Transition Relay Owners how's the bike?

[Suns_PSD]

Could some of the other Relay owners measure their HTA (I use a level app on my phone) and report what they get as well as if they are mullet, which fork & anything else worth mentioning like a 2.6 rear tire or something?

Thanks.

 

[Swingset]

Sorry to troll a bit. The Relay ticks a bunch of boxes for me. Why are these sitting on sale for so long with so much stock? Wondering if they have the updated controllers and motors (if any)

 

[ehfour]

Could some of the other Relay owners measure their HTA (I use a level app on my phone) and report what they get as well as if they are mullet, which fork & anything else worth mentioning like a 2.6 rear tire or something?

Thanks.

Just measured mine with 2 apps- Iphone measure and bubble app

170mm non-mullet

Iphone measure- 63
Bubble app- 63.2

 

[cykelk]

Sorry to troll a bit. The Relay ticks a bunch of boxes for me. Why are these sitting on sale for so long with so much stock? Wondering if they have the updated controllers and motors (if any)

Only way to know for sure will be to ask your dealer (or Transition) to check the hardware revision on the bike you’d be buying, which they could pretty easily do. I wouldn't let that make or break my decision though. If it's only fear of Fazua holding you back, just consider the discount to be your compensation for the pain of maybe possibly needing to use the warranty.

 

[Suns_PSD]

Just measured mine with 2 apps- Iphone measure and bubble app

170mm non-mullet

Iphone measure- 63
Bubble app- 63.2

Edited: It was because my floor is slanted. Once I average the HTA by measuring with the bike pointed each direction, I get a HTA of 62.9', which is much closer to what I expected.

Your measurements make sense because you have the taller fork (geo chart says that 64' is standard for a stock 29er.

A mullet is supposed to have a 63.4' HTA with dual Schwalbe 2.4 tires and a 170mm fork.

So my set up is Mullet (started as a CF but used the flip chip and swapped parts), however my rear tire is a Mazza 27.5 x 2.6 (actual 2.47") and it's a pretty tall tire. I have the same tire up front in the 29er version.

My front fork is a Mezzer Pro as a 160mm (verified this as well) that has the same A2C of 574mm as a F38 AND the F36.at 160mm.

No spacers between the headset and the fork crown.

I verified that my shock overall length (it's aftermarket) is 205mm. It is.

Obviously tires are aired up and bike is unloaded.

However measuring carefully my HTA is definitely 62.1'. The app flashes back and forth between 28' & 28.2' as it operates in even numbers only.

The bike is fine, but I'd love to know what others are seeing with their relevant set ups as that is pretty far off of where the bike should be.

 

[stefan0103]

Whoops, yeah I linked the wrong one. this is the correct one, Reach Adjust ZS56-ZS66 - To Suit Tapered Steerer - 5mm

That may or may not be the one you linked before, i was checking in between meetings and obviously not checking closely enough. I had my LBS confirm the one linked in this post, is the correct one.

Can anyone tell me if the lower headset cup R needs to be installed in the same direction as the upper headset cup offset?

 

[Suns_PSD]

For the reach adjust, yes, same direction for both cups.

 

[Mishtar]

How are you all liking the bike? I'm interested in one but it seems like there are more used Relays on pinkbike than any other bike....

 

[Suns_PSD]

I adore mine.
Also, I often ride with full powers and it's rarely an issue.

 

[Tmae]

Also love mine.
Main downside is if you have one with an older motor revision.
My 1st motor died after just 60km.
The 2nd one (produced Jan 2024) is still running strong with no issues (2200km atm).
Good thing is Fazua resets the warrenty to 2 years again after replacement.

 

[dumpy]

new colors and equipment just dropped: Transition Bikes

 

[CarolinaCrawler]

new colors

I've been eyeing that raw aluminum. It looks great!

 

[dumpy]

I finally got the dreaded 2 yellows on my relay. funny enough it doesnt want to work with one battery at all, but works with the other battery, albeit the power is obviously reduced.

