Double Duty

Small Bikes that go Big

TRANSITION SCOUT 3 | $5,100

Final Take: Girls just want to have fun, and so does this bike.

THE SHORT-TRAVEL 27.5-WHEELED BIKE IS THE MOTOR cycle of the mountain-bike world. You can’t justify your desire with logic, and in the end, part of the joy of ownership is in accepting that there is no justification: You just want it.

A 29er with the same travel would be more efficient and at least as capable, and a longer-travel 27.5 bike would be more capable without sacrificing much efficiency. But the Scout doesn’t care–it’s just here to have fun. Its full-carbon chassis accommodates 125 millimeters of Horst-link-served travel. Two of our three testers ran 30-percent sag and were impressed by the Scout’s climbing aptitude and overall efficiency, as well as its mid-stroke support and ramp-up. Neither felt that the rear end was harsh. The third tester preferred how capable the bike felt at 36 percent, and even wished for a slacker head angle to match the rear end’s potential, but he also used the pedal platform on the RockShox Monarch RT3 shock to achieve climbing performance and to preserve the Transition’s commendably steep 75-degree seat-tube angle.

The Scout has a surefooted, confident demeanor, thanks to its roomy 457-mil reach (size large) and supple suspension. But all three testers noted that despite–or perhaps because of–how capable it feels, the 67-degree head angle and 140-mil fork can become overwhelmed when pushed into the steep and technical or high-speed terrain usually reserved for all-mountain bikes.