# New Womens Specific Freeride bike!



## thom9719 (Jan 14, 2005)

check it out ladies, the new Transition prototype womens bike. super small sizes, low standover, new linkage, etc.




























Kyle,


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## Luvz2Ridez (Sep 4, 2006)

A friend and I are coming to check it out tonight!


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## cbharping (Mar 22, 2004)

Ooooh...new toy...where can we try it out???


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## jewels (Mar 17, 2004)

luvz2- please bring a camera and get geom. specs.! That bike looks sweet. I've been eyeing the BR since I saw yours, but it was generally too beefy for my needs. Very cool.


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## georgezilla (Sep 28, 2005)

*yahooooooot!!!*

i'm so excited to see this!! (doing a little dance of joy here!) 
love to see the geom. spec on it! i was just mentioning to the bf what bike i neeeeeeeeded to get next.........


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## Luvz2Ridez (Sep 4, 2006)

*So, my take on the bike...*

I liked it. It's hard to tell just riding around in the gravel parking lot, but overall, I had a great impression. It felt a lot like my bottle rocket, but was a bit higher up (the bottom bracket), had a shorter cockpit, and a slacker headtube (the BR has a 67). There are 3 sizes, small, med and large, the small was too small for me (I'm 5'4") and the med fit perfectly. The small is going to be great for smaller riders. They aren't done tweaking the bike yet, but it's going to be a great bike for us women.
We tried to talk them into having a demo day so us women can go test it out on the trail, hopefully they'll consider this.
Overall impression :thumbsup: , if I didn't already own a freeride bike, the bottle rocket, I'd be all over this bike!!! But my next bike is going to be a DH bike.


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## Yazzle Dazzle (Jun 27, 2007)

*Siren review*

This is the second time I've ridden this bike (medium frame, I'm 5'2" with 30" inseam). The first time was up at Whistler and I absolutely loved it on the DH. This time I took it up to Seymour Mtn. also in B.C. and rode it on Ned's, CBC, Corkscrew, Pingu, Pangor for some FR. I had good time on it except they had swapped out the nice Fox Van 36 for a Domain 318 fork and it made for a bit of a harsh ride. I think most girls (me included) who would be interested in the bike, would want a plusher, more sensitive fork.

I was curious to see how the steering would be on a slower, technical trail with lots of rocks to potentially deflect the tire. I had a pretty good rise on the stem to keep the bars from contacting my knees and I could feel the front trying to flop on me a couple times but it didn't take much muscle to keep it straight. Toward the end of the ride though, after about 6 hours of riding, I was having a lot more trouble keeping the tire aimed in the right direction. I know a taller/plusher fork may exaggerate flop, but a plusher fork would not have caused as much fatigue as the Domain did. Also, I don't think a more sensitive fork would slack out the head angle too much if you figure on a little sag.

I really like the geometry of the bike, it fits very well and feels very balanced. I felt like I had very good control coming down steep, tight turns even in the choppy stuff. I was very excited to put it to the test on the ladders bridges and log skinnies. It performed just as I had hoped it would. It was small and light enough that I felt confident to try some stuff I would not have on my big bike. I gave it the other important test, bailing off a bridge when I stalled out. Felt good being able to eject from the bike safely due to the low stand over and light weight. I was also able to bunny hop the bike off of a skinny when I felt things were going bad. The light front didn't drop on me and I felt in control.

So I finally got to pedal the bike a bit too. It was sooo nice to have a light, quick bike with a good pedaling platform. I was able to sprint it up some hills and sit and pedal comfortably for long flat distances. Most impressive for pedaling was the fact that I was over the pedals, not behind and pushing the pedals forward. Thanks to the short cockpit I'm positioned where I feel I should be. Pedaling was smooth with a very good pedaling platform.

On Sunday I rode locally in Bellingham to find some urban obstacles to conquer. I had the 36 put back on for Sunday and I liked that much better. Found a few small drops at an Elementary school as well as some timbers and stairs to ride. The Siren handled the drops to flat very well. I wasn't coming close to using the full travel in either the front or rear and the landings were very cushy. Stairs were no problem and the timbers were great for practicing balance. Again, the bike was so easy to maneuver and bail off that it really inspired my confidence.

