Submitted by
Nik
a Cross Country Rider
from Scotland
Date Reviewed: July 24, 2007
Strengths: It does what it's supposed to and it's not made out of hairy scary carbon fibre like the newer ones.
Weaknesses: Difficulty sourcing a replacement shock (not that I need one, just that I can source pivots and bushing and not the shock). Chain suck.
Bottom Line:
I got the frame last november when my favourite bike shop discovered this hanging in a window, or in a box in the basement, or something like that. Untill that point I had been looking for a Carrerra LRS (a cheaper version of the Merida LRS but still made by Merida) frame having decided to bite the bullet and make the jump to F/S. Obvoiusly when I saw this I couldn't resist and everything's just been a fantastic love story since. I absolutly love this bike. I love the way I can only just tell the difference tanking up steep single track on the rare occasion I now get back on my hard-tail (and I'm 200+lbs). I love the fact it's lighter than all my mate's bikes (except the one's who've got nice hardtail's). I love the way it magically turns into a really nice Full Susser (not just cleverly turning into a poor bump absorber) when you need it. I love the confidence it's given me to push my riding. I just love this bike. It's stiff, it's light it's fast, and it's lovely over bumpy stuff.
Obviously you'll be hard pushed to find one of these new these days, but maybe you're an XC rider who enjoys the odd bit of fun pointing your bike downhill, likes riding their trusty hard-tail and you're considering buying the new Epic (now has the same M5 tubing this frame had) or looking at a 2nd hand one of these on eBay... who knows, but if you find yourself choosing between this and something else and can't make up your mind then...
Similar Products Used: Never riden any other full susser in anger before this.
Bike Setup: Thomson post and stem, X.O rear mech and shifters, Hope xc hubs + Mavic XM819s, Chris King headset, Race Face atlas cranks and bars, Rock Shox Revelations 426 U-turn, Formula Oro K24 xc brakes.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Michael Galinger
a Cross Country Rider
from Cincinnati, OH USA
This is a follow-up post from earlier. I have been on this bike for almost 2 years and it continues to amaze me. I wish it had the technology of the new Brain Fade rear shock, but it is still a fantasic bike. I have never had a problem with the rear suspension/linkage that you read about with other full-suspension bikes. This is the real deal. Specialized is a quality company who make fansastic products. Only the best of the best ideas go into their S-Works line-up and it shows. If you are in the market for a new Epic, you will not be disapointed. You get what you pay for!
Bike Setup: X.0 Drivetrain, Crossmax wheelset, Thompson stem and post, Monkey Lite riser, Avid BB7's
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Paul
a Cross Country Rider
from Acworth, Ga
Date Reviewed: April 13, 2005
Strengths: durable, responsive, efficient, Specialized warranty and a hell of alot of fun to ride.
Weaknesses: rear derailluer cable routing can make for some sticky shifting if not cleaned regularly and a little heavy.
Bottom Line:
I am 6-4, 210lbs and I would consider my riding type as cross mountain (mix between cross country and downhill). I bought this bike new in 2003 and have put over 2,500 all trail miles on it. With the exception of chain suck (caused by crappy Shimano Chain rings and can be fixed with a file) this bike has performed flawlessly. This is not a plush ride and Specialized never intended it to be. This is a cross country racing rig that is geared for explosive performance. It is truly a mix between a hardtail and a FS bike. If you are looking for a super squishy ride, do not buy.
Similar Products Used: I have tried several hardtail and FS bikes.
Bike Setup: XT Drive Chain/shifter, Avid SD7 brakes and levers, Valliant rims with XTR hubs, Thompson Elite seat post and stem, WTB Lazer seat, Hutch Pythons. Bike size is XL.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Lars Andersen
a Cross Country Rider
from Copenhagen, Denmark
Date Reviewed: January 3, 2005
Strengths: Hardtail when you need it - softtail when you need it
Weaknesses: Chain Suck (big time)
Bottom Line:
Best bike I have ever tried - period. I felt at home on it instantly the first time I tried it. Great geometry, great suspension. Great bike.
The chain suck issue is a problem though. I solved it by removing the small chainring, and I now ride with just 30t and 40t in front. It works very well in danish conditions but probably not in the mountains.
I am not entirely happy with buying a costly high-end bike that has chain suck problems. I was just told that it is not included in the warranty. Hmmmm...
Bike Setup: XTR/XT, Marzocchi MX Comp ETA, Mavic X223, Specialized Strongarm II, Truvativ, Easton, Selle Italia SLR
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Kristin
a Cross Country Rider
from Eden, UT, Sedona, AZ, Lake Tahoe
Date Reviewed: November 6, 2004
Strengths: Light, agile, responsive, rides like a hard tail. Excellent climber. Handles all the rocks, ruts, roots.
Weaknesses: The occassional chain suck. The SID shock is weak, and had to be replaced by the more agressive riders I know. It has been replaced with a Fox in 04 & 05.
