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covert 29er

78K views 371 replies 64 participants last post by  weezerfan84 
#1 ·
Hey Transitionairs :)

Does any of you know if theres going to be a covert two 9? by looking at the current lineup only a 29er covert is missing.

BTW

I allways tell my covert riding buddy of mine.. that the only bike to replace my nomad are the 29er covert... Maybe they will ;)

Happy trail rockin' :rockon:
 
#188 ·
The Covert 29 performed wonderfully in Moab. The bike maneuvered well and never once did I feel too "long" in the tight stuff. I have adapted to the upright short position and found it very comfortable in uncertain technical terrain both up and down.

I only noticed the longer chainstays compared to my ASR7 in two instances. One was when climbing a very steep incline and a power move was required to pop over a ledge. I found myself getting my weight too far forward and spinning the rear tire. The second is when trying to manual. I find it's hard to lift and hold the front tire for surprise wheelie drops. It takes a deliberate effort of weighting the front a bit and popping up to suspend the front wheel. When I saw the drop coming and had the time to use proper technique it was easy. It was just more difficult when trying to do this in a split second with no warning.

I never felt like my "tail" was trailing behind me like I do on the Giant Anthem X29. Still, I am very excited about the new Enduro 29 with the amazingly short stays. I hope this sparks a new round of innovation in the long travel 29er ranks. 17.7" stays and 140mm of travel is adequate, but 16.9" stays and 155mm of travel sounds incredible!

Though I am excited with the numbers on the new Enduro 29, I am extremely pleased with how the Covert 29 is performing as an all-around trail bike that is perfectly suited to Moab style technical terrain. I will ride the C29 until she's ready to retire and hope to see more options along the lines of the new Enduro 29 in a couple years.
 
#189 ·
I've had a few rides on my new steed now so thought I'd check back in with a report of first impressions. I ride in Derbyshire in the UK and following a particularly crummy 2012 'summer' followed by an even more crummy winter conditions are far from ideal, thick heavy mud, frozen rutted ground, so a real test for any bike and rider. Coming from a lightweight XC hard tail I was a bit concerned about the extra weight of the Covert, but so far I've not really noticed it to be a significant issue. I'm amazed by how well the bike handles XC pedaling and steep technical climbs, especially in the tricky conditions we've got. Then when it comes to the downhills the bike comes into its own and definitely promotes the more fun side which is what I was looking for following my more serious and focussed XC hardtail. So far I'm loving it an the bike is exceeding my expectations. It is definitely living upto the All-Mountain label. Can't get enough of it right now. Got some big rides planned, I'm just hoping the 2013 summer is an improvement over 2012's.
 
#190 ·
Chili Pepper Bikes in Moab has a few Covert 29s in their rental fleet, and we rented one for a friend. She was getting banged around on her GF Mamba, and while she has ridden the Mamba on Porcupine before, after a year of little riding she wasn't having as much fun on Mag 7 as we hoped. We decided that she needed something squishy for Porc and staged an intervention. It's a nice looking bike. She liked it a lot, but the Bandit would be a better fit for her back home. I kicked around on it for a couple minutes, but not enough to form an opinion. I outweigh her by ~50+ lbs and didn't feel like pulling out the shock pump so that was it.
 
#191 ·
Has anyone changed their stock gearing yet smaller with the 2x and guide. I'm half temped to go with a smaller big ring in a 32t. However the mrp2+ guide stock is only set for 36 I think ( sorry in the office) and may not be compatible. Whats the experience here. I just don't see me needing this big a ring up front and for the rest of the trail I'd probably get better shifts. will the guide work with a 32t?

Who knows of some deals on different gear options?
Considering going with RaceFace Turbine 10spd 22/32 set from universalcycles.com
speak to me and share your expertise.

I ride an area that it's either up of down and not interested in going 1x. Sometimes the climbs are long and sucking thus the question. The bike is awesome! I'm just NOT.
 
#196 ·
I used to run a 34 on my previous bike and would spin it out on the fireroads but not on the trails. If you have a 36t cog in the back a 22 granny would be some pretty low gearing. Personally I would go a little higher like 34/24, that would give you smooth shifts up front and a bit higher gearing, and still have that low bailout gear.
 
#199 ·
Not bushings. Sealed cartridge bearings. Might be a bit late, but try not to hit them with water spray. If I had been spraying them down, I would probable order a spare bearing set and the required tool or tools needed to install them from Transition...
 
#200 ·
I've been spraying my bike down and trying to avoid the stuff as I'm sure you have. I'll be looking into those as well.
Thanks for the input on the guide and ring setup. I'm thinking 32t so I can climb on that bigger hear more. Not much fire road here. Average strava is 8.6 mph for my rides. Not doing any shuttle stuff. Looking for a way to catch all the lefty riders who climb :) the 32 would be the smallest that would fit the stock crank to resemble the x1. And keep the bail out gear for the steeps. Good term whoever posted that name. I liked it :)
 
#201 ·
New Covert 29 with I9s

Hi Folks!

