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Specialized
Stumpjumper FSR Comp
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Submitted by
Paul Losordo
a Cross Country Rider
from Brookline, MA, USA Date Reviewed: June 2, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | The next one.... | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1300.00 | | Purchased At: | Wheelworks Boston | | Bottom Line: | ** UPDATE TO ORIGINAL POSTING 7/2/2004 *** After a year with the bike, I still think it was a great first time purchase. But, this bike is not setup for the kind of rocky terrain we have here in the Boston area. The Fox Float R rear shock and the front Fox Float 100 are superb. However, I think the rest of the components are junk and parts of the frame are either low end or made for feather weights (I am 200lb). The bike spends every week in the shop with something broken... * Specialized tires stink. Finally put a Python on the front, Mobster with downhill tube on the back. * Seat upgraded (can't recall make) * Thomson elite bent seat post after clamp snapped * Added Avid discs (not the juicy :-( * New Mavic 519 rear rim after stock caved in * Put XT rear cassette * Freehub (thingy inside cassette) was destroyed.. * Both rear bolts have snapped in half * Mounting bolt for rear shock snapped and now.... * Suspension linkage snapped in half last night!
I don't do drops but pretty much try everything else. I can't see why after one year the metal linkage should snap literally in half...Let's hope specialized does the right thing...Think I'll have to get an Enduro...
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dan
a Cross Country Rider
from Michigan Date Reviewed: September 3, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Poto | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Lightweight, great suspension | | Weaknesses: | None really, some minor issues but nothing major | | Similar Products Used: | KHS Hardtail | | Bike Setup: | Stock except upgraded to Hayes Hydraulics immediately after purchase. | | Bottom Line: | This is my first full suspension bike. The suspension seems to work flawlessly to me, it handles the XC riding I do just fine. I ride as much as time allows, rain or shine (but not cold). It has held up quite well in the time that I have owned it (almost two complete summers). I seem to break spokes in the rear wheel with alarming regularity, and thought it may be due to my beefy size (190lbs). However, a riding partner bought the exact same bike and he breaks his rear spokes as well (only 140lbs). I lost a bolt out of the rear pivot by the rear derailer once, and the rear derailer seems to contact the frame when shifting to the smallest sprocket for some reason. Adjustments to the fork and shock pressures make a dramatic difference in performance depending on the trail you are riding. I can't see how any other suspension could make a dramatic improvement over the Fox suspension supplied on this bike. Don't stick with recommended values, play with it. You may be pleasantly surprised at it's performance. Reaching down for the little blue lockout levers on the fork and especially the shock is hazardous. I don't even bother any longer. The bike came stock with Deore shifters, LX front derailer and XTR rear derailer. Shifting has been flawless, with minimal adjustments required over time. I would be interested to know what the higher end shifters would offer over the base Deores. Bottom line, excellent value, excellent ride. I don't know what the higher end bikes would offer me over this bike other than possibly a few less pounds. I am completely satisfied with my purchase.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
william
a Cross Country Rider
from Littleton, NH Date Reviewed: August 27, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Purchased At: | Littleton Bike Shoppe | | Weaknesses: | Rear pivots- Bottom shock pivot wears out really quick. Upper pivots on seat stays wear out fast as well.
I am hoping to break the frame so I can get the 2004 model, which seems to have addressed some of the design flaws found on the 2003. | | Bike Setup: | Changed front shock from duke to psylo stock otherwise | | Bottom Line: | I do like the bike, despite the rear end problems. It handles really well and is fast where it needs to be. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Paul Losordo
a Weekend Warrior
from Boston, MA Date Reviewed: July 2, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | The next one... | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1300.00 | | Purchased At: | Wheelworks, Boston | | Strengths: | Acceleration uphill, Foxtrot suspension is very smooth... | | Weaknesses: | Stock tires from specialized, stock brakes, lost suspension bolt 3rd ride (!) | | Similar Products Used: | 2004 model of this bike (demoed only- mushy Manitou suspension) | | Bike Setup: | Stock brakes, hubs, rims, Fox race front & rear, stock front, XTR rear, Hutchison Python&Scorpion tires, stock seat & post, stock handlerbars, shifters... | | Bottom Line: | My first full suspension bike after years off. Tried the Gary Fisher's, didn't like geometry for my body. Tried the 2004 model, like the disc brakes, hated the manitou suspension (mushy for me, maybe I should lose some weight :-p). I have been taking the 2003 all over Eastern Mass, through extremely rocky downhills, singletrack, and Cape Cod sandy stuff. Bike performs very well, especially after changing the tires. Changing the brakes is probably next (hubs are disc compatible)...Bottom line: excellent bike, makes you get out and ride. Buy this bike if you are going to ride off-road and seek to improve to a more serious level. Don't waste your money otherwise: the bike is nice but not suited to leisurely onroad pursuits! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rob
a Cross Country Rider
from Mckeesport, Pa Date Reviewed: June 9, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Boyce Park | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Gatto's | | Strengths: | Front & Rear Suspension, Component Package | | Weaknesses: | Painful Saddle | | Similar Products Used: | Gary Fisher, Joshua Z2 | | Bike Setup: | Stock, Plus new WTB Seat and Avid Mechanical Disc Brakes | | Bottom Line: | Great cross country bike. Climbs like a hardtail and the suspension works as smooth as silk. If your looking for a good cross country full suspension bike, this is it. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Robert Phillips
a Cross Country Rider
from Mckeesport, Pa Date Reviewed: June 9, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Boyce Park | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Gatto's | | Strengths: | Front & rear suspension, Frame geometry, Component package | | Weaknesses: | Saddle is painful, Seat post does not tilt enough | | Similar Products Used: | Gary Fisher, Joshua Z2 | | Bike Setup: | Stock with new WTB saddle, Added Avid Mechanical Disc Brakes | | Bottom Line: | I love the way this bike handles singletrack, it flies uphill and the suspension works very well on the rough stuff. This is the perfect full suspension bike for cross country riders. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Robert Phillips
a
from Mckeesport, Pa Date Reviewed: June 9, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Boyce Park | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$15000.00 | | Purchased At: | Gatto's | | Strengths: | Rear & Front Suspension, Frame Geometry,Component Package | | Weaknesses: | Stock seat is painful, seatpost does not have enough angle adjustment | | Similar Products Used: | Gary Fisher, Joshua Z2 | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for a new WTB Seat and added Avid mechanical disc brakes | | Bottom Line: | This is a very well designed bike with a great component package. It climbs as well as any hardtail and the suspension handles the rough stuff great.This is the perfect bike for crosscountry riders. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Walt
a Cross Country Rider
from West Bloomfield, MI, USA Date Reviewed: June 2, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Poto | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1270.00 | | Strengths: | Good Fork/shock spec Proven suspension design Disc ready wheelset | | Weaknesses: | Rear pivot bolts suck (come on Specialized - you've been producing this frame for many years, I know you can do better than this) Strongarm crank shifts horrendously
| | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for an Easton Monkey Lite SL bar and Time ATAC pedals | | Bottom Line: | Just like many who have reviewed here - the first long ride caused one of the nuts on the rear pivot bolts to fall off. It is true that the bolts are not quite long enough. The whole setup here is cheezy. How about some nice recessed bolts like the ones on the Epic line. It looks like Specialized really cobbled the rear pivot setup together. I ended up getting locknuts from the local hardware and then using generous amounts of blue locktite. So far, so good.
I'm also having problems with the riding position. It feels like I am too far back when seated. I guess I have to experiment with seat positions, etc. It seems also that the stock post will not allow for a flat seat angle - it points slightly up making the problem worse. I hope to get a thompson post to alleviate that.
On the positive side, the suspension is awesome and the lockouts are appreciated when climbing longer sections of trail. For shorter climbs, no lockout is required.
I did a 24 hour race recently with much climbing and kinda wished that I had saved a bit more for the base Epic model. Reaching for that little blue lockout lever is an ass pain.
I'm giving the bike 3 flamers because I just can't get comfortable on it yet. On paper, the parts spec is an excellent value.
