Transition Patrol Carbon 1 - Review
Transition's 155mm travel aluminum Patrol has been in their catalog since 2014, so it wasn't too much of a surprise when a lighter weight carbon fiber model was spotted under Transition rider Lars Sternberg last summer. This is the production version of that bike. The long and low geometry that saw the aluminum bike be received so well has been carried over to the Patrol Carbon, and Transition claims that the new frame is 700 grams lighter than its predecessor, with a total weight of 2,400 grams (without shock) versus 3,100 grams.
The new frame and a slew of top shelf components on my Patrol Carbon 1 test bike all add up to 27.25 pounds, which is a pretty damn reasonable number for a 155mm travel bike with proper tires and a 160mm travel fork up front. It also adds up to a $7,599 USD MSRP for the banner model you see here, but $5,199 USD will get you the Patrol Carbon 3, or you can pick up a frame and RockShox Monarch Plus RC3 Debonair shock for $3,199 USD.
Patrol Carbon 1 Details
• Intended use: enduro / all-mountain
• Rear wheel travel: 155mm
• Wheel size: 27.5''
• Frame material: carbon fiber
• Threaded bottom bracket
• ISCG 05 chain guide tabs
• Not compatible w/ a front derailleur
• 12 x 142mm thru-axle
• Weight: 27.25 lb (medium w/o pedals)
• MSRP: $7,599 USD
• Intended use: enduro / all-mountain
• Rear wheel travel: 155mm
• Wheel size: 27.5''
• Frame material: carbon fiber
• Threaded bottom bracket
• ISCG 05 chain guide tabs
• Not compatible w/ a front derailleur
• 12 x 142mm thru-axle
• Weight: 27.25 lb (medium w/o pedals)
• MSRP: $7,599 USD
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Frame Details
Transition recently released a tongue in cheek video that mocks the approach that a lot other brands take to marketing their designs, which might have some people believing that the PNW-based company doesn't have much going on when it comes to the tech side of things. That's certainly not the truth, though, as the Patrol Carbon frame is both lightweight and smartly designed. Actually, it's almost as if the company has included a number of practical features to make working on and living with the bike easier.
Full-length internal cable guides should make maintenance a cinch.
The rocker link is one of the few aluminum components on the 2,400 gram (w/o shock) Patrol Carbon frame.
Transition has used carbon fiber for nearly all of the new Patrol's construction, including the chain stays, but you'll still find an aluminum rocker link and a threaded bottom bracket shell at the center of its ISCG 05 chain guide tabs. The threaded shell (they refer to it as their "Bottom Bracket Storage System,'' or BBSS) makes it much easier for home mechanics to remove and install bottom brackets, and to cut the frame open would reveal full-length internal housing guides (''Tubes In Tubes System,'' or TITS) that will keep riders from fishing for the cable or housing end they can't quite grab. And, unlike way too many designs out there, you can fit a massive water bottle inside of the front triangle.
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 The Patrol Carbon's 155mm of rear wheel travel is controlled via Transition's four-bar GiddyUp suspension design. |
The Patrol's Suspension Explained
Transition isn't trying to reinvent suspension design with Patrol's 155mm travel GiddyUp system, but rather execute a four-bar setup that works well with a smidge more sag than what you see recommended from some other companies, without requiring any pedaling aids. The GiddyUp moniker is a play on words that refers to the Horst Link suspension design, which makes more sense when you see that Transition has moved the rearmost pivot from the seat stay on their older link-driven, single pivot bikes, to the chain stay on their Patrol and other new machines.
Transition turned to Level One Engineering when it came to dialing in the kinematics for the design, and the result should see improved suspension action and more independence from braking forces compared to their old bikes.
The Patrol is intended to be run with 35% sag, which is a touch more than some other bikes, but Transition is adamant that the 155mm travel bike performs best when run on the soft and forgiving side of suspension setup. The 35% figure also jives with the point at which the bike's chain growth is at its most, and as the bike goes deeper into its travel, the rate of chain growth decreases, allowing the suspension to remain active for small and large bump absorption.