I did notice the rear end slide out a little when the rear brake locked up on the trail (not used to the Juicy brakes!) and I think partially because the bike doesn't carry much weight in the rear. However, this lightness in the rear actually came in handy when some kids at the 7-eleven where ogling the bike and asked if I could do stoppies. I figured I had to give it a try and what do you know? The rear end popped up nice as you please! On the same note, the front is nice and light and easy enough to lift with a little pre-load and pedal on flat ground. I think most gals are going to find this bike a lot easier to handle than the average "mens" bike.

Important pros of this bike; compact (gotta watch the bars and knees though), light weight, low stand over, maneuverable, easy to lift front and rear, balanced, strong, and confidence inspiring!


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## Yazzle Dazzle (Jun 27, 2007)

*Siren DH review*

I was lucky enough to take both the small and the medium for some runs up at Whistler during Crankworx. I have been waiting for the release of this bike for months and months and Transition did not let me down. Here's what I thought;

The small was too small and compact, and I'm only 5'2" with a 30" inseam. It was rideable but my knees and elbows seemed to get in one anothers way on cornering. The rear tire buzzed me a couple times on steep descents due to it's compactness as well, and the fork seemed really raked out on the small. The stand over on the small is not good unfortunately. Since the top tube is shortend, the angled portion comes down closer to the seat tube taking stand over away. If it's any consolation, I could still put my feet down while sitting in the saddle. Bike seemed solid enough.

Now for the good stuff! The medium fit so well it was like it was custom made for me (though I know some gals who are 5'10" who said that the medium fit them too). It is hard to put in words how good the bike felt and how it kept inspiring me to try more and more things I didn't think I would ever do on a 6" travel bike. These were the things I normally reserve for my 8" travel bike that I've been riding for 3 1/2 seasons. Things like A-line Rock drop, Schleyer Rock drop, 3rd drop in the Joyride drop park and then there was the air time on Dirt to Lower A-line, Heart of Darkness.... backsiding the tables one after another. I was really amazed with the ride. Each landing was plush, take offs smooth for the most part (there may be an issue of lateral flex when pumping the face of some jumps at high speed, more research is needed and I'll be glad to volunteer!). In the air the bike felt light and maneuverable, such a change from what I'm used to. I just wanted to keep riding it but knew I had to let some other folks have a chance. There were many times later that weekend where I wished I was on the Siren instead of my DH bike. I would love to try it out up on Garbanzo, and I definitely want to try it pedaling somewhere like Galbraith. That's where I really need a bike like this, light enough to pedal, but tough enough to take a beating, and short and balanced enough for me to feel comfortable riding ladders and bridges (it did super on Devil's Club, tracked beautifully, cornered tight).

So that's probably longer than most people like to read, but I could go on and on about how much fun it was to ride. Looking forward to the next opportunity.

I shouldn't forget to mention that the head angle seemed steeper on the medium (better), and it was still super comfortable taking it down all of Upper Joyride. I just want to keep emphasizing the fact that these were things I felt OK doing on my DH bike of 3 1/2 years but was breezing through on the Siren first run through.:cornut:


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## jewels (Mar 17, 2004)

yazzle D-

Hey thanks for the indepth review! It looks like you covered flowy, techy and jump/drops, so it seems to be a very versitile bike. How's it climb for XC? Wow and med for 5'2", what do us 5'5" giants ride? What I am most curious is what you thought of the siren vs. the Bottlerocket. It looks like you have had some saddle time on both. They both seem to have similar specs, (ha, 5.5 vs 6" travel, lowish bb height) but the BR 'looks' more slack and low, but maybe that's the fork. And great photos btw, really enjoyed them.


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## Yazzle Dazzle (Jun 27, 2007)

You could probably fit either the Med or Large, depending on your riding position preference and making adjustments to stem length, bars and seat. 