Buy this bike if the trails you ride do not include a ton of long climbs. It is a good overall trail bike. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Robert Pearson
a Weekend Warrior
from Los Angeles, Cali., USA Date Reviewed: April 21, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | whoops | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | Supergo | | Strengths: | Ahhh! Must be the suspension, hands down the best design. | | Weaknesses: | Rear derail design chokes. Stuck me in the backcountry due to a loose nut. Had to baby it back down the mountain causing my chain to constantly pop off. There is a mounting bracket for the derail that is very weak and will bend, I now carry an extra. Bike fixer told me it was made to bend so you don't break the derail or bend the frame. HIGH MAINTENANCE BI%$H! Should dump her but I'm in love. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek, Giant, and Gary Fisher | | Bike Setup: | Stock. Added Hayes Disc front and rear. Replaced the chain after a few months (weakness)due to losing the nut. | | Bottom Line: | I love this bike and can't get enough. Push it hard and the response is incredible. Definitely get the disc brakes. Don't know much about the seat, never on it. Suspension is da' bomb! Once you figure out her quirks she settles in and flies. I would go for five chilis but that whole high maintanence thing ruined it. I think I'll marry it! Great for first timers not for the rider looking for 30' drops. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scrappy G
a Cross Country Rider
from Westminster Date Reviewed: April 10, 2004 | | Favorite Trail: | Colorado Trail near Browns Campground | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Wheatridge Cyclery | | Strengths: | Low entrance fee, sweet suspension components, proven frame design, compliments from other riders. | | Weaknesses: | Quality of paint could be better. (I am a neat freak) | | Similar Products Used: | Hardtails from Trek, Specialized, Yeti Kokopeli, ASR-SL, Trek Fuel 98 | | Bike Setup: | Mavic Crossmax SL wheels, Avid Single Digit Ti brakes/levers, Chris King headset, Easton EC 90 handle bar, Easton EC 70 seat post, Easton EA 50 stem, Crankbros pedals, Selle Italia seat, XT cassette, Specialized Roll-x Pro tubeless tires ($1300)*26 lb* Total cost $2900 | | Bottom Line: | This bike is it!! For $1600 you get a quality frame, super plush suspension, and sweet platform to upgrade from. The Fox suspension does an excellent job of soaking up the big hits, but still being sensitive enough to smooth out the little stuff. I feel like I truly have an "all mountain machine." This baby is comfortable enough for all day epics, but light enough for some cross country races. Yeah, I may have gone a little overboard in upgrades, but I have a 26 lb machine that, in my opinion, is every bit as good as the Yeti ASR-SL(Would have had to spend over $3500 to get the Yeti w/ comprable suspension). The tubeless Roll-X's, together with the Mavic rims, feel like your tires are velcro. Another plus is the rims ceramic breaking surface, who needs disc breaks when I can go down steeep singletrack with one finger on the lever! When climbing, the active rear end keeps me moving up the hills, no matter how rough. I have found that I am able to ride the same terrain for two to three times as long as I could on any hardtail, without having my whole backside aching the next day. I highly recommend the service department at Wheatridge Cyclery. They are very patient and have helped me set-up one sweet rig. The only compliaint, the frame's paint. Mine has a few drips/runs. Look over yours real close if this is something that is important to you, but if you use your mountain bike as it was intended you'll never notice the flaws becasue they should be covered in dirt! Bottom line, thank you Specialized for such a well thought-out product! Sure, there are lighter rides out there, but for the money, this is the best you can buy! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dean
a Cross Country Rider
from Vancouver, WA Date Reviewed: March 24, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Strengths: | Component spec is great. Love that Fox fork. | | Weaknesses: | spokes...... | | Similar Products Used: | First Full suspension bike. | | Bike Setup: | Stock with Panaracer Fire XC Pros, Shimano M540 pedals and Avid mech disc brakes. | | Bottom Line: | I've been very happy with this bike. I even like the saddle. It took a while getting used the the lightness of the front end, but once I figured out my balance on it I could climb stuff the left me walking on my hard tail. I haven't had any of the loose suspension bolt problems. I have had 4 spokes break while riding along on easy terrain. It sounds like a recurring problem to me.... When it happens again, I'll get it relaced. Of course, for the money I've spent fixing spokes and then getting it relaced, I could have bought a better rear wheel setup. Even with the spoke problem, I'd recommend this bike to anyone. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gene
a Downhiller
from Central Point Date Reviewed: February 22, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Strengths: | fox fork - plushest and stiffest fork ever rode, disk ready, active suspension rocks on downhills and flat bumps, XTR rear | | Weaknesses: | Pivot bolt fell out on rear derailer pivot while riding, had to replace those short (to short) with longer ones that were hard to find. Bike is heavy, with disks, weights probably 31 lbs, seat was built by the devil. | | Similar Products Used: | none, went with best in the price range | | Bike Setup: | added avid mech disc brakes - whoooaaa what a difference, thanks to specialized for making it a less expensive up-grade. | | Bottom Line: | this bike rocks, once I fixed the loose pivot bolt problem. Been a die-hard hardtail rider until I bought this. Now can go downhill way faster and no more dodging rocks now I look for them. Bumpy flats are now done sitting in the saddle and climbing is great too. On the long dirt roads, the lock out is nice too. For the $1500 price tag, no other bike can compare in front suspension and frame design. Oh yah, I am a big rider 230 lbs and it handles my weight great | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Vince LaPaglia
a Cross Country Rider
from Centennial, CO Date Reviewed: January 13, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Turin Bicycle LTD | | Strengths: | Suspension, Geometry, value | | Weaknesses: | Seat, tires, brakes, rear frame bolts | | Similar Products Used: | Fisher Big Sur | | Bike Setup: | Thompson post, WTB LaserV Stealth Saddle, Panaracer Fire XC Pro | | Bottom Line: | I absolutely love this bike. I am 5'6" 170lb intermediate rider, love technical single track and have always considered climbing my weakness; I have been riding for 4 years and ride 3-4 times a week. I was riding a Fisher hardtail for years and really struggled with going to full bounce...I researched, debated, hit all the bike shops then finally did it. It was the best move I have made. The bike is incredible and the geomitry & shocks are outstanding. My technical downhill has improved - I was woried that full suspension would make me a lazy rider, but it has not...the biggest problem is wiping the constant grin off of my face; this bike takes everything you can throw at it. One of my favorite rides is Dakota Ridge here Morrison, CO - this is a really technical ride that was always a challenge on my hardtail; my FSR eats this ride up! I initially kept the front & rear shock psi pretty high; after bringing the psi down to the recommended setting I was really pleased with the performance. My biggest surprise was my improved climbing. One item I really liked about this bike was the ability to lock out the rear shock; my first big ride (SlickRock) I did lock the rear out....that was the last time I did that. This bike climbs really well, it tracks great and there really is little bobbing (when I do notice bobbing it is more due to my form than anything else) - as a result I no longer worry about locking the rear. Last year my climbing improved significantly, I was eating climbs that I could not do on my Fisher. All in all I think this bike is a great value, I looked at the Trek & Yeti while shopping around and am sure I would have been happy with those as well, but dollar for dollar this bike was the best value in my opinion & it fit my frame (short legs)the best Although minor, I hated the stock seat and tires. I did have a rear frame bolt break after a couple of months, I just include checking bolts as part of my weekly maintenence now....I have to admit that I do not like the brakes, they just feel weak and they did go out on me during a ride - I am planning on converting to disk this winter. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jack La Lane
a Weekend Warrior
from S. Cali Date Reviewed: December 31, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | The Happy Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1299.00 | | Purchased At: | Supergo | | Strengths: | Fork and rear shock frame | | Weaknesses: | Brakes are very weak. Switch to disc. Its worth the extra cash. | | Similar Products Used: | Jamis Dakar, Tomac 98 special | | Bike Setup: | stock except for carbon Race Face Next riser bar and disc breaks | | Bottom Line: | This bike is kicks a$$. Had chain suck problem on first ride , but a tune up fixed that. The Fox fork and rear shock take take practicaly anything you through at it. Im now much faster on the downhill because of the fork and faster uphill. Roll X tires hug the dirt like a bear. I highly recomend this bike. Dont know much about 2004 model. Next upgrade would be a better set of wheels. Dont realy need to but it would be nice. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Peter
a Weekend Warrior
