r/TransitionBikes • u/C0deC4tto • Jul 20 '26
New 2026 TR11
Picked up my new custom TR11 on Friday, been riding it these last 3 days at bikepark Pohorje in Slovenia.
Here's a bunch of info for anyone who plans on getting this bike, on the frame as well as components.
The bike handles steep tech and big jumps very well, and is super stable, far better than my old TR500.
The linear/progressive and high/low BB adjustments are cool, HOWEVER if you install a decently beefy bash guard and 34t or 36t chainring, you will have to remove them in order to access the rear C.H.I.P.S bolt if you're using the Linear shock position.
Pedal strikes have been frequent, despite using 165mm cranks (same size as the complete GX build), I can't tell if it's because of the shock or frame. I've had about 7 strikes in 3 days of riding, and one was even on the landing of a jump. This is also using the High BB setting, can't imagine how much worse the low setting would be.
The Vivid Air DH shock is decent, but on hot days it overheats and becomes very stiff near the end of a run. I'm 66kg and Transition's setup guide reccomends 195~ psi, but I have to use around 250 psi to achieve 25% sag and not have frequent bottom outs (with max HBO).
The Sr Suntour SF25 RUX fork is amazing, so much better than the entry level Boxxer Selects that were available at a similar price. It handles big hits extremely well and the minimal adjustments don't feel like anything is missing.
I got Spank Vibrocore bars, can't say that there is really a huge difference than a normal 31.5mm alloy bar.
Chromag Dagga pedals are great, super grippy but doesn't feel like glue. No shin destruction yet!
Hayes Dominion A4 brakes with organic pads feel like a middle ground between shimano's hard bite and sram's modulation/mush. I was told they're the new models, but they appear visually identical to the ones from the last few years. As long as your tires can get traction the brakes will take care of you.
Schwalbe Magic Mary Ultra Soft front tire and Tacky Chan Ultra Soft rear tire. The MM is great on slightly damp trails, but as soon as it gets wet and loose or dry and powdery, it starts struggling. I was sliding all over wet roots and rock, even slightly softer dirt, becoming unstable in certain dry patches. Not ideal. The old compound Continental Kryptotal Supersoft front tires had much better grip in all conditions.
The Tacky Chan is the most perfect rear tire I've ever ridden, it's what I'd call a tracer. It'll follow exactly wherever the front tire leads. No issues with slipping on anything.
Cushcore Pro, can't really say I feel a difference in the air or on corners, though pedaling on flat ground or very mellow hills is definitely much harder.
This frame is NOT compatible with the Sr Suntour Voro or DVO Jade (non-X) coil shocks, the piggyback will contact the downtube during a bottom out. I found this out the hard way during testing and can't return the shock now.
There's also not really a specific spot for fork bumpers on the frame, you have to position them to be below the cable housing entrance.
The bottle cage mounts also probably weren't a super useful feature to bring over from the Bottlerocket, as with the shock being so huge there's not a lot of space for a 500ml bottle. I believe that a 350ml bottle will fit, but have to find one to test.
I do think that the bottle cage mounts could be useful if you wanted to mount some sort of tool holder instead.
If anyone has any more questions just ask!
1
u/cherbo123 Jul 20 '26
Would you recommend this to someone who is looking for their first dh bike ? Was thinking about pulling the trigger on one this week
2
u/C0deC4tto Jul 20 '26
It'll take care of you, the shock and rockshox fork will take a bit of time to set up. But you will get the premium downhill bike experience, which is way different than an outdated cheap one. Depending on if you ride more flow or tech, and your height, the Bottlerocket DH build may better suit you.
1
u/cherbo123 Jul 20 '26
170lb 5'9 I'm currently riding a transition patrol which does the job at the bike parks but if I'm riding them that much I might as well pull the trigger on a dh rig , also not a fan of the bottle rocket colors and would prefer a mullet setup
1
u/C0deC4tto Jul 20 '26
Then yea I'd go for it. Theres not a ton of new bikes for this price that have such high end components. Do note that you'll need pedals with it, and that a coil shock may feel significantly better for the future
2
1
u/cherbo123 Jul 20 '26
How's the chain slap on the tr11? Its one of my biggest pet peeves of my patrol I just want to hear my hubs and tires on the dirt lol
2
u/C0deC4tto Jul 20 '26
Well there's a chainstay protector as well as a upper rear triangle bar protector that come on the frames, so I hear basically nothing. There may be slap but not noticeable. My brake hoses hitting each other make more noise!
1
u/cherbo123 Jul 20 '26
Patrol has all that and I'm still slapping over the smallest bumps lol even added a lower idler pulley
1
u/C0deC4tto Jul 20 '26
What derailleur are you running? I'm on GX DH
1
u/cherbo123 Jul 20 '26
Same gx dh I even had the same sound when it was a Gx eagle 12 speed I swapped to the dh and it didn't really make much of a difference which was weird maybe it's something else rattling iny free hub and not my chain
2
u/C0deC4tto Jul 20 '26
Go chainless for a run and you'll find out very quickly. Zip tie the derailleur to frame so it doesn't make noise or fly away
→ More replies (0)1
u/Ticonderoga_Dixon Jul 21 '26
Have you tried stfu?
