Transition Sentinel, V2
I know, its been a minute. But this review will be worth the wait, I promise. If you have read anything about the latest iteration of Transition’s Sentinel you probably won’t be shocked by the conclusion: this bike is good. Really good. There, review over. You’re welcome.
Now that the TLDR is out of the way…
Way back in 2020, shortly after the release of the new sentinel it only took a few wondering glances at the new, sleek, sharp profile to pull out the credit card. Being an owner of a 2019 V1 Sentinel, I knew I would get along with bike quite alright. What I didn’t know was how much of a leap between the first iteration and this latest big-wheeled wonder I should expect.
Without going off on too much of a tangent, I found the 2019 Sentinel (GX build) to be wildly capable, if slightly flawed. With 160mm upfront and 140 out back supported by the spec’d Fox DPX2, I found the bike either to ride overly harsh at the speeds it could carry on even mildly rough tracks, or to wallow in its mid-stroke. Despite this flaw I loved that bike. It suited the winch-and-plummet style of riding that I had grown to love. True, it wasn’t the best bike for pedally XC-style rides that we have in generous quantities here on the Front Range, but it could be made to work in all but the flattest of trails.
If I was hoping for any changes between V1 and V2 it was in the suspension behavior. This might have been fixed with a different choice of shock, but I tend to run what manufacturers spec as far as shocks go instead of the old guess-and-check or word-of-mouth selection methodology. Needless to say, I was not disappointment once I had a chance to swing a leg over the V2 Sentinel.
Not only was the latest version a looker, the mid-stroke wallowing that I had experienced with the DPX2 was nowhere to be found with the Float X2 that came spec’d on the X01 build 2020 Sentinel. Better yet, the progressive and supportive platform redefined what I thought a Horst-link layout was capable of. Minimal bob and a playful mannerism had me thinking I had finally found the one. After years of horse-trading bikes to get the latest and greatest, I wondered if anything could supplant the qualities that made this rig seem purpose built for me.
One full pandemic and nearly three seasons later I didn’t feel much different. To be honest, if it wasn’t for the allure of bigger and better (ahem, Spire) I would still be happily riding the same bike. Looking back, I can appreciate the supply shortages and general un-availability of new bikes for the fact that it forced the realization that the constant spin of “newer is better” doesn’t necessary equate to any further satisfaction or realized gain. Even if I gave in to the temptation for something new eventually.
Long-story mostly over, after three hard seasons I didn’t have to do much more than the occasional fork and air can service, tightening a bolt here and there, and just generally replace wear components as one would expect. A single non-drive side bearing extraction and swap and everything was still spinning as smooth as day one. Impressive.
