The Camber Expert hits a sweet spot with its outstanding suspension components, drivetrain, and sticky rubber.
120mm-travel M4 alloy FSR frame with new suspension design and sealed cartridge bearing pivots for confident handling and smooth trail performance
Custom Fox Triad II rear shock tackles all trail conditions with its 3-position, on-the-fly adjuster that includes lockout, fully open, and efficient ProPedal settings
Trusted RockShox Reba TK 120mm-travel fork with alloy steerer, Turn Key damper, adjustable rebound and lockout for consistent, lightweight performance
Shimano hollow-forged 10-speed triple crankset with Octalink-splined BB interface makes for a lightweight and stiff power transfer
Custom Avid Elixir 5 SL hydraulic disc brakes/levers with G3 Clean Sweep rotors and alloy-backed organic pads for maximum stopping power and tool-free reach adjust
Shimano Deore XT Shadow rear derailleur delivers top-of-the-line shifting performance in a low-profile design for maximum clearance
Submitted by
365Rider
a Cross Country Rider
from Alicante, Spain
Date Reviewed: February 13, 2012
Strengths: Great new-generation full suspension bike with good value.
Specialized guarantee (wich is quite good here in Spain). you are not restricted to anything with this bike. I do sunday XC races on it and I even do some (light) downhill routes with it. Good quality wheels aswell, not the lightest, but they stay true through a LOT of abuse (by abuse I mean hard riding, not bad maintenance). For me the perfect bike for the price. Off course there are better bikes, but this one has been giving me problemless, great FUN this year. Good rear shock (Fox), important to get the air pressure/rebound right.
Weaknesses: non-tapered headtube.
Needed to change cranck bearings after a year, but my mechanic said it was not exceptional for the abuse it 's been trough :-))
Bike Setup: Tires: F= Spesh Ground Control 2.1, R= Maxxis Larssen TT 2.0
Command Post seat dropper (BEST upgrade)
I will be upgrading the wheels this year for (probably) some mavic's tubeless. But only to be able to mount tubeless ...
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
eerieclown
a Cross Country Rider
from winchester, california, usa
Date Reviewed: December 24, 2011
Strengths: the drivetrain, the suspension, the brakes, the wheels (still true like the day I bought it).
Weaknesses: ground clearance from the bottom bracket, i've scraped up my cranks alot and I bash my large cog often (but who uses the large cog anyways).
Both tires are 2.0". The tires grip and corner great, but I believe at least with a 2.1 in the front, it could be even better.
Bottom Line:
After entering into the lovely world of mtb early this summer with my $600 full suspension diamondback, I decided that I loved mtb so much that I'm willing to drop some serious cash. The price I paid is beyond fair considering the msrp was 2200.
This specialized camber expert takes me up much faster, I go downhill with confidence. The suspension is butter. Braking is easily managed with 1 finger (after they break in). The shimano drivetrain is my favorite park of the bike, the 10 speed really makes a difference, and I love how you can thumb push or index pull to shift.
I ride 3-4 times a week consisting of mostly single track and technical fire roads/double track. I prefer a softer suspension and went about 20 psi lower than the recommended pressure. I weigh 145 and am 5'11'. I do small 1-2 ft. jumps.
I was looking for the best "bang for your buck" bike that I could find in the $1500 range and I couldn't find anything that came close to the specs of this camber expert.
Wow! I loved riding that HR Pro Disc for 6 months, but usher in the full suspension. I was surprised that my Camber weighs about 30 pounds with my clipless pedals, but I haven't started racing, and I believe that heft helps me FLY down the hills. The bike is quick through the tight spots, and makes me laugh every time I go fast. The first time I rode the technical stuff, I went over the bars 3 times; man, those brakes take their work seriously. The bike needs to review me, as I haven't caught up with its features yet. Oh yes, the guy that I used to chase? He's moving over to let me go now!
Similar Products Used: Cannondale Super V, Specialized Hard Rock Pro Disc
Bike Setup: Stock
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Submitted by
madsedan
a Weekend Warrior
from Rockwall, TX
Date Reviewed: June 21, 2011
Strengths: Weight, components, suspension, value
Weaknesses: none yet
Bottom Line:
This bike rips, in my year since starting I have only ridden 29er hardtails, my brother made me ride our 15 mile loop on the Camber Expert and flew. It was the fastest I've ever been through that trail and I had a blast on the bike, most fun I've had on a bike yet.
Very nimble, tossable around the trail, does everything well, etc. I love, love, love this bike. Its worth the full MSRP price but I got a hook-up as I really wanted the test bike paint scheme so the shop finally conceded to sell it to me.
Similar Products Used: Niner EMD9, Specialized Hardrock 29er
Bike Setup: Put on my Phenom Expert saddle in place of the Henge Comp, I'll install Mavic Crosstrails in place of the dt swiss wheels, tubeless set-up and ride.