The Patrol is intended to be run with 35% sag, which is a touch more than some other bikes, but Transition is adamant that the 155mm travel bike performs best when run on the soft and forgiving side of suspension setup. The 35% figure also jives with the point at which the bike's chain growth is at its most, and as the bike goes deeper into its travel, the rate of chain growth decreases, allowing the suspension to remain active for small and large bump absorption.
The rearmost pivot has been moved from the seat stay on their older link-driven, single pivot bikes, to the chain stay on their Patrol and other new machines.
Specifications
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Climbing
Some people don't mind slugging it out during an all-day mission on a thirty-something pound bike that pedals like it has flat tires, but I'm not one of them. Sure, I'd much rather have a heavy bike that works well over a light bike that's a complete dud, but given the choice, I think we'd all reach for the machine that's both relatively light and that rides superbly. The 27 lb Patrol Carbon 1 is that machine. As far as bikes in this travel bracket go, it's a flyweight, which means that it never felt like I was being punished for my many sins when I was three hours into a six-hour adventure. There's no getting around the fact that it's a slack, long-travel bike, but both extended uphill slogs and short, steep walls don't feel like as much of a chore when you're on the black-and-blue Transition as they do on others.
 | Leave the shock wide open, don't pedal like you're trying to match your cadence to a Skrillex beat, and you'll be surprised at how well the Patrol gets around. |
The bike's weight helps, no doubt about it, but the Patrol also pedals with a pretty good amount of composure. It doesn't quite burst forward with the urgency of Mondraker's Dune or Yeti's SB6C, but it's damn close, and I didn't reach down for the Monarch's pedal-assist lever unless I was going to be spending a lot of time chugging up a gravel road. Leave the shock wide open, don't pedal like you're trying to match your cadence to a Skrillex beat, and you'll be surprised at how well the Patrol gets around.
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| Big climbs on enduro bikes are usually shitty, but they're a lot less shitty on the Patrol Carbon. |
When Transition's Lars Sternberg told me that they designed the Patrol to be run with 35% sag, I immediately had images of a slacked out bike that, when I was in a seated pedaling position, would have more in common with a recumbent than anything I'd want to wiggle up a tricky climb. It turns out that isn't the case at all. The bike's 75.4° seat angle kept that from happening, and because I tend to stay glued to the seat for almost the entirety of a climb, the Patrol never felt more long and unwieldy than is acceptable from a bike with its travel and intentions. You still need to climb with care - it does have a 65° head angle, after all. Employ the usual aim wide, cut in hard like you're about to miss your exit off the highway, and depend on the good amount of traction that the beefy rubber and reasonably short chain stays will deliver, and you'll get wherever you need to go.
Descending
In the past, I've talked about how bikes in the same class as the Patrol are actually starting to form two categories. One group leans more towards a rider who prefers a relatively spritely, playful all-mountain bike that doesn't suck the life out of you on flat ground or slow technical trails; on the other side of the fence are the bikes (often with the same amount of travel) that definitely sacrifice some all-around performance in order to make you feel like champ when the riding is more vertical than horizontal. Somehow, the Patrol Carbon 1 manages to put a foot on both sides of that fence by being nimble when you need to bob and weave, but without losing that plow-ability that any good enduro race bike needs to have. The Patrol Carbon is the bulldog that can win an agility contest; the Motorhead fan who secretly knows how to dance the salsa. Sure, the recipe to make a 155mm travel bike that shines on rowdy descents is relatively straightforward these days, but few companies have figured out how to bake-in the kind of all-around versatility that Transition have given the Patrol.