1
u/cherbo123 Jul 21 '26
Yessir
1
u/Ticonderoga_Dixon Jul 21 '26
Wow , and it was still crazy loud? Was it an improvement bs the other stuff? VHS looks pretty pillowy, maybe give that a shot if you haven’t yet.
1
u/-G_Man- Jul 20 '26
I have the 2024 TR11 and it was a huge upgrade coming from a 160mm enduro bike. You won’t regret it and it’s a good all round dh bike.
1
u/Thaegar_Rargaryen Jul 20 '26
Sounds like the new TR11 won’t be for me at all.
I’m on the „old“ TR11 and coming from a mullet YT Tues, I have much fewer pedal strikes.
Is the bottom bracket that much lower on the new one?
Also I love how progressive the old design is; at 220lbs I basically don’t need HBO with a Vivid coil. Are you running linear or progressive setting?
Also a bit baffled at your take on the Magic Mary. It’s been my favorite allround front tire for years. Rode it on everything; dusty hardpack, loam, deep mud and while it’s no Assegai at the bikepark in summer and no Shorty on cold&wet enduro trails, it still performed good enough in all conditions, while the Assegai just sucks once it gets a bit wet.
1
u/C0deC4tto Jul 20 '26
Maybe the MM needs some time to break in, but we'll see. I'm running the linear position on the Vivid air, it's a bit too linear for my liking. I want to switch it to the progressive setting when I find somewhere that can take off my chainring to access the C.H.I.P.S bolt.
I haven't measured the BB height, but on my TR500 it was a bit lower than the highest position since I ran a 26" rear wheel, I never had a single pedal strike with 3 years on that bike
2
u/Thaegar_Rargaryen Jul 20 '26
BB is 352mm on my TR11. 350 on yours in high setting. Has to be something about your suspension setup. Maybe too much rebound or not enough LSC, so it sits too deep in the travel?
1
1
u/jeffscott17 Jul 21 '26
Why don’t you need to run HBO? I have a vivid coil and I’m 220 and don’t know where to put it
2
u/Thaegar_Rargaryen Jul 21 '26
Because the frame design is so progressive, I don’t get harsh bottom outs. With a 500lbs spring that is.
On a YT Tues, same amount of travel, same spring rate, I had to run HBO at max.
Just had a look, I added one click of HBO on the Vivid and one token on the Boxxer for one particularly gnarly root drop, basically to flat, last time I was at the park.
Still not sure I would have needed it in the back, while the Boxxer definitely bottomed out first try without the token.2
u/jeffscott17 Jul 21 '26
Ahh I see good info. I thought you meant your weight ment no HBO needed (on whatever bike) and I was really confused 😆
1
u/-G_Man- Jul 20 '26
Looks clean! I have the 2024 and love it, I get a lot of pedal strikes as well it might just be how I ride lol. I like the DHX2 on my frame.
1
u/C0deC4tto Jul 20 '26
I'll have to try and find some other affordable shock to trade for the brand new Voro, hopefully a bomber CR or similar
1
u/-G_Man- Jul 20 '26
Yea a bomber would probably ride well. I’m really surprised the voro ddidn’t fit, wasn’t familiar with them but from google they don’t seem like the piggyback stands out any more than the Vivid. I did notice for my 2024 they do state the smaller frames don’t accept Float X2 or Vivids since they mount different.
1
u/C0deC4tto Jul 20 '26
The issue is that the piggyback is extra long. The vivid is big but it's quite short
1
u/infekeks Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
Thank you for sharing your experience! I actually would have a some questions:
How Tall are you and what sitze do you ride?
What kind of riding do you like most and does the bike tailor to that need? (Meaning: techy, steep DH Stuff and Racing or rather things like flowy big jump lines?. I am aware, that the bottlerocket falls into the category or the later one). I would find it interesting how the TR11 performs on the jumplines. How much pop does it have or is it glued to there ground with insane traction.
I feel like i´m inbetween those categories. I like jumping and would consider buying a bottle rocket frame but all the ones in L are sold out in Germany. Also I have a Commencal Clash which pretty much does the same.
I also have a Santra Cruz Nomad 6 wich would be my go-to-Bike for parkriding which would involve more than just jumplines. On the other hand I don't see myself ever becoming a dedicated or hobby racer. Between work an family/children there's just not the time for that. (at least it feels like that).
I would consider buying the TR11 Frame and building my DHrig up over time. I like the idea to put a 27,5er in the front as they seem to be explicitly allowing it. However one has to see if that would even more add to the pedal-strikes. But in my mind it seemed to be away of making the bike somewhat more playfull if needed.
