First Ride: Transition Repeater Powertrain eMTB
Transition may have been a relative latecomer to the eMTB party, but after the launch of the full-power Repeater last year it wasn't long before they launched the lighter weight Relay. Now, the Repeater 2.0 is being launched, with 170mm of travel, and SRAM's new Powertrain motor with a 720 Wh battery. It still rolls on 29” wheels front and rear for all models, but a flip chip at the lower shock mount can be used to maintain the geometry for riders that prefer a 27.5” rear wheel.
There are two versions for now, the Repeater X0 AXS ($11,999 USD) and the Repeater GX AXS ($10,499). It sounds like the original Repeater will still remain in the lineup, at least for the near future, to ever-so-slightly balance out the high price of the Powertrain equipped models.
There are two versions for now, the Repeater X0 AXS ($11,999 USD) and the Repeater GX AXS ($10,499). It sounds like the original Repeater will still remain in the lineup, at least for the near future, to ever-so-slightly balance out the high price of the Powertrain equipped models.
Repeater Powertrain Details
• SRAM Powertrain motor, 720 Wh battery
• 170 mm travel front & rear
• Carbon frame
• 29" wheels (mixed wheel compatible)
• Sizes: S-XL
• Weight (size M): GX - 52.9 lb (24 kg) | X0 - 52.8 lb (23.9 kg)
• Price: $10,499 - $11,999 USD
• transitionbikes.com
• SRAM Powertrain motor, 720 Wh battery
• 170 mm travel front & rear
• Carbon frame
• 29" wheels (mixed wheel compatible)
• Sizes: S-XL
• Weight (size M): GX - 52.9 lb (24 kg) | X0 - 52.8 lb (23.9 kg)
• Price: $10,499 - $11,999 USD
• transitionbikes.com
Frame & Motor
Props go to Transition for stepping back from the thru-headset cable routing found on the original Repeater. Mistakes happen, and that design choice was one of them, so it's great to see that ports in the side of the frame have returned, which should increase headset bearing longevity and slightly reduce the number of annoyed mechanics in the world.
The general frame layout hasn't changed much – it still uses a Horst link layout with a vertical, trunnion mounted shock, which leaves plenty of room for a full size water bottle, at least on the larger sizes. Along with accessory mounts on the underside of the top tube, all of the Repeater Powertrains come with OneUp's handy EDC took stashed in the steerer tube.
OneUp's EDC tool is stashed in the steerer tube.
The Transmission derailleur is hardwired to the bike's battery.
Both Repeater Powertrains models use a SRAM Transmission drivetrain, a combo that allows riders to have the system shift automatically. It's still not a feature that I'm sold on, since shifting isn't a task that I find to be even remotely difficult, but when enabled the system will shift by itself to maintain a consistent cadence, and even when AutoShift isn't turned on the Coast Shift feature can be used to, you guessed it, shift while coasting, at least as long as a certain minimum speed is maintained. The Transmission derailleur has a wire running from it to the main battery, so that's one less battery to remember to charge.
The Reverb AXS dropper post is the other battery powered component on the bike, and for taller riders it could be a source of frustration, since there isn't any option with more than 170mm of drop, at least not yet, and if it's swapped out for something else the cockpit configuration ends up looking a little cluttered. It does work, it's just not pretty.
As for the motor itself, the Powertrain puts out 90 Nm of torque, and is powered by a 720 Wh battery, a welcome increase over the 630 Wh battery on the Shimano version of the Repeater.
Geometry
To go along with the 10mm increase in front and rear travel, the Repeater Powertrain has a slacker, 63.5 degree head angle. The chainstays measure a generous 455mm on all sizes, and the seattube angle has been steepened slightly to 78.2-degrees. The reach numbers remain the same as before – it seems like the days of that number increasing with every new model are behind us – and ranges from 425mm on a small to 510mm on a size large.
Models
Prices
X0 - $11,999 USD
GX - $10,499 USD
Ride Impressions
Even though the original Repeater came out less than two years ago, there's a noticeable difference in refinement between the original and the Powertrain model. There's a refreshing lack of motor rattle when coasting downhill, and the actual whir of the motor when pedaling is on the quieter side as well. As I mentioned in my initial write-up of the Powertrain, the motor performance will feel very similar to that of a Specialized Levo, which makes sense considering the hardware comes from the same manufacturer.
It's good to see the option to set up the Repeater with mixed wheels, although I think Transition could have made that the standard spec for all the models and no one would have batted an eye. Remember, we're talking about a full-powered, 170mm machine here that's made for rough, steep trails. The reduced chance for a buzzed butt and improved maneuverability would be a worthy tradeoff over the slightly improved rollover ability, at least in my mind.
As it is, though, the Repeater feels very composed in the steeps, with plenty of speed on tap. The extra travel is there for handling the big hits, but I wouldn't say it's diminished its climbing abilities at all. If anything, the Powertrain motor allows for a more natural cadence while climbing, which can be helpful when treading the line between traction and spinning out on extra-steep sections.
There's also the Auto Shift feature, but I didn't use it much on my ride on the Repeater. It's not really a feature I'm too concerned about either – it's there for riders who want to enable it, but definitely not something I'd consider a 'must have.'
Overall, the new Repeater seems like a solid step up from the original. The extra travel and bigger battery make sense on a full-power machine like this, and it's certainly a worthy option for knocking out big rides on rugged terrain.
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The best thing to do is to build an ebike off a kit (CYC is the best one right now). It won't look as nice, but what you get in performance far outweighs the drawbacks. As far as shifting, close ratio Shimano Saint drivetrain works just fine (don't need short climbing gears if you have an ebike).
14 199$ CAD and you're stuck riding a ZEB Select & Code Bronze, that is painful.
solid attempt at shit flinging, monkey ass!!!
Also, I believe there is an uncommonly fast for his age US DH rider who seems to think Sur-Ron’s are fun. This is where the seed was planted in my head. I haven’t ridden with that guy in a few years, but I’m confident that fun and smiles are still top priority.
Cheers and wish you well on your pursuit of happiness.
And you did also answer my question yes thank you. That boils down to jealously. You see these kids out there having more fun than you, even though they don't put in as much work as you and haven't put in as much time as you have to master your toy. This hurts you to see because the sad truth about human nature is we do not like seeing others doing better than us, and so our gut reaction to other people thriving in ways unfamiliar to us is generally anger and hatred.
Step one, put on a disguise so nobody can recognize you and throw your leg over a Surron. The best cure for hatred is understanding.
@owl-X.. honestly, that is a mistake on my side but the alternative of not giving an eff, well, maybe I'm too old or not old enough; a diminish importance should occur though cheers.
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store.pedalrevolution.co.uk/images/merida_big_trail_700_-_black_red_650b_mountain_bike.jpg
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This pricing is crazy though. I spent $6k on the wifes repeater and even that was steep with the spec it came with.
I say this as a Transition and ebike owner (eeb is not a Transition)
* What kind of pedaling sensors is it using: cadence (measures speed of crank movement only) or force (measures actual rider input)?
* How do you figure out what is wrong if it stops working correctly? Can you do any diagnosis and/or repair at home? Need to take it to a dealer shop just to scan for faults, like a friggin' car? Ship it back to the manufacturer? Possibly to then have to pay for a full Remove & Replace, or is the entire electronic system covered by a warranty?
* Is there a warranty, and what does it cover? If you don't modify it, or just smash it, I can't really see anything a rider could do to break the system, they really only have one input: the cranks, and the motor is supposed to _add_ power to that. So any issues at all in the motor or battery or controls should be completely covered.
* What is the software update process like? Plug-in a USB from a PC? Need an Android or iPhone? What kind of future support is offered?
* How long are the batteries, and other electonics, expected to last, time-wise and charge-cycle-wise? Can I expect to find replacements in the future? Where? For how long?
* Etc, etc.
To borrow from Jurassic Park: "You've got all the problems of a motorized vehicle (major theme park) and a personal electronic device (major zoo), and a bike, and the aftermarket support system isn't even fleshed out yet (the computer system isn't even ready)."
I'd buy this frameset in a second. I'd literally pull every other part off and start over. Which makes me then look at other companies that have more parts I wouldn't want to swap off....
There are more and more people switching from pedal bikes to ebikes. It's a WAY easier jump for someone to just pull their parts off their bike and swap frame sets than it is to sell there $8k pedal bike at a massive loss to buy a $11k ebike and take another massive loss.
