Chumba F5 vrs Transition TR450
- Thread starter karjim
- Start date
f5 < blindside < tr450. i like the people at Chumba (Walter is great) but the f5 geometry is not up to par with other frames out there (i have had time on one) also they get chain suck a lot. i have ridden the blindside never liked the geometry and some other little things, but they are personal things; transition is a great company with very good products. i own other transitions. the tr450 will be an aggressive race machine that works very well and i have no problem recommending it i also messed with it at inter-bike. i will solely based this on the ones i have, have ridden, and sold, but most importantly they treat riders right (not just their riders people that bought frames), and their dealers.
If you are interested in single pivots, check out the Xprezo Furax. The shock isn't linkage activated like the F5 or TR450, but the bike absolutely RIPS. Geometry is what many of todays rider's refer to as "dialed".
I'm due for a new bike next spring, and right now this one is at the top of my short list.
I'm due for a new bike next spring, and right now this one is at the top of my short list.
I ride an F5 and I really like the bike. I have the standard link in right now (65HA). I'm gonna get the new lower one in a week or two and give it a try. The bike rides and corners great, pedals so so. My main complaint with the bike is the shock collects mud when it's wet out which causes bushing to wear prematurely. I have a shock boot that helps solve the problem, but it still something I don't like. My other problem is the fact that the shock hardware is only m7 bolts and they can and will break if you bottom out frequently.
If I had the money though, I'd get the TR450. Better mud protection, bigger pivot hardware. The 2 companies are pretty much on par with each other CS wise.
If I had the money though, I'd get the TR450. Better mud protection, bigger pivot hardware. The 2 companies are pretty much on par with each other CS wise.
Interesting that so many people recommend the TR450 when no one has ridden them yet.
The Chumba F5 has a very long history and is proven - there are more pros/WC racers that have provided input on this frame alone than all of Transition's frames combined. They have made many refinements along the way too. The bike seems very up to date to me and it is adjustable if you have both links. You don't get a much lower CoG than the F5 either. Chumba's CS is outstanding too. Chumba has made custom frames in the past and I believe they still do. It will take longer to get one but that is a really nice option if you need it. It still has a really unique look as well.
The TR450 looks sweet but until it has a year of success under its belt I would wait. Nothing against Transition, they are great guys too but I don't trust anything the first year.
Just my 2 cents
However, there may be a requirement to grow facial hair and get tatted up before you ride your F5.
The Chumba F5 has a very long history and is proven - there are more pros/WC racers that have provided input on this frame alone than all of Transition's frames combined. They have made many refinements along the way too. The bike seems very up to date to me and it is adjustable if you have both links. You don't get a much lower CoG than the F5 either. Chumba's CS is outstanding too. Chumba has made custom frames in the past and I believe they still do. It will take longer to get one but that is a really nice option if you need it. It still has a really unique look as well.
The TR450 looks sweet but until it has a year of success under its belt I would wait. Nothing against Transition, they are great guys too but I don't trust anything the first year.
Just my 2 cents
However, there may be a requirement to grow facial hair and get tatted up before you ride your F5.
Link?
My only input is from checking out a Transition briefly at Interbike. It was a L and was a lot longer than any Chumba I've ever seen, and the back end felt much stiffer in the hand-on-wheel and foot-on-bb-spindle tests. Chumbas normally do not, at least not the ones I've seen lately. Still cool bikes though.
http://www.xprezo.ca/en/xprezo_prod_furax.html
They are Canadian, and one of their engineers or welders used to work at Balfa.
The bike isn't much of a looker (I honestly wasn't impressed at first), but after riding it I couldn't put it into words. It just wants to GO. Oh, and it feels AWESOME with a CCDB
Oh ok, didn't know that bike by it's name.
Mmmmmm Double Beezy...
Mmmmmm Double Beezy...
Check out the Tomac Primer 220, Its a linkage driven single pivot and rides AMAZING! Comes with an RC4.
i hate to say it but, i don't see the f5 as refined the one i rode last year got chain suck and chain rub/drag like a rm9 (in fact it rode like one). the chain suck alone deters me. i know the "unproven" tr450 won't do that. as far as single pivots go, my favorite is still a 224. if the adjustable ht 22whatever wasn't so much i would have one. the 224 is a refined frame. and will always remind me its all in the geo. and mo shimz!
I wouldn't say you need to get tattooed and grow facial hair to ride an F5, but it doesn't hurt.
I rode my friends Tomac Primer last year and was turned off immediately. The BB area on the frame flexed so badly that it made the right side crank arm hit the swingarm.
I rode my friends Tomac Primer last year and was turned off immediately. The BB area on the frame flexed so badly that it made the right side crank arm hit the swingarm.