Improved front suspension, better brakes, and upgraded drivetrain make the Camber Elite 29er a little more plush and crisp.
M4 alloy FSR frame with 29er-specific geometry, new suspension design, and sealed cartridge bearing pivots for confident handling and smooth trail performance
RockShox Ario rear shock with adjustable rebound and lockout for steady climbs and plush, controlled descents
Responsive, yet stable RockShox Recon Gold TK air-sprung fork with 100mm of travel uses external adjustable rebound, Turn Key damping, and lockout for fine-tuned bump performance
The Captain 29" tires - a 2Bliss Ready 2.2" Control in the front and 2.0" Sport in the rear - love to hammer any trail, like their namesake Ned Overend, in dry to intermediate conditions.
Custom Avid Elixir 3 R SL hydraulic disc brakes and Juicy 3 levers with G3 Clean Sweep rotors and alloy-backed organic pads for maximum stopping power
Shimano Deore XT Shadow rear derailleur delivers top-of-the-line shifting performance and a low-profile design for maximum clearance
Strengths: Value, versatility, comfortable, upgradeable, rolls over everything.
Weaknesses: weight, brakes, grips, sometimes goes where it wants
Bottom Line:
I've got the 2012 Camber 29er. I haven't owned a real mountain bike for almost 20 years, but I've been itching to get one forever. When I started my search, I hadn't even heard of a 29er, but it became apparent that at my price range, this was about as good as I was going to get, and I'm pretty pleased.
I ride rocky, rooty trails with lots of ups and downs, and so far this bike is perfect for what I wanted. I'd considered a 29er hardtail, but looking at my age, and the gnarliness of local trails, I decided to go with a full suspension, and I don't regret it at all. I do wish it was a little more all mountain capable, but that's not really what the bike is designed for, so I can't complain. It's handled everything I've thrown at it, and I can see my skills increasing. At first, the geometry and the 29 inch wheels gave me a little bit of a hard time in corners, but it's getting better as I'm getting better. I've had to learn this whole thing from scratch again. Each ride, I feel a little more confident, and as a result the bike performs better as well. It's a great all around trail bike, and looks great too.
As far as weaknesses, as the price dictates, there are certainly components that could be lighter. The XT rear derailleur is nice, but it's mated to much cheaper shifters and cranks, with the other parts falling somewhere in the middle. The Recon front shock has a loud sort of whooshy sound that takes a little while to get used to. The stock grips were shredded within weeks, and I'm not that hardcore. The biggest problem I've had is with the Avid brakes. They were silent and effective for about a month. Before long, they were making the turkey gobble noise, and vibrating both front and rear, which is apparently common with these brakes on Specialized bikes. I took it back to the shop, and they improved the problem, but they're not silent again. I'm hoping some bedding in and a couple more weeks help. If not, I'm going to replace the rotors to start. The thing is, I shouldn't have to. The weight for my medium, with XT pedals is 31 lbs. First thing I'm going to do when I get a chance is upgrade the wheels and go tubeless. Then I'm gonna look at that rear cassette as well, and shifters.
End of the day, I'm very happy with the bike. When I look at it in the garage, I just want to get back on it and go ride. None of the upgrades (except the brake rotors) feel urgent, and right now I can just enjoy the thing.
This is my first FS bike, as well as my first 29" bike, and I'm very happy with it thus far. I was looking at both a 2012 and 2011, and they are essentially the same bike, just different paint jobs. The 29" wheels combined with 100mm of suspension really help this bike perform well in the XC trails in my area (XC, roots, rocks, etc). I was hesitant to go 29", but they really do roll and climb as advertised and I'm glad I made the move. I've been a Specialized rider for a while now, and am very happy with the FSR suspension, it tracks well and I notice very little pedal bob when climbing. I was wanting to go with a bike that had Fox on the front and rear, but the RS shocks have been good thus far. They are basically set it and forget it, don't have to muck around with adjusting it all the time. Both shocks have lockout which helps for flats and pavement. This is not the lightest bike, but once out on the trail I honestly haven't noticed it and is about what you'd expect in the price range. Much of the weight is in the wheels and components, but the frame is definitely upgradeable, so is a good starting point for those who want to get on a FS bike and upgrade as you go along.
