Description:Designed for two purposes, eat up DH courses and tear up the sickest freeride lines on the mountain. The Gran Mal offers nearly limitless adjustability with the option to run different stroke rear shocks as well as bottom bracket height and head angle adjustments. Run the Gran Mal with a different stroke shock to turn it into a totally different bike. Run a 2.25" stroke shock for DH courses that are fast and flowy, then change up to a 3" stroke for the runs with nasty rock gardens and drops. With up to 222mm of rear travel the Gran Mal is the most confidence inspiring bike.
Submitted by
jake
a Downhiller
from albany ca us Date Reviewed: May 22, 2008
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$1500.00
Purchased At:
www.ride-this.com
Strengths:
this frame is the strongest frame i have ever ridden. The suspension is amazing i ride a 500 lb spring and i haven't fully bottomed it out yet! very strong frame looks nice rides even better than it looks.
Weaknesses:
none except the swing arm/barring bolts come loose every once and a wile
2007 transition gran mal,07 888 rc2x va, lots of deity,e 13,tbc revolution 36 150mm dh spacing wheelset,ird,fsa,and more
Bottom Line:
bottom line is if u want a good bike that will kick the trails azz and be kind to yours the gran mal is the one!!!! i love this bike bore than life its self. i spent 3 years and $4400 on this bike. its my baby
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Submitted by
Ramon Ramirez
a Downhiller
from Caracas, Venezuela Date Reviewed: January 16, 2008
Favorite Trail:
El Volcan
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$1500.00
Purchased At:
Mi Bici
Strengths:
strong, stable, confident, easy to handle on earth and air. it's eats up everything on his way, sensitive enough for DH races and burly strong for FR.
Weaknesses:
maybe weight (but just a little over the average)
Similar Products Used:
devinci olli, vp-free
Bike Setup:
marzocchi 888 rc3 wc, fox dhx5, wtb laser, maxxis mobster 40a, hayes hfx, saint and e-13 chainguide, raceface diabolus handlebar
Bottom Line:
go buy some now. it is one of the best DH-FR bikes on the market. TBC will support you 100%. excelent geometry. I have done 6 meters drops and 10-12 meters jumps and you wont feel nothing on landing. If you want a bike that exceed on DH and FR it is the one. it pedals very well. check out pinkbike, venezuela, look for Ramonaish albums (Ramonimal nickname). This bikes has not limits.
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Submitted by
Nelson Johnson
a Downhiller
from Scottsdale, AZ, USA Date Reviewed: October 2, 2007
Favorite Trail:
dirt merchant to a-line
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$1400.00
Purchased At:
Cactus Bikes
Strengths:
Hella strong, Inspires reckless confidence (which has come back to bite me in the ass), stiff.
Weaknesses:
none except if yer a nancy about the paint staying on the bike
Similar Products Used:
Kona Stinky, Transition Dirt Bag, Iron Horse Sunday
Bike Setup:
Gran Mal frame (blue), Fox 40RC2 to Marzocchi 888, Roco, Avid Codes, Azonic Outlaws, Zoch Seat, Thompson seat post etc
Bottom Line:
Even though I have broken the only Gran Mal to be reported to Transition's warranty department, it says more about how harsh I am on my bikes rather than the bike itself, I have attempted 35 foot step-ups, landed 20 foot drops, 20-30 foot jumps and step downs, and raced 8 courses on that frame. Needless to say I made that frame do what it was meant to do. When I discovered there was a crack in the frame Transition was immediately there to set me up with a loaner frame (they ran out of regular Gran Mals) while the Blindside was still going through its last stages of production. What more could you want from a bike company? My Gran Mal was the best bike I have ever owned (although that may be challenged with the new Blindside Transition has just set me up with). Bottom Line? Get one of last Mals that are still left at your local bike shop.
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Submitted by
Kai Moncino
a Downhiller
from Nor Cal Date Reviewed: May 28, 2007
Favorite Trail:
dead campers
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
2100 for complete
Strengths:
Incredibly strong and solid. This bike can take absolutely anything that you throw at it. Pedals well too.
Weaknesses:
It is a little heavy.
Similar Products Used:
Santa Cruz vp-free, devinci
Bike Setup:
boxxer team, mrp, hope dhx
Bottom Line:
This is a top of the line bike for downhill and freeride, maybe more for freeride due to the weight. You will never have to think you bike can't handle something if you are on one of these beasts.
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Submitted by
Bryan
a
from Simi Valley, ca Date Reviewed: April 9, 2007
Favorite Trail:
GSpot
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1400.00
Purchased At:
Epic cycles
Strengths:
Extremely stable. Plush yet not rigid. Well balanced. Extremely well balanced. Frame strength. Solid seatpost. Can climb anything, launch off anything and hit the BMX style jumps while maintaining total stability!!!! Confidence.
Weaknesses:
Pricey, but what isn't. It's hard to hold the same XC pace I was used to. Does that count?
