Pared down, pumped up, and ready to roll on widely varied terrain, the Stumpjumper 29er EVO is a new take on a modern classic.
29er HT frame with curved top tube looks as fast and sweet as it rides due to its race-optimized 29" geometry and M5 manipulated alloy construction
RockShox Reba RLT 29er fork with size-specific travel, rebound/compression adjust, and Floodgate control allows this 29er to soak up rocks like no other
DT Swiss 520SL 29" rims are strong enough to handle complex singletrack, yet light enough to make the climb out effortless
Both 2Bliss Ready, the S-Works Purgatory 29 x 2.2" front tire is aggressive for varied terrain, and the S-Works The Captain 29 x 2.0" rear tire rolls fast with formidable side knob for traction in turns
SRAM's venerable X.0 carbon, short cage rear derailleur is super light and tough, delivering spot-on shifts no matter the conditions
e* thirteen XCX 1x10 chainguide to keep chain solidly in place while shifting through 10 speeds
Strengths: This bike has many strengths. The first is definitely value. At 2150 You are getting a race ready bike. The next strength is simplicity. With the 1x10 setup there is very little chain slap and you never drop the chain off the front chain ring.
Weaknesses: It creaks which is annoying on gravel roads but on the trail it seems to go away.
Bottom Line:
If you are looking for a bike that you can ride for a long time go with this one. It is simple, lite at 25 lbs, and it is aluminum so you do not have to worry about cracking the frame.
I recommend this bike to anyone, you will not be let down.
Strengths: Absolutely best bike & components for the money. Only 25.04lbs with the stock plastic pedals!! It takes off from underneath you. 2012 model comes with Roval Rims, Fox Float, and X0 rear der. No need to replace tires before riding. Got mine for $1900, literally can't beat that. Its better than the composite XTC, lighter, better components and cheaper. Not to mention the murked out look is beyond sick! I have a Specialized SX Trail also and I was surprised how well this bike launched in the air and tackled any stunts I pointed it at. Unbelievable turning. Also very surprised how well it flies downhill. It'll give you the confidence to climb sections that you didn't think about before. Great geometry, easy to shred on the trail. I think its a crossover of a trail xc/am. Exactly what I was looking for. Great bike. After riding, I would of payed another $500 for it easy. Get it, I promise you won't have any regrets,,sooo fast!
Weaknesses: Didn't come with clipless pedals and no quick release seat post clamp. Thats about it!
Bottom Line:
A freeriders XC dream come true. So glad I went with the hardtail. Pedals so freaking good! Check out the features & components on Specialized.com
Similar Products Used: Cannondale, Giant XTC, Salsa El Mariachi, Santa Cruz Highboy
Bike Setup: Stock
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
cdkrenz
a Cross Country Rider
from Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Date Reviewed: February 19, 2012
Strengths: I purchased this bike in May of 2011. Brand new it retailed for $2,150.
You will love its light weight (around 25lbs), nimbleness in the corners and tight switchbacks, and responsive feel in rock gardens. It gets up hills with minimal effort and has a dark stealthy look.
If you haven't ridden a 1x10 drivetrain this is the bike to get you hooked. You'll find it's geared perfectly for Wisconsin's single-track. The crank has 33 teeth and the cassette runs 11-36.
Weaknesses: Brakes on this 2011 version could be a bit better. The internal workings of the rear hub gave up after about 250 miles.
Bottom Line:
This is a fantastic bike. The components offered with the bike are well worth the price tag. It's great to see Specialized putting together such sharp looking rides that offer real benefits on the trails. If you can, go get one of these bikes.
Submitted by
hampstead bandit
a All Mountain Rider
from London, England
Date Reviewed: February 16, 2012
Strengths: very high quality M5 aluminium alloy frame
Fox 32 Evo fork with 100mm travel
SRAM 1 x 10 shifting with E13 chain device
Roval Traversee wheelet with Specialized 2 Bliss tires
Avid Elixir brakeset
Great handling, great backup from Specialized (if needed)
Very affordable and generally good components "out the box"
Weaknesses: Horrible handlebar (weird shape)
Stem too long (90mm for medium frame)
no tubeless conversion kit (2011 had tubeless valve cores and tape)
crappy pedals
dubious lock-on grips (single bolt) can be rotated under pressure!