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| The Patrol Carbon is extremely versatile, with the ability to be fun on tame terrain as well as be inspiring when things get rowdy. |
This was never more obvious than when pointing the Patrol down a section of watered-down trail that used to be rowdy, a building trend that's making a lot of all-mountain bikes feel like they're complete overkill. The Patrol isn't one of them, however, as it doesn't steer with a heavy, slow feel at lower speeds or on flat ground, despite the slack head angle, and it pedals well enough to keep you from feeling as though you're mired in quicksand. The result is a bike that's fun on the tamest of descents, and one that's more enjoyable in such settings than much of its competition. That's not something I'd be expecting to say about a bike that sits into 35% of its travel - which should steal some of its pop but doesn't - but Transition has obviously done something right when it comes to all the other numbers.
| The Patrol Carbon is the bulldog that can win an agility contest; the Motorhead fan who secretly knows how to dance the salsa. Sure, the recipe to make a 155mm travel bike that shines on rowdy descents is relatively straightforward these days, but few companies have figured out how to bake-in the kind of all-around versatility that Transition have given the Patrol. |
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| It doesn't take much effort to get the Patrol airborne, which makes it a fun bike on all sorts of terrain. |
That same agile personality is going to make a precise, skilled rider quite happy if they'd rather hold an exact line though a chunky section of trail, with the bike's light steering yet stable feel rewarding someone who uses their brain over just their balls to get down the hill. It's easy to place, holds a line, and simply doesn't ride like a full-on enduro race bike... until you want it to, that is. With a slack head angle, a bunch of sag, and some of the best suspension money can buy, Patrol Carbon riders aren't going to have any qualms about throwing themselves into the thick of it. The bike can go through nasty terrain faster than I get through a box of donuts, and while it's not quite as at ease as something like a Trek Slash or Devinci Spartan when it gets properly hairy, I don't think that a skilled rider is going to lose much (or any) time in these moments. It's not quite as glued to the ground as those two bikes, but that very fact could make the Patrol even quicker in the right hands.
The bike's easy to get along with personality is going to make a great choice for those who like the idea of a burly all-mountain bike but maybe don't have the skills to push such a machine to its limits, but I also don't want to sell it short when it comes to its capabilities. It's a full-on beast when there are more scary rocks than dirt, or when the trail is steep enough that you forget to blink until you get to the bottom.
My only real gripe when on the descents is how much chain slap the bike seem to suffer from, and also how weird it sounds. In fact, I could actually feel it through my feet strongly enough that I first suspected that something was off with the Monarch shock, despite the bike coming with a molded plastic and rubber chain stay guard. The good thing is that it's a pretty easy issue to solve - some extra protection on the chain stay will go a long way to helping, as would a chain guide with a lower roller to add tension - but it's certainly one of the oddest chain slap quirks I've seen.
Suspension
Here's a quick, two-step guide to putting together a rear suspension design that's more absorbent than a fresh Shamwow: take one RockShox Monarch Plus RC3 with a coil-like DebonAir air can on it, and bolt that to a bike that's designed to run a relatively low spring rate that provides a ton of sag. Make sure the shock has the correct tune, of course, as well as some volume spacers inside, so it ramps up enough to keep you from clanging off the end of the stroke, and you're all set. It's obviously not nearly that simple, but Transition have done all that and more to create a very forgiving rear end. It's sensitive enough to be offended by a questionable joke, and it ramps up at just the right rate when you see the landing pass under you, but not so quick that you can't take advantage of all 155 millimeters.
To be truthful, I did start with the bike at 30% sag, mostly because I didn't believe Sternberg when he told me the Patrol pedals and handles fine at 35% (sorry, Lars, you were right), and the bike does work okay when it's set to run slightly firmer. Even so, at 30% it isn't anything special, doesn't pedal or handle any better, and is less forgiving, so you're better off just listening to the guys at Transition. It's almost as if they had a part in designing the bike or something...