from Kennett Square, PA USA Date Reviewed: November 12, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1950.00 | | Purchased At: | Wooden Wheels | | Strengths: | 2004 New Design - this is a different back end and shock from the 2003. Great descending, capable on techinical sections, good climber. Good value relative to Trek, Fisher, and building a bike from various frames. Jamis is competitive, but the 2004s were not available. Relatively light, I am coming from a steel hardtail and I actually beleive it's the same or slightly less in the 26-27lb range. Great performance on the trail, my descents that I normally slow down on due to bumps and ruts I could sail through probably 1.5X to 2X my past speed and still have good control. The bike feels dull on pavement, after all steel is real, but really shines on the trail. The fox Triad rear shock has 3 settings open(plush), pro-pedal(damped), and lockout. The pro-pedal worked really well, especially coming off a hard-tail. I couldn't find any loss of pedalling effeciency. Plush I tried on a long descent with great results. The Fox float up front is laterally stiff, I have been running with too much air. The stem is too short at 100mm on the med bike, I have my seat all the way back, too far for some climbing. The bike climbs like a cat up a tree. My first ride started with a 10 minute, rutted climb with dry and wet leaves hiding the rocks. The bike sailed right up, compared to my hardtail I normally get knocked off the bike once or twice on the way up. Component wise the '03 XT level ocatlink cranks work really well, stiff and light. The sealed headset and stem quality are surprisingly good. Most other components I changed. | | Weaknesses: | Bars, seatpost, shifters, wheels are ok, Mavic 225 on Specialized hubs. I don't think they will last long with the more agressive riding the frame and suspension allow. The paint does and will chip, anodized is available, but wasn't in the right component and price I was looking for. One area that could be a problem is the cable routing under the BB, the rear brake cable hangs down and can easily snag. | | Similar Products Used: | Demo of Trek Fuel 95 and 90, Steel Serotta hardtail (11 years old). | | Bike Setup: | Stock components: Fox Float RL, Fox Triad rear, Shimano/Specialized Octalink crank and BB, Specialized 2014 forged stem (nicely finished and good looking), Mavic 225 rims, Specialized hubs, LX front der., stock seatpost (will change), stock aheadset. Changed to: SRAM X.0 shifters, SRAM 2004 X-9 rear, LP Composite 24" Kevlar composite bars, Avid Ultimate V-Brakes (the best over any V or mechanical disk brake, lighter than hydraulic), and my 10 year old Flite saddle. | | Bottom Line: | Works great for me, I am 190 pounds and the bike handles my weight without any problem, I can ride harder, faster, with more control than before right away. Good value, if you have a shop that will work with you can get a competitive mix of products to replace the cheap stuff that comes on the bike. I was looking for low maintenance, the bike with sealed bearing pivots and fox shocks should do it. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gabriel Bonilla
a Cross Country Rider
from Charlottesville, VA Date Reviewed: November 5, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Walnut Creek, O-Hill, Sherando | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Extreme Sports | | Strengths: | Price, Front& Rear Shocks, XTR derailer. | | Weaknesses: | Susp. Bolts tend to loosen-up, spokes break for no reason, slightly heavy, rear lock out is hard to reach while riding. | | Similar Products Used: | GT Hardtail | | Bike Setup: | Easton Riser bar, IRC mythos XC, Race Face Good& Evil Grips | | Bottom Line: | I have enjoyed this bike (a lot!) so far, no problems until recently my rear spokes began to break for no reason. Four so far, costing me $35 dollars in repair plus the down time. Last ride I did ...another spoke!! I will try to have my shop do something about these spokes problem. This has to be factory defect. I have been reading about other people with the same problem. I recently had to return to my hardtail due to (spokes repairs) and noticed I could climb much better on it. Thus I increased rear shock pressure to 200 psi (I weigh near 174 lb with gear on). It seems to work better at 200psi. Also I have begun to use my rear lock-out in technical climbs an the bike does much better, the only problem is that the lock-out lever is super difficult to reach while you are riding. I wish I could install a remote switch. This bike shines on rough downhill, it just does what you want it to do. I recommend this bike for anyone who wants to just go fast and feel comfortable an almost any terrain. Next upgrades will be lighter stem, seatpost, cranks, and hopefully a remote lock-out if I can find one. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Pudgy
a Cross Country Rider
from none u dam business Date Reviewed: October 30, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Strengths: | Great bike when not broke, front shock | | Weaknesses: | rear shock, wheelsets, bolts, brakes | | Similar Products Used: | Hard tail stumpy | | Bike Setup: | Stock except: XT/Mavic517 wheelsets, rebuilt rear shock, XT brakes, XT cassette | | Bottom Line: | I agree with mage. I have had very similar problems. This is a great bike when is not broken. Here is a list of things have broke: Spokes - in shop 4 times for broken spokes on rear wheel. Every one of them snapped at the nipple. The last one broke as I was riding along on a sandy and flat section of trail. Should have changed out the wheels sooner.
Bolts - Lucky for me that I checked before leaving on 28 mile loop ride. Found one bolt loose and one missing from bottom pivot point. I would have been hosed!
Rear shock seals - Seal broke preventing shock from locking out (which is one of the reasons that I bought this bike). Rode bike for months of August and September with broke rear shock (because it would take two weeks to send shock to Fox to get fixed and I didn't want to miss riding time during the height of season). Then missed two weeks while shock was getting fixed.
I replaced brakes. I have noticed some bad comments about the length of handle bars. I did not like the longer bars when I first got bike. But now love them because it seems like I have better torque and balance in steep technical sections.
Bottom line is, I love this bike when it is not broke. I hope I have replaced all the crap parts on bike and it will stay out of shop. But then I could have taken the amount of $$ spent to fix crap parts and bought one dang sweet bike in the first place. I have never owned anything but stumpys but I will look at other brands after this experience. Specialize blew it! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brian Welty
a Cross Country Rider
from Carlsbad, Ca. Date Reviewed: October 28, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Camp Pendleton | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1450.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycle warehouse | | Strengths: | Great front and rear shocks. | | Weaknesses: | Saddle is murder. The handlebars could be taken in an inch on both ends. Otherwise great. | | Similar Products Used: | Have had a GT Avalanche for about 6yrs, Tested other duals but this was the best for my buck and simplicity in design and for maintenance. | | Bike Setup: | Stock. Setting the rear sag is important, I am 167lbs and have it at 190 psi.(which id correct by the book w/about 15 extra lbs to boot) | | Bottom Line: | I love this bike. I have been used to my GT for so many years and have taken a while to get used to the change and feel of a new bike but after a couple of hard rides and climbs i fell quickly into the "new" feel. It climbs great, I have been able to make some killer steep, washed out rutted climbs that I have not been able to keep a "bite" on with my hard tail but made it with the Comp. I have gotten more used to the wide handlebars but I may still take a bit of the ends to give it a quicker response and feel but the saddle needs to go. My "boys" have had enough, the geometry does not work at al with the stock saddle. I am currently holding out and grunting it out till I find the "perfect" one to buy. I have not had any problems with the derailers at all, especially with the intense change of terrain that I encounter. I do some short fast downhill with A LOT of climbing. I do more than my fair share of cranking the heck out of the rear derailer to drop gears rapidly and I have had no problems at all. The tires hook up great considering they are stock. Specialized actually put some good rubber on it to begin with. It is a little loose on the fast downhill in the front end department. The front seems to be sticking out a bit far but when the speeds are slower and a bit more technical the capabilities are quick and just fine. Other than taking the risk of having it called the "banana" bike by the neighborhood kids; I recommend this bike to anyone who wants to invest in a more serious bike and wants a great quality product that will last for the long haul without breaking their bank account. It is not overshadowed by all kinds of complex brackets and linkages, it's simple and it works. It's heavier than a hard tail but once you get used to it, there really is not much difference. Unless you have a sponser, I wouldn't worry about the "grams" since the problem is probably more in the "quads" than in the wieght. Great bike. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Terry Cunningham
a Weekend Warrior
from Adelaide,Australia Date Reviewed: October 20, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Kuipo | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1800.00 | | Purchased At: | JT cycles | | Strengths: | Looks superb. Fox shocks, beleive it or not tyres climb great. | | Weaknesses: | Skewers, and minor point is paint on the cable brackets chipping off easily.I will change seatpost at some stage | | Similar Products Used: | Giant nrs2 tested,but this is my first dually.Had a giant hardtail before. | | Bike Setup: | Stock except immmediatly fitted Hayes Hfx comp hydraulics I bought on hols in USA (at Supergo,nr Anaheim. Thanks guys they were a real bargain). | | Bottom Line: | Cant say much more than on the very first ride on this I stunned my mates by climbing what we call the 'unclimbable hill',an incredible steep,short single track that has a mixture of surfaces with many turns in it. None of us had done it in about 20 previuos attempts each. I did have both shocks locked,but the trick was no wheel spin at all,which was a good testament to the tyres. After 6 weeks they are now showing wear,but what the hell,legend status is assured! Dont know why you all whinge about saddle either,as I noticed after every ride so far i get no soreness in the tender area between a hole and crown jewels,which was always sore on previous bike/3 different saddles. The seat bones do get a bit sore,and longest ride so far is about 30km,so will see how it goes on longer rides now trails drying out after very wet winter here. I did have seriuos rear brake drag last time out -found to be rear wheel moved slightly in stays,so havent got much confidence in the skewers. Finally Im so glad Ive gone for full suspension, will never go hardtail again.This bike is a great allrounder,and value for money too. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt Potter
a Weekend Warrior
from Fresno,CA,USA Date Reviewed: October 10, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | any wooded singletrack | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | Supergo | | Strengths: | The front FOX fork most definitely. Nice linear pivot line in rear suspension. Stock tires work rather well. | | Weaknesses: | Rims can be a little stronger. The body geometry saddle should not be used on the HUMAN body. | | Similar Products Used: | Blur, Fuel, Sugar and Lefty. | | Bike Setup: | All stock except carbon bar, egg beater pedals, XT cassette, Terry saddle. | | Bottom Line: | First off, Let's compare apples the apples here. Are there better mountain bikes in the cross-country catagory? Yes... Are they in this price range ( under $1500 )?... No.