I haven't spent too much time on the BR, I only rode Luvz2Ridez' for a short section of trail at Seymour for FR. Both bikes felt really nice, Luvz had the plusher fork that day so it was better equiped for that trail, but they are both very similar and capable-feeling. I do prefer a slacker head angle on my rides and when the Siren was set up with the Fox 36 it felt near perfect. My husband is encouraging me to go with the Marzocchi 66 RC2X (which feels incredible on his Lg BR when I've pedaled it around) and that would slack it out a little more. The 36 did feel slack enough for me to roll some pretty steep stuff at Whistler but the 66 would smooth out the bumps a little better (and I'm kind of a Marz loyalist when it comes to forks!). 

The Siren felt very strong yet I think the medium only weighed in at about 35# with the 36 on it and I've been looking for a lighter, capable bike. I did not get to pedal it XC very far but it felt like I could go on and on. It had a very comfortable seated position and the pedaling platform was nice. All the climbs I did were short but it felt good on those too.

I give this bike two thumbs up!:thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## Yazzle Dazzle (Jun 27, 2007)

*Siren Review #3*

Rode a fun area near Seatac, Washington this past weekend and here's how it went;

So it took me a while to get the suspension dialed in, but I wrote everything down so I can more easily reset it next time. Fork: Rebound = as fast as she'll go. Air pressure = 50psi. Shock: 220psi. Bottom Out = off. Pro Pedal = off. Didn't fiddle with the other stuff.

Once again the bike proved to be very inspirational to ride. I'd try one thing and feel inspired to step it up to the next biggest obstacle. We ran out of time before I got to ride everything, but I did get to take it off the 6' drop on the upper left line. Smooth and controlled. Bike felt strong, no fear of breaking it.

Had a really fun XC loop through the Graveyard. The climb was fine; wasn't half as tired as usual, kept up my speed, control was good. The way down was really flowy and effortless. I had a good time chasing our friend down on his Foes. I was standing up enjoying myself coasting along and pumping any swoops in the trail and watching him pedalling hard to keep his speed up. When we came to the end though I was especially shocked. I couldn't remember the two short climbs that used to get me every time. The bike made short work of them both I guess. The bike absolutely rails corners. My leg lays across the top tube, right in the swoop when leaning the bike through flat corners which made it very comfortable. And all through that I never flipped on the pro-pedal either.

Impressive also was when we were heading out at the end of the day. My friend Kat was riding with us on her Dirt Bag and, knowing she is pretty competitive, I challenged her to a race to the fence, just on the pavement. Now maybe I can attribute some of my success to my stubbornness, but mostly the bike is so light and pedaled so well she never had a chance, and I know she's in better physical shape than I.

The Siren is so versatile, I haven't found anything it can't do yet. It inspires me every time I ride it. I'm longing to have one soon, to access so many of the trails which were too much for my XC bike but not big bike friendly (pushing long distances,not fun), and for riding urban FR when the trails are all too muddy.

Here's a few pictures from this weekend as well.


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## MrsBungle (Jul 14, 2007)

Did anyone mention how much one of these bikes is going for in Canada?


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## Yazzle Dazzle (Jun 27, 2007)

I think production models should be available in December or January and will probably be comparable to the Bottle Rocket in price. You can bet my names going to be on the list!


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## MrsBungle (Jul 14, 2007)

Ya! I gotta say, im in no way as skilled as you guys all are (this is my first season) but damn, you all have sold me on this bike LOL


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## Yazzle Dazzle (Jun 27, 2007)

*Siren Review #4*

This past weekend at Whistler was super fun, despite being rained out on Sunday. Still have utter respect for the bike for drops and jumping as well as cornering and acceleration. I wasn't feeling as confident on the wet rocks this weekend though. I still hit all the usual stuff plus the Joyride Drop Park #4 for the first time ever and it was smooooth! Had a blast on Crank It Up and Dirt Merchant most of the weekend with one of my highlights being leading a train of riders through Dirt Merchant and staying ahead of the pack on a mere 6" travel bike with a single crown! (There were even a couple Demo 9's in the group) :thumbsup:

I'm still very impressed by the shock, no complaints there. The fork and my arms took a beating though! The Fox 36 was leaking oil but was still taking big hits well but the faster chattery stuff took their toll after 2 days and I had some pretty tired and sore hands/arms. I heard a lot of people talking about the Marz. 55 this weekend so that may be something I'll start looking into but otherwise I'm planning on the 66 RC2X for mine.