Only problems I've had with the bike have been with the rear brake, there is very little clearance between the calipers and any warping or bend in the rotor is going to rub. Otherwise It has been maintenance free through the first couple hundred miles.
Upgrades thus far have been seat, stem and handlebars, which were mostly related to fit, and seats are always a personal preference. I've also upgraded the rear cassette to an XT cassette, I would strongly recommend this to others purchasing this bike, if you can get them to upgrade it before taking it home, do it. The stock cassette is a brick, and the upgrade to the XT really improves the shifting with the XT rear derailleur. Other than that will probably replace parts as they need it as everything else is pretty servicable. Lighter tires will probably be my next purchase.
Bottom line, if you are in the market for a good XC 29" FS bike in the $2000 range, take a serious look at this bike.
Bike Setup: TruVativ Holzfeller handlebars
Ritchey stem
WTB Laser V saddle
XT Cassette
All else stock
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
james
a Cross Country Rider
from Squamish, BC
Date Reviewed: March 4, 2012
Strengths: Expert 29er carbon: ultra-stiff carbon frame for a very precise feel. I Iove the Formula brakes which I've used for over a year on my AM bike: light, powerful but modulate well. Gearing feels right on and the X7/X0 combo gives seamless shifting so far. Fox Triad II shock feels similar to but easier to use than the RP 23 and has the added plus of a full lock-out. Command post responds faster than any other post I've used - dependibility yet to be determined. Also very impressed by the Specialized tires. I thought I'd switch them out for my usual Ardent / Crossmark choices but I prefer these tires.
Weaknesses: I don't like the feel of the alloy mini-riser bars stock on the bike. It would have been a very cheap upgrade to carbon bars. They feel too wide and all-mountainy to me. I'll probably switch them out for Easton EC 70 XC risers.
Bottom Line:
The best small bike I've tried for a 2 bike XC/AM quiver where I live. Handles technical climbs well and descends beautifully for a small bike. The bike is spec'ed almost perfectly.
Similar Products Used: Stumpjumper 29er, Altitude 29er, Anthem 29er, Epic
Bike Setup: stock Camber Expert Carbon 29er
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Flash
a Weekend Warrior
from Michigan
Date Reviewed: February 12, 2012
Strengths: Price, suspension ride, design.
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
Great deal for the price. I swapped out a few parts that I had and dropped some weight. It's a little portly stock but that is reflected in the price. The bike rides great and handles very well. Turning is sharp and suspension keeps the bike in line. I was doubtful about the Ario shock but I know that Rock Shox redesigned it and it is much better than previous versions. They should have changed the name so people know that it's improved. Overall I think it is a great trail bike and would not hesitate to buy again. I looked at all others in the catagory and none were this good. And it also looks great. Lots of compliments on the trail.
Bike Setup: So far swapped cassette, crank, tires, bar and post
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Josh700
a Weekend Warrior
from Las Vegas, NV, USA
Date Reviewed: February 3, 2012
Strengths: Comfortable and durable.
Weaknesses: Price.
Bottom Line:
I have tried and bought bikes such as Specialized and Trek over the years. I was looking for a full suspension 29er under $2,000 and gave the Camber 29er a try. It is a good bike and rode comfortably. However, Specialized increased the price of the Camber for 2012 which jacked up the price $200 or $2,200. Considering the current economic crisis, people do not much have disposable income. Specialized doesn't seem to be willing to help reach those under the $2,000 bracket plus the fact that they tend to manufacture less FSR bikes than the demand. So there is a wait time on orders for both the Camber and the Stumpjumper. Luckily, after a very thorough research, I found the 2012 Scott Spark 29er Comp which rides similar to the Camber but weighs about the same if not less. At $1,650 OTD, the Scott Spark is a much better alternative to the more expensive Specialized bikes.