For about $1500, my bike is set up nice and provides an awesome ride. The front FOX FORX is HANDS DOWN the best ever made. Too bad it's only on other high end mountain bikes. I have yet to find one on a $1500 ride. It reacts to the lightest bumps and it laterally stiff as nails. Just point the bike down and roll over everything. No need to change your downhill line...Works great. You also get an XTR rear Derailler for smooth shifting and a rear FOX shock with a lockout for the long smooth fire road climbs. The rim brakes are cheap and light but do their job to the extent that rim brakes can. Not nearly as effective as DISC. That's why Specialized gave you disc compatable hubs to upgrade to your choice. It also allowed them to offer the FSR at a good price point. Hey, it's a cross-country bike and not an all mountain series.
Do I notice any bob in the rear when on it hard? Yes...but minimal just like most other bikes including alot of the "no bob" designs and I do weigh 190 lbs. It's not a problem and the bump absorbtion on the rocky steep climbs keeps the rear wheel "hooked up" and allows me to get to the top before it spins out.
In my size Large it weighs in at about 28 pounds. I can make it lighter but I really don't want to spend many hundreds of dollars shaving a pound or so. If you happen to be a weight weenie, go with a good hardtail. But, you will never know the plushness of a full suspension on those fast rocky downhills.
The handling and fun factor is awesome with this bike. A hundred dollars in upgrades and you've got yourself a nice ride.
THE BOTTOM LINE: This bike is very,very hard to find. Specialized anticipated the Epic "brain" bike to outsell this one and it did not due to the $800 more money... so they they ran out of FSR's for 2003. Ask guys on the trail. They all seem to love them like I do. If you have about $2500 or more, yes, you can get a little better bike. But, I ask you what bike are you going to get for $1500 that has a FOX front and rear suspension and good parts? I rest my case.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from Israel Date Reviewed: October 7, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Shocks, Frame, Drivetrain, great descender and climber. | | Weaknesses: | I hate yellow | | Similar Products Used: | Raleigh M60 | | Bike Setup: | Stock, brakes Avid SD7 | | Bottom Line: | One of the best spec'd bikes in its price range for my use, which is mostly XC and technical singletrack. Compared to the Epic and Trek Fuel, the Stumpjumper gives much more for a better price. I would definitely decide for the Stumpjumper again and recommend it to anybody for XC purposes. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mage
a Cross Country Rider
from Ajax Date Reviewed: October 6, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | 3 rocks | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$2400.00 | | Strengths: | This is a follow up review. I still like the bike when it is working | | Weaknesses: | unreliable, it seems that ever time i take the bike out for a ride something breaks (see below) | | Similar Products Used: | Trek fuel | | Bike Setup: | changed sadle, handle bars, brakes(avid mech), pedles, tires | | Bottom Line: | the bike is unreliable 1) had to replace the bolt at lower chain stay derailer side( it just fell out) 2) had to replace the lower pivot bolt and bushing for rear shock(it bent) 3) had to replace the upper seat stay bearing, bolt, and the little piece inside (when you have to replace this piece you will understand what i am talking about)(bolt came loose) 4) had to have the rear wheel respoked(spoke where just snapping) 5) had to replace the rear shock (seal blown) 6) had to replace the piece between the seat post and seat stays( the rear shock lower pivot bolt came loose and cause this piece to bend, )
If you are thinking of buy this bike, make sure to buy it from a good bike store. ( you we need thier support to keep the bike on the trails) The only good thing about this whole ordeal is the bike shop has picked up all the cost of keeping me on the trails.
I am a crosscounrty rider who rides about 3 times a week. In the spring I thought I was spending alot of money $2400 CND, but i justified it because I thought I was buying a reliable bike. I was wrong.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
G. Kane
a
from Miami, Fl Date Reviewed: October 4, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | Bells Bikes | | Strengths: | Frames cool, most parts are good. | | Weaknesses: | Wheels, brakes, levers, seatpost, saddle, wheels, wheels, levers, wheels, etc | | Similar Products Used: | fsr enduro | | Bike Setup: | Stock + Porkrinds, Thomson seatpost, Avid sd7 levers. | | Bottom Line: | Bikes is ok. I like the frame and the suspension, but specialized has some problems with picking quality parts. I broke the seatpost after 3 rides, and not agressive ones. I am not too heavy. The seatpost just sucks. The brakes are not so powerful, and the levers bend like all avid levers. The only good avid levers are the ultimates. The wheels gave me the most trouble. Constantly out of true, snapping spokes, etc. I had to replace all rear wheel spokes because they kept breaking. I dont like no name stuff. If its got no name, for all i know, it can be on walmart bikes. I used to ride a klein, but outgrew it. Wish I didnt, cause this is such a disappointment compared to my old mantra. The frame is pretty good. I would consider giving it a 5, but the parts make me hate it. I put over 150$ in this bike in repairs. That pisses me off. Oh ya, the saddle sucks in my oppinion, and the bike is a lil heavy at about 28lbs. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Sean Edwards
a Weekend Warrior
from Tucson Date Reviewed: September 23, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1599.00 | | Purchased At: | Supergo | | Strengths: | Fox front and rear shock. XTR rear Der. Color..I love Yellow
| | Weaknesses: | Wide handle bars.. Switch them out or cut them down. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek Fuel | | Bike Setup: | S Works Carbon flat bar, Easton stem, Chris King headset, XTR cass. Shimano 646 pedals, Stan's no tubes kit. The rest is stock components | | Bottom Line: | The lock out feature on the shocks are great. I replaced the stock bar with a shorter S works carbon bar and found it to be much more comfortable. I am 260lbs and really enjoy the ride quaility. There was some squeaking in the bolts which stopped within a week. No problems with the bolts comming loose. The wheelset works just fine for using a Stan's no tube kit. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Vinny
a Cross Country Rider
from OC, CA Date Reviewed: September 2, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Old Camp | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | 700 miles later - below is my feedback: * Solid frame with outstanding front fork & rear suspension. One learns to deal with the "bob" for uphills and or uses the lockouts. * Sounds odd - but I like how the frame's top tube is not a straight shot back from the headset to the seat post. No fear of ever slamming the family jewels when hung up during technical pitted sections. * Fair components for the total amount paid for the complete bike - not complaining - pretty good deal. Probably would have bought a Fuel 98 if I knew I was going to get into this and spend more $$$ later on with upgrades. | | Weaknesses: | * Rear Frame Bolts: Check them before each ride for loosening/etc. They are known to break off happened to me. It sucks being 5 miles out with no spare bolt. Multiple people have shared this feedback - ask your bike store for a spare when you get the bike - to put in your camelpack. * Seat: too heavy & not so comfortable for me. Seatpost needed to be cut back. I'm riding a large and am 5'10. * Brakes: Not the best - recommend swapping for Avid Disc. When you convert to Disc the Brake posts don't remove without messing up the paintjob. Recommend leaving them on. * Heavier XC bike - requires a some $$$ upgrades to get weight down. * Cut the handlebars back - too wide in my opinion and too heavy. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek Fuel, Trek Liquid, Specialized Epic. | | Bike Setup: | 2003 Stumpjumper FSR Comp * Upgraded XTR960 Crankset, Cassette, & front derailer. * Aireon Prolite Seat * Avid Mech Disc Brakes * Hutchinson Python Lites Weight Today 27.8lbs Next Upgrade WheelSet!!! | | Bottom Line: | Great bike for the $1500-1600 range. Personally love the paint job on the bike - but so do the local bee's. If your going to XC Race get into the Fuel 98-100 and skip this bike. If you just want to have a blast and race with your friends this is a great way to go.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andrew D.
a Cross Country Rider
from Penticton Date Reviewed: August 31, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Good, the Bad & the Ugly | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$2600.00 | | Purchased At: | Freedom Cycle | | Strengths: | See previous review below - 6/2/2003 | | Weaknesses: | See previous review below - 6/2/2003 | | Similar Products Used: | See previous review below - 6/2/2003 | | Bike Setup: | See previous review below - 6/2/2003 | | Bottom Line: | This is a long-term re-review. Have owned this ride for several months now and ridden the living - no mercy given - hell out of it! Still feel that it’s the best bang for the buck on the market and still believe that Fox makes the best fork available. Find that the bike climbs extremely well but have a small caveat about the frame design when it comes to descents.
