The Transition Spur is a familiar face on the site, but it’s been almost four years since we last talked about it. Today, Transition has made a couple of updates, including UDH compatibility, so it can now run new Sram T-Type drivetrains. While this update isn’t a complete overhaul, the Spur might not really need one at the moment. Even after four years, it’s still at the sharp end. Stick around to see if we still love it after all these years.
Transition Spur Geometry and details
We don’t have much to discuss here, as the geometry has remained unchanged since the previous edition of the Spur. However, we have a couple of minor updates to discuss before riding. So, let’s take a look at the bike.
Transition may have been ahead of their time when they first made the Spur. The geometry and design remain super relevant even after a handful of years. We’ve got a 66° head tube angle, which falls right in line with bikes like the Tallboy (65.7°), Ripley (66.5°), Occam SL (65.5°), SB120 (66.5°) and Element (65°). The reach is long and roomy at 510mm on an XL, the chainstays are on the shorter end at 435mm, and the wheelbase comes in at a moderate 1255mm. All in all, the geometry is dialed for a little bike.
The updates we’ve got for the new Spur include UDH compatibility, which now means we can get Sram T Type drivetrains on the Spur. We’ve also got new colors and build kits. Also, God bless Transition for keeping that rear brake line externally routed. I’ll die on this hill, and you can’t change my mind — all your arguments are invalid.
I’m curious to see how my thoughts on the Spur have changed. It’s still basically the same bike, but I’m a much different rider. For one, my neck is significantly less broken than it was when I first rode the Spur—I’m riding a bit faster and more aggressively these days. Second, the style of trails and riding I like has changed. I’m curious to see if I still enjoy the bike as much as I did back then.
Transition Spur Ride Review
Uphill
The big question last time around was, “Is the spur an XC bike or a trail bike?” When it first came out, it had 120mm of travel both front and back – kinda like an XC bike. Since then, the build kit has changed. It’s quite a bit more trail than XC. With a Fox 34, wide OneUp riser bars, a long dropper, and decent tires, I don’t think it tries to flirt with XC at all these days. It’s solidified its position in the trail category.
That said, it’s still pretty light for a trail bike in today’s world. My XL Spur comes in at 27.1lb — not XC race bike light, but lighter than almost any bike I’ve ridden in the last year. Apart from actually being light, the Spur rides and pedals light, too. It still has that snappy feel when you get on the pedals. It’s happy to slog through long miles or dart up a quick sprint. There are more efficient bikes in the category, such as the Giant Trance 29 and the Rocky Mountain Element. It ends up being close to bikes like the Ibis Ripley and Orbea Occam SL. It edges out the Tallboy.
Efficiency isn’t everything, though. Sometimes, you’ll want a little traction and give when the climbs get loose, steep, and bumpy. The Spur offers a bit of that comfort. It’s not as grippy and forgiving as the Tallboy, but it beats you up a bit less than those more efficient bikes. The traction story is similar. There’s a decent amount of grip on offer.
Overall, the spur is still near the top of the class for climbing when you weigh all the different aspects. It’s good in terms of efficiency, providing grip, and it’s decently light. Put it all together, and it does great.
Downhill
Let’s start by giving the Spur a big old pat on the back. Even after four years, it’s still a hell of a lot of fun and extremely capable for a 120mm bike — It’s one of the few 120mm bikes I’d be willing to take on a lap down Grafton Mesa — even though I’d argue that’s not what it’s designed to do or where you’ll get the most out of the bike. Instead, I really enjoy it on blue to black diamond terrain, where there are quite a few options for creative line choices, jumps, jibs and goofing around. So, let’s chat about how it does it.
The spur likes hopping and popping over trail obstacles. It’s easy to unweight and get it off the ground. It lends itself to an active riding style, whether that’s going up and over or around things that get in your way. By nature, it’s not going to be super happy plowing. The tires alone should tell you that.
I’ve been informed that here in Utah, we have some pretty high-speed trails. So that’s the lens I’m using to judge this bike. I preferred the Spur on our slower-speed desert tech and mesa riding rather than on fast, chunky terrain. Not only because the spur makes trails like that incredibly fun but also because that’s where you get the most out of the bike. It facilitates that fun, playful, jibby riding really well. Also, if the speeds are high and the trail is smoother, then it’s still game on; the spur is very comfortable. It’s when things get rough at 25mph that you‘ll want to rethink your life choices.