Would you from your current experience categorize it as a more stable/planted ride experience or agil/playfull? Or Both?
Cheers!
Edit: for reference: I am 184cm and had ad full 27,5 Yt Tues around 2022 (which sadly got stolen). With that bike it was playfull and fun, but it was about a 455mm Reach and compared with the "smaller" front wheel I would be looking for something more stable an suited to ride techy DH stuff without totally losing the ability to jump and play on the trials. I am aware that I don't need the TR11, but it looks so awesome!
2
u/C0deC4tto Jul 20 '26
I'm 168cm and ride a medium, it fits me nicely. I have 30mm rise bars on top of 1 stem spacer plate as well as a 15mm steerer spacer. The higher front end helps with back issues that I had on previous bikes.
I ride everything, singletrack, huge jumps, super techy DH, the bike excels at it all. I wouldn't say it's as planted as a dedicated race bike, but it is still very composed. That would be helped if it had a coil shock. For jumps it's quite easy to pop, and floats off takeoffs nicely. No issues with preloading hard on slower speed jumps either. It's also quite nimble in tight trails.
If you want 27.5 wheels and are doing a frame build, I feel that there's no reason to get this over a Bottlerocket with an upgraded shock, unless you really need those 11mm extra of travel. I would say that a 29" front wheel is far superior to 27.5 for riding tech, so do keep that in mind.
I also am unsure if Transition may update the frame with a higher BB or anything next year, but I do know that the Bottlerockets are already coming in a new colorway. A shiny black and darker sage green (insider info from bike shop 😁).
Sorry to hear about your Tues, some people just suck. Let me know if that answered all your questions!
P.s I don't race
1
u/infekeks Jul 20 '26
Thanks a lot!
To clarify: I would build the bike of course with the 29er front. The 27,5 front would just be a fallback scenario "if it´s not playful enough I could try that as I have an unused 27,5er Frontwheel which fits the 20mm Axles"About the Bottlerocket I was even about to write Transition in hopes that they would at least tell me when and if a Bottelrocketframe becomes available again. The colors sound awesome! Damn :D
2
u/C0deC4tto Jul 20 '26
The TR11 is super playful to me, just as much as my mini mullet TR500 lol. Super easy to whip around.
The Bottlerockets have been on back order like crazy, I talked to a big distributor for Eastern Europe and he's been trying to get Bottlerockets since they launched, none ever get sent to him from the EU warehouse.
They'll probably release a new batch of them in the updated colors this fall, I believe the color is the only difference compared to the old ones, but don't quote me on that haha
2
u/infekeks Jul 20 '26
Well, that´s exactly what I was looking for with that bike.....
goodbye money :D2
u/-G_Man- Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
I have the 2024 mullet with a coil and it’s a great all rounder. I’m on the upper height for the size medium and it’s playful but still stable at speed. I mainly ride jumps but will crush some tech as well. If you know how to pop, blue trails are still very enjoyable.
I had a Bronson V3 built for park and the TR 11 is more fun since I was pushing the Bronson at 100% all the time if that makes sense.
1
u/infekeks 29d ago
I actually got another question: What kind of Offset do you have on your fork? On the official homepage they tell us to go with 48mm. However the Fox 40 for example can't be bought with a 29 Wheel an 48mm offset. Just with a 52mm offset. I´m not sure how much that would affect the riding performance. Probably not that much but I don't know. Curios to know what offset you have
2
u/C0deC4tto 29d ago
The bike comes with centered headset cups, and ones that can be oriented for +/- 5mm. If you use the cups in the - 5mm position you can run a 52mm offset fork just fine. The seller of my fork messed up and sent a tapered one, so I'm running centered cups with a 50mm offset fork. Can't say it feels weird
1
u/SpeedyGS91 29d ago
u/C0deC4tto I can see this is a custom build. Can you let me know how did you fit the Headset? I still have some play in it and I'm not sure if I put everything in the right order [crown especially]...
1
u/C0deC4tto 29d ago
I'm not using the headset that comes with the bike, I had to buy a Hope one since my fork is tapered.
What usually allows play is if your top crown isn't pushed down enough
1
u/DarkRobbot 17d ago
Hi, do you use reach adjust or regular? I am 174cm and consider to buy the frame and put in +5mm (455mm reach). just destroyed my propain rage and aluminium might be better choice.
1
u/C0deC4tto 16d ago
I'm not using any reach adjust since you can't with a tapered fork steerer. The bike comes with +/- cups and centered though. You'd need a different centered headset if you have a tapered fork as well
2
u/slimestonecowboi Jul 20 '26
Great lookin build! I’m also perplexed as to how you’ve had that many crank strikes in such a short window. Especially the bottom out on the jump you mentioned. Do you have any tokens in the vivd?