[pkrip]

Agreed, and hope so.. Best to keep positive and look forward to riding new bikes at some point. I'm sorta ok with waiting longer if that happens. Summer can get pretty dry and loose. Now fall, mild winters, and spring.. love it for getting a new bike dialed in.

 

[myersc]

Sounds like you are enjoying your alloy Sentinel. I'm really close to pulling the trigger but am concerned about weight and climbing ability, as well as it being too much bike for my riding skills. I was recently riding a 2017 Process 111 and I felt the slack seat tube angle inhibited it's climbing ability. I also ride a 2018 Chromag Rootdown and I seem to climb better with it however it's not a great comparison as it's a hardtail though it has 27.5 x 2.8 tires but I'm changing it over to 29er shortly.

I have the option of buying a used 2019 Hightower LT from a friend and I know it's been well taken care of. But the 73.7 ST angle is slacker than any bikes I've been considering and even slacker than my Process was. That said, I haven't read one bad review about the LT except one guy seemed to go through his travel and the back tire would hit the seat-post which I found really odd. Regardless, I'm not an aggressive rider and only weigh 160lbs so I don't think this would be an issue for me.

The Ripmo AF is another contender and I read another post where you spoke about the Rimpo and the Sentinel.

How has the paint been on the Sentinel for you? People complain of issues. I don't want to let price be a factor but I can get 2019 Sentinel for a great price and I like the fact that it's new vs. buying a used Hightower LT.

Appreciate any input you have. Thanks.

 

[MUSTCLIME]

Demoed a Ripmo back to back with a sentinel, the same linkage that makes the Ripmo a good climber adds harshness in the descents.IMO... also, read through the “Ripmo af” thread both here and pinkbike. The DVO fork is a half pound heavier than the fox and rockshox offerings. Also it seems the DVO forks need a rebuild out of the box..... yea, the fork killed the Ripmo af for me.

 

[Duffman1976]

Let's try to get this thread back on track as it is the Sentinel V2 thread. Having said that, has anyone heard if the next shipment of XO build bikes will be spec'd with the 2021 fox suspension?

 

[tgent13]

The Sentinel V2 looks killer and I'm stoked to try one out! If anyone's interested in an in-depth suspension analysis and how it compares to a few other modern enduro bikes feel free to check this out and let me know what you think!

https://mtbsr.com/transition-sentinel/

 

[Duffman1976]

Thanks for that analysis. Now just need to ride it and see if the feel matches your numbers. From what I’ve seen and read the SB 150 is not nearly as progressive which is why cascade has made a link to increase the progressive nature of the frame. From the reviews I’ve read it seems that the sentinel is harder to bottom out than the 150. Also haven’t read a review that mentioned pedal kickback yet. Maybe some more detailed reviews will come out once there are more sentinels in the wild.

 

[RSparkVB4]

Love my sentinel however looking for a upgrade or change to the rear shock. I currently have the RS super deluxe ultimate on it and I feel it is harsher than I would like it to be on repeated/fast and hits/bumps when really charging. I’m looking at DVO Jade and Jade X coil options. I’m 240 with gear and ride a XXL for reference. Does anyone have any recommendations for changes to current shock or any time on any DVO coil? Current sag is right at 30% and I only bottom out when hucking to flat. I’ve tried 1 and 2 volume spacers and interesting enough it really doesn’t change bottom out for me or any ride feelings. Thanks!

 

[socalrider77]

Love my sentinel however looking for a upgrade or change to the rear shock. I currently have the RS super deluxe ultimate on it and I feel it is harsher than I would like it to be on repeated/fast and hits/bumps when really charging. I'm looking at DVO Jade and Jade X coil options. I'm 240 with gear and ride a XXL for reference. Does anyone have any recommendations for changes to current shock or any time on any DVO coil? Current sag is right at 30% and I only bottom out when hucking to flat. I've tried 1 and 2 volume spacers and interesting enough it really doesn't change bottom out for me or any ride feelings. Thanks!

How much pressure are you running? Could always send it to a custom tuning shop, likely cheaper than a new shock

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[Duffman1976]

I have a GX build on order. Plan is to takeoff the suspension and sell it new and replace with 2021 fox stuff. Contemplating the fox 38 but don’t want to mess with the geometry too much. 38 axle to crown is 6.6mm higher than 2020 36.

 

[RSparkVB4]

PSI is right around 235 which gives me right at 30%. I might try to lower some psi and see.
Duffman- might want to check if you are over the weight/psi for the X2 if you plan to go that route. The max for the X2 is 300psi and at 240 I’m right at that max with most bikes.

 

[Duffman1976]

PSI is right around 235 which gives me right at 30%. I might try to lower some psi and see.
Duffman- might want to check if you are over the weight/psi for the X2 if you plan to go that route. The max for the X2 is 300psi and at 240 I'm right at that max with most bikes.

Thanks for looking out. But I'm just over 6' and 183-ish so X2 should be fine. The wait is gonna be brutal though. Luckily I have loaner bike to ride in the meantime.

 

[jayoutside]

thoughts on how this compares this to your Megatower? much appreciated!!

 

[socalrider77]

PSI is right around 235 which gives me right at 30%. I might try to lower some psi and see.
Duffman- might want to check if you are over the weight/psi for the X2 if you plan to go that route. The max for the X2 is 300psi and at 240 I'm right at that max with most bikes.