6'0 223lbs I am a previous BMXer. I rode Mnt for many years. I broke many bikes, parts and bodily injuries. No bike could take the abuse. Motocross was the only choice! I ride tracks only and have only the best when it comes to suspension. Money well spent!!! I live in SoCal and have no lifts in my hood, I EARN all my turns (I am jealous of those that dont!). I have many friends that ride XC, freeride and some DH. I do urban and family rides, but bottom line: My bike must be able to launch rock faces, walls, jump like my MX bike and pedal up the steepest hill. The 2007 Gran Mal excels at all the above! Weight weenies eat my dust(on the way down)! This bike goes anywhere you point it. Do not hesitate to purchase this bike, you will be rewarded handsomely..... or you can watch and wish as the Gran Mal destroys anything in its path.
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Submitted by
Edgar
a Racer
from Portland, OR Date Reviewed: March 25, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Whistler & Syncline
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At:
Second Hand
Strengths:
Super active and plush; fully adjustable for DH and 4X without changing the geo's; 1.5" head makes for burly front end.
Weaknesses:
Some say weight, but when its built right, that is not an issue.
Similar Products Used:
Turner DHR, GT Dh-i
Bike Setup:
Manitou Shermand Breakout 1.5 & 888 RC, Avid Juicy 7's 8"/6", Fox DHX 5.0, SRAM X.0 drivetrain, FSA Gravity cranks, e-13 guide, Atomlab Aircorp Pedals, TBC seat, Thomson post and X-4 1.5 stem or FSA DH 300 stem, Deity white bars, ODI ruffian grips, Mavic rims with Hadley hubs on Nokian Gazzo's
Bottom Line:
The best bike for every facet of racing and riding. I can change from a DH race setup to the 4X setup to an all-mountain setup on the weekends. This bike will not disappoint anyone wanting to ride it.
Will give more info after more thorough testing.
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Submitted by
Pedal Shop
a Cross Country Rider
from Ashburn VA Date Reviewed: March 16, 2007
Favorite Trail:
hucky billy
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
www.pedalshop.com
Strengths:
1.5 headset = tuff stuff, great frame layout (as far as sitting on it and riding it). I have watched our shop riders take HUGE!!! drops and the bike lands like it's nothing. We're the ones posted on the TBC gallery (the VA boys: Looney, Kirly and Mackay. None of the frames we have sold have had any problems.
Weaknesses:
2006 = no front D set up but many install one with a cheater braze-on. the 2007 now has the braze-on for the front D. paint sucks on the black and white model, blue holds up much better.
Similar Products Used:
Santa Crus VP Free and V10
Bike Setup:
ever see Pimp My Ride?
Bottom Line:
I hope 1.5 head tube design sticks around. Headset are hard to come by. The cable routing is a little goofy. We have one built up with 203mm disc brakes, Zoke 888 fork, pretty pimped out and it's only 42lbs, that's pretty sick for a bike with that much travel. For short climbs, the bike actually climbs pretty well. Go big with the air, forget about it, the bike rules the air gods.
Look, we sell the bikes but we ride the bikes too. aka we ride what we sell. We could talk smack about all kinds of things but you can't talk smack about TBC. So what about the crappy paint, the front D deal-e-o on the 2006 (who cares, there's ways around it). These puppies rock.
Stop by the shop, take our shop demo for a ride.
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Submitted by
crankburger jinkinz
a Downhiller
from kanzas Date Reviewed: September 13, 2006
Favorite Trail:
sidewalk
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1500.00
Purchased At:
direct
Strengths:
stable, options, company backup, versatile, more affordable than the boutique's
cool bike, cool company, support the small company's that love to ride and ride to live.
get it, if you like trying different settings, want to go fast, go big.
if pushed this frame can hold its own to most other bikes.
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Submitted by
Loïc Claret
a Downhiller
from Chamonix, FRANCE Date Reviewed: August 5, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Les 2 Alpes
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At:
TBC
Strengths:
This bike is very cool, there is some settings to choose the bottom bracket height, seat and direction angle, an other setting which let you choose between 2 shock travel .
One thing wich is very crazy is that you can use differents eye to eye sized shock on this bike !
what I also like on his construction, its the shock position, wich protect him from mud projection ! and i think its pleasant ! the shock system is simple and works well !
Concerning his behaviour its a downhiller ! very stable and in the same time, easy to handle !
I ride downhill tracks and freeride single tracks, and in the 2 cases this bike is very easy at ease !
its a reassuring bike, very stiff not very heavy !
Weaknesses:
it's my first downhill bike, the only problems was the equipement, because it needs a 1.5 head set, a 83mm bottom bracket and a 150*12 Rear hub, it was hard to find the bottom bracket !
may be the paint is a bit frail. if you are not very maniac.
Similar Products Used:
Devinci Wilson. Orange 224.
Bike Setup:
Fox DHX 5 Rock Shox Boxxer Team 2006 Potence Race Face Diabolus Easton Ea 30 NC 17 head set Tige de selle Truvativ SDG Bel Air Race Face Evolve DH crankset Bottom bracket FSA Platinum DH chain guid E13 Derailleur Arr + Shifter Shimano XT Mavic Ex 729 + RSP hubs Shimano XT 4 piston en 203 mm
Bottom Line:
Well, in accordance with the equipment you put on it, it can be a great racer as a good freerider !
its geometry make him a playful bike !very easy ton handle on the air or riding single tracks !
I like this kind of bikes, easy system, easy to look after . and very rare ! even if it looks like Devinci its a bit better !
$
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