Fit and Geometry
The Smuggler’s fit, while not the longest bike around by any means, still falls on the long end of the spectrum. With a reach of 432mm (17”) on the Medium I rode, it feels fairly stretched out, but I did appreciate the relatively steep 75.4° seat tube angle, which kept the effective top tube reasonable at 590mm (23.2”) and made seated climbing a bit more comfortable, even when the going got steep.
Most of the geometry numbers on the Smuggler remained unchanged from the 2015 model, but Transition did raise the bottom bracket slightly on the 2016 Smuggler. While some (including myself) have grown accustomed to fairly low bottom brackets and thus are judicious with their pedal timing through rocks, the slight 5mm increase in clearance will be appreciated by those who do a lot of pedaling through rocky terrain. That said, even with the higher bottom bracket, it’s still pretty low at 335mm (13.2”).
Unchanged for 2016 is the 67.5° head angle, which is at the slack end for 29ers. It’s not the slackest bike out there, but I don’t think anyone is going to mistake the Smuggler for a XC race rig.
The Ride
In my ride on the Patrol last year, I mentioned that the Giddy Up rear end was markedly different from Transitions I’d ridden in the past. The same holds true for the Smuggler, and I’m of the opinion that this is a good thing.
The Smuggler has a very active ride, and it does a better job than most bikes of ironing out the trail. The linkage design of the rear end combined with the 29” wheels makes for a bike that carries a lot of speed through chunky trails, and it’s also a really comfortable bike to ride.
On the pedaling efficiency front, the Smuggler is pretty middle of the road. It’s a long ways from being the most efficient bike I rode, but it’s similarly far from being the worst. For long climbs, I’d expect to use the switch on the rear shock to firm things up, but for more rolly terrain, I was perfectly happy leaving the shock in the open setting.
On the way down, the Smuggler comes into its element, and it’s a fun bike to ride very actively. It likes to hop from roll to roll on the trail, and it was comfortable carrying speed through rock gardens.
Compared to The Following, I’d say the Smuggler does a better job of smoothing out the trail, but it’s a bit less aggressive and stable at speed. The Following is one of those bikes that works best when you’re going as fast as possible, all the time. The Smuggler is much more content to cruise along at a “normal” trail pace, while still having the capability to pick up the pace when needed.
To put it another way, if I wanted a short travel 29er to go YOLO-ing off jumps, drops, and techy trails, I’d go with The Following. But if I wanted to do a backcountry epic one day and then YOLO some jumps the next day (albeit in a slightly more responsible fashion), I’d go with the Smuggler. Either way, I’d have a ton of fun doing it because they’re both awesome bikes.
Conversely, the Smuggler is a bit more aggressive than something like a Salsa Horesthief. It’s a bit slacker, lower, and more stable, and thus does a better job when thrown recklessly into a rocky mess of a trail. This certainly isn’t to say that the Horsethief is unstable or incapable of rallying, but it might be a better option for someone who’s a bit tentative about slack angles and aggressive geometry. As someone who spends a lot of time on longer travel, slacked out “enduro” bikes, I’d personally give the nod to the Smuggler. But again, both are awesome bikes that are a bunch of fun.
Bottom Line
I came into this hoping I’d like the Smuggler, and I most definitely did. It’s one of those bikes that I think should appeal to a pretty broad spectrum of riders. Riders who want to get rad will appreciate the slacker angles and how well the bigger wheels plow through rough trail. But at the same time, this is a great bike for those less concerned about laying waste to the gnarliest trails your locale has to offer, and more concerned with putting in long miles away from civilization.
As an added bonus, the Smuggler is pretty reasonably priced. With builds starting at less than $3,000, it’s tough to find a better deal from a boutique brand. I’m sure that the lower end build weighs a bit more than the one I tested, but regardless of the parts that you hang on it, a bike like the Smuggler isn’t intended to be a featherweight race rig.
Ultimately, the Smuggler is just about having a good time on the trail. The relatively short travel means it’s efficient enough to not be a total dog on big rides, but the slack angles and big wheels mean it’ll still rally when needed. In an era where bikes are increasingly focused on a particular niche of the sport, the Smuggler is one of a relatively few bikes that I could really recommend to a wide range of people who want to ride a wide range of trails.
