Okay, our shop has an obsession with raw aluminum...
Why the Patrol?
If you've paid attention to our bike checks recently, you probably started to notice a trend in our shop preferences - raw aluminum enduro bikes, particularly mullet set-ups. As of now, about half of The Lost Co’s staff are mixing their wheel sizes on raw alloy bikes. We were starry eyed when Transition, one of Bellingham's local bike brands, redesigned the Patrol in our favorite color and wheel combo.
Bellingham's trails have a lot of characteristics that seem to beg for bikes with a smaller, more maneuverable rear wheel matched with the traction and plow-ability of a 29-inch front wheel. First off, the trails here are STEEP. The smaller, 27.5-inch rear wheel helps in getting a rider's weight back and low without buzzing bums while keeping the bike playful and intuitive. Then, up front, the 29-inch front wheel helps maintain traction and control through the mass amounts of wet, slick roots we have. If you've ever ridden the sloppy conditions here in the PNW, you know how valuable front end traction can be. Those roots get slicker then snot! Combine a mixed wheel set-up with Transition’s long and extra-low “Speed Balanced Geometry” and you get a bike that is one hell of a balanced ride for this region. Not only does it blast through the chunky steeps with gusto, but it maintains a manageable, playful feel when the trail slows down, gets tight, or urges you to take to the air.
An awesome base to start from, it's really interesting to see three different takes on how the Patrol can be built up. Here, we have everything from Alex’s close-to-stock economical build with a few key upgrades, to Ivan’s wild custom built enduro/DH machine. Colin’s bike lands somewhere in between with a more luxurious and classy combination of parts. Take a look, enjoy, and give us a holler if you have any thoughts or questions for your own unique builds!
Alex - The Chevy Truck
We'll start with Alex's Patrol as it represents the simplest, most value-oriented build of the group. Alex is our website wizard / filmer / video editor / email marketer. Needless to say, he wears many hats. For his bike, he started with a stock Patrol in the "Shimano Deore" build and, for the most part, has left it stock. The only part he swapped out is the original Marzocchi Bomber Z1 for a Rockshox ZEB Ultimate. The upgrade provides him with both high and low-speed compression adjustments and stiffer 38mm stanchions compared to the Bombers sole low-speed compression adjustment and 36mm stanchions. In the future, he's planning to swap the 205x60mm shock for an over-stroked 205x65 Rockshox Super Deluxe with a MegNeg, which increases rear travel to 170mm. Other than that, Alex just slapped on some OneUp alloy pedals in black and added an EDC Lite tool. Simple, yet very effective considering the overall cost of the bike.
Frame: Transition Patrol- Size Large
Fork: RockShox Zeb - 170mm/44mm offset
Shock: Fox Float X Performance 205x60
Crankset: RaceFace Aeffect R - 165mm
Chainring: RaceFace Aeffect R - 32t
Derailleur: Shimano Deore M6100
Shifter: Shimano Deore M6100
Chain: Shimano Deore M6100
Cassette: Shimano Deore M6100 10-51t
Pedals: OneUp Alloy
Hubs: Shimano MT410-B
Rims: Stans Flow D
Front Tire: Schwalbe Magic Mary, Super Trail,
Soft (29x2.4)
Rear Tire: Schwalbe Big Betty, Super Trail, Soft
(27.5x2.4)
Saddle: ANVL Forge Cromo
Seatpost: OneUp Dropper V2 - 180mm
Bars: RaceFace Chester 35, 780mm wide
Stem: RaceFace Aeffect R - 40mm
Grips: Sensus Lite
Brakes: Shimano Deore M6120
Rotors: Shimano RT70 - 203mm
Fender: GroundKeeper American Flag
Accessories: OneUp EDC Lite
Colin - The Fancy Build
Next up in the Patrols is our shipping manager, Colin's. A SRAM XO1 AXS drivetrain paired with AXS Reverb dropper post sets the tone for the build while keeping the cockpit clean and clutter free. The AXS derailleur and dropper remotes are mounted to a OneUP Carbon Handlebar supported by a Paul Components Boxcar Stem and complimented with Sram's Code RSC brakes. If you follow the front brake line down to the caliper, you'll find it's mounted to the gray lowers of a Rockshox ZEB Ultimate with the stickers removed for that "unincorporated" look. A Kashima coated Fox Factory Series Float X provides support for 160mm of rear travel. Below the shock spins an impressively well machined White Industries M30 crankset. Those cranks provide power to Onyx Vesper hubs laced to DT-Swiss rims mounted with a Maxxis Assegai/DHR II combo. A bougie build? Maybe, but its a heck of a pleasant bike to look at!
