First Look Friday is an introduction to the products that we are currently testing for review. This week we’re featuring the Transition Patrol, an elliptical chain ring from Wolf Tooth and Specialized’s 2FO Clip shoes.
Transition Patrol
The Patrol seemed to enjoy hanging around the office couch.
In 2015 Transition released a whole new range of bikes designed around their Giddy Up link suspension. The GiddyUp link suspension is Transition’s take on the Horst Link design. The change is said to make the bike pedal more efficiently while the ramp up near the end of the travel becomes more precise than their previous bikes.
The Patrol is the biggest bike amongst Transition’s all-mountain trail bike line up with 155mm of suspension travel in the rear and designed for 160mm up front. The Patrol frameset comes fitted with RockShox’s big volume Monarch Plus RC3 Debonair shock.
The heart of the GiddyUp Link suspension.
The Patrol is a disciple of the long, low and slack school of geometry. The head angle is 65 degrees, the chainstays measure 430mm and the reach, on our extra large frame, comes in at 483mm. Other notable features include internal cable routing, a threaded bottom bracket and a Syntace X12 142mm rear axle.
A-Line MTB and Outdoor, the South African Transition Bikes distributor, built up a new frameset using parts from their demo fleet for this review. The build features a RockShox Pike fork, SRAM X1 drivetrain, SRAM Guide RSC brakes, WTB KOM rims laced to Hope hubs and a Chromag cockpit. All top quality kit which means I can forget about the components and focus how the Patrol rides.
The Chromag twin bears decorate the cockpit.
A-Line were also kind enough to allow us to travel with the Patrol to the Italian Alps for the week of Suzuki Nine Knights. With a bike park and countless alpine trails to explore, Livingo is the ideal location to thoroughly test the Patrol.
The full review should be out in the next few weeks. For now, watch this guy shredding on a Patrol:
From the manufacturer:
The all new Patrol gives you the control of a downhill bike perfectly balanced with a lively and jumpy personality for a comfortable, efficient and fun ride in almost any trail condition. The Patrol is long and low with a slack 65 degree head angle and big wheelbase for tremendous stability in rowdy terrain. But don’t let the numbers fool you; the short 430mm chainstay and 155mm of active and carefully tuned suspension keep you in touch with the ground and ready to respond at a moment’s notice. With the Patrol you get big mountain confidence with trail bike agility in the same machine.
- Progressive Geometry – Long, Low and Slack
- Giddy Up Link Suspension, 155mm Rear and 160mm Front
- Integrated Rubber Chainstay Protection
- Collet Style Main Pivot Hardware
- E2 Low Direct Mount Front Derailleur Support
- ISCG05 Chainguide Mounting
- Syntace X12 Rear 142mm Axle and Universal Transition Derailleur Hanger
- Full Size Water Bottle Fits Inside Front Triangle
- User Friendly 73mm Threaded Bottom Bracket
- Internal Cable Routing with Stealth Dropper Post Routing
- The use of clear protective tape on the Highlighter Yellow paint can cause discolouration and is not recommended
Specialized 2FO Clip Shoe:
First launched in 2014, the 2FO (derived from ‘foot out, flat out’) shoes are aimed at all mountain and downhill riders. There are flat and clipless specific shoes, with three different colours to choose from in each. We have the Clipless model on test.
The outsole is made up of two different density rubbers. The red is the softer section of the sole and is made from the same ‘SlipNot’ rubber used on the flat pedal version of the 2FO for better hike-a-bike grip. The black section is slightly firmer to make it easier to clip back into the pedal – hence it referred to as the “Landing Strip”.
With a big focus on pedal connectivity, rider comfort and protection, the shoes are not short on features and we look forward to seeing how they compare with the other shoes on offer in the market.
Specification
- Body Geometry sole construction and footbed: ergonomically designed and scientifically tested to boost power, increase efficiency, and reduce chance of injury by optimizing hip, knee, and foot alignment.
- Landing Strip™ cleat pocket is optimized for effortless foot-out riding style with platform clip pedals.
- Dual durometer sole uses firm rubber to control clip-in, and softer rubber to optimize toe and heel traction.
- Stiff Lollipop™ inner plate for high performance pedaling sits in a bed of EVA to soften landings and maintain off-bike traction.
