Not all that long ago, I wrapped up a test on the new Transition Sentinel . Turns out, I liked the bike enough that I really, really didn’t want to give it back. So I built it out with a smattering of my favorite parts as of late.
As far as the bike itself goes, I love the do-it-all but still have fun spirit the Sentinel has. With 160mm front and 150mm rear travel, rolling on 29 “wheels, it’s no surprising what a capable bike it is, but what surprised me was just how nimble the bike was and how well it managed long, all day missions with its excellent climbing and a pretty reasonable weight of exactly 30 pounds. Anyhow, here’s a closer look at my latest build …
Up front, I went with a Fox 36 – it’s an all new fork this year, and while I haven’t ridden it a ton yet, so far it’s super impressive. The new chassis handles really nicely and I love some of the new features like the floating axle and air bleed ports.
Unsurprisingly, I’ve mated the 36 to a Float X2 out back. I’m curious to try this bike with a coil as well, but for now I’ve opted for air and I’m loving it. Zero volume reducers seems to be the way to go. All in all, I’m impressed so far with all of the new 2021 Fox stuff.
I’ve been testing ENVE’s new AM-30 wheelset, and while it’s a bit early in the game to make any long term judgements, so far I absolutely love the way that they handle on trail. This new shallower rim profile seems to take up more chatter and deflect a little less, all while feeling really positive in the corners.
SRAM’s AXS drivetrain has been unstoppable so far. This was a must have and I’ve had a hard time going back to normal drivetrains.
So far, I’m actually quite fond of a few seatposts out there Reverb AXS and OneUp to name a couple…But I’ve been curious about the new Fox Transfer – so far so good. Smooth, and I love the way you can control the return speed.
I went with a custom colorway that reminded me of old school off road truck decal schemes from the 80’s.
A look at the grille.
SRAM Codes are hands down my brake of choice.
Four piston – 200mm front rotor, 180mm rear rotor. Just right and always working.
I absolutely love OneUp’s carbon bar. It truly takes the edge off and has just the right upsweep/backsweep combo.
Industry Nine’s A35 stem is my favorite thus far, by far.
Specialized Phenom – I still haven’t found a saddle I like more.
Time’s Speciale pedals – again, still haven’t found anything I like better. Simply the best.
Cane Creek’s eeWings are completely over the top – hollow titanium and built to last forever. I’ll have these on many a bike for years to come.
I have a hard time riding anything other that Sensus’ ultra thick Meaty Paws grips these days. They’re just so…damn…comfy…
Schwalbe Magic Mary’s are to me the most universally easy tire to get along with in a wide range of conditions. 2.6 front / 2.3 rear for the win.
Last but not least, can’t forget the seat collar – it’s a dream bike … I had to go all out.
Thanks to everyone who helped make this happen!