I used this thread when making my decision to pick up the Transition Covert 29 so I thought I would give something back. Reviews were very hard to find and this thread was useful. I ended up with the Transition Covert 29-1. I wasn't able to demo one before riding it but after comparing geomtries to a lot of bikes I was able to ride I ended up with the XL frame. I am coming off of a large 2010 Trek Rumblefish. I was also really comfortable on a large Yeti SB95. The effective top tube on a large Yeti is very close to the XL Covert 29. I am 6'3 with a 33" inseam and the XL is a nice fit. I may switch to a bar with a bit more rise to to get a little more upright but for now its a non-issue.

I have had a chance to take the bike to a pretty nice bike park in Boone, NC and it absolutely shreds on downhills and jumps. It will get really low around corners and I was able to land into rock gardens with relative disregard. There is a pretty steep and at times technical pedal to the top of the park and it presented no issues climbing (which I was worried about). I had no issue with pedal bob and the "climb" setting on the CTD was probably overkill. The Yeti SB95 definitely climbs better but for my money the Transition is an all around more fun bike.

The only aftermarket upgrade that I have added was a set of the new Industry 9 Torch hubs in the 32 spoke options. These are laced to Stans Flow EX wheels. For the record the blue annodization (sp?) on the I9 stuff is a near dead ringer for the blue bits on the Covert frame. I weighed the bike on a hook scale at the shop with the new wheels on it and it came in at 32.67 LB with the new wheels. Below you can find a link to my hurriedly take photos. Thanks for looking!

Transition Covert 29 Photos by cnashmusselwhite | Photobucket
 
#202 ·
Looks nice, I went with blue Hope hubs and bought some blue bar end caps from Transition's store, the blue and stealth black are a good match.

I have been pleasantly surprised at how well the bike pedals and climbs, but can't wait to do some real descending with it. We have been getting a lot of late spring snow here, looks like more this week.
 
#205 ·
My first ever Boo-teak MTB build!

It started with a Fox Talas 34 upgrade for my Giant Anthem 29er. Then I started lusting after the Pivot Mach 429 Carbon. Then I was recommended against matching said frame and fork due to concerns about structural integrity (credit goes to Pivot tech support for their honesty). Just as well, as I should have been looking for a longer travel 29er frame to begin with. Eventually I had it narrowed down to either the SC Tallboy LT Aluminum or the Turner Sultan. Then one day I wandered into the Transition forum and found this thread.......

Now, thanks to advice from rroeder here and the guys at Transition:
 
#206 ·
Trick build, I like what you did with the front der routing.

Got mine out Fri for a nice chunky trail ride, lovin it. Next week gonna hit a local downhill trail as things have finally dried out up higher, looking forward to some extended down. I will try and get some action or trail side pixels.
 
#207 ·
That looks sick! I really like the look of the Havens. I'm going to give mine a go when the rear wheel gets back from Easton.

I, too, like the looks of that front der cable routing. I spent quite a bit of time on mine and now I see the simple solution to the ridiculous stock routing...why didn't I think of that!
 
#208 ·
I, too, like the looks of that front der cable routing. I spent quite a bit of time on mine and now I see the simple solution to the ridiculous stock routing...why didn't I think of that!
Yeah I might try that routing too, my der has top pull option as well. Altho my front shifting works great as is, the loop under the BB is fine but I did have an issue initially with the housing getting gunked up at the stop there and had to install a sealed housing end.
 
#211 ·
Thanks a bunch for this suggestion. I have my dropper cable running down the left side so the cable guides were open. Running the f der cable there looks factory and it greatly decreased the force required at the shift lever. This is the spot to run your cable if you can. Thanks again!
 
#210 ·
Holy S$%T, this thing is FAST! Broke it in this past Sunday, and even though I had never seen or test ridden one prior to ordering, I have no regrets about my decision. The much-maligned single-pivot suspension works just fine to me, and this is coming from FSR and Maestro systems. The CTD shock affects suspension performance significantly more than differences in linkage design in my experience.

Yeah, the cable routing was clearly an afterthought when they designed this frame. But I read this whole thread before ordering, so I already had a different plan for the front derailleur even before it arrived.

Anyway, here is a crappy phone pic from that inaugural ride.

 
#212 ·
@Adrien: What did the weight end up to be?

Did any of the Covert owners contemplate getting the new Specialized Enduro 29er? I'm still torn between the 2 bikes. I find the sizing of the Covert a bit strange, the reach of the L frame is 11mm shorter than that of the size M Enduro 29er. So by that measurement I should go with the XL, but I'm only 6' (182cm).
 
#213 ·
To answer your first question: YES. If I'm being honest...yes. I prepaid my C29 last fall and started riding in January. Had I waited and bought a bike 6 months later it would have been the Enduro 29. As it stands, the C29 rides so well that I have no desire to lose money selling my bike and buying a new Enduro 29...yet. But, an additional 10% travel with chainstays 0.8" shorter...I like it.

On the flip side: The Enduro 29 only has 0.5" more travel (depending on front or rear) and has a long wheelbase for a given size (this is Specialized in general). I'm not sure the extra travel is enough to be groundbreaking compared to the C29 and the C29 has a pretty short wheelbase due to the shorter top tubes so it still handles very well despite the longer chainstays. For a given size: do you want a short wheelbase with slightly longer chainstays (C29) or a longer wheelbase with short chainstays (E29)?

