In the last few years, mountain bikes have changed in many ways. Wheels are bigger and frames are longer. Head tubes keep getting slacker and suspension more capable. Stems shrank and bars got wider. Components have also improved so you can ride further, harder, more easily. Yet even in this constant evolution, Transition saw some things that hadn't kept up.

Being on the leading edge of bike geometry put Transition in a unique position: one that gave them a sneak peek into what was to come, both great and good. Their Speed Balanced Geometry story is one of mad scientists, obsessed riders, and dogged persistence. It may all sound complex but the result is pretty simple: it makes riding more fun for all of us.

   

In pursuit of building devilishly fast bikes, Transition dug into steering and how to improve it. Blindly committing to the "longer and slacker" mantra can result in wheelbases that make a bike more difficult to turn, especially for mere mortals. How does SBG combat this? By reducing fork offset, your handlebars are now more in line with your front wheel than ever before, creating a more stable ride on rough or steep terrain. But what about that fabled "long, low and slack" geometry that makes Transition bikes so awesome?

SBG-equipped bikes still feature long reaches, slack head tube angles, and short stems, but with a reduced fork offset and a steeper seat tube angle. This equates to a balance of stability from the longer reach, better small pump compliance from the slack head angle and a more intuitive and natural riding position from the steep seat angle. Most importantly, the reduced offset means your wheel stays under the bike, achieving more direct handling at low speeds and while climbing.

We asked Lars Sternberg, the driving force behind SBG, about its development: