Fun Geometry
Durable so far
Loves to be in the air
Stiff Rear triangle
Corners well
Adequate Peddling Platform when spinning

Factory Powder coat

So I have a long hiatus from the Covert after flirting with DW-link & Switch bikes. Recently got fed up with the SB 66's long list of issues, I went back to the Covert. At first it felt kinda tall and rode it around Mt. Galby and it was really really fun. Needless to say it was great on the North Van trails. Even coming from the SB66 (which did bob slightly even with rebound turned down), the Covert bobbing was not too noticeable & manageable but definitely not as stable as the DW-link. Short burst of stand up/BMX style peddling did induce bobbing like the SB66. The Covert's platform is stable enough to climb up Front Range CO's dusty singletrack sidewalks with no major drama.

While riding the new Covert is awesome. It is stiff and loves to be throw up in the air. Landed some sketch landings that on the SB66 would have ended me and my day. Even cornering, I feel I can drive the bike thru my hips more than the Yeti (both had 142 rears). No complains about the Lyrik as well as the Monarch, both are leaps and bounds over the Fox stuff. Honestly, the new covert is rides like a dirtjumper that you can climb with. Bottomline, it is a fun bike to ride if you're not a dirt roadie.

Although I have not had this bike for long, it seems to be more durable than my SB66 (no cracks or straight sheering of the rear triangle from normal riding), which leads to better confidence in my equipment. The Covert's linkages are a lot simpler to maintain and are pretty smooth. No bearing noise/creaks like on the SB66 (1.5 weeks in dry conditions resulted in Switch bearing & shock bushing change w/out frame alignment issues) but only time will tell.

Less Maintenance down time + Overall fun to ride + Frame Beefiness = Good (at least to me).

Similar Products Used:

TBC Covert

Rides awesome, great value, doesn't bob much, climbs great, descends great, burly, easy to change bearings, replacement parts are affordable, great company, great customer service

Paint doesn't hold up well, rear derailleur hanger, graphics/color schemes could be better

This review is for a 2011 Covert. I believe they have improved my minor grips. I'm 6' 175lbs and ride a large. I feel that the size is perfect. The front end is tall, given the 160 Talas, so I suggest having a height adjustable fork. Climbing long steep climbs with a non-adjustable fork would be tough on the lower back. With the Talas dropped down though, it's great. The frame is stiff laterally. This is a great bike for those who need freeride downhill capability but also have to climb. I'd buy one again in an instant. I'm still searching for the most plush settings on the RP23. I'd also like to ride the Covert back to back with an Enduro and Nomad but that's just more out of curiosity, not need.

Just so much fun

None yet

1st off work out what type of riding you do, once you do that you can narrow your choice down a lot,
LBS offered me a demo on one had been looking at enduro,sc nomad and covert, well took it for a spin one day mile road ride to forestry peddled super no real bobbing and did not think it heavy in any way, once in said forest within 200 yards just knew this bike was for me it pops, hops and rails like no tomorrow and following day took bike back and ordered mine no hesitation a truly superb bike cannot wait to get mine as mentioned you will not be disappointed, don't hesitate.

Similar Products Used:

None, didn't need to

Super playful and responsive suspension with fantastic climbing performance in trail and climb. It works better then my FSR because is has less chain growth for smooth pedaling. Very stiff pedaling. Tried to make it brake jack by braking over fast rocky sections and suspension seems fully active under braking. Pivot placement allows simple replacement without unique tools. 160 fox CTD feels great climbing and not too raked. Downhill performance is fantastic

traded out reverb for LEV on build 1. Finish features on frame and cable guide welds are not to par but the pure function of machined parts and hydroformed tubes is all well done and super burly.

Review is for 2013 Covert 26, Build 1 for $5,600.00
Easton Haven rims, stem, carbon bar, XT build.
30.2 pounds with straightline de facto pedals and KS 150 LEV tubeless
Geometry definitely compromises you with a rearward position climbing but off saddle feels solid and efficient.

