure I would have been happy with it. I even spent 5 days riding Whistler with the El Gaupo this summer and It rode great,Climbs great and is built pretty burly with a Fox 36, Stans Flow's With Hope evo's and a Reverb still only 32.5 lbs
 
#28 ·
I bought a used covert two months ago and have ridden an sb66, trek remedy, stump jumper, and I have to say bravo to the folks at transition. I dont do a whole lot of downhill but the little bit I have done t with this bike was just amazing. I am a believer. It can climb decently and bombs downhills like no other. Its hits berms with ease and explodes out of them effortlessly. I love this bike. But thats just my opinion
 
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