My LBS has no clue ("Fazua is asking us for logs and our computer can't run their software") so i ran it myself and sent it to fazua.. fingers crossed.. riding at what feels like 75% power suck haha. We compared with a friend's Kenevo SL 1 (1.1 motor, so the old weak one) and his is significantly more powerful right now.

Slightly disappointed how Transition just says "yeah contact Fazua its not us" for these, given how hard it is to get ahold of Fazua in practice for customers also.

 

[cykelk]

Slightly disappointed how Transition just says "yeah contact Fazua its not us" for these, given how hard it is to get ahold of Fazua in practice for customers also.

Hope Fazua can take care of you quickly. Have you called up Transition HQ or are you referring to your LBS here?

 

[dumpy]

I emailed transition actually and they never replied (weird, in the past they replied). Went to LBS and we called transition together. Currently I'm on email with Fazua and they seem responsive so that's cool. I'll update here, I know it's interesting to hear about the process and if it worked out or not.

 

[pshanks76]

A bit disappointing to hear Transition's response. I get that it's an issue for Fazua, but they could be a bit more helpful/proactive in connecting you to Fazua so as a customer you feel they are being responsive, and it wouldn't take much effort from them. Hope you get it sorted soon

 

[Red7]

Also love mine.
Main downside is if you have one with an older motor revision.
My 1st motor died after just 60km.
The 2nd one (produced Jan 2024) is still running strong with no issues (2200km atm).
Good thing is Fazua resets the warrenty to 2 years again after replacement

Do you know what the date is on the newer motor revision? I came across a deal on a Transition Relay with XX AXS build and since Transition no longer lists that as an option (XO is the highest component group), I'm assuming the bike is an older model that didn't sell (not surprised given the $12,500 retail price). I can save about $5,000 off of it and basically get it for the same cost as the GX Axs model, but with carbon wheels, bars and other higher-end components so the only negative is if it has the older electronics. If it does, I guess I'll just have to hope that things fail under warranty. Is it more the motor revision, or the update that seems to have improved on these Fazua systems because reading through this whole thread, the number of motor failures sure seems to have improved compared to the first few pages? I'll have to ask the LBS to update it for me before I pick it up. BTW- they told me that Transition is moving away from the Fazua system on the new Relays and will be going with the Bosch SX motor. That makes me a little nervous as I'd hate Fazua's business to go down the drain and eventually not be able to get replacement parts, making these bikes expensive lawn ornaments.

I know the PNW version comes with the Fox 38 rather than 36 Factory Grip 2 that comes on the XX build. Would that be an upgrade even if I kept the air shock? I have really bad thumbs that get destroyed on descents with the Fox 36 Performance Elite Grip 2 on my SJ Evo. What could I likely sell a brand new 36 Factory for and what fork would give me the most plush ride for my jacked up thumbs?

 

[Tmae]

I bought the GX AXS and swaped almost everything to make it a PNW, because i got a good deal on it.
I sold the float x, fox 36 grip 2, RF wheelset, bar, sattle, brakes as new. Made also a good deal on the new parts, so was not too much to pay additionally finally.

I really like the Relay as PNW, it‘s a great bike.
The Fazua is also a great motor as long as it works.
I have over 2500km meanwhile, just yesterday i experieced some vibration and the motor got quite load for 20 minutes, then it shut off. After switching it on again, everything normal again. Also today went for a 2h ride and no issues. Let‘s see if it was just a 1-time thing.
I have motor version F4 Jan 2024, I believe there is meanwhile F5.
They have better quality control implemted from Porsche (AI) since 2024, not sure what hardware changes they made, but the newer revisions improved.

Since the bike is so great and i really like the motor i would still buy it straight away, for me still the only bike to offer long travel + removeable battery + smoothly integrated drive unit with a relatively low weight and low noise.
Even though you have to count with reliability issues.
At least you always get a fresh 2 year warrenty after replacement.
I don‘t believe Fazua is getting broke soon, but sure they received a big shit storm due to reliablity issues and the still pending range extender, was a big fault to release the ride 60 half way ready and to make false promises. Made sooo many people really pissed off.

