On the back of SRAM’s Powertrain e-MTB system breaking cover, we now have details on one of the first bikes to have the new motor, Transition’s Repeater. As far as we know, this will be the first Powertrain equipped bike available in Australia.
A burly big hitter, the bike has a bit more travel, the ability to run mixed wheels, and a slight evolution of the geometry. With SRAM’s Powertrain plastered all over the internet, we’ve seen no shortage of imagery of this red and black Transition e-MTB. Now we have some details, let’s dive in!
From one big S to another
The headliner of the new Repeater is the swap from a Shimano EP8 e-MTB system over to SRAM’s new Powertrain.
This means exchanging a motor with an internal clutch mechanism — providing for low drag pedalling when the motor is not engaged, but clacking on the descents — to a belt-based system that is quiet on descents but feels a bit like pedalling through sand when the motor is not engaged.
Check out our full explainer article here for everything you need to know about SRAM’s new Powertrain e-MTB system.
The new bike will come with the larger 720Wh battery, which is removable and slides into the downtube from below the BB. Both builds will come with a SRAM T-Type Transmission to enable the full functionality of the Powertrain, which relies on the shifter pods. The rear derailleur is also wired directly into the big battery to limit how many things you need to remember to charge.
Transition Repeater frame details
Bucking the industry trend, the Transition Repeater does not — I’ll repeat, does not — run the rear brake hose through the headset, instead opting for the good ol’ bolt in headtube ports.
To ensure the chain doesn’t manage to find its way off the front chainring, especially while the motor coast shifting, Transition has integrated a chain guide.
Just behind the motor is a nifty little flap covering the gap between the main pivot and the frame to keep it debris-free. Transition has also solved the snapped-off battery door and complaints about fragile charge port by using a simple rubber cover.
There’s also a beefy chainstay protector to shield the frame and keep the chain quiet.
Geometry and suspension
Transition has upped the Repeater’s travel to 170mm front and rear and has employed its Giddy Up suspension layout at the rear end. The launch materials have not published much in the way of suspension kinematics, however the brand does say that there is a 26.6% progression, which means the bike should play nice with both air and coil shocks.
The Repeaters are shipped out a full 29ers however, there is a flip chip in the lower shock mount that allows you to swap in a 27.5in rear wheel. Unfortunately, the launch materials don’t specify how much the flip chip raises the BB, and we don’t know how that affects any of the other lines on the geometry chart.
Given the bikes are shipped as 29ers, we’ll assume that means the chip is in the low position from the factory, meaning with the big back wheel, the head angle measures 63.5º, the effective seat angle is between 79.2 and 77.5, and depending on the frame size the chainstays are 455mm across the board. These are only small changes from the previous Repeater, to the order of decimal points of degrees and the reach is the same across the board, the Stack is higher in M, LG and XL frames, but 1mm shorter in the SM.
Transition Repeater models and availability
The Transition Repeater will come in two builds — an XO AXS Transmission spec and GX AXS Transmission. Both come with a OneUp EDC Lite tool installed in the steerer tube, see a Rockshox Zeb fork and Vivid shock, and SRAM Code brakes with 220mm HS2 rotors.
Unsurprisingly, with the integrated nature of the SRAM Powertrain, each bike will come with a RockShox Reverb AXS due to the pod shifters.
According to Transition’s new Aussie distributor, Lusty Industries, they should reach our shores this side of Christmas and will start at $18,799.95 AUD for the trim, and jump to $20,999.95 AUD for AXS — noting that this pricing is subject to change.
