Transition Syren

Transition Bikes - Syren Review by Hannah Garcia, July 2008 - Whistler BC

Growing up with two older brothers, it was cool to ride on their old hand-me-downs and basically I had no choice. So was used to riding and skiing with gear that might not have been a perfect fit, but at least it wasn’t pink and frilly. When I began mountain biking in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, I was of course referred to a great “men’s” Downhill/Freeride bike. This bike was strong, heavy, and as I have learned lately, not easy for me to maneuver, but I learned how to ride it anyways and loved it.

After several complaints about how heavy and uncomfortable my men’s bike was, someone suggested that I try the Syren. The Syren is a female specific six-inch travel freeride bike by Transition. Not to let the cat out of the bag, but the Syren is overall the best mountain bike I have ever ridden. The frame is designed around a woman’s body, which is shorter in both standover height and the toptube length than the traditional frames. It is so amazing to be able to sit on a bike with my feet flat on the ground with no negative affects and not feel like I am leaning too far forward like a spandex clad XC racer to hold the handlebars.

Transition Sryen DHX 5 Coil. Tight clearance for adjustments.

The design of the Syren allows me to maneuver the bike with control and ease. I have become a stronger rider traveling with greater speed, control and confidence. The Syren may be a female bike, but it has all the strength and burliness of any top of the line men’s freeride/downhill bike, simply built to a smaller. When I rode my old men’s downhill bike I felt like it was driving me and I just held on for dear life. Now I am able to ride the bike at top speeds, on tight steep trails and off jumps and drops.

The Syren is built for Park/Shuttle Riding as opposed to being pedal friendly, although I was shocked how well it pedals for a single ring setup, which makes my ride to the lift more pleasant. I opted for the Fox DHX Coil rear shock and a 180mm Rock Shox Domain (coil) fork. The remainder of the components are from the Transition Single-Ring build kit anchored by a Sram X9 Drivetrain and Avid Juicy Seven brakes. This bike is well built and with high quality parts.

Transition Sryen rear end.

The ride of the bike is great. It is very stable at speed and is nice and controlled in the corners, even with the slack setup from the 7 inch Rock Shox Domain fork up front. The travel is active and smooth with a very active feel in the bumps and no harsh feeling at the bottom on larger drops. While riding the Syren I am always in control, even in rock gardens, which was not the case on my last bike. The bottom line is the Syren feels comfortable, stable and capable of all the terrain I am riding.

I highly recommend this bike to any female who is looking to upgrade/update their bike, begin downhill riding, or simply wants something better from a bike. I have been approached several times by men and women about the Syren and my comments remain the same “this bike has allowed me to progress to a level that I never though my riding would reach and I now love the sport more than ever, best bike on the mountain for a female and I have even seen a couple of guys riding it!!!” I have also been told that this bike was built for me, and that within a couple of rides, my speed and ability has launched.

A huge Thank You goes out to the TRANSITION Crew for making the Syren, and making me one happy chick…..You guys ROCK!

Transition Sryen controls. Juicy 7 brakes & Sram X9 shifters.

Opinion: Great women's specific downhill bike.

Plus: Ride and Handling, Looks, Geometry, Great Build kit, Lightweight
Minus: Girly Sticker kit, Prone to Cable Rub, Boost valve on shock blocked by linkage  
MSRP: $3,305 - $3,579 usd.
Website: http://www.transitionbikes.com/2007/Syren.cfm

Rating: 4.5/5