Yea I'd try lowering PSI to ~33-35% sag and see how that works

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[Transition Bikes]

Love my sentinel however looking for a upgrade or change to the rear shock. I currently have the RS super deluxe ultimate on it and I feel it is harsher than I would like it to be on repeated/fast and hits/bumps when really charging. I'm looking at DVO Jade and Jade X coil options. I'm 240 with gear and ride a XXL for reference. Does anyone have any recommendations for changes to current shock or any time on any DVO coil? Current sag is right at 30% and I only bottom out when hucking to flat. I've tried 1 and 2 volume spacers and interesting enough it really doesn't change bottom out for me or any ride feelings. Thanks!

On the current Sentinel, 30% sag at the shock would be on the higher end of the recommended range and would equate to more than 30% sag at the rear wheel. That doesn't leave you with much positive travel available for those repeat hits. That amount of sag is not wrong by any means, but I would suggest also trying less sag to see how that feels. You mentioned trying 1 or 2 volume spacers but it didn't sound like you were having issues with bottoming out too easily. If you are considering a coil shock anyway, you should also try 0 volume spacers which should give a more linear and more coil like feel. See what you think of 25% sag with whatever your current volume spacer setting is. Then perhaps try 25% sag without any volume spacers. It is also might be worth playing with a touch faster rebound in case the shock is packing down, but I have no idea where your rebound is set.

 

[ehfour]

@Transition Bikes

This is what I thought your Aluminum Sentinel would have looked like- minus the shock mount and fat rear end

 

[wrinklefree]

thoughts on how this compares this to your Megatower? much appreciated!!

I've been on a Mega for a year and been riding a demo Sentinel for a few days now and I'm ready to sell the Santa Cruz (when they're back in stock).

Sentinel Pros:
Lighter bike
Pedals just as well if not better (see above)
Simpler suspension design. Feels like SC went out of their way to make VPP feel like a good 4 bar.
Suspension feels way more progressive and thus more playful.
Easier to setup. The Mega has a high leverage ratio + short shock (57mm) so you're running high pressures and constantly balancing support without feeling too harsh.
No perceivable downsides from the slacker HTA

Sentinel cons:
Doesn't have the fit and finish of a SC. Paint quality is questionable and the rear shock is making a clunking noise (although one review mentioned this was a RS issue).
Lacks some of the versitility of the Mega - Adjustable CS, flip chip and coil option. Although you can argue it doesn't need any of this.
Progression could add a touch of instability on the ultimate bumpy stuff at high speed. (note I tested with the Rockshox shock).

Bottom line is the Mega is the "M" or racer version of the Hightower, while the Sentinel feels like a Ripmo, Hightower and Switchblade from the FUTURE.

 

[socalrider77]

I've been on a Mega for a year and been riding a demo Sentinel for a few days now and I'm ready to sell the Santa Cruz (when they're back in stock).

Sentinel Pros:
Lighter bike
Pedals just as well if not better (see above)
Simpler suspension design. Feels like SC went out of their way to make VPP feel like a good 4 bar.
Suspension feels way more progressive and thus more playful.
Easier to setup. The Mega has a high leverage ratio + short shock (57mm) so you're running high pressures and constantly balancing support without feeling too harsh.
No perceivable downsides from the slacker HTA

Sentinel cons:
Doesn't have the fit and finish of a SC. Paint quality is questionable and the rear shock is making a clunking noise (although one review mentioned this was a RS issue).
Lacks some of the versitility of the Mega - Adjustable CS, flip chip and coil option. Although you can argue it doesn't need any of this.
Progression could add a touch of instability on the ultimate bumpy stuff at high speed. (note I tested with the Rockshox shock).

Bottom line is the Mega is the "M" or racer version of the Hightower, while the Sentinel feels like a Ripmo, Hightower and Switchblade from the FUTURE.

This makes me excited to get mine. Sounds like exactly what I'm looking for

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[socalrider77]

Shop got it built up yesterday, and I set it up last night with renthal bars, spec eliminator rear tire, and added AMS full frame protection. Maiden voyage will hopefully be today after work

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[socalrider77]

Got my first ride in on my XXL V2 NX build yesterday. Coming from a 2019 XXL capra 29 AL. Both bikes are around the same weight (~33.5 lbs with pedals+tubeless).

The sentinel flat out rips. Was probably 1-2 min faster than my best (when i was in the best shape) on the fireroad climb at my local spot, and I haven't ridden for a week and a half. That, and I'm on the standard EXO+ assegai/dhr2 compared to trail tires on my capra, so probably even faster if the tires were equivalent. Downhill was way more playful than the capra, while being almost as planted in the chunk. Get up and go was crazy, felt way more snappy than any bike i've ridden (could be that this is my first carbon bike).

Also noticeable was how much smoother the shifting was. Capra was XT + e13 cassette, the NX drivetrain blew me away with how quiet it was. Although I do miss my oval ring, can definitely feel the dead spot with a round ring up front.

Overall couldn't be happier, and excited to get some more rides on it.


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[Duffman1976]

Any more rides on it socalrider? Website is showing pre-order now instead of out of stock. Also hearing the next shipment of bikes should be available end of July...