Notice the broken down-tube design. This makes lowering the seat tube a bit tricky. You will need to cut the seat tube – without question. The tricky part is how much to cut it… I have cut mine, incrementally on several occasions and feel that I have arrived at a seat-tube length which allows for safe descents yet allows me to put it up enough to climb or ride flat sections – without endangering the seat-tube frame welds.
The rear shock is great, but takes a bit of trial and error to get a decent semi-bob-less pressure dialed in. No matter what you set it to, it still bobs a little, (unless you set it over 200 lbs., where it just sits there and does not do much unless you hit a massive rut). However, I have yet to ride - any - bike other than the Specializes Epic with “The Brain” shock, that does not bob a little.
In addition to the changes made immediately upon purchase, (see my earlier missive dated June 02 / 03), I have changed the grips to a larger diameter model, (it gives the bike a more controlled feel to my large hands) and popped on some IRC Mythos tires.
Overall, all is good, would buy this bike again. Hope Specialized reads all of our reviews, with a bit more finessing, this bike could be “out of the box race ready” as their advertisements claim.
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Submitted by
mark
a Cross Country Rider
from chelmsford, mass Date Reviewed: August 21, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | anything dirty | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Belmont Wheelworks | | Strengths: | ride, quality suspension components | | Weaknesses: | seat, seatpost, handlebar, BB & crank (but I knew that going in) | | Similar Products Used: | Giant NRS2, Gary Fisher Sugar 3+, Specialized Rockhopper FSR Comp & Epic, Trek Fuel 80, Rocky Mountain Carve and ESTX-50 | | Bike Setup: | stock long travel. | | Bottom Line: | love the bike, hate the bike shop.
you figure you drop $1600 on a bike, the shop could at least set it up the way you ask right? especially after insisting that I not take the floor model but wait a day for one freshly assembled just for me?
so, I ask them to set it up in short travel configuration, and set it up for my weight (220 lbs) and ask for the short seatpost (as I have stumpy legs and long torso)
what do I get? long travel setup, long seatpost, the front setup for 230 lbs and the back set up for 140. felt like I was riding a chopper.
what a pain in the ass. this bike shop SUCKS! they didn't even throw in a free water bottle cage.
do not buy from Belmont Wheelworks if you expect anything even remotely approaching service.
on the other hand, so far, the bike rocks. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JIMMY
a Cross Country Rider
from VACAVILLE,CA Date Reviewed: August 11, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | BOULDER CREEK | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1680.00 | | Purchased At: | RAY'S CYCLE | | Strengths: | THE SUSPENION ON THIS BIKE IS GREAT. IT HAS FRONT AND REAR LOCKOUTS FOR THOSE LONG SMOOTH CLIMBS. I HAVE HAD THIS BIKE GOING ON 4 MONTHS NOW AND IT HAS HANDLED EVERTHING I HAVE THROWN AT IT. I HAVEN'T HAD ANY PROBLEMS AS OF YET WITH BOLTS COMING LOSE. DISC READY HUBS WERE A GREAT CHOICE BY SPECIALIZED. MY BIKE CAME WITH AVID MECH DISC BRAKES, THEY WORK AWESOME, GREAT STOPPING POWER. XTR IN THE REAR. | | Weaknesses: | A LITTLE ON THE HEAVY SIDE. THE ROLL-X TIRES, SEATPOST AND CRANKS ARE AVERAGE AT BEST. | | Similar Products Used: | DEMO'D THE EPIC | | Bike Setup: | EASTON MONKEY LITE SL BARS, RICHEY WCS STEM, CHRIS KING HEADSET,THOMPSON SEATPOST, WTB ROCKET V SADDLE,XT CRANKS, MAVIC 317'S W/CHRIS KING ISO HUBS, AND AVID DISC BRAKES.
| | Bottom Line: | THIS BIKE IS VERY COMFORTABLE TO RIDE, THE SUSPENION SOKES UP EVERYTHING. AFTER A FEW UPGRADES I GOT MY BIKE DOWN TO ABOUT 26.5 LBS. I WOULD RECOMMED THIS BIKE TO ANYONE LOOKING FOR A SMOOTH CROSS COUNTRY RIDE, HOWEVER IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A SUPERLIGHT BIKE TO RACE, THIS PROBABLY ISN'T THE BIKE OF CHOICE. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Raghorn
a Weekend Warrior
from Seeley Lake, Montana Date Reviewed: August 2, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | glacier slough/Lindberg Lake | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1460.00 | | Purchased At: | Big Sky Cyclery | | Strengths: | Great suspension. Soaks up the bumps and has lock outs for long smooth climbs or pavement. Rear wheel digs in and grabs on steep loose climbs. I have 3 months and 350 miles on the bike so far and not only have I not had any bolts come loose (or off), but everything is still running so smooth I haven't even taken it in for a free tune up. The rims are still perfectly true. Love the color! | | Weaknesses: | Unlike many of the other posts here, I have no complaints about the brakes. They work fine for the riding I do. My main complaint is I frequently catch my pedal on rocks, roots etc on the down stroke; much more often than on my previous bike. The steering seems a little twitchy to me. | | Similar Products Used: | K2 Attack 2.0 | | Bike Setup: | Stock except switched seat for Selle Italia Flite Ti Gel and swapped pedal to Shimano 324 (flat one side, SPD other) | | Bottom Line: | A great design thats been around for years and will probably be for many more. A lot of bang for the buck. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Robert
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Fe New Mexico Date Reviewed: July 29, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | South Boundary in Taos | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | New Mexico Bike n Sport | | Strengths: | Fox Float fork, Fox Float RL shock, Specialized reputation | | Weaknesses: | trendy riser bars suck Roll X tires suck in the corners | | Similar Products Used: | Diamond Back V-Link | | Bike Setup: | upgraded to Shimano XT disc brakes will replace riser bars and tires soon | | Bottom Line: | This is one smooooth ride! This bike loves to scream downhill and just soaks up the bumps. It's also a very nimble climber. Fox suspension keeps the tires in contact for great control. I'm riding easily over obstacles that used to give me fits.
The Shimano XT disc brakes are awesome! Highly recommended.
The Stumpjumper FSR comp is a much better deal than the SJ FSR Disc - better components and disc-ready.
And I LOVE the mango paint job - get a chubby just looking at it! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Daniel
a Cross Country Rider
from La Crescenta, CA Date Reviewed: July 27, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Up Whiting Woods down Beaudry North up Beaudry South | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1499.00 | | Purchased At: | Montrose Bike Shop | | Strengths: | Strong frame, great warranty for original owners, good components for price.