In some high-speed G-outs and while pushing into corners and compressions you’ll encounter a little frame flex. That flex is a double-edged sword. It’s what helps takes some sting out of the trail, but it can come across as the bike winding up and springing back, sometimes unpredictably. I only had that happen on a few occasions where I was trying to do things to the bike that you probably shouldn’t do to a 120mm bike.
All in all, the Spur is every bit as fun and capable as I remember it being. In fact, as I’ve changed as a rider, I might enjoy it more now than I did back then. I care a bit less about being the fastest guy down the mountain and more about goofing off and having fun. The Spur makes that easy.
Transition Spur Comparisons
We’ve been comparing the Spur to other bikes in the category all the way up to this point. But now it’s time to dive deeper. Let’s start with a weirder one.
Orbea Occam SL vs Transition Spur
Yes, the Occam SL has 20mm more travel than the Spur, but they end up riding pretty similarly. The Occam SL is one of those bikes that climbs better than you’d expect, and the Spur descends better than you’d expect. They sort of end up meeting somewhere in the middle. They weigh about the same, climb about the same, and descend about the same. The biggest difference to me comes down to the handling characteristics on the downhills. The Occam SL feels a bit sportier, quicker to steer, and a little firmer off the top. The Spur, on the other hand, feels a bit more plush off the top, yet not as deep for the bigger hits. Even though their stack heights are similar, the Spur comes with a more “trail” cockpit, meaning it sits up just a bit higher. The Occam SL goes with a flat bar, keeping your weight lower over the front. Now, of course, all of that can be tweaked and changed to suit personal preference, but at some point, you’ll run out of steerer tube to get those bars even higher. The Spur feels a bit more upright and comfortable on the descents.
Santa Cruz Tallboy vs Transition Spur
I’ve done a full-on comparison showdown of these two platforms, although it was against the previous Tallboy. Now we’re talking about the V5. The same assessment still applies, really. The Tallboy prefers descending, while the Spur is a bit more balanced. The Spur is the clear winner on the climbs in almost every aspect except for maybe rear wheel traction. The Tallboy is clearly the more aggressive descender. It’s slacker, a tiny bit longer, the suspension feel is more plush and bottomless, and the frame is stiffer. All of those lead to a bike that can be pushed harder on the descents. Although, when it comes to comparing the jibb-ability of the two, it splitting hairs.
Read the Santa Cruz Tallboy review here
Rocky Mountain Element vs Transition Spur
The Element is a bit of a unique combo. It has extremely rowdy geometry, given its travel category. In fact, it’s more like the all-mountain bikes than it is like the trail and XC bikes. Yet, it has a very XC-feeling suspension platform. It’s ultra-quick and snappy on the pedals. It accomplishes the same task as the Spur (trail riding), yet it goes about it in a completely different way. The Spur feels much more plush and active while being a bit more playful and fun. The Element on the other hand, is more efficient, faster uphill, yet a little less forgiving on the descents. It has the geo to provide stability and confidence in the steeps, but it doesn’t have the suspension feel to really let you push the pace.
Who is the Transition Spur for?
So, who is the Spur best suited for? Let’s start by eliminating a category. It’s not for the Nica dad trying their damndest to hang with their fast kids. It’s more for the rider who likes to climb, traverse, descend, jump, play, and just ride their bike. In the trail category, I see two groups of bikes — you‘ve got the 120mm bikes like the Spur, Ripley, and Tallboy, and then you have what we used to call all-mountain bikes like the Hightower, Ripmo, and SB140. Those now all seem to sit in the trail world now. All of them can go just about anywhere you could imagine, but they each lean in a different direction. While the bigger bikes can still climb, they’re more for the rider who sees the climb as a necessary evil in order to descend. The smaller bikes are more balanced than that, with better climbing performance at the expense of descending chops. So they’re better suited for the riders who might actually enjoy a climb or two.
So there you have it. We’ll see you next time.
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