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05/16/2008
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REVIEW: Transition's Preston FR
4" of rear-end squish are more than enough in
this case
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Words by Richard Belson
Photos Cam McRae
While freeride lines get burlier and burlier these days, riders have mainly
concerned themselves with a) equipment that won't constantly break and put them
in the hospital and b) more travel.
Engineering and materials science has gradually taken care of the strength
issue, and fork and shock manufacturers have created sources of schproing and
damping to accommodate each year's ever-increasing travel demands. This is all
well and good, but somewhere along the line, amount of travel has been directly
and erroneously linked with a bike's quality and ability to handle every freeride
trail under the sun.
Ask many seasoned Shore pros and experts, and they'll tell you more travel isn't
always the answer. For skinnies, dirt jumps and general death-defying technical
trail riding, the latest big bike isn't necessarily called for.
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The skinny
When I first was approached about testing the US$849 Transition Preston
FR, Kevin Menard, one of the company's two co-owners, sent me a quick
email asking me my height, weight and what kind of riding I was hoping
to do with the 4"-travel, 7000-series aluminum descendent of their
flagship Dirt Bag.
A week later, I arrived home from work to a box stashed in the shared
laundry room of my basement suite, which I fervently tore open with the
enthusiasm of a four-year-old on Christmas morning.
Out of the box emerged a seemingly un-ceremonious silver frame shod with
a red-
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A beefy headtube junction and solid welds |
coiled Romic Dual-Adjust shock and a black alloy seatpost…all nekked and
ready to be built up. See, while many other companies have entire bikes and test
budgets for us magazine types, Transition is so small that sending a complete
bike just wasn't in the financial cards.
Richard Belson punishing the granite
Riding the Transition
When I initially got the bike built, I set up the shock as per Transition's
Web site and the supplied Romic shock instructions. The Transition guys
claim they'd sent me the right weight spring, but every time I pressed down
on the seat of the bike in my kitchen, I could almost bottom it out. I was doubtful
as I pedaled up the hill for a bit of a perspective ride.
Halfway through the bike's maiden voyage, I knew the Preston PR was unlike
any bike I had ever stepped a leg over. I had purposely requested a Regular
(17") frame for my 5'11" stature and penchant for tight, hair-raising
technical lines.
The complete Preston package, all built up |
The bike and I reached the top of the first trail the Preston would ever
face, where I stared at the introductory 4"-wide log ride.
It ends up as a 5'-tall technical feat of amazement when I clean it dry,
but I figured, "What do I have to lose?", thinking I'd slip
off the 3" of wet ice and snow built up on top of it before things
got too bad …
Then, to my fear and amazement, the Transition's balance and sure footedness
got me out to the point where falling was no longer a viable nor survivable
option.
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Literally screaming with delight and amazement after sticking the landing off
the stunt's down-ramp to snowy transition, it was abundantly clear that this was
not my grandfather's 4" freeride frame.
Where was the blood-curding clunk from the bottomed-out shock? Where was the
low-speed tippiness I'd learned to work around in order to get good quality
suspension travel? According to Transition, the frame offers "tight responsive
suspension that is there when you need it when things get rough, but also won't
soak up your energy while flowing your favorite trails and dirt jumps."
It's not just hype, in my humble opinion.
The author, manualling the Preston like a fool
You may be thinking that you can get twice as much travel for the same price,
as well as a cheaper 4" freeride frame, but materials, shock-quality and
finish quality will always take a back-seat to make room for affordability.
But for those who can appreciate (and afford) a finely executed frame that
not only rides smoother than its 4" would imply, and has a fit and finish
as good, if not better than most any aluminum creation I have ever seen, the
Preston FR is more than worth a look. It's a subtle beauty that needs to been
seen up close to truly be appreciated.
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Nitpicking
It's difficult to find faults, but as Transition's Menard conceded
in my initial briefing on the frame, the chainstays are lacking a little
in the lateral clearance department.
With the Nokian 2.5s I had on board, I had no problems but anything bigger,
or a tweaked wheel, would have rubbed the forged aluminum chainstay yoke.
The Preston FR also came with an Allen-bolted seat collar that has never
even seen the light of day. I immediately replaced it wit a QR collar
because it is, in
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The rear pivot on the Preston |
fact, a freeride bike and, while I don't know exactly how they do it in Seattle,
we up here on the Shore like to put our seats down when things get hairy, but
raise 'em again so we can pedal.
Verdict
OK, so it's not too hard to tell that I'm really enjoying my time aboard
the Preston. Some of you may still be thinking that this is a heavy price to
pay for a 4" bike, but in my opinion that's the wrong way to look at it.
You're getting a high-quality frame from a company that truly believes it is
producing a no-compromise product suited to a rider who enjoys the bold and
burly, but also has the skills and range to appreciate a bike that excels at
a wide range of tasks.
Addendum
Not that I missed the extra inch, but apparently Danger Boy is working on some
5" adaptor plates to expend the travel of the bike because, says Menard,
"Five-inches seems to be that magic number that a lot of guys are looking
for." The plates should be available around mid-May and will offer both
4- and 5" options without affecting the bike's geometry. Stay tuned.
For pricing and more information on the Preston
FR click here.
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