Frame: Transition Patrol- Size Medium
Fork: RockShox Zeb - 170mm/44mm offset
Shock: Fox Float X Factory 205x60
Crankset: White Industries M30 - 165mm
Chainring: White Industries - 32t
Derailleur: Sram XO1 AXS
Shifter: Sram XO1 AXS
Chain: Sram XX1 - Black
Cassette: Sram XO1 10-52t
Pedals: DMR Vault SE - Liquid Camo
Hubs: Onyx Vesper
Rims: F: DT-Swiss XM481 R: DT-Swiss EX511
Front Tire: Maxxis Assegai MaxxGrip, EXO+,
(29x2.5)
Rear Tire: Maxxis DHR II MaxxTerra, DD,
(27.5x2.4)
Saddle: Specialized
Seatpost: Rockshox Reverb AXS
Bars: OneUp Carbon, 780mm wide
Stem: Paul Components Boxcar - 35mm
Grips: DMR DeathGrip
Brakes: SRAM Code RSC
Rotors: Sram Centerline - 180/203mm
Fender: Rockshoc ZEB Bolt-on
Ivan - The DH Machine
And now for the wild build. This bike belongs to Ivan, the son of our head mechanic, Russ. Built to be as close to a downhill rig as possible but still being pedal-able, a double-crowned Rockshox Boxxer fulfills the front suspension. Interesting thing about choosing a 190mm Boxxer is that it actually maintains a similar front end hight (~192mm) as a 180mm Rockshox ZEB (~196mm). Complimenting the Boxxer up front is a 205x65mm Rockshox Super Deluxe which, when compared to the stock 205x60mm shock, boosts the rear travel 10mm. Russ, Ivans dad, is owner and operator of Cascade Racing Designs, so naturally, CRD takes care of his carbon rims and handlebars. The rims are laced to an Industry Nine 1/1 hub in the rear and Hope Pro 4 hub in the front and are mounted with a Maxxis Assegai/Dissector combo. Other parts worth mentioning are the SRAM GX drivetrain, OneUp dropper post, and 50mm Chromag BZA direct-mount stem.
Frame: Transition Patrol- Size Large
Fork: RockShox Boxxer - 190mm/46mm offset
Shock: Rockshox Super Deluxe 205x65
Crankset: Canfield Bikes
Derailleur: SRAM GX 12-Speed
Shifter: SRAM GX 12-Speed
Chain: SRAM XO1
Cassette: SRAM GX 10-52t
Pedals: ANVL Tilt
Hubs: F:Hope Pro 4 R:Industry Nine 1/1
Rims: Cascade Racing Designs
Front Tire: Maxxis Assegai MaxxGrip, EXO+,
(29x2.5)
Rear Tire: Maxxis Dissector MaxxGrip, DD,
(27.5x2.4)
Saddle: ANVL Forge Cromo
Seatpost: OneUp Dropper V2 - 180mm
Bars: Cascade Racing Designs Stooge, 790mm
wide
Stem: Chromag BZA - 50mm
Grips: ODI Elite Pro Lock-on
Brakes: SRAM Code RSC
Rotors: Sram Centerline - 180/203mm
Fender: GroundKeeper
So there they are, three different ways to build up the same bike. Which build do you like the most?
Building up your own bike or looking for an upgrade? We stock almost all the parts we have on our bikes and love to geek out.
Got questions? Feel free to shoot us an email or give us a call!
360-306-8827
sales@thelostco.com
ABOUT THE RIDER/WRITER
| NAME | AGE | HEIGHT | LOCATED |
|
Brodie Hall |
26 |
5'9" |
Bellingham, WA |
Current Bikes: Kona Process 134
Bike Size: Large
Favorite Trails: Spacewolf, Galbraith / Graysill Connect, Coalbank Pass
About Me: I grew up in the San Juan Mountains of Southwest Colorado where high country epics are the local favorite. After moving to the PNW in the summer of 2021, I'm really loving the steep, loamy, and rooty terrain that Bellingham has to offer. Jumps are growing on me, but still not really my thing. Historically, my bike of choice is a mid-travel 29'er, but the steeper, faster terrain in this area has me curious about a longer-travel mullet bike.