| | Weaknesses: | good not great components for the price. Saddle from hades. Fox Shock needs to be checked every ride. The bike feels a little heavy in the rear when riding it. | | Similar Products Used: | Kona Dawg & Stinky, Giant VT 1, Specialized Enduro Pro, Intense Tracer, HPL Alchemy (best xc /epic ride / trail bike I have ridden), Specialized Enduro Expert hardtail (own), Specialized epic, Santa Cruz Blur & a bunch of others | | Bike Setup: | Mostly stock with WTB power V saddle, IRD 15 degree by 90mm stem, Kool Stop V brake pads | | Bottom Line: | I bought this bike for my wife in November. Over all it is a really nice ride. It does bob a bit (no more then the Tracer or most other bikes I tried)but has a lockout that works real well. The stock stem made the bike feel a bit twitchy on steep descents. The IRD stem fixed that problem. I do not personally like the 11/ 34 cassette in the rear. The Enduro I own and the HPL Alchemy I am getting have 11 / 32. 11/34 feels sluggish when climbing in comparision. My wife, daughter, and myself all notice this although my wife likes the slightly easier pedaling in trade. The bottom line is the Stumpjumper Comp was a good purchase that has really helped my wife improve her riding skills. I would have considered one myself were it not for the fact that I tried an HPL Alchemy, it's lighter, stronger, better balanced, uses a true horst link like the Stumpjumper, has NO noticeable bob, and has more rear travel 100mm, the torsional rubber rear shock needs next to NO mainenance ever, and it can handle 5" forks up front. (It is much more suited to the 24 hour solo racing I plan on doing) www.hplcorp.com. Dollar wise the difference is as follows for $1500 you get a Stumpjumper a solid performing fun xc bike. For approx $1200 you get an Alchemy frame. If dollars are a consideration and you want a solid performing xc bike get the Stumpjumper. If not, or you are willing to save up for a while, check out www.hplcorp.com. I give the Sumpjumper 4 flamin chilis for value because you get a really nice bike for a very reasonable price. I also give it 4 flamin chilis for overall because while there are definetely better bikes out there for xc riding. Not in this price range.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Byron Clark
a Cross Country Rider
from Celina, TX, USA Date Reviewed: July 19, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Erwin Park | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Richardson Bike Mart | | Strengths: | Everything; Fork especially, rear shock, it's got XTR in the rear!!! It looks really sweet! | | Weaknesses: | The seat hurts ur butt at first but i'm already gettin used to it. | | Similar Products Used: | cross country hardtail GT | | Bike Setup: | Stock except i switched out the clipless pedals where i bought the bike for some platform Redline's because I'm not used to riding clipless pedals (i'm only 14) | | Bottom Line: | This is an awesome bike everything on it is great. It has lockout, adjustable travel and u can change the stiffness in the shocks. Although the bike is an XC bike, it can take on a lot of fairly sized drops or jumps. I say go buy it!! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
James Bowland
a Cross Country Rider
from Sacramento, CA, USA Date Reviewed: July 9, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Hole in the ground | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | city bicycle works | | Strengths: | Frame design, Fox suspension fork, fox rear shock, and xtr derailure. Smoooooooooth ride, decent climber. | | Weaknesses: | Body torture seat, can't even ride around the block on that thing it is so painfull. Does anybody remember the days when a FSR "Comp" was a full XT bike? I do and I miss them. Everything on the bike is solid and won't break but there are some cheap parts on the bike like the seat post (wouldn't adjust seat angle enough), bottom bracket (ES-30 plastic cups and heavy), cranks (flexy and heavy), handlebars (heavy), and cassett (way too big). Wheels, the nipples are an odd size, why can't they use standard size nipples that fit my black spoke wrench?? Bolts on dropout pivots loosened up after a ride so I locktited them. In a side to side comparison with my wifes scalpel, the scalpel has much better craftsmanship at the pivots and it seems engineered. | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale scalpel, cannondale super V, old school FSR, Epic. Old bike a 96 trek 990 with marazochi bomber. | | Bike Setup: | xtr/bontrager mustang wheels, easton monkeylite bars, tompson seat post, xt cranks, bb, cassett, rapid fire levers/shifters, wtb velocaraptor tires time pedals | | Bottom Line: | The epic is nice but the good old fsr just keeps getting better. Great frame fork combo, heavy parts keep the price down and bike weight up. It has a really smooth ride, the suspension is supprisingly active. I've climbed up some loose rocky trails I know I would have dabbed on, on my HT, and that rear tire just hooked up. Disk ready is cool. I have done a couple of 3.5-5 hour rides and I am tired at the end but not abused. It is very fun to ride I am not timid at all about hucking this bike through technical sections with roots rocks small drops etc... It just begs to go fast downhill and this is supposed to be an xc bike. The front fox fork is the best front fork I've ever ridden, its very smooth and has adjustable dappening, like when you adjust it, it actually feels diffrent, unlike every other fork I've ever tried. I have not had any issues with the stock brakes, they seem to work fine, maybe it is the setup, rims or lever ratio, of coarse I haven't been using them that much. I give it a 5 for value because it is a darn good dual suspension base to start from and one can easily upgrade the components as they wear or break. And a 3 for overall becase of the seat, loose suspension bolts, and heavy parts. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mage
a Cross Country Rider
from Ajax Date Reviewed: July 2, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | rock rock rock | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | Fox forks, this bike is a great climber | | Weaknesses: | seat, Bolt by rear derailler fell out?? | | Similar Products Used: | trek fuel 80, trek liquid 30, trek 7000, rocky mountian thin air | | Bike Setup: | I have added avid mech brakes (these are great brakes) I am also planning on changing the tires, and hand grips | | Bottom Line: | This is a great bike, I am still a little mad about the rear pivoit bolt (the one by the rear derailler) falling out. It took a couple of rides to figure out how to ride this bike, but now that that is out of the way it is pure bliss to ride. This bike is a great climber, and also a great XC ride. I do not race, but i do ride about 3-4 times a week. one more great aspect of this bike is if you have to do some distance on the road (heaven forebid), you can lock out both the front and back sup. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rich Ravin
a Cross Country Rider
from Flagstaff Date Reviewed: June 26, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Lower Oldham | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1700.00 | | Purchased At: | Absolute | | Strengths: | This is my first full suspension what a difference. The Fox fork is unbelievable. It is a great climber and super fun on descents. I think that the average mountain bike rider would find this bike a great deal. It is not a race bike but for the price, I could not find a better deal. | | Weaknesses: | The tires- Race –X are not good a cornering but as other reviewers have said it is easy to replace. I did have one problem after about 5 rides I lost a pivot point bolt by the rear derailleur. It was easily fixed but to everyone that has one of these bikes, make sure you check them as often as lube your chain. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Epic | | Bike Setup: | I never got a chance to try the stock brakes I upgrade to Avid mechanicals. I would recommend them to anyone with some experience working on bikes they are a little bit tricky to get working perfectly | | Bottom Line: | This is a great bike at a great price – Go ride and have fun.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Albert Karsai
a Weekend Warrior
from Vienna, Austria Date Reviewed: June 10, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Strengths: | very comfortable ride, very plush downhilling,great design (I own the black coloured version), great on single trails (gives superb handling on technical trails), climbing is ok and the lock-out at front and rear - suspension is very useful on road uphills. The FOX fork is unbelievable, best fork I have ever had. | | Weaknesses: | no real weaknesses so far; if this bike had 1 kg less (mine weighs 12.75 kg), it would be perfect, I am quite satisfied with the Avid brakes - I rode Magura HS33 for years and loved them, but the Avid are ok. Didn't have real problems with the tires either, but thats an easy thing to replace. | | Similar Products Used: | I owned a Rocky Mountain Element Race for 5 years (great bike, but they are more expensive); had a Stumpjumper FSR Comp and a Trek Fuel for testing. | | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | This is an excellent bike, especially at the price sold. I rode this bike now for almost 3 month and I love it. It is not a race bike, but the perfect tool for people enjoying long pleasant rides and having fun on technical trials. Would buy this bike again, no doubt. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
machupikchu
a Weekend Warrior
from Bethesda MD Date Reviewed: June 7, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Olde Town Cycles | | Strengths: | light & stiff frame, decent components, love the fox, paint job (yes, really!). Geometry just feels right. | | Weaknesses: | Roll-x tires have terrible lateral traction in loamy and wet conditions, dunno about hardpack or sandy. | | Bike Setup: | stock except for Panaracer FireXCs replacing the roll-x tires. | | Bottom Line: | What can I say, this bike just puts a big grin on my face each time I hit the trail. The frame geometry has a nice balance for quick steering on technical climbs and reasonable stability for long & fast downhills. One strange thing I've noticed is the front end feels a bit light when climbing, a bit heavy when bunny hopping, and perfect when jumping, but the more attuned I become to the bike the less I notice this. The suspension front + rear is just fantastic. Smoooooth. Too smooth - I force myself to take the best possible line as if riding a hardtail, even though I could just plow through the bumps on this bike. Ain't that the magic of FS?
