2011 Transition Bank Review
Earlier this year we purchased half of the Transition Bikes warehouse. I really wanted to build a TR450 and a short travel dual suspension for general fun times, the obvious solution being a Transition Double. My wife got a Transition Bank as part of the order.
Transition Bank – Pump Track Weapon!
Jess was looking for a hardtail to ride on a pump track, and maybe hit some small dirt jumps on too. We had a pump track at home in Australia and it really helped her to develop her skills, so I was all for her getting something to ride the Whistler pump tracks on. As an added bonus, it would be a handy bike for riding to the Village or Lost Lake BBQ’s on the days when she isn’t riding in the Whistler Bike Park. We decided that since she wasn’t racing 4x and for the sake of simplicity, she’d run it single speed.
2011 Transition Bank in Blue
Transition Bank Chain Tension is C.R.A.P.
I’ve owned both a Transition Trail-or-Park and an Eastern Night Train in the past and on top of this I’m a bit of a single speed perfectionist. I’ve set single speed mountain bike frames up for people with horizontal dropouts in the past and while it works fine, as soon as they get a flat tire they are in trouble. Either they can’t figure out how to get the chain off, they don’t have the tools, or they get the flat fixed and then can’t align the rear wheel afterwards to have both proper chain tension and brake alignment.
While the Trail-or-Park was a more than suitable bike that we could have also bought from Transition, given the hassles I’d seen with horizontal dropouts in the past and the fact that there was a more than suitable alternative, we ordered the Transition Bank. Colour choice was a quick decision. The blue is outstanding whether it’s in the sun or in our basement.
Transition Bank C.R.A.P. System – eccentric dropout provides simple solution to single speed chain tensioning
The Transition Bank features the C.R.A.P. “dropout” system. A similar concept to the Eccentric Bottom Bracket, C.R.A.P. stands for Concentric Rear Axle Positioning and allows you to tension your chain by adjusting the position of your rear axle. It’s like having the benefits of the White Brothers Eno Eccentric Hub without the price tag and hassle of building a special wheel. It’s the perfect solution to the chain tension problem while keeping rear wheel removal simple. Jess has a QR axle on her bike meaning that all she needs to do is unscrew the adjusting nut and slide the axle out of the dropouts. The wheel simply drops straight out.
Transition Bank with a Fox 831 Fork and a Revolution 32 Wheelset
Bank Build Kit
Our Transition Bank has been built up with a Fox 831 and I’m really glad we went with this fork. The lockout is amazing and the fork just “does its job” without you noticing. Brakes are OEM Avid Elixir CR’s – probably the best value brakes on the market. The wheelset is the white Transition Revolution 32 from Jess’ Transition Syren. Refusing to try wide bars, Jess opted to sell the Kore Torsion Bars (around a metre wide) and replace them with the Bontrager Big Earl handlebars that I had taken off of my 2010 Trek Session 8.
All in all this is a really great bike that we built on the cheap thanks to the Transition build kit and some other spare parts we had lying around. Jess is absolutely loving it and I don’t mind a few sneaky pump track laps on it either – I can see this bike staying with us for many years to come.
For more information on the Transition Bank, take a look at the Transition Bikes website at www.transitionbikes.com.
How does the C.R.A.P system work? im thinking about one of these as a single speed 4x bike (and anything else i wanna ride, single speed is relatively hassle free). I got a number of frames in mind and this being one, im just confused about how the system works
cheers henry
Hi Henry,
I guess you could say it’s a three piece dropout system. There is the frame, the eccentric piece, and then the “clamp” and derailleur hanger.
With the clamp’s bolts loosened, the eccentric piece can be rotated (on both sides of the bike) to tension the chain. This is done using a Torx wrench. Once you have the desired chain tension, tightening the clamp’s bolts will ensure that the eccentric piece cannot move.
It’s a very well designed system. I’m surprised that we haven’t seen it used on other bikes.
Hope that helps!
Hi Jase,
After all these years, do You still have the Transition Bank? And how the C.R.A.P goin after all these years, is that still OK and no stripping or cracking the frame in the dropout junction etc?
Thank You.
Hey Gabriel,
Yep, we still have it and it’s still going strong. I haven’t read about them having issues, but I guess that’s because nothing has been wrong with mine. I just pulled it to bits yesterday because I’m packing before taking it on a flight and the dropouts are fine. If there is any wear in that area it’s from the disc brake mount on the frame, but that’s only paint and it’s covered by the caliper adapter anyway. My buddy Trish has a Bank too and gives hers hell at the dirt jumps. She must have had it for about 3 years now and she’s still riding it so I assume it’s still going strong.
Hope this helps!
Hi Jase,
Thank You for the information, that’s really help 🙂 found a good deal for the Bank frame in local shop and need to make sure from Banks user that the dropout is OK after years.
Awesome Gabriel, I’m sure you’ll love it! When you get it built, post a photo on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ridemorebikes I’d like to see how it turns out!
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