Meet the Transition Relay, a multi platform E-bike that will blow your socks off
Lots of mountain bikers enjoy riding both conventional bikes and e-bikes, but owning both is very expensive. This creates a dilemma, with riders often forced to choose between one or the other.
All e-bikes can be pedalled with the motor turned off. But, it’s extremely tough going and certainly not fun. It’s normally done out of necessity, where the rider has over estimated their remaining battery range! In contrast, the Relay and it’s motor system are specifically designed to ride like a conventional bike, even when it’s turned off.
Doing an uplift day? The battery is easily removed and gives a weight saving of 6lbs. No tools needed!
Furthermore, most e-bikes are also quite heavy, which is a drawback for some riders. If you want an e-bike that is light, quick and nimble, but still has the powerful motor to climb up those steep trails, Transition Bike Company have the solution.
The Transition Relay is available in both carbon and aluminium options. You can also order frame it. If you have a similar Transition, such as a Sentinel, Patrol or Spire, you can swap almost all of your components accross.
The Relay can be ridden as an e-bike, or a non-powered bike by simply removing the battery. The drive unit has such minimal drag that when you ride it powered off and without the battery, you’ll quickly forget you still have a motor in your frame. During our development process we tested it without the battery and found very little difference even with the small amount of added weight from the motor that stays low and centered.
This aspect of the Relay opens up avenues that many haven’t addressed before. It fills the desires of a rider looking for the e-bike experience, while also allowing riders to remove the battery to pedal with friends not on ebikes, shuttle and ride the bike park.
You can quickly open the tool free battery door, remove the battery from the frame, and let your legs do the rest. We think many riders are currently faced with the decision to purchase either an ebike or a non-powered bike, not both, and the Relay will be their answer.
Fazua Ride60 system
When it came to a choice of engine and battery, Transition looked no further than the amazing Fazua Ride60 motor system.
The Fazua Ride60 system has 60Nm of torque and 450W peak power with virtually no drag. This creates a very efficient system that punches far above what its numbers would suggest. With the smooth power delivery and extremely quiet motor, the Relay is one of the most intuitive and natural feeling e-bikes, pushing the ride experience closer to that of a non-powered bike.
The 430Wh battery is easily swappable and provides range similar to what we are finding on larger battery, higher power ebikes. An external range extender will be available in the future.
What’s the difference between the Relay and Relay PNW?
The Relay has 160mm travel and 29″ wheels, whereas the relay PNW has 170mm travel and mixed wheel sizing (29″ up front, 27.5″ out back).
Both bikes are built off the same platform, and can be run at 160mm or 170mm, dual 29″ or mixed wheel. This means that whichever model you choose, you can change the setup later on if you want to.
The Relay is designed to have more of a fast trail bike feel, whereas the Relay PNW makes you feel like you want to go hunting for challenging descents and big hits. The Relay was purpose built to be ridden hard, so it’s spec’d with components to match.
What’s the price of a Transition Relay?
For an alloy bike, prices are expected to start from £6,999.95 for an NX spec model. Carbon GX is £8,599.95, and the range topping XX AXS is £12,599.95
How much does a Transition Relay weigh?
Weights start at 43lbs for a carbon frame bike with the battery installed, or 37lbs without the battery. The Relay is one of the lightest heavy hitting e-bikes available.