Up front, the Fox 36 Float RC2 was flawless. I'd probably add a volume spacer or two if I were going to spend most of my riding time rubbing my ass on the bike's rear tire, but that's more of a terrain-specific comment than an actual complaint. It's extremely adjustable, extremely active, and an extremely nice fork overall.
Up front, the Fox 36 Float RC2 was flawless. I'd probably add a volume spacer or two if I were going to spend most of my riding time rubbing my ass on the bike's rear tire, but that's more of a terrain-specific comment than an actual complaint. It's extremely adjustable, extremely active, and an extremely nice fork overall.
Technical Report
• An Adhesive Issue: Just in case you couldn't tell, I really, really enjoyed riding the Patrol Carbon. I did run into an issue, though, when the cable guide for the rear brake broke off of the chain stay, either from the brake line tugging on it when the bike bottomed out or from line catching on the tire and ripping the guide off. Whatever the cause, it's not a good thing, especially on a frame that retails for over $3,000 USD. ''I'd love to chalk it up to the bike being an early test sample,'' Transition's Lars Sternberg explained, ''but the reality is you tested one of our first production bikes, and it turns out the bonding adhesive used to fix the cable guides wasn't strong enough.'' He went on to say that they've made changes to the production line shortly after learning about the issue and that only a very small number of frames were affected. ''We are acutely aware of this, and if that happened to one of our customers, they'd get a nice shiny new chainstay that won't have the same issue. There isn't much to do other than deal with it and move on. The important thing is, if our customers have a similar problem, we will cover them completely.''
• ANVL Rasp Grips: My average-sized paws have always preferred to hold onto the thinnest grips that I can find, but downsizing in diameter means less padding and usually harsher feel. The ANVL Rasp's 29mm diameter is extremely slim, and they're one of the few grips that have actually made my hands sore by the time the ride is done. And just in case you're thinking that I have soft, office-type hands, I wasn't the only one came back from a ride on the Patrol with sore mitts. It turns out that the Rasp grips live up to their name.
The bike's reliable ARC 30 rims aren't as flashy or brag-worthy as a set of carbon hoops, but they cost a lot less and work just as well.
If you have a cable-operated dropper post, KS' Southpaw remote is worth trying to get ahold of.
• Easton ARC 30 Rims: These aluminum rims, with their understated graphics, are nearly invisible on the bike. They're nearly invisible when you ride them as well, which is very good thing. They stayed true and dent-free during my time on them, and the 30mm width is sizeable enough to support the meaty tires that a bike like the Patrol deserves. The rim bed isn't sealed like Easton's higher end rims, but it also doesn't require the funky double-threaded nipples, a trade that I'd make all day, every day.
• KS Southpaw Remote: The Patrol Carbon 1 came from Transition with a 150mm travel KS LEV Integra dropper post. Due to cost considerations, many bikes come spec'd with KS' godawful plastic remote that, while being very ergonomic, tends to crack faster than a twelve-year-old Mike Levy who was hauled in for shoplifting. Thankfully, Transition chose to go with the KS' amazing Southpaw remote that is infinitely adjustable and can be made perfect for everyone from a young child to someone with the hands of a large gorilla.
Pinkbike's Take:
| The Patrol Carbon is the most versatile all-mountain bike that I can remember riding. It's slack and forgiving like a proper enduro race bike should be, but then it seems to transform into not just a completely manageable package when the terrain isn't burly, but one that's an absolute blast to ride. Transition hasn't employed any buttons or dials to change the bike's geometry, either, but rather just built a smart, easy to live with bike that's fun to ride everywhere and anywhere. - Mike Levy |
About the Reviewer
Stats: Age: 34 • Height: 5'10” • Inseam: 33" • Weight: 165lb • Industry affiliations / sponsors: None Mike Levy spent most of the 90s and early 2000s racing downhill bikes and building ill-considered jumps in the woods of British Columbia before realizing that bikes could also be pedaled for hours on end to get to some pretty cool places. These days he spends most of his time doing exactly that, preferring to ride test bikes way out in the local hills rather than any bike park. Over ten years as a professional mechanic before making the move to Pinkbike means that his enthusiasm for two wheels extends beyond simply riding on them, and his appreciation for all things technical is an attribute that meshes nicely with his role of Technical Editor at Pinkbike.