- Extended length cleat slot (4mm) for rearward cleat set up option.
- Injection-molded toe kick, anti-tear toe, and high-side cuff for lightweight armour-like protection.
- Air mesh on tongue and upper provides protection and quickly sheds water weight.
- Smooth thermobonded upper for lightweight durability and a snag-free profile.
- Cushioned EVA midsole is sealed with a protective skin for support and tear resistance.
- Body Geometry equipped to optimize comfort and performance.
- Relaxed Fit for a balance of pedal feel and off-bike comfort.
- Two-bolt cleat pattern fits all major MTB pedals.
- Lacelock™ elastic keeps laces out of chainrings (extra set of coloured laces included).
- Approximate weight: 450g (1/2 pair, size 42)
- RRP: R2,299.00
From the Manufacturer:
Pushing the limits requires confidence in your equipment. 2FO Clip brings control, comfort, and protection to platform clip pedal footwear without any weight and fit penalties. Developed and tested by gravity and all-mountain athletes worldwide, the 2FO Clip was engineered to allow for smooth pedal entry and exit so you can focus on going fast and getting loose. Foot out, flat out.
Wolf Tooth Drop-Stop Chainring (Full name: Elliptical Direct Mount for SRAM GXP Cranks)
When SRAM first launched it’s 11speed MTB and 1 X drivetrains, it’s popularity sparked such a big uptake it caught even them off guard. Unfortunately, at first, going 11 speed meant a whole new drivetrain and Narrow Wide chainrings from SRAM.
Enter Wolf Tooth. They jumped on the bandwagon and released affordable Narrow Wide chainrings that could fit just about any BCD and crank – in doing so bringing 1 x goodness into reach of more riders.
Elliptical (oval) chainrings are said to maximize the part of the pedal stroke where power is produced and minimize resistance where it is not. It makes the spin cycle a lot smoother and easier on legs while climbing.
Specification:
Chainline is 50mm.
All chainrings feature Drop-Stop tooth design and are made from 7075 Aluminium.
Use a 10 or 11 speed chain. If using a 9 speed drivetrain, plan to use a 10 speed chain (it will shift fine), as the 9 speed chain fits too loosely on the ring.
A T25 Torx wrench is required to remove the bolts that secure the the chainring or spider to the crankarm. An L-wrench works best since the crank spindle may contact a socket adapter and prevent it from engaging properly.
Designed and manufactured in the USA.
Product weights: 26t – 52g, 28t – 59g, 30t – 65g, 32t – 70g, 34t – 75g, 36t – 81g
Colour: Black
Compatibility: SDM chainrings fit on SRAM cranksets with removable spiders: S2200, S2210, X9, X0, X01, XX1, X1 1400, Truvativ AKA Cranksets (GXP version), and newer S1400 (or X7) . If the crankarm and the spider are all made from the same piece of aluminium it is not removable. If you are planning to use this on an X9 or XX1 fat bike crankest, check out this explanation of chainline and hub spacing.
From the manufacturer
We won’t try to convince you that elliptical (or oval, the same thing) chainrings will change your life…but they might! What we can say for sure is that they have a different feel from round rings and can provide an efficiency benefit and smoother power output for some riders. Our testers report the biggest benefits on punchy singletrack and hills, allowing less shifting and faster acceleration.
Our proprietary design has ovality of 10% and timing of 112° after TDC (top dead center). These values provide the benefits of an oval ring without the drawbacks of greater ovality or more aggressive timing. The simplest way to explain how they “feel” is that where your pedal stroke is weakest it feels like you have a 2 teeth less on the chainring and where you have the most power it “feels” like you have 2 more teeth. Example: a 34t chainring feels like a 32t in the weak part of your pedal stroke and a 36t in the part of the stroke where your legs have the most power.
Wolf Tooth elliptical SDM chainrings fit SRAM GXP crank and BB30 long spindle cranksets with removable spiders. These direct mount chainrings will replace your existing chainring and spider, which is attached via 3 bolts on the back side of the spider near the spindle. You will use these same 3 bolts to attach the Wolf Tooth SDM chainring. We recommend using a T25 L-Wrench like this one or similar for removal and installation of the bolts.
I've read only good things about Transition bikes, but the welding of the gusset between the top tube and seat tube makes me want to kots.