Transition brings children's bike with modern geometry

The American mountain bike brand is known for its downhill models. With the Ripcord, Transition is now launching its first bike for children aged eight and twelve. 24-inch wheels, 100 millimetres of suspension travel and a 67-degree steering angle are the main features of the Ripcord.

Transition has focused on trail suitability for the Ripcord. This is one reason why the 24-inch bike has a geometry that is otherwise more common on adult bikes. Where other manufacturers use relatively long chainstays, those on the Ripcord are kept fairly short at 381 millimetres. This should make the bike particularly maneuverable. On the other hand, the steering angle of 67 degrees is quite slack for a children's bike, which makes the front end smoother. The seat angle also corresponds to modern all-mountain geometries. At 74 degrees, it is steep enough to get as much power as possible out of the children's legs onto the pedals.

Tranistion attaches great importance to good suspension. Air suspension elements from Rock Shox are used on the Ripcord, as these can be easily adjusted to a low body weight. A standard-length Monarch R suspension strut is used at the rear. Thanks to the latter, the bike can also be upgraded with another product. An XC-32 fork is used at the front. Thanks to this, a 26-inch wheel could also be installed, which in turn would result in better rollover behavior. A small plus for a downhill-oriented children's bike: chain guide and 2.35-inch wide tires are fitted as standard. In addition, tires up to 2.5 inches wide fit in the rear triangle.

At 13.6 kilograms, the Ripcord is on a par with the competition plus/minus. The specification is rock solid. A lower weight would be desirable for a children's bike, but then the 1,699 US dollars - 1,563 Swiss francs at the current exchange rate - would no longer be enough.

Specification of the transition "Ripcord"

Frame	Aluminum
Color	Bluebird Blue or Satin Black
Suspension strut	RockShox Monarch R
Suspension fork	Rock Shox XC 32 100mm 26
Tax rate	FSA Cartdridge Bearing
Front end	Race Face Respond (45mm)
handlebars	Race Face Ride (685mm x 25mm)
Handles	Transition Single Clamp
Saddle post	Kore 2 Bolt (31.6mm x 400mm)
Saddle	WTB Volt Comp
Pedals	Wellgo Alloy
Cranks	FSA Step Up 32t (165mm)
Chain guide	e*thirteen LG1
Chain	KMC Z9000
Cassette	SRAM PG 920 (11-34)
Shift lever	SRAM X5
Changer	SRAM X5 Mid Cage
Wheels	Jalco 32h Double Wall w/ Transition Hubs
Tires	Kenda Kinetics 24 x 2.35