After a successful reception Transition’s 2015 Patrol all-mountain bike was destined for a carbon upgrade and lo and behold, we didn’t have to look too hard to find a carbon 2016 Patrol sitting proudly on display under Transition’s tent at Crankworx Whistler.
If that wasn’t news enough, the bike was also decked out with some of ANVL’s new and redesigned components including the Swage stem and Forge saddle. We also spotted some new Scale wheels, so read on for the scoop on the bike and the bits…
All of the 2016 carbon Patrol’s angles and geometry are the same as the existing aluminum version, which isn’t too surprising as the bike received several solid reviews for doing what good AM bikes do – providing a fun and lively ride coupled with the ability to power through the descents.
The clean looking frame is built around 27.5″ wheels and modern all-mountain geometry with a slack head tube angle of 65º and a steep 75.4º seat tube (on a medium frame). The stubby 430mm chainstays undoubtedly help keep the bike riding with the lively feeling Transition set out to offer. The Patrol provides 155mm of rear travel by way of their Giddy Up Link rear suspension, the company’s own revision of the popular Horst link design often used by Specialized, Norco, etc.
The new Patrol keeps the original’s ISCG05 chainguide mounts, but the carbon frame is 1x specific with no front derailleur mount. Internal routing is incorporated for the brakes, shifter and stealth dropper post, and overall the bike gives a very smooth appearance. Further details to come…
The bike was also showing off a few of ANVL’s components, including the new Swage stem. The Swage is CNC machined from 6061 aluminum, which is quite obvious from its nicely chamfered edges and weight saving cut-outs.
The stem features a 35mm clamp, has a rise of 5mm and comes in either 35 or 50mm lengths. The Patrol was decked out with mostly black components, but the Swage stem also comes in red or blue. The stem is available online now for $89.99 USD.
ANVL has also revised the top cover on their Forge seat, adding a protective Kevlar nose panel to improve durability. The Forge comes with either carbon, ti or chromoly rails, and the titanium version recently gained a few grams to toughen it up a notch and reduce flex. ANVL’s industrial designer Darren Seeds says despite its slender appearance the saddle was designed to be very comfortable for those who enjoy all-day rides. The Forge saddles sell for $59.99-$179.99 and come in black only.
Also seen on Seeds’ personal bike was this recently released set of ANVL Scale wheels. The company apparently spent a few years custom designing their own rim extrusion and the hubs for this wheelset. The tubeless ready alloy rims have an asymmetrical profile with offset spokes and an internal width of 25mm.
The wheels are pretty lightweight coming in at 1730g/1740g for the 650B set, and 1785g/1795g for the 29ers (with Sram XD/Shimano freehubs). Seeds said the Transition crew had been beating on them all week in the Whistler Bike Park, rocking their trail bikes on the DH runs with zero issues.
The hubs house 28 bladed straight-pull spokes, and rotate on oversized bearings to resist your long term thrashing. Front hubs will adapt to 15 or 20mm axles, and the rears are convertible between 142×12 and 135x10mm. The Scale wheels are available in 27.5” or 29” sizes, come in matte black only and cost $799.99.