Bottom Line:
one of the "sleeper hits" for Specialized during 2012?
easily the most awesome 29er hardtail for the hardcore trail / all mountain rider
sweet handling, good tough components and legendary warranty from SBC
amazing frame with great dialled geometry, fox fork, Roval wheels and SRAM / AVID drivetrain and brakes
add your own touches to the finishing kit and little tweaks, you are set and ready to roll those 'wagon wheels' over the rough terrain
Similar Products Used: Ellsworth Evolve 29er
Norco Shinobi
Bike Setup: Thomson X4 70mm stem, Easton Havoc 750mm bars, ODI lock-on grips, Thomson Elite 410mm seatpost, WTB Devo Ti saddle, Nukeproof Neutron pedals, Stan's tubeless conversion kit, Sram XX titanium bolts for rotors and controls
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Tom
a Cross Country Rider
from newark, DE, USA
Date Reviewed: January 15, 2012
Strengths: Great for cross country trail style and racing. Bike comes stock with everything I really wanted as far as the parts spec. I made mine tubeless and cut down the truck driver bars and that's about it. I love the feel especially how stiff the frame is. Ubber light and responsive I'm stoked.
Weaknesses: No valves and rim tape stock that's it.
Bottom Line:
Buy one, specialized has an epic line up of bikes this year have fun. Great quality!
Submitted by
TiGeo
a Cross Country Rider
from Midlothian, VA
Date Reviewed: January 9, 2012
Strengths: Awesome looking; the black on black "murdered out" look is really cool in person. Lots of small details on the frame - this isn't just a run-of-the-mill aluminum frame. The components are perfect out of the box, I wouldn't upgrade anything. The tires stick like glue. The 1x10 is more than I need for the trails I ride, nice and quiet. The Fox Fork is great, just enough to take the edge off the roots etc. I love the 720mm bar. All the Specialized house-brand stuff is amazingly nice. I am 5'6" and the 15.5" fits perfectly.
Weaknesses: None so far. Only complaint I have is that for $2100 in 2012, a bike with tubeless-ready tires and rims should come with the valve stems and tape to make it tubeless from day one without having to buy it separately.
Bottom Line:
This bike rocks. If you are looking to get a 29er and want it set up right from day one, this is the one to get. May not be the best choice for newer riders or riders in the mountains b/c of the more limited gear ratios, but for me, this is the best bike I could get out of the box for the type of trails I ride and my riding style.
Similar Products Used: Ridden many different bikes over the past 20 years from steel hard tails to a full suspension bike in the mid-90s.
Bike Setup: Stock - will go tubeless soon. Won't change anything else.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
JohnnyK
a Cross Country Rider
from Vernon Hills, IL, USA
Date Reviewed: August 29, 2011
Strengths: The components you get for the price is hard to beat.
Weaknesses: Nothing yet.
Bottom Line:
I almost bought the Stumpjumper Comp 29er a year ago, but held off mostly for financial reasons. I'm so glad I did, because this year they offered the EVO, which comes from the factory exactly how I would have modified the other one had I bought it. Specifically, it comes with 100mm of travel in the fork (instead of 80mm), 185mm front rotor and 160mm rear (instead of 160mm for both), bigger volume meaty tires, and setup as a 1x10.
The bike feels fantastically solid the way it is. Specialized has done a fantastic job dialing the geometry, as I noticed no negative effects switching from my old 26" hardtail to this. It handles, climbs, and descends intuitively, but the big wheels have clear advantages. The Reba fork is smooth and easy to adjust, the Elixir R brakes are strong and reliable, the X7 shifter and X0 rear derailleur are crisp, and the eThirteen chain guide has yet to let the chain fall off. I love the wide bars; I really wanted to try a wider bar, and they feel every bit as good as I had imagined. The 1x10 setup is the only way I will ride here in the midwest, because it's simple, easier to maintain, quieter, and allows for a short cage derailleur and shorter chain, so the drivetrain has less slack and slop. Plus, with the 36 cog in back, I still have plenty of gear to climb whatever I have around here. I love it.
I converted the tires to tubeless, which was easy because the bike came with the rim strips and valves. I have had no problems with it set up this way, and love how it feels when I drop the tire pressure way down. No flats all season so far.
The frame looks fantastic, the paint scheme is so subtle but so sharp. Pictures don't do it justice, because you can't see the play of gloss black with flat black, which is found even on the seatpost, the crank arms, and the fork. All that black is perfectly offset with gold touches here and there, but not so much that it becomes tacky. It's a sharp, tough looking bike that got more attention at the trailhead than my brother's more expensive, less common 29er, which usually steals the show.
I cannot recommend this bike enough. I love it, the way it looks and rides. For the price, you couldn't piece together a bike nearly this nice by yourself.