Once the hardware is installed on the frame it's pretty much like building any other bike. I personally don't want a gear box or electronic shifting or electronic seat posts, etc. So the standard Shimano and Bosch and Specialized systems, etc... those all appeal to me.
You can very easy load a frameset with those systems and sell them. The end user or shop only has to install the basics and then run a controller to the bar and some magnets. It's not hard. You can even put in you legal that all warranties are voided if not installed by an approved shop. It's a very common practice in all forms of industry.
So yes... they are doing it. And yes they will do it more. It's just a matter of when will it become more common.
Every bike I've owned since like 2001 besides my ebike have been custom builds off frame sets.
I'd think in general it's a lower priority for bike companies not because of liability concerns but because of market value. There are no standards in-regards to mounting systems. They're still changing with nearly every update. So until those start to become more standard, it creates difficulties with warranties, supply/demand, servicing, back fitment, etc.
So currently the market is NOT demanding that companies do this. You generally only see certain levels and/or types of bikes coming as frame only anyways because it's a smaller demand in the market and a unique person that's asking for it. That segment is even smaller in your ebike world. They're in general very much the.. turn key and/or do it for me crowd.
But I think that will start to change. Especially as the economy pinches. A lot easier to drop $3-5k on a frameset and swap over your stuff than it is to drop $9-12k on a full bike.
You're right about logistics though.
For the last 15 years or so I've bought/built at least one new bike a season, selling them after 1-2 years of riding... so I have experimented with all possible ways of doing so and tracked the costs. But don't take my word for it... crack Excel open and crunch some numbers. But don't forget to account for the estimated value of your finished bike. Your brand new frame with 4 year old components on it is worth thousands less than a complete new build, which is an important part of the calculation.
If you tell me you like building up a frame yourself for the fun of it then good, you are 100% correct that is your preference and you should do that. But that wasn't the discussion here. The original comment I was replying to very specifically was stating that they wanted to build a frame up themselves due to tight financial times and so I felt it important to point out that this solution looks best due to the least up front cost, but in most cases is not the best move financially.
Also, this is a public comment section on the internet so we are all taking interest in interacting with strangers, yourself included, so don't make me out to be some weirdo you tw*t.
But still, if you're happy to ride it as is or with minimal upgrades, that is a steal to get a taste of the e-life.
Yep, "ever so slightly balance out" is right - the OG Repeater starts with a GX AXS build at a hair under $9K. All the lower spec builds seem to have been sold through. Given that it still uses EP800 (vs the newer EP801, which is a bit lighter but more importantly comes with a newer battery management system that would solve the 'hey, I thought I had two bars of battery left a couple miles ago, and now I'm almost all out' problem), and a smaller battery, I'd say there's not a lot of balance there.
Having ridden both the OG Repeater and the Relay, I like where they're going with this. The Relay is just as capable as the OG Repeater, but way more playful. So to dial up the full fat option to be bigger/burlier makes sense, now there are two really clear paths for different preferences/use cases. I wouldn't ride a Spire, but a Sentinel would be very much up my alley; similarly, the Relay might be just my cup of tea, whereas this is for someone with a different set of preferences.
Transition is the home team; I love what they do in the community here in Bellingham, and damn, the bikes just ride really well without needing to do a ton of tuning. Unfortunately, their pricing has escalated to somewhere in Pivot/Yeti territory. There's a niche for that, and I'm happy to see them occupy that niche proudly and successfully; I'm probably just not the customer for that niche.
But pedaling all by yourself is...?
Freeway Buffalo:
electricbikereview.com/freway/buffalo
Seth's bike hacks:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw0mywCfuB0&t=342s
I have the newer one, v1.5 with the GX AXS / TRP / Fox Performance Elite build...it's fantastic.
But yeah make a donation in my name or something, I'm fine.
New stuff being released doesn't change anything about old stuff.
@mikekazimer might be worth throwing a little disclaimer on the article now that that info is posted online. I imagine it wasn't available when this article was written.
Now I'm looking at an adventure bike like a Transalp or similar.
These pedal/e-bikes bikes are getting very pricey.
thanks in advance
Obsolete already.