Someone who puts emphasis on being able to "work" the rear of the bike (manuals, wheelie drops, side hops, etc...) may prefer the E29. Someone who appreciates what comes with a shorter top tube and wheelbase (snappy handling, power position riding, etc...) may really like the C29.

As for size, I have always been right between L and XL on Specialized bikes (6'3"). I really like the shorter reach and upright power position on my XL C29. If I had a E29 I would choose a large which would give me a near identical wheelbase with a slightly longer reach and slightly shorter chainstays. I would suggest the L C29 or you may run out of room to use a dropper post on the XL. If your legs are long enough to allow this then the XL would be fine. Going with the L C29 would certainly mean adapting your riding position. I did just that going from long reach XL Yeti's and Specialized bikes to the shorter reach XL C29. I like the change so much that I would now choose a size L Yeti or Specialized (and have as I also own a L 575).

By being on a shorter upright bike you are positioned optimally for power transfer from the hips, which is much stronger than the laid out knee focused position on other bikes. It does take some time to build up the power in your hips but after this is done it is so easy to jump out of the saddle to a standing pedal. I pedal while standing way more than I ever have before and find it quite advantageous compared to the hunchback seated position. With the shorter reach there is also much less monkey motion required when shifting your weight around for climbs/ descents.
 
#216 · (Edited)
The above points are great. Things I like beside their comments are the build. Fox Kash suspension, upright position, stiff bike. The stiff bike plays into the equation a lot for me. To get to those awesome trails, I've got to climb those gnar trails. I really am pleased with it. My x9 rear brake on the other hand from build two lost all power last week as I was descending some fast rough single track. I was instantly answered by Lars at Transition by the way when I emailed with questions. 5 gold stars for him! My xt with ice tech should be showing up today:) I got build 2 for the price point and have otherwise been overwhelmed at the bikes pure bad-ass-ted-ness!
Has anyone changed out their tires? I have 800 miles on my Hans Dampfs and the knobs are starting to tare away ( don't want a back country flat). I like the fatness of them however. Has anyone tried the big ardents 2.4 or minnion 2.5? Will that monster fit? Just thinking about them...makes me want to try. Whats your take?

6/20 Ok went with the Ardent 2.4's and they will work as a back tire but the 2.4 Ardent is much slimmer than the HD 2.35!!! I will run the Ardents as a rear till gone but when I replace my front it has got to be the HD. Just in case anyone is replacing tires yet.
 
#217 ·
The above points are great. Things I like beside their comments are the build. Fox Kash suspension, upright position, stiff bike. The stiff bike plays into the equation a lot for me. To get to those awesome trails, I've got to climb those gnar trails. I really am pleased with it. My x9 rear brake on the other hand from build two lost all power last week as I was descending some fast rough single track. I was instantly answered by Lars at Transition by the way when I emailed with questions. 5 gold stars for him! My xt with ice tech should be showing up today:) I got build 2 for the price point and have otherwise been overwhelmed at the bikes pure bad-ass-ted-ness!
Has anyone changed out their tires? I have 800 miles on my Hans Dampfs and the knobs are starting to tare away ( don't want a back country flat). I like the fatness of them however. Has anyone tried the big ardents 2.4 or minnion 2.5? Will that monster fit? Just thinking about them...makes me want to try. Whats your take?
I'm using a HD on the front and a 2.25 Nobby Nic on the rear. The smaller Nic made a noticeable difference compared to a HD in less rolling resistance and acceleration. I really like this combo. I don't see moving away from the HD on the front...just awesome.
 
#218 ·
I've heard several riders saying to go with that combo or something close. I'm looking to bigger on this set and just wondered if anyone had the same thought. I probably won't be going smaller though, till I try some floaty beefy tires. I have an Ardent exo 2.4 coming shortly and will probably try it on both ends of the bike before getting too settled.
 
#219 ·
Usefull stuff here, thanks. Gives me stuff to think about. Although I don't understand why you would say the S29 has a longer wheelbase compared to the C29. I guess if you were to compare equaly sized bikes (so L for L), this is correct. But for the S29, I would go with the medium sized frame, whereas for the C29, I would go for the L sized frame. Both have 1160-ish wheelbase. The C29 has 11mm less reach, so should be a bit more cramped/upright than the S29, or be used with a 10mm longer stem.

I like the climbing part of your comment. In our 'all mountain' rides, we do a lot of climbing.

Has anyone ever tried a 150mm fork on this bike? That would slacken the HA a bit. I think that would be perfect.
 
#220 ·
I've been running the 2.5 Minion up front for awhile, awesome tire!, with a 2.3 DHR2 in the back. Great combo for pure traction. I'm running an MRP 2x chainguide with an XT 24/38 crankset, the 2.5 Minion would probably rub on the chainguide but it would fit the frame no problem. I will probably try the 2.5 in the back for lift assist when the resorts open, but not sure it will work with the chainguide.
 
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