Bottom Line:
I love this bike, it's worth every cent. I have never had a problem with the brain on climbs. I have owned it since August 03. My husband has one also, his is a bit heavier than mine, I ride the male (small) This bike is the best of both worlds - a full suspension hard tail. This is a great cross country, climber racer, not a big hit bike. If you are used to riding a heavier full suspension it takes getting used to but you'll fall in love with it once you ride it for a while.
Strengths: Climbs like a goat, no bob, fast accelleration, excellent in technical switchbacks
Weaknesses: Heavy, super stiff on stutter bumps
Bottom Line:
This is an extremely heavy hardtail! My Diamond Back Axis TT is smoother than this thing in on fast stutter bump terrain and weighs 3 pounds less. Although I really love the way this bike climbs. The geometery allows the frontend to stick to the ground, whereas my old SC Superlight frontend wouldn't stay planted no matter what stem length I had on it. This was the main reason I decided to get the S-Works Epic over the Blur.
This bike is called the Epic, I have raced it at the Cascade Cream Puff 100 and had to get off a few times because my hands and feet were beat to death. I race this race a few years back on my Superlight and my body felt much better when I finished. I did finish 1.5 hours faster but actually trained this time and spent some good quality time in the gym.
If you are looking for a good XC race bike, this bike will meet your goal. In '04 they took out 0.5lbs but your still looking at a 25lb race bike unless you go nuts on the ultralight no durability parts. Stick to stuff that works and the bike is going to weigh 0.5lbs to 1lb more than any other racing FS.
Bike Setup: XTR/XT, V-Brakes, Fox F80X, Easton Carbon Bars & Post, WTB Saddle & Tires, RaceFace Stem
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Frederik
a Cross Country Rider
from Denmark
Date Reviewed: July 20, 2004
Strengths: Great handling, no bob, stiff, just follows the trail, rides like a full blood fully
Weaknesses: Little heavy, expensive retail price, chain suck
Bottom Line:
The ultimate xc bike. Goes fast up and down. That best trail/xc bike for danish conditions (no mountains and little rocks), but if you live in the Rockys you might consider the Enduro. It dosn't get any better than this. The ratail price draws the value rating down a little. Buy the 03 on sale don't need to wait for the 04.
Similar Products Used: Cannondale Jekyll, Blur, GT I-D
Bike Setup: XTR, XT, Hope, Fox, Ritchey
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Michael
a Cross Country Rider
from Indianapolis, IN
Date Reviewed: March 12, 2004
Strengths: Light, Comfortable, Fast, Nimble
Weaknesses: Price
Bottom Line:
Buy this bike. It is a great ride for almost any situation. Climbs fast, descends with confidence and makes up for your mistakes. I use to ride a Stumpjumper, but I wanted something a little more forgiving on the rear end. This is a great trail/cross country/race horse!
Strengths: Works as advertised More fun than hardtail Perfect for epic rides
Weaknesses: Chainsuck Some parts specs
Bottom Line:
My perspective is that of an expert cross country racer owning his first full suspension bike in the Rocky Mountains.
Wow! This bike is a lot of fun on every ride. Climbing feels identical to my hardtail titanium bike. Descending is much more comfortable, and slightly faster. I don't notice any unlocking delay. Bumpy flats are the main advantage of this bike -- or any time you have some speed and want to pedal through stuff. The reduced beating makes a big difference on long rides. The 24 Hours of Moab course, for example, was like a different sport on this bike.
After a couple of rides, I thought the riser bars and set back post were not good for climbing, so I switched those out. I also switched the levers to rapdifire because the braking leverage with Dual Control was very weak. I put on Eggbeater twin ti pedals, and the bike weighs about 24.25 pounds -- 0.25 pounds more than my ti hardtail did.
I had a lot of problems with chainsuck from day 1. Other premature problems included the fork seizing up (melted o-ring) and the rear hub squeaking (dry freehub). The stock LX chain was extremely stretched after only a few weeks of moderate riding, which damaged my cassette. I switched to an XTR chain with a new small ring, and the chainsuck seems to have gone away for now. Is the LX chain contributing to the chainsuck problems?
This is a great bike that works unbelievably well. It seems like it's only a matter of time before most cross country bike designs converge in this direction.
The bike rules. It rides like a full suspension but feels and climbs like a hard tail. It really feels lighter than it is. The 2004 is not that much better. The only real difference is the new rear shock which I was able to get on my 03. I can't feel claimed weight difference. Especially sence I was able to ride an 04 Demo S-Works for a little over a month. I put a lot of miles on it so I would know. Either way you won't regret forking out the bones for one of these bike after you have ridden it. Happy trails.
Submitted by
Jeff Bean
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: December 12, 2003
Strengths: Versatility. Stiff on climbs. Plush at the right times on hairy downhills and flats. The brain knows -- seriously. Freaking wild.