Submitted by
awesomepaw
a Cross Country Rider
from Phoenix, AZ
Date Reviewed: November 13, 2011
Strengths: 9er, rear RS and front suspension are fully adequate for my weight. Like air-type suspension, in general. Lock outs for both suspension and on the fly adjustment for rear recoil - NICE technology.
Weaknesses: Nothing. No creaks, squeaks, or expectations unanswered, except the stock grips are thinner than I prefer. Will replace with Oury lock ons.
Bottom Line:
Again, I got a GREAT deal. I don't care much about the weight, given that each pound cut from your gross weight (at this level) cuts your wallet by 100s of dollars. I like the fit. I'm 6'3" - 210 and the suspension works great on a XXL frame. I am brand new to FS and love it.
Bike Setup: 2010 Specialized Camber Elite 29er, stock, Spclzd Fast Track Grid and Purgatory...
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
ahebert
a Cross Country Rider
from Williston, VT, USA
Date Reviewed: October 6, 2011
Strengths: Great ride. Very smooth and fast. 29er just rolls over everything. Travel is enough to smooth out just about everything but not too much to induce lots of bob while climbing.
Weaknesses: Traction from the stock tires is weak in softer conditions. Could go on a diet but so could I.
Bottom Line:
This is a huge improvement over a 10 year old hardtail racing bike. Able to clear just about anything with the wheel size and FS. Does not seem to have that "wow my bottom bracket is way in the air" feel you hear about from 29ers. Tires are ok but not great for northern new england slop.
Bike can take some abuse. A couple rides have been very muddy and nothing ever creaks or grinds.
Brakes work well but did have a squeal after a few hours. Stopped after a good cleaning.
Submitted by
CaliGuy
a Weekend Warrior
from San Diego
Date Reviewed: October 4, 2011
Strengths: -Very tough bike
-Handles well on trails (both uphill, downhill in various terrains
-Excellent landings on small/large jumps
-Gears shift smoothly
-29er setup rolls over large rocks quite nicely
Weaknesses: -A bit on the heavy side
-Tires could use a better treadwear
-Wheelset is not tubeless ready
Bottom Line:
This is an awesome 29er mtb for the small price tag you pay. Worth every penny and there isn't another bike better within the $2000 price range. Love this bike!
Submitted by
JOSE77
a Cross Country Rider
from Monterrey, N.L., Mexico
Date Reviewed: July 26, 2011
Strengths: climbs in the rocks really well,and great perfomance in downhills, the shimano xt rear derailleur works very good, the full suspension is great to. A friend told me the avid elixir 3 breaks wont be good, but he is wrong, they have a great break response.
Weaknesses: Front derailleur Shimano SLX it´s not a good option for this bike, also the crankset I will change it for a shimano XT because bouth the derailleur and the crank have a poor development.
Bottom Line:
The camber 29er elite is great!I really liked the development in the hills, the 29 inch wheels are a great option to risk a litle more in the downhills except in short or inmediate turns, you will experience a slower response. It really feels a great diference in the climb. In my case I bought this for recreational use only, so it fits awesome for me. Its the best bike I ever bought. Is my first 29er and it didn´t disapointed me. In a short term I will change the front deraileur, crankset and seat. In a longest term I plan to upgrade the front suspension and shifters. it feels a little bit heavy but itsnot big deal for me.
Submitted by
houstsx
a Weekend Warrior
from Sugar Land, TX
Date Reviewed: April 26, 2011
Strengths: Excellent frame design, Cheapest FS 29er on the market (as of present). The stock shimano group and fork (RS Recon Gold TK) are very good.
Weaknesses: A little on the heavy side for a $2k bike. The rear shock (Rock Shox ario air) isn't the best, higher models get Fox.
Bottom Line:
One of the best investments I've made. After building a custom rigid 29er I was hooked onto the 29er craze. Shopping around I fell in love with what specialized is calling their "entry level" full suspension 29er. This is my first full suspension and the difference is clear as day. Even though i'm young, I can now ride longer, faster, with much more comfort and much less soreness. If you're considering the Camber Elite 29er pull the trigger, you won't regret it.