Stats: Age: 34 • Height: 5'10” • Inseam: 33" • Weight: 165lb • Industry affiliations / sponsors: None Mike Levy spent most of the 90s and early 2000s racing downhill bikes and building ill-considered jumps in the woods of British Columbia before realizing that bikes could also be pedaled for hours on end to get to some pretty cool places. These days he spends most of his time doing exactly that, preferring to ride test bikes way out in the local hills rather than any bike park. Over ten years as a professional mechanic before making the move to Pinkbike means that his enthusiasm for two wheels extends beyond simply riding on them, and his appreciation for all things technical is an attribute that meshes nicely with his role of Technical Editor at Pinkbike.
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
They're a company I'd buy from again in the future without hesitation.
''but the reality is you tested one of our first production bikes, and it turns out the bonding adhesive used to fix the cable guides wasn't strong enough.'' He went on to say that they've made changes to the production line shortly after learning about the issue and that only a very small number of frames were affected.
It's cool that he goes on to say that anyone who has a problem will have the chainstay immediately replaced, though.
All in all, you have to look at how much carbon / aluminum are used in the bike production market. Is it 100 000tons a year? how is this comparing to other industries? what are the alternative? how long will my bike last?. their are many many factors in this equation...
Dope bike, I already own a transition and can say it's the best service I ever had with an almost maintenance free frame. They are in the good direction
@furnissj You can weld cracked aluminum frames. Pinkbike ran an article about Intense some time ago and they said that welding a broken an aluminum frame and then heat treating it results in the same strength as the original.
All in all, I would definitely be interested in an article that approached the topic from a bunch of perspectives and mentioned some statistics on what's actually more environmentally friendly.
Exactly what standards are you talking about? I don't believe there are any.
It looks like a solid time to buy a Cdn frame
I noticed some "evidence" at the seat stays - just some minor chips - will get some slapper tape or put on an old tube -> problem solved.
Maybe that has something to do with the small diameter of the 1x11 chainrings - never had that issue with a 36er
Not true, i live in california, we have earthquakes.
did you set your bike up with the recommended 35% sag? at the beginning i did not measure it exactly (what difference would 5% make?) but it is crucial to get the patrol suspension working like it should. after that the small bump resonsivenes was great and now my pike is the limitation :-)
that´s strange - maybe the shock needs to be replaced (warranty)?
I WILL purchase another Transition because of this
I really really really wish I could afford one of these. Even if I sold all 6 of my bikes, I still don't think I could.
On top of that, the lever its self has some play that causes the lever to rattle when riding. Totally poor design if you ask me. I replaced it with a Specialized SLR lever, and that thing is so much better.
-For carbon bars, run two little strips of double sided carpet tape. It's thin as paper and has fairly high strength adhesive. Also you can eliminate the play in the lever simply by extending the barrel a tad into the stroke.
It's a really good design, and one that needed to come to market years ago - it needs some redesign for a rev 2 for sure - but for now, they're 95% there.
Check in the seated position as described.
Cause I couldn't give a damn how my suspension performs seated.
Noice.
"that is what these bikes are designed for, going fast and getting good times"
Why would that not be a selling point?? That is at the top of the list of things I want in my bike.
This bike delivers that in a fantastic way.
Quote: "I want a bike that is capable of climbing but geared more toward downhill. A 5010 may be more fun for straight XC, but do you want to hit 30 foot gaps and 15 foot drops on it? The Patrol can ride XC in the morning, and hit anything in the bike park that afternoon. It's range of usability is the selling point for me."