I would go for it even though it‘s most likely an old Motor inside, just count with a replacement, then you‘ll get the latest revision which is pretty reliable.
Sell the parts you don‘t need as brand new and go for a PNW like built.
Besides the reliablity isssues expect to pull out the motor to apply anti seize paste to the mounts inside, there a some how to‘s on FB and in this forum. (Creaking). Maybe they fixed that already.

If you have no problem figuring out some issues, pull the motor, ready to have a warrenty claim, go for it.

If you don‘t want to mess with that, -yes Bosch SX might be a better choice if you find a frame you like.
(I would love a bosch SX with better invisible integration, 60Nm, low noise and removeable battery, or a Fazua with Bosch reliability if i get a christmas wish )

Hope that helped you

 

[pshanks76]

Purely from personal experience with my own ebike and those of friends with other brands, I haven't seen the Fazua perform any less in terms of reliability than many other motor brands.

In terms of fork, I have the PNW with the 38 and didn't find it that sensitive out of box, despite much adjusting. After speaking with quite a few folk more knowledgeable in suspension than me the general consensus was that many of the new forks (both rockshox and fox) had questionable QC and tunes were geared to racers. I sent mine off to a suspension expert to get a lighter tune done on the damper, some low friction seals and a Trutune Flow for the air side. It totally transformed the fork and now it is so supple and plush.

It's worth considering this for the 36 as it will likely transform it to, and probably cheaper than swapping out. I just wouldn't necessarily expect a stock 38 to be the answer to your issues.

 

[Red7]

Purely from personal experience with my own ebike and those of friends with other brands, I haven't seen the Fazua perform any less in terms of reliability than many other motor brands.

In terms of fork, I have the PNW with the 38 and didn't find it that sensitive out of box, despite much adjusting. After speaking with quite a few folk more knowledgeable in suspension than me the general consensus was that many of the new forks (both rockshox and fox) had questionable QC and tunes were geared to racers. I sent mine off to a suspension expert to get a lighter tune done on the damper, some low friction seals and a Trutune Flow for the air side. It totally transformed the fork and now it is so supple and plush.

It's worth considering this for the 36 as it will likely transform it to, and probably cheaper than swapping out. I just wouldn't necessarily expect a stock 38 to be the answer to your issues.

What does it cost to get the suspension tuned? I do it to all my MX bikes but have never done it to a MTB.

 

[Red7]

I bought the GX AXS and swaped almost everything to make it a PNW, because i got a good deal on it.
I sold the float x, fox 36 grip 2, RF wheelset, bar, sattle, brakes as new. Made also a good deal on the new parts, so was not too much to pay additionally finally.

I really like the Relay as PNW, it‘s a great bike.
The Fazua is also a great motor as long as it works.
I have over 2500km meanwhile, just yesterday i experieced some vibration and the motor got quite load for 20 minutes, then it shut off. After switching it on again, everything normal again. Also today went for a 2h ride and no issues. Let‘s see if it was just a 1-time thing.
I have motor version F4 Jan 2024, I believe there is meanwhile F5.
They have better quality control implemted from Porsche (AI) since 2024, not sure what hardware changes they made, but the newer revisions improved.

Since the bike is so great and i really like the motor i would still buy it straight away, for me still the only bike to offer long travel + removeable battery + smoothly integrated drive unit with a relatively low weight and low noise.
Even though you have to count with reliability issues.
At least you always get a fresh 2 year warrenty after replacement.
I don‘t believe Fazua is getting broke soon, but sure they received a big shit storm due to reliablity issues and the still pending range extender, was a big fault to release the ride 60 half way ready and to make false promises. Made sooo many people really pissed off.