I have been looking at the following all year but can’t quite wrap my head around a 120mm 29er being capable enough to replace my Yeti SB66. Is a “Following” review coming and if not how does it handle say Porcupine Rim, Rockstacker & Jacksons, Horsethief Bench?
Yup, a full review on the Following should be up on the site in the next 2 weeks or so. Here’s the executive summary: when it comes to tackling technical and rough trails at speed, it’s the most competent 120mm travel bike I’ve been on. It’s leaps and bounds better than the more “traditional” bikes in this class. Compared to a longer travel bike, it’s a bit less forgiving just due to the shorter travel, but the bigger wheels help make up for that to some extent. And compared to the more traditional bikes, it can be a handful on tighter, slower trails, but that’s entirely manageable.
I would definitely not hesitate to ride any of the trails you mentioned on the Following. I’d even go further to say that, if I were racing the Whole Enchilada with a choice of any bike out there, The Following would be right near the top of the list (as would the Smuggler, for that matter).
i’ve put about 4 months of steady riding in coastal BC (including the shore and some trails in Whistler) on my Smuggler and i think you are pretty much bang on in your assessment. good (but possibly not great) climber, and a stable yet nimble ride. short stays go a long way on 29ers in particular. with a 140mm fork it’s a bit more capable and confident on trails more suited to ‘enduro’ (there i said it) bikes but can hold it’s own. i generally keep up to most guys where i live on most trails unless we’re doing the steepest rowdiest lines. then i’m held back a bit in the speed dept, and that’s a good thing as far as i’m concerned. the ‘enduro effect’ is getting a lot of my mates injured with max speed obsession down DH lines…
I too rode this very same bike at Bootleg… I too rode the Following, and the Insurgent too! And I totally agree!
I’m definitely envious of your time on the Insurgent. I didn’t get a chance to ride it, but that thing looks super sexy.
Noah, have you spent any time on the new Ripley ls? If so how does it compare with these two? (Following/smuggler)
Unfortunately I haven’t had a chance to ride either the Ripley or the Ripley LS. The original Ripley seemed much more XC-ish, but the LS definitely looks interesting.
Great review. I have a carbon Specialized Enduro 29, and while it is an amazing bike, I feel it’s just too much bike for the type of riding I do. I’m looking at either the Smuggler or the new SJ 29 as a replacement. Any thoughts?
Hey Johnny,
First, a significant caveat: I haven’t ridden the Stumpjumper 29; I’ve ridden the Stumpy 650b, and I’ve ridden the Enduro 29 so I think I can take a pretty good guess as to where it lands, but take this for whatever it’s worth.
The two bikes have pretty similar geometries in terms of head tube angle, BB height, and chainstay length. The Smuggler is longer in the front end and has a steeper seat tube angle. That’ll keep your weight a bit father forward both while seated (good for steep climbing) and while descending (good for attacking a descent).
Both suspension designs are pretty active – they do a great job of absorbing small bumps, but neither are super efficient peddlers. On big hits, I’d say they’re in the same ballpark.
The Stumpjumper will almost certainly weigh less (although by how much depends on the model / build spec.). The flip side of that is that the Smuggler is definitely a stiffer frame.
The Smuggler doesn’t have any proprietary stuff on it, which is good when parts eventually need to be replaced. It also uses a threaded BB shell, which means it probably won’t start creaking right away. Both of those points are areas where the Stumpjumper saves weight though.
Getting around to the point: both are great bikes, and they’re pretty similar. I’d be really surprised if anyone loved one and hated the other. If you’re the kind of person who drifts sideways into rocky corners and/or you’re generally hard on your equipment, I’d go with the Smuggler. If your bikes tend to last you a while and you like to keep the weight down when possible, I’d go with the Stumpy.
Hope that helps!
Thanks for the input Noah. I had a chance to demo a Smuggler this weekend at a Transition demo. A lot of what you said was right on the money. I rode the same trail on my Enduro 29, then on the Smuggler. The Smuggler was definitely “poppier” and a bit more lively. I did notice the lack of travel compared to the Enduro, but it’s not really that fair a comparison. The Enduro eats everything up, and makes me feel like a better rider than I am! But in the end, I think that although a great bike, the Smuggler isn’t what I’m after. I’m not hard on my bikes, nor do I ride excessively hard. From what I’ve read in reviews, the new Stumpy will give me most of what I love about my Enduro, but in a slightly smaller package more suited to my riding style.