Climbing is FANTASTIC as long as I stay seated. No bob. None. Much better than I expected before demo-ing the bike. If you're getting bob on climbs with this ride, practice a smoother pedal stroke a bit, it will make a huge difference. The rear suspension really does help keep consistent contact with the trail, making climbs easier with better traction than a hardtail. Standing on a climb does causes some trouble - lots of power is lost to the suspension, and you'll wish you'd taken dramamine before climbing that hill. Of course this is not unique to the FSR, single pivots et al. also suffer from standing bob, and it's the only tradeoff other than weight you have to accept for riding FS (yeah, yeah, don't tell me to go buy a bike with stable platform shock or brain/epic, there are other tradeoffs there I'm not willing to accept...yet....maybe in a few years when the technology matures). Anyhow, climbing while standing is the only time the rear lockout comes in handy.
I see some reviewers don't like the 2003 color much (andrew d, did you seriously beadblast the paint off and repaint??? Why not just buy the non-comp in dream silver and upgrade the fork?). What can I say, I love the glow-in-the-dark zonker mango of the '03 comp! One of the best paint jobs on the trail these days. To each his/her own I guess. Well, I don't mind the stock seat either, so it looks like I'll just have to accept being in the minority on a few things...
Specialized could have done us a favor and put XT up front. And better brakes (maybe they just want to force owners to upgrade to disk, lol). And what's up with the roll-x tires?? These things are miserable, they climb ok but have very little cornering traction. These are easy points to fix if you find them annoying. Avid mechanicals are probably my next upgrade, and when the LX front der goes out I'll definitely be putting in XT to replace.
At the end of the day, I love this bike. If I had bought one of the other FS bikes I demo-ed (sugar 3+, fuel 90, blur) I'd probably be saying the same about it. There are lots of technical tradeoffs in these rides, and in the end you've just got to go with your feel and your gut. Whatever you ride or are thinking about buying, just get it over with and hit the trails, it's a lot more fun than reading bike reviews!
Only 4 chilis for value due to the brakes/tires/front der component choices, 5 chilis for the core bike. Fantastic job, Specialized! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Co Kane
a Cross Country Rider
from Miami Florida Date Reviewed: June 4, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | I dont pick favorites | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | Bells Bikes (Miami) | | Strengths: | Light frame, excellent suspension, descent componentry. | | Weaknesses: | Brakes. Many stock parts. The seatpost broke after less than 10 rides, so I replaced it with a Thomson. Can't go wrong with a 5yr warranty. The Brakes sucks. They should have used some XT in it. The lx is ok, but its a weird combination. The XTR rear derailleur just makes it seem much better. When I have the money, I an\m upgrading to sram X.0, or x-9. | | Similar Products Used: | 2001 FSR Enduro Disc | | Bike Setup: | Stock + Cut handlebar, Titec Pork rinds (soo comphy), and Thomson post, and oh yes, the lizard skin chainstay protector. | | Bottom Line: | This bike isnt a racing bike. It has the potential, but stock it is over 28 lbs. At my curent set up I think it is just under 28, but I plan to get it down to 24 or so. The Fox's are sweet. I used to ride a Klein Mantra, which i do love, but I outgrew it. I was going to get a klein adept, but for 150 more, I got this with the much better parts, and better suspension design. It still isnt a klein, but it is a sweet ride. The only thing that I dont like about the bike is that it is sooo common. My LBS has 5 for sale, not including the ones already sold and waiting for pickup. There are like 6 or 7 of them in there. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Andrew D.
a Cross Country Rider
from Penticton Date Reviewed: June 2, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Goat Mt. | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2600.00 | | Purchased At: | Freedom Cycle | | Strengths: | Front fork & rear shock are very laterally ridged and smooth / controlled in their travel. Ships with disk-ready hubs. | | Weaknesses: | North American paint color is >>horrid<< LX front railer should have been XT at least. Seat is bloody hard. | | Similar Products Used: | Other Specialized Stumpjumpers, Rock Hoppers and Enduros plus a weekend on a new Specialized Epic. | | Bike Setup: | Bead-blasted stock paint off, custom power-coated it "Dream Silver" with multiple clear coats. Removed Avid canti's and replaced with Avid mechanical disk brakes, cut seat post a bit, replaced seat with a different Specialized anatomical seat. May swap Specialized Roll-X tires for a set of Smokes, (my all-time favorites!) | | Bottom Line: | Bike is a good value overall, needs a few touches, (see above for modifications which I made). Cannot believe that specialized is still outfitting this bike with such a horrible seat and puke-inducing stock paint job...
With modifications, as it now sits, this bike is one of, if not - the - best ride that I have ever tried or owned. If you thought you were a fast descender on your favorite single-track before - after a decent on this frame, with the stock fork / shock you will know what quality suspension is all about!!! (I am an anointed believer!)
Buy it, mod it a bit, kick ass for years!!! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Smitty
a Cross Country Rider
from Waltham, MA Date Reviewed: May 25, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Fells/Callahan | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Belmont Wheelworks | | Strengths: | Price, fox forx, disc hubs, looks | | Weaknesses: | saddle, handlebars too wide, had some issues with the pedals, brakes are merely ok | | Similar Products Used: | tested - NRS2, fuel90, liquid10, epic previous bike - giant rincon le | | Bike Setup: | stock w/ lx levers (somehow used my stomach to break the stock levers in two places during a wipeout), serfas gel saddle | | Bottom Line: | This bike is my first step up from a hardtail, and it has been a smooth transition. Downhills have never been so smooth, climbs are more than manageable, and I look like a better rider b/c of the bike. Aside from getting disc brakes and maybe a pedal change, everything is how I want it on this bike. There is some bob on the climbs (even in the saddle), but you have the lockout option available for that. It was just a smoother, more fluid bike than anything else I tested. The one exception to that was the epic, but I felt that the components available in the price range of the stumpjumper made up for the smoothness of the epic (and the price was prohibitive). I chose the comp over the disc b/c of the clear difference between front forks and mild improvement in components. Disc-ready hubs are easily upgradable anyway. The trails are calling - | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
calvin ferns
a Cross Country Rider
from surrey england Date Reviewed: May 25, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Strengths: | great value, double fox float rl, nice paint job(uk spec, hehe better than that horrible US one) | | Weaknesses: | brakes, naf quality frame made in taiwan | | Similar Products Used: | marin mt vision, epic, stumpy comp hardtail | | Bike Setup: | hope minis, chris king hubs, thomson, x-lite, panaracer fire xc | | Bottom Line: | i bought this bike hoping to add to the frame and upgrade, as you can see above, however the frame hasnt quite been up to the job. the bottom bracket pivot bolt has come undone once, the rear shock had leaking air seals(bad batch)and i have now found out there is a probable frame crack near the seat tube. Also chain suck has destroyed the finish on the right chain stay and the cables wore through the paint in seconds(my fault really). so now after spending all my money once im now going to save for an ellsworth truth and will never buy anything for my bike thats made in taiwan ever again | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Vince Stemen
a Cross Country Rider
from Mission Viejo CA Date Reviewed: May 23, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Majeska, Aliso, or Peters | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | Rock N Road | | Strengths: | Been riding off & on for 4 years. This is my 1st dual suspension bike and I love it so far. Can actually climb faster then with my Gary Fisher hardtail and I enjoy the downhills much more. Okay weight at 30lbs - didn't have the cash for the lighter bikes. Great stock front susp. fork. Overall clean shifting after a dozen trail rides. Got to love lifetime limited warranty. | | Weaknesses: | Nothing major: * Saddle uncomfortable - had it switched out day #1. * Breaks - when I get the cash going to get disc brakes. My old brake system on a 4 year Fisher handled better. * Handle bars: Too wide. Still need to get them cut down. They are like 2 inches longer then any other bike I've used. * My first 2 MTN bike rides had to drop off bike right after the rides. (derailer & back rim issues). Great news is Rock N Road bike shop in Aliso Viejo offers FREE lifetime service on bikes they sell. THEY ROCK! http://www.rocknroadcyclery.net/ | | Similar Products Used: | Demo'd: Trek Fuel 98/100, Liquid20/30 and Specialized Epic and Gary Fisher Sugar. Trek's are great bikes - just out of my $$$ range. Personally didn't care for the Sugar or Epic. Epic felt/rode like my hardtail and the Sugar was a let down. | | Bike Setup: | Standard Stock - changed out saddle & will change out brakes hopefully soon. | | Bottom Line: | I don't race and don't have plans to - so this bike seemed a good fit for me based on my budget, stock components, and my riding style/habits. I like to ride 3-4 times a week for fun & excercize. The bike shop I went with has a good demo program - so that I got to really test out which bike was a fit for me. Have fun shopping and riding. Bottomline - great bike so far!! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
meangene
a Cross Country Rider
from orygun Date Reviewed: May 20, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1525.00 | | Strengths: | suspension design rocks, soaks up stuff like butah and is not too bad on the climbs, fox forx is dreamy, disc ready hubs, lock out on front and back is cool for those long climbs | | Weaknesses: | the bolt and nut on the rear bottom frame pivot fell out during a ride. The bolt does not go all the way thru the nyloc washer on the nut. The seat is very painful. Tires are okay, scary some times on hardpack | | Similar Products Used: | none - did my homework | | Bike Setup: | upgraded to avid disc brakes - recommend it | | Bottom Line: | I am posting this review early to warn other stumpy fsr owners to replace their bolts in the rear bottom pivots. Specialized put too short of bolts in the rear bottom frame pivots, which are very important spots to holt tight. I found the same bolts that were just 1/8 of an inch longer and now they fit LIKE THEIR DESIGNED TO DO. And, specialized said this does not affect the warranty (good job guys).