Similar Products Used:

FSR, 2009 Norco Team DH, Transition Transam 26,

Versatility! Up, down, over, off and through. She's a ripper. Bombproof and fast.

None! Cheaper would be nicer...,but you pay for what yah get.

Huge Transition Fan! Bought on recommendation of long time rider. Beacon Hill in Spokane is loaded with them. She does it all.

Climbing- Running the 1x10 setup - climbs like a billygoat. I ride everything from Moab (Burro Pass, Moonlight Meadows, Schumans Gulch, Hells Canyon, Porcupine, Magnificent 7, Pipeline, Bar M, Poison Spider, Amasa...), Grand Junction (The ribbon, Lunch-loops), Palisade, PNW- Blackrock, Bellingham, Duthie Hill...), and Telluride on this bike. The only thing Ive had to walk on this thing was sections of Wasatch Trail in Telluride (steap 3500+ vertical up and 3500+ back down). This bike climbs like a 4 inch bike and descends like a DH bike.

Descending- The 6 inches of single-pivot suspension eats up the rough stuff, tracks extremely well, and jumps with ease. Its truly a mini-DH bike. If I only had one bike, this would be it hands down. As with any single-pivot, brake-jack is experienced when cornering on the brakes but once you practice proper techniques (i.e. braking before corners) you are golden. The stiffness of the 12x142 rear end is great, no flex at all when rallying through berms or rock gardens. Truly a point and shoot bike, it goes where you want it to and doesnt get kicked off line easily. Ive ridden everything on this bike with ease. Handles steep techy high alpine descents (Burro Pass down - "Whole Enchilada", Wasatch Trail...) to the fun flowy berms, jumps, and drops of Blackrock, OR and Bellingham, WA and this bike begs for more.

Customer support- Needless to say but I will anyway. Transition Bike Co's customer service is top-notch. 2 year warranty and lifetime crash replacement. The guys at Transition are approachable with any problems, call them up and its taken care of. A real plus is that you talk directly to the guys who run the company so theres no runaround, its just taken care of and your back on your bike quickly.

Single-Pivot Brake Jack - but is easily remedied with practice and proper technique

Nothing else really. Component specs are top notch. Propedal works great with this frame. Geometry is spot on.

Never thought I would hit 20 ft gaps and 12-15 ft drops on a trail bike but this bike can handle it. and cilmb to the top to do it all over again. Rode Blackrock, OR and Bellingham, WA with some locals and only had this bike. Let me tell ya, ya dont need 8 inches+ of travel to ride that stuff. Its nice to have the extra cushion sometimes but this bike eats it up and begs for more. When we got to the bottom, I flipped the propedal, raised the seat and cranked to the top while they were all pushing. Truly the best of both worlds! If you have only enough cash for one bike, this bike is a true "quiver-killer". It climbs easily and efficiently. It descends like a DH bike. its very predictable in the air, rock gardens, berms, and when drifting thru off-camber corners. This bike truly corners like its on rails, lean it over and let it hook up. The stiffness of the rear end is amazing, I didnt realize how flexy my 135X10 rear end was until I got on this thing this year. The guys at Transition have truly made a great "do it all" bike with the Covert. Throw a leg over one and you wont be dissapointed, I bet you'll own one in no time after riding one. Ive traded bikes with friends (Specialized Enduro, Santa Cruz Nomad, Trek Slash) and rode sections of Porcupine Rim. Hands down the Covert is my bike of choice. One of my friends even sold her bike and got a new Covert after riding one. Im going to Winter Park and Sol Vista in a few weeks and cant wait to ride this thing there. Im bringing the DH bike and this and Im not sure which bike Ill spend more time on. Dont nock the single-pivot, theres a reason there around, they work well in all conditions.

Bottom Line- Throw a leg over one of these and see where it takes you, you wont be dissapointed. Crank up to the top and rally down as fast as you can and this bike begs for more. Still not sure if Ill be riding my Covert or my TR450 at Winter Park and Sol Vista more.