I did stop by Fanatyk Co. to show them the bike and they seemed pretty excited to see it. They put it on their scale and it came up at just over 36lbs (with dirt). I did get a lot of looks and questions about the bike and had a couple other gals take it for a spin for their feedback. One of the gals only rode it for a short section and decided it was too small for her and she is only 5'8" (I was riding the medium again). Seems like Transition may have over done the downsizing of the bikes for women.  She also wasn't used to the firmer, faster responding suspension and wanted her squishy Big Hit back (hard to blame her, I still love mine!). The other gal that rode it was about my height and she enjoyed it's responsiveness and lightness and seemed to be considering one for her future.

Here's some more shots of the Siren in action, I tried to get some doing things other than drops this time! :crazy:


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## Birdie (Feb 21, 2007)

WOW, NICE bike, but even better RIDING!!! WOW!!!! nice shots....

oh and i can't for the life of me find freeride shorts for girls... ( i know specialized has some 08 that are awesome enduro short for $105) does anyone now where to buy or find some DH shorts?


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## papayou (Oct 23, 2004)

sombrio make good ones...

like the "estelle" model


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## Birdie (Feb 21, 2007)

Papayou,

THANKS I JUST got some cute short from that company(sombrio)!!!


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## [email protected] (Aug 24, 2005)

Any idea what the BB height is with the FOX? Internal headset? reducing headset? Is your 66 170mm or 180mm. Please give us a review with the 66 on it!!! My uzzi is a pig at 40# right now. Looking something lighter.
I'm thinking a large with a totem or a van 36.


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## Yazzle Dazzle (Jun 27, 2007)

*Urban Review*

I had an awesome time this weekend at the Colonnade grand opening (a great skills park near Seattle built under the freeway by BBTC {local bike club} so it's dry year round!) and doing some urban afterward. Had quite a few people checking the bike out. Most were impressed by how stout it looked and by how light it was and easy to pedal. It performed flawlessly on everything I tried. I'm still adjusting to not riding behind the saddle so I don't get zipped by the tire but I'd call that operator error. Once again I was able to feel confident riding the skinnies and even rode the long woop-dee-doo ladder a few times. Other than that, there was a teeter and a couple steep rock faces that were fun challenges there as well. Much of the park is trail that switchbacks across the hillside with a few obstacles thrown in to keep it interesting. Very cool!

After the opening party, we went riding toward Seattle and ended up at UW's Red Square for some stair jumping (and climbing!). We found a great stump to practice riding up and over as well. Again, the bike did everything I asked with more to offer I'm sure. I really like how easy the front end is to lift. Practiced some wheelies while we were there, looped out a couple times, but finally found the balance point.

It was great to pedal around too. At Colonnade I climbed a few of the steep hills and in general riding around town was effortless and comfortable.

I'm not sure what the BB height is at it's current set up (a lady's riding club has the bike this week, sigh), and I'm not sure that TBC has tried setting it up with the 66 to measure it out either. It will be Dec. or Jan. before they are available commercially (still just a prototype) so I won't have mine until then either.

Cheers!


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## georgezilla (Sep 28, 2005)

loving the reviews on this bike! makes me really excited to ride one! the colonnade bike park looks like so much fun. what a great place to play! the pics are awesome~damn lady, you friggin rock! :thumbsup:


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## Yazzle Dazzle (Jun 27, 2007)

*Thanks*

Thanks to everyone for the props, keeps me motivated! And I have to give credit to my awesome husband for putting down his bike and picking up the camera for all the pictures!


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## jewels (Mar 17, 2004)

nice pix YD. Wow, how'd you get up on that stump? nice riding:thumbsup:


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## Yazzle Dazzle (Jun 27, 2007)

*Stump*

Pre-load, lift, pedal, lunge!:thumbsup:


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## connie (Mar 16, 2004)

Very cool! Keep the pics coming!

So, are you hearing good reviews from taller women too? I'm 5'9" and I'm wondering if I'd just be too big for it.

I'm going to want to replace my AS-X next year with something still burly enough for riding rough terrain, but I'll still have my DH bike. Ultimately I want something that will work well for Super D but be burly enough for Porcupine Rim. Seems like this would be a good option. And my AS-X is close to 40lbs, so the weight sounds sweet too.


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## Yazzle Dazzle (Jun 27, 2007)

*Sizing*

A good friend of mine, who is 5'11", has ridden the large at Whistler and at Galbraith Mtn. in Bellingham and loves it. I keep hoping she will post some reviews with pictures too but no luck so far. Also, Kevin from TBC has been riding the large all over to test it out and he's gotta be at least 6'2"? The bike is still just a proto type so anything could change as far as sizing goes. I hope they don't mess with it too much though, if I'm riding a medium at only 5'2" then they have to have something bigger for the taller girls.


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## Birdie (Feb 21, 2007)

thanks for the pictures and nice ....SKILL!!


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## Brodiegrrl (Jan 12, 2004)

Hi Connie,

I was on one for the last week.

Review coming soon.

At 5'9" a large would be perfect for you...



connie said:


> Very cool! Keep the pics coming!
> 
> So, are you hearing good reviews from taller women too? I'm 5'9" and I'm wondering if I'd just be too big for it.
> 
> I'm going to want to replace my AS-X next year with something still burly enough for riding rough terrain, but I'll still have my DH bike. Ultimately I want something that will work well for Super D but be burly enough for Porcupine Rim. Seems like this would be a good option. And my AS-X is close to 40lbs, so the weight sounds sweet too.


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## IttyBittyBetty (Aug 11, 2005)

*Yaz Daz*

Thanks for the reviews. I am currently looking to build up my first FR/DH bike. The Transition is now on my list. I am only 5'1" with 28.5 inch inseam so I am curious whether I'd like the Small or the Medium. I've never had a medium bike thingy EVER. I can't wait to see the specs so I can get a better sense of sizing.


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## Yazzle Dazzle (Jun 27, 2007)

*Interbike*

The TBC guys and the Sirens are down at Interbike this week so I would expect to see some other reviews posted shortly. They might not be posted here, but I'm sure if you do a little searching you'll find something. I'm glad you are considering Transition. They are a good company to deal with and they offer a great line of bikes for all purposes! :thumbsup:


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## connie (Mar 16, 2004)

Yazzle Dazzle said:


> The TBC guys and the Sirens are down at Interbike this week so I would expect to see some other reviews posted shortly. They might not be posted here, but I'm sure if you do a little searching you'll find something. I'm glad you are considering Transition. They are a good company to deal with and they offer a great line of bikes for all purposes! :thumbsup:


Yeah, I ran into the Transition crew in Downieville this past weekend (on their way to Interbike) and was hoping to be able to check out the Siren in person, but they said it was buried under a pile of stuff in the van (and was raining and freezing outside at the trailhead - not that I'd have expected them to dig it out for me, but everyone was needing to get moving fast!). So close!

Anyway, I have a few friends riding other Transitions, who all love them. And the Transition guys we met in Downieville were also great - I had the weirdest mechanical ever on my AS-X - cranks locked up and I looked down to see that both of my derailleur hanger bolts had fallen out somewhere along the ride and the whole hanger/derailleur combo fell off my bike. Yikes! And they helped as we searched over my bike and through all of our packs to see what we could scavenge to put it back together. Anyway, yay for people willing to help strangers on the side of the trail, and for cool new women's specific bikes! :thumbsup:


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## Yazzle Dazzle (Jun 27, 2007)

*Siren?*

Yo Mud Bunnies! I'm dying to know what you guys thought of the bike...heard you still have one of them. Spill the beans!


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