Well, we are at it again. Summer is right around the corner and we wanted to build an enduro quiver killer. With frames and suspension becoming more and more capable it allows you to build one bike to do it all. So this is our take on it; we opted to start with a 2013 Transition Carbon Covert frameset, 160mm travel front/rear and a 1×10 drive-train.

We would’ve liked to start this project with the frame but oh well, it’ll still be about 2 more weeks until it arrives. In the meantime, we have the wheelset, rotors, tires, and headset. To start off setting things apart from the norm we got a Crank Brothers Iodine 3 wheelset. There used to be a lot of issues with their hubs but they seemed to have fixed that issue within the last couple years. Whether you’re a fan of their wheel design or not, they’ll be sure to catch your attention! We liked them and you don’t see much, if any, of them around here. It’s a 20mm through-axle front and a 12×142 rear, so it’ll be nice and stiff. We stuck with 203mm front/rear Hope Floating rotors again, same as our Trek Session project, since we’ve been happy with them so far and stuck with 203mm to help with heat dissipation. For the tires we are sticking with the tried and true Maxxis. For this build we’ll use the DHF front and the new DHR II rear, both in their Super Tacky 42a compound. We’ve been a fan of the DHF front and High Roller II for the rear, but this new DHR II is getting some pretty great reviews over the High Roller II, so we’ll give it a shot.

For the headset we’ve chosen Chris King again as well. This frame actually uses the exact same, InSet 2, type of headset as our Session 9.9 did and it’ll probably outlast the bike so no worries about durability here. We think we’ll be satisfied with the factory 66.9° HA, head angle, so didn’t opt for an angleset.

Our main part finally arrived, the frameset! We went back and forth between the 2013 and 2014 models but couldn’t stop looking at the yellow from 2013. Finally seeing this in person, very happy with our decision, the yellow is perfect. Matt Juhasz from North Shore Bike Shop really took care of us and got us the new 2014 Fox Float X rear shock to go with it. So we’ll be able to have a good setup for the rear. The frame is burly and of course carbon so it’s light as well. We haven’t weighed the frame yet but it’s supposed to be a hair under 7 lbs with the rear shock. Can’t wait to start putting the rest of the components on, front fork should be ready in about 2 more weeks.

Originally we wanted a white Fox 36 front fork but apparently they aren't available to buy, we tried everywhere and they were only availalbe to manufacturers so we went with black. Not a big deal and ended up working out great since we like the look of it on the yellow frame. We went with the Fox 36 FLOAT 26 Fit RC2 model to be exact. The 36 is supposed to be quite a bit better than the 34 aside from the obvious added stiffness and we are really excited to start dialing it in with the rear shock. To added a little bit of custom to the Fox fork we ordered up a yellow graphic set for the fork/shock and it looks pretty great along side the yellow frame!

Now that the fork is here we can also start attaching the front controls. I don't think we'll ever use a different bar than the ENVE carbon DH bars, we just love them, so on they go. Attatched to the bars are Shimano Saint brakes and shifter, and ODI Ruffian grips in purple. Soon we'll add the remote lever for our dropper post once it arrives. Since we mounted the brake levers/master cylinders we also attached the Saint calipers and cut the brake hoses to custom length to keep the front end tidy, gave them a good bleed with Shimano's mineral oil and brakes are ready.

Next up we have Race Face Next SL carbon cranks. Wow these are light but still look like they'll take a beating. We love the modular approach Race Face took to designing these. We are still waiting on the direct mount chainring since we are picky and wanted purple but that color isn't available yet and might still be another month or two, unfortunately. We threw a black 34T on for now so we could add our KMC chain and dial in the derailleur.
To help keep it protected we have a bash guard, the cSixx 150gm. From our experience not many people know about cSixx products which are made in South Africa but they are carbon, have a good selection of different types and look incredible. We'll always use their products.

To finish it up we have a KS Lev Integra 125mm dropper post with carbon remote lever and attached to that is a WTB Devo SLT saddle. It seems there one dropper post out there that doesn't have a good bag of mixed reviews. However, they do all seem to be getting better and better. We chose the KS Lev partially due to some local reviews and we like the design. Time will tell but we think we'll be happy with it, it was our number 1 choice out of all the droppers.

Well, it's winter so we can't really dial in the suspension yet but it's nice to have a finished bike. After we get some more time on the trails we'll know if we chose the right gearing too, worst case we'll just throw on a 32T instead of the 34T. The covert is supposed to be a playful bike but still climb and shred with ease. This will easily be our go to bike for everything except the big mountains and lift access, which of course is why we built the DH bike.

[Final Completion 1.13.2016]

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