I would go for it even though it‘s most likely an old Motor inside, just count with a replacement, then you‘ll get the latest revision which is pretty reliable.
Sell the parts you don‘t need as brand new and go for a PNW like built.
Besides the reliablity isssues expect to pull out the motor to apply anti seize paste to the mounts inside, there a some how to‘s on FB and in this forum. (Creaking). Maybe they fixed that already.

If you have no problem figuring out some issues, pull the motor, ready to have a warrenty claim, go for it.

If you don‘t want to mess with that, -yes Bosch SX might be a better choice if you find a frame you like.
(I would love a bosch SX with better invisible integration, 60Nm, low noise and removeable battery, or a Fazua with Bosch reliability if i get a christmas wish )

Hope that helped you

Thanks for the info! Yeah, I'm pretty set on the Relay and having read a lot about the Fazua, am feeling that things are improving there. What seems to be the goto best reasonably priced suspension if I wanted to sell off the Factory 36 fork and shock and upgrade it to a PNW build? Loam Wolf loved the Relay but several other videos I've seen all voiced that the Heckler SL handled better and gave a more plush ride than the longer travel Relay. Some of their comments were that the Relay was very long and not at all nimble when climbing tech, or on twisty downhills. I've never tried a mullet but I wonder how much the Heckler's mixed wheels play into it feeling more nimble?

 

[Tmae]

I know these reviews.
They mainly testet the non PNW version full 29“ with the float x, i can believe it‘s not plush with that shock.
I run a dhx2 and it‘s super plush, when my Dhx2 was for repair i mounted the marzocchi bomber which I didn‘t like, bad small bump, somehow harsher then the dhx2.
So i think it depends what shock you put in how it feels.
As fork I run the fox 38 Grip2.
Pretty happy with that setup.

But I can also imagine the heckler is more playful, simply because it has less travel and a bit more moderate geo.
The relay is a big bike, but you can still flick it and ride it loose.
The weight of both is almost the same depending on components.

 

[pshanks76]

What does it cost to get the suspension tuned? I do it to all my MX bikes but have never done it to a MTB.

I guess it depends where you are and who you use, but I'm in the UK and send my suspension to TF Tuned as I've use them for 15+ years and have an awesome reputation. Here's there Fox servicing costs and generally this will cover tuning unless you want/need any hardware mods, which would be charged on top: Fox Forks Servicing And Fox Suspension Forks Service - TF Tuned

 

[dumpy]

I emailed transition actually and they never replied (weird, in the past they replied). Went to LBS and we called transition together. Currently I'm on email with Fazua and they seem responsive so that's cool. I'll update here, I know it's interesting to hear about the process and if it worked out or not.

alright, so I posted this Nov 18, we are Dec 3 and this is resolved. Fazua was totally fine and nice to deal with. They weren't the fastest to reply, but the folks replying were knowledgeable and understood the issue, asked for pics, etc. verified things and sent me a replacement in the mail, which works and yup all is good now.

So, while I wish Transition would care for it directly, they do mention that they don't and.. again, Fazua USA has been absolutely good with the warranty overall. Shipping wasn't even that long (it shipped from MN to CA, took like a week)

 

[Mr Tonka]

alright, so I posted this Nov 18, we are Dec 3 and this is resolved. Fazua was totally fine and nice to deal with. They weren't the fastest to reply, but the folks replying were knowledgeable and understood the issue, asked for pics, etc. verified things and sent me a replacement in the mail, which works and yup all is good now.

So, while I wish Transition would care for it directly, they do mention that they don't and.. again, Fazua USA has been absolutely good with the warranty overall. Shipping wasn't even that long (it shipped from MN to CA, took like a week)

It's a bit strange how this works. Since a while back it became common place for bike component manufacturers to make you go through the bike brand the component came on to file warranty. But with ebike motor systems, the bike manufactures say to deal with the motor manufacturers for warranty and they seem to be ok with it rather than mandating we deal with the bike brand.

Glad its all good!