Bomb-proof construction and a good value (6" Frame w/ RP23 for $1,600) + Fox 36 = still less than most other 6" frames

The only annoyances on this bike so far: Each wreck = Paint scratches (I ended up getting some of that clear wrap from an autobody shop & put in high use/crash prone areas).

Needs a top tube cable guide for the Reverb post (makes you run a lot of cable on the downtube and then route it up through the suspension). I got some sticker cable routing guides and used silicone to secure to frame on the under-side of top tube.

Some pedal strike issues in really technical sections & climbs.

I fall perfectly into the Transition Covert customer profile: I can only have one bike but ride single-track, climb, and aggressive freeride trails. My average ride is either 1,500-2,000ft of climbing w/ a 5-10 mile decent or 15+ mile technical rolling single track. I live the PacNW so trails are wet/loose, technical w/ a lot of rocks, tree roots, and manmade burms & jumps.

I switched over from FS to HT free-ride bikes about 4 years ago because: lower maintenance and cost, durability, skills/challenge, rear triangle stiffness, response, and climbing.

I was able to borrow a Covert for a quick ride at a Super-D race and I had a Covert in my garage a few weeks later. The Covert is one of the few bikes that had the same stiff and responsive feel I had grown to love on my HT. I also like the Covert because it looks and feels solid – delicate things and I don’t do well together!!

After only 6 rides on the Covert I entered a 7 mile /2,000ft Super-D. I was pleasantly surprised how in tune with the bike I felt after only 6 rides. I’ve got about 15 rides on it now and I’m right back to riding w/o thinking about my bike - it's "invisible".

For setup I spent about 2 hours reading through a few suspension blogs and Fox’s recommendations - I pretty much had it dialed in on the first ride.

So far it’s been great for all of the following: 2,000ft forest service road climbs, 3ft drops, railed 100’s of burms, plowed through rock gardens, took it to the local pump track & a skate park (it’s little heavy for this).

Bottom Line: I think Covert was dead on with their description as the Quiver killer. At 32lbs you won’t be the first to the top of the hill - but point it downhill and this thing rips.

Strong frame, agressive geometry, nice look.

Paint chips easily.

I ride 2008 Covert since autumn 2010, it's so called "1,5 version". I'm 186 cm and frame is L size. Bike is good at uphill and great at downhill. It does tempt you to ride more agressive and really helps to improve riding skills.
Long top tube might be a problem for some people, but it lets to use short stem resulting in precise handling. I find suspension a bit progressive, it's quite plush and doesn't bottom out even on 1 m drops to flat.
Well, if you need a reliable and capable trail bike at decent price, that's the right choice :)

Similar Products Used:

None, that's my first fs bike

Everything. Smooth, fast, stable, poppy, stable, smooth, fast, poppy, fun, poppy, fun...fun

makes everyone really jealous

Amazing bike. Faster than my old dirtbag, pedals uphill better than specialized pitch.

Similar Products Used:

giant reign, transition dirtbag, specialized pitch

Solid frame, good simple single pivot suspension design, loves being abused.

None-it's perfect for what it was created.

The bike is great for the type of riding it was made for- that is all mountain in in its purest sense. I use it as my trail bike and I ride it aggressively. No worries about the frame, it can and it likes being beaten up. I climb everything on it and I only seldom use the pro-pedal on the RP23. The terrain here in NY/NJ is usually short, steep climbs followed by the same type of descents. The bike can go up and it can definitely come down. Also, I never felt the need for a travel adjustable fork. Actually, after playing around with the suspension pressures for the first 8-10 rides, I found the sweet spot for both front and rear and never touched them again. Transition is also great as a company and have communicated with them very well- down to Earth people who seem to enjoy riding just as much as I do.
Bottom line is if you need a bike with a simple suspension design that will handle anything you'll throw at it the V2 Covert is a great weapon of choice.

Similar Products Used:

Specialized Enduro, Stumpjumper, Iron Horse 6.