I couldn't agree with you more tetonlarry, It's all about what kind of riding you enjoy the most. I'm a little sad to say that my love for my Banshee Legend has diminished a little since riding my Patrol. I've done plenty of Forest Rd grinds standing on the pedals just to get in some good DH, but don't see the point of taking the DH bike anymore with the Patrol. The Legend will only see chair lift country now. I too have always been drawn to bikes that never leave me making excuses for why I can't hit something (jumps & drops). I had a first gen Nomad and loved it. I still laugh at the fact that it came with a 90mm stem from SC (changed that to a 50mm 1st thing). Shows how different the thinking still was in early 2007. I also spent years on a TR Dirtbag (still hangs in the garage), an Intense Uzzi, a Canfield The One (Breifly), just to give you an idea of what kind of riding I place the most importance on. None of them however nailed it like the Patrol.
I think there are people buying bikes now based on what is trending or popular (Enduro bikes) and not being honest with them selves about their skill level and what they like to actually ride. I'm not saying that my type of riding or any type of riding is any better or worse than another. Just saying if you don't ride what this bike is designed for why would you think it is a good choice for you? Of course if all you ride is XC you won't like this bike as much as another. It's not a XC bike.
There was an issue with the Alu Partols, the poor internal cable routing would wear frames under the BB shell has this been addressed?
Also I wouldn't want my rear brake hose dangling about under my BB like that... Catch it and your dead!
Sometimes they'll actually go so far as to start to say the bike doesn't -insert handling term here- as well as -......-(which they often WILL name), but before you can say "Darn-it-all-to-heck if PB isn't actually gonna be honest in a review for once", they'll turn that 'negative' statement on its head by saying that said 'quirk' is actually an advantage, and the bike is faster because of it.
But what we're seeing now-and I must commend them for the geniousity of it-, is the inventing of a nonexistent (at least uber-rare, as in my 30+ years of riding MTBs I've never encountered it) riding condition.
Now we have the 'used to be technical, but now is merely a 'watered-down' version of its old-self trail. And to give it credibility, they claim that it's 'trending', i.e. soon to be coming to a trail system near you, which also gives you a certifiable reason to rush out and purchase this bike, lest you be caught on an easy trail which your bike isn't equipped to deal with.
Speaking to the 'used to be technical, now it's a fire road' trail, here in [mostly DRY] SoKal, what happens over time is the opposite. We've got hardpack, sand-over-hardpack(sand on garage-floor), and a lot of exposed rock and rock gardens. The wind blows what topsoil is there, away. When it does rain, what sand or silt is still hanging on gets washed away down channels(that turn into ruts when the rain stops and the ground dries) carved into the hardpack by said rushing water, exposing more rock(s).
And if/when we get a decent amount of rain(which we did earlier in the month), trails that fall off on one side or the other, tend to lose up to a foot or more of their width.
Even the local shuttle-served riding area(Snow Summit) hasn't 'watered-down' any of its existing trails. Matter of fact, off the top of my head I can think of several places where they increased the height of existing jumps from one year to the next. Other than that, the lack of decent trail maintenance has done the same thing to its trails, thanks to rain and snow melt. Top soil washed away, exposing more rock(s).
I happen to like riding this kind of terrain, but that's not my point.
Since PB is apparently waiting for one particular notoriously H-0-T place to freeze over before they say something, uh, non-positive about a product of a current and/or [hopefully] future PB advertiser, I'm seeing a bit[unintended no doubt] '0 comedy introduced into these reviews in the form of inserting COUGHuber-rareCOUGH trail conditions, in order to claim said product excels somewhere.
The used to be 'rowdy', but now 'tis a fireroad descent
This means the wheelbase is shortening throughout the rest of the travel, this is why it is shit, like nearly all other suspension bikes made today, why would anyone buy this crap?
I do understand that this is the newest carbon-jamb-mambo stuff, but cmon. I can get a very good Enduro + Downhill sled for that price, so I would definetely pass this, even if I had the Money!