I do agree on the proprietary bits though…that is the one thing that really bugs me about the Specialized. Nut, it’s a trade off for an otherwise outstanding bike.
Been looking at the smuggler. I’ve got a 2013 bandit 29, 120mm rear, with some slack bushings and the addition of a 150mm pike has got me down to a 66deg head angle and man does this thing rally. So much fun in so many places. Long travel pikes have transformed this bike into a beast. I can’t see how the smuggler can be better (although that safety orange for 2016!!! Damn it’ll look better) thanks for the review
Hey there, great review. Just a question. Did you ever ride the Bandit 29 from Transition? I was wondering how that compared to the Smuggler. I’ve got a Bandit 29 and was looking at the Smuggler or shrinking the wheels to a Scout.
Hey Ben,
Unfortunately I never got a chance to ride the Bandit 29. The Smuggler is definitely lower and slacker, so I bet it’ll descend with more confidence than the Bandit. And while this is a bit of a generalization, I also find that Transitions newer bikes (Smuggler / Scout / Patrol) pedal more efficiently than most of the older bikes. I’m not 100% sure that holds true for the Bandit, but I’d say there’s a pretty good chance.
As for the Scout, I’ll be posting up a mini review of that bike in the next week or two. Executive summary: it’s a killer bike, and of the 120-130mm travel 27.5″ wheeled bikes, it’s maybe the best I’ve ridden (the Santa Cruz 5010 is close though). Compared to the Smuggler, I’d go with the Scout if you want something a little more playful off of jumps and that’s better for slaloming through corners. I’d go with the Smuggler if you’re looking for an all around trail bike that’s great for big, long rides, but is still a ton of fun on descents.
Hi Noah,
Very good review! How do you see the smuggler for bikepacking adventures? Kind of Colorado, Kokopelli trails? I’m looking for a comfortable bike for the long haul. Other suggestions?
Many thanks and happy trails!!
I think the Smuggler could be decent for bikepacking, but it’s probably not the first full suspension bike I’d pick.
1) It doesn’t have all of the waterbottle and panier mounts that a more dedicated bikepacking bike would have, so you’ll have to get a bit more creative with attaching bags, and you’ll also likely end up carrying more on your back. But most of the more dedicated bikepacking bikes are hardtails, so maybe that one’s a wash.
2) The Smuggler is a great all around bike that’s comfortable and efficient enough to be a great option for longer rides. But, primarily due to its slightly slacker geometry, it’s less climbing oriented than something like a Devinci Django 29 or Salsa Horesthief. While the Smuggler is a better descender than either of those bikes, it might be less than ideal on long climbs when loaded down.
3) The Smuggler can’t take a front derailleur (at least not without some creative jury rigging), so it’s not as easy to get the easier gears you might want for bikepacking. Sram Eagle could assist with that, but it’s expensive and it’s not available as a stock build on the Smuggler.
So yeah, the Smuggler is a sweet bike, but if you’re looking for something for bikepacking, I’d probably look elsewhere. For something roughly comparable to the Smuggler in terms of travel, I’d probably put the Salsa Horsethief at the top of my list – the geometry is a little more climbing friendly and it can take a front derailleur, but it’s still fun on the way down.
Thanks a lot Noah, I appreciate your comments!
Truth is even though we can demo some bikes, it is hard for people like me to try all these bikes, so comments and feelings that you might have are very appreciated.
I will take a look at the Devinci and Salsa. Keep testing and telling more about bikes, great job that you’re doing. Thanks again and happy trails!
Eduard.
Any thoughts on the Smuggler vs. a Kona Process 111? I had an opportunity to ride a 2015 Process 111 a few weeks back and thought it was brilliant. I haven’t ridden a Smuggler yet, but both bikes are on my short list. I’d certainly need to size up to a large in the Process 111. I’m 5’10” and the medium felt cramped.