Weaknesses: Folks complain about weight. Clydedales won't care. Mash the pedals and you'll go fast. A little twitchy on 20 percent super tight, single-track deeply rutted, rock-strewn ascents. Lack of bob, though, is worth it. Power transferred to rear wheel, not any springs, shocks and other energy-wasting bells and whistles.
Bottom Line:
I use the bike for xc riding and winter commuting day and night through a protected reserve with wonderful trails that provide plenty of moderate ups and downs, rocks galore, ruts, sand, mud and dust. The Epic handles all beautifully. Perfect for motoring on these types of terrain. Hills? Just lock out the front fork and turn the pedals over. You'll be to the top in no time. And surprise, loves to catch air (no cliff jumping for me) with great landings and excellent rebound to keep your speed (30 mph+). Be sure to set the rear Fox psi properly and clicks for correct rebound. No a big deal to roll on pavement in between the house and trail @ 20 mph). I'm a convert. Had all kinds of advice from "unbiased" sales dudes on other MTB like Ellsworth Truth. Well, truth is I trusted a friend who has Epic S-Works FSR. Not disappointed at all. A true pleasure that leverages every ounce of your leg strength, lung capacity and handling abilities. Two bottle cages perfect to use one for JETS super bright light battery. Just damn fun in the sun or under the starts. Amazing.
Strengths: Great handling, no suspension bob when climbing, suspension is there when you need it, nice annodized black finish.
Weaknesses: A little heavy (1/2 pound lighter for '04). More race oriented - casual riders may want more plushness. $2000 retail for a welded in Taiwan frame?????
Bottom Line:
For a racer or performance-oriented XC rider, this is the best bike that I have ridden (haven't been on a Blur/Spider yet, though). Set up with the Fox fork with the same valve, I call this my "Doctor Jekyll/Mister Hyde" bike. When the trail is smooth, it is as responsive as a rigid hardtail. When the going gets rough, you have full suspension. And there is little noticable transition in between. Some complain about this transition, but the adjustable version of the "Brain" on '04 bikes should take care of this. And as far as some mag editors' complaints about bunnyhopping this bike: give me a break.
Similar Products Used: 2001 S-Works FSR (same bike but it bobs, not as fast feeling), 2004 Fuel 100 (demo-lack of suspension bob is impressive, but the suspension is not as good as Specialized's).
Bike Setup: 2003 S-works medium black, Fox F80x(awesome), '03 XTR cranks/bottom bracket, Crossmax UST, 2002 XTR shift/brakes.
Strengths: well made, tracks great, very plush when needed, brain, great geometry
Weaknesses: a little heavy in rear, slight chain suck issues. price.
Bottom Line:
This is the best cross country bike I have ever been on. The bike improved my riding ability immediately. The bike reacts like a hard tail but once the brain kicks in, its smooth as butter. It takes a little getting used to but I think this is the way of the future. Fox and Specialized have broken the mold with this one.
Strengths: Does just what it says -over sized pivots, built for abuse -plush suspension (when it's engaged)
Weaknesses: -maybe a little heavy, but if you're a bigger person the ratio evens out. -Price, if you pay retail -Bottom bracket height could be a little higher
Bottom Line:
This was a warrantee return from Specialized. I broke last year's S-Works frame and they had me going again within two weeks. A full frame swap, a beautiful thing.
I was very skeptical at first and wanted to sell it to get a Spider or Blurr, but kept on. Now I'm glad I did. Not to take anything away from the Blurr of Spider, they're both great rides too.
I love this bike a lot. I works great! And it's very strong for its weight. I've even raced downhill on it at Angel Fire, NM because I couldn't fit my DH rig on da plane.
The first time I really noticed the Brain was riding over a very rough and faily wide creek bed, the plushness of the suspension made it very easy to keep my line at speed. When I got to the other side there was a very steep bank to go up, so I had to stand and hammer. There I was on a hardtail, and shot right up the other side. No Bob, and no questions!
Five 2012 S-Works Stumpjumper FSR 29ers came into the country a few days ago and I got one of them! Sorry, this is the best photo I could get indoors tonight. More photos perhaps t Read More »
I just bought a brand new 2008 S-Works Frameset. It was old stock, and got it from a Spesh Dealer whom made me a deal I could not pass up. It is Carbon/Red. It has the Brain Futur Read More »
Looking at an S-works fsr Stumpy 29er
What's it weigh?
Who's got one?
How do you like it?
What type of trails do you ride?
What did you compare it to b4 you pulled the tri Read More »
Who's has one and what you opinion so far?
What does it do different from the other 2012 stumpy fsr's?
Might upgrade to one but undecided if the additional $$$ warrants the upgra Read More »
Does anybody have the weight of the 2012 S-works FSR Stumpjumper 29er?
I looked through a few threads and couldn't find any weight info for 2012 model year. Read More »
