REVIEW: Transition's Preston FR

4" of rear-end squish are more than enough in this case
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.

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-

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.

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.

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


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.