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Preston FR

unskilled

Monkey
Jul 12, 2007
218
0
I am having a hard time figuring out the intended use of the Preston FR. I see pics of people hucking them and then others where it is pretty much a big xc bike. Transition writes this:

The Preston FR is designed for the agressive trail rider that loves to earn their way to the top by pedaling but also needs a bike that is burly enough for freeriding on the way down. Make no mistake, the Preston FR is no large travel huck bike. It is designed for the rider that still wants to feel the trail and has some finesse for flowing technical freeride lines. We shy away from calling the Preston FR an all mountain bike even though it is superb on long singletrack epics. The Preston FR is built with strength in mind to tackle those rough freeride trails without weighing you down.


Light freeride/AM?

I guess the only way I am gonna make sense of what it should be used for is finish this sentence.

If the preston Fr was a bike of a different company it would be a...(i.e. kona coilair).
 

WODIE

Monkey
Jul 14, 2007
228
0
Inman/Clemson, SC
This bike based on their description is a burly all mountain bike that wont break if you bash it some but its not solely intended for freeride. At 5" travel it could be compared to a specialized sx (not trail) or the enduro. If you want a short travel freeride bike in the transition line get the bottlerocket. it has 5.5" travel which isnt a big increase in travel (still keeping short travel) but its built a lot beefier.
 

Greyhound

Trail Rat
Jul 8, 2002
5,065
365
Alamance County, NC
As much as I love my Preston, I'm not entirely convinced that it should remain in their lineup. When I bought mine, there was no Bottlerocket, Double, Covert or Blindside....so the Preston was the go-to bike in their lineup for short-travel fun. I use my Preston for DH, XC, FR and DJ's--it performs incredibly well in all those venues, but as Transitions lineup has increased, it seems like its place has become a bit more vague and less-valued. But, don't fool yourself--it's no less "beefier" than the Bottlerocket or any bike in their line. Transition has a great reputation for solid production standards, so I think you'll find any bike they offer will be well made and last longer than your knees will.
 

bent^biker

Turbo Monkey
Feb 22, 2006
1,958
0
pdx
the preston was designed around one riding area here in the northwest where there's alot of pedally trails and some small freeride stuff and the smaller shore stuff. that said, I think it is still a very valid bike even considering their current lineup. The covert is nice for am but not really burly enough for the shore. whereas the bottlerocket is sweet for burlier stuff but not so fun for long rides (unless you have a talas :biggrin:

so compared to another company, think of a coilair but with with the burl of a stinky
 

Del

Monkey
Feb 20, 2004
366
0
Alexandria, VA
the preston was designed around one riding area here in the northwest where there's alot of pedally trails and some small freeride stuff and the smaller shore stuff.
That's pretty much how I see it as well. I own a Preston and when I ride I tend to be on XC oriented singletrack trails but when I come to an obstacle that might make someone flinch on a crosscountry bike I will happily hit it. My Preston weighs in around 37 lbs so it's not a cross-country bike but it'll still pedal all day and when faced with the four or five foot drop it'll eat it up.

After I bought the Preston I started to wonder if I should have bought the Dirtbag instead but then I really took a look at the level of riding I do and didn't see the need for a bike that's more capable than I am.
 

clemsonbiker

Chimp
Oct 23, 2007
56
0
my buddy rides a preston fr and he swears by it. he rides it on everything epic xc, DH, FR, and urban. he loves it. and after riding his, i can say that it will be my next bike.

bottom line: great bike for the person who whats a burly all mountain bike that can take anything you throw at it. if the only reason you suffer through climbs is so you can haul ass all the way down...buy it!!