Now that this problem was fixed, I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this bike.
this bike is incredible, it rides like a dream and I weigh 220 lbs. It handles my weight good. I generally ride XC but do like 1-2 jumps and steep rocky chutes occasionally. If you want an awesome trail bike that has just about the best fork you can get and I think the best FS design, look no further. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jerry
a Weekend Warrior
from ca Date Reviewed: May 18, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | lbs | | Strengths: | great bike for the price | | Weaknesses: | havent gotten bike in yet | | Similar Products Used: | fisher sugar, epic | | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | put money down on my bike almost 2 months ago. i was just told i should be getting one of the last ones in the wharehous in the next week. if you want one of these bikes and you can find it buy it. i tried the epic also but epics dont come with disc hubs. expensive upgrade to add discs. also epics comes with the manitou scareb. the reviews here at mtbr rate the scareb very low. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
tim mccrohon
a Cross Country Rider
from auburn ma usa Date Reviewed: April 29, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | rayburn | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2100.00 | | Purchased At: | bicycle alley | | Strengths: | no bob suspension design, great frame, good geometry, fox front and rear shocks | | Weaknesses: | stock components a little weak. tires, sadle, rims, brakes could be better. Also need to cut the riser bars down an inch or two. | | Similar Products Used: | first full suspension | | Bike Setup: | fsr xc comp, xtr der., xt shifter/lever combos, crossmax disc tubeless, fire xc pros (with tubes-hated tubeless) truvativ stylo team isis crankset, fsa platinum pro ti bb, shimano 959 pedals, thompson post, selle flite ti saddle. | | Bottom Line: | great bike! I upgraded those parts because i am nuts about my bikes. I liked the bike stock. It handles great, no bob, only plushness when it counts. Handles tight twisty trails perfectly. I have mine down to about 25 pounds or lighter. weighed 27 or more when stock. Buy this bike if you want a comfortable xc bike. DO not take huge hits with it, it wasn't designed for it. But the enduro or other heavy duty bike. This bike won't let you down if you do with it what was intended. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Keith
a
from Monterey,ca Date Reviewed: April 20, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Goat Trail - Fort Ord | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$900.00 | | Strengths: | Stumpy has a full Fox suspension, which front and rear can both be locked out. Specialized has tweaked this frame into perfection! | | Weaknesses: | Stock brakes and cranks need to go! And the stock tires "Change at once" They are terrible. That would be the only flaws on this bike. | | Similar Products Used: | Epic and Rockhopper FSR. | | Bike Setup: | Full XTR setup, Hope disc brakes W/Gothic rotors, Easton Carbon bars, Ea70 Stem and Easton seatpost. Total weight 26.5lbs | | Bottom Line: | This bike is ready to rip right out of the store. And straight on to the trails. Overall performance, I could not have got a better bike for the money. I would recommend this bike to anyone. Except your jealous buddys are going to make fun of it's "Mango" paint job. But for the price you wont get a better equipped Full suspension Bike! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Shawn
a Cross Country Rider
from Utah Date Reviewed: April 19, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | any | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1699.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycle Center | | Strengths: | Good mixture of components. Fox suspension is great. disc hubs. Time tested frame and 4 bar suspension.
| | Weaknesses: | Avid v brakes. Have to hunt high and low to find one of these rides. They are hard to find in stock. | | Similar Products Used: | 02 hardrock with many upgrades. | | Bike Setup: | 03 stumpy fsr comp, avid disc brakes | | Bottom Line: | This bike is worth every penny I payed for it. This is my first F/S bike. I will never go back to a hardtail. I was disappointed to see the price went up $200 in my area, but it was because they are hard to come by. I still felt the setup was worth the extra money. This bike handles everything I have put it through superbly. It climbs like a mtn goat and corners like its on rails. It has improved my riding significantly. Like a previous post, I do find myself getting overly relaxed at times. Things can sneak up on you if you dont pay attention. The suspension sucks up the rough stuff very well. The lockout front and rear come in handy for the real steep stuff, but I dont find myself using them alot. What little bit of bob I get during pedaling is worth the trade off for the smooth ride. The v brakes really sucked, so I added avid discs to it. What an improvement. Stopping time was reduced by about half the distance. I was impressed with the roll x tires too. They have worked well under hard braking and climb reasonably well. They arent as good in the mud, but you cant win em all. If your in the marked for a F/S, I would say give the comp a try. I feel the price for what you get is very reasonable when compared to other equally equiped bikes. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Zulu
a Weekend Warrior
from Portola Hills, Ca, USA. Date Reviewed: March 31, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Luge | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | RockNRoad | | Strengths: | Fox shocks, Light weight, Good blend of parts you can upgrade as needed later. | | Weaknesses: | none yet | | Similar Products Used: | Fisher suger 2+, Trek fuel, Iron Horse hollowpoint, Pro-Flex 856, Gt I-drive | | Bike Setup: | Fox rl front fork, fox floatrl rear, lx-xtr blend of comp. Added Avid Disc. (mech) awsome upgrade! | | Bottom Line: | I've only been on this bike six times (approx 12 hours of ridding time) but this is a very good XC bike it climbs very well and with the rear lock out on you get zero bob on any climbs. I tried climbing with the lock out on and off to see if I noticed a difference and there was a more noticable bob but not power robbing just enough to notice but traction was better with the rear lock out off it allowed the rear to float thru any ruts on the climbs. The XTR rear shifts crisp and precise every time and the controls are at your finger tips. I timed my climbs and now have bettered my best climbs by 12% on different trails. It took me about 1-2 rides to get this bike dialed in and now I dont touch anything exept the lock out once in a while. Now for the down hill part. O'h my gosh this bike is very plush on the washed out high speed fire roads and on the dips and ruts the Fox suspension fells like I'm on a freeride rigwith alot for travel.On a tight twisty single track it is very responsive and instill confidence around every turn. Now this is a XC bike so I dont drop more then 3'-4' on drops which is all that is on most of my trails around where I ride so no worries. The Avid mech. Disc's have amazing stopping power and consistant feel. I went Over The Bars once by grabbing too much brake on a litle off camber dip. I have the bike set up to use about 75% of the travel and I weigh 215lbs. I have not hit the bottom of the travel yet. This bike is a great buy and perfect for the XC rider/racer that wants to ride all day and climb anything you point your wheel at and decend all the trails you climb. It is a comfortable all day bike that so far can take what you dish out and beg for more. The seat could be changed it is a little hard on the cheeks. Buy this bike and ride away with a smile on your face. I will follow up as I go to get a long term evaluation. I just keep smiling while I ride. If you are looking for a XC bike this is it. If your looking for a downhill mega travel machine, move along to something else. All day epic's this is for you. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott
a Racer
from Sydney Australia Date Reviewed: March 30, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Majura in Canberra | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$2200.00 | | Purchased At: | Northside cycles | | Weaknesses: | Rear end. | | Similar Products Used: | Intense tracer, Giant NSR-1 and TREK Y carbon. | | Bike Setup: | Full XTR, hugi 240 hubs with 317 rims, hays hidro brakes, easten carbon bars and post, roc-sox Duke sl forks. | | Bottom Line: | The rear triangle of the frame is not summetric to the rest of the frame therefor the rear wheel tracks 25mm out to the front wheel, in simpler turms the wheel alignment between the front and rear wheels is out by 25mm. Specialize have sent me a letter stating this is within guide lines for a factory OEM frame.
I have it writen on paper!!!
Also watch the bottom bolts that hold the chain stays to the frame near the bottom bracket, thay are only screwed into bear aloy and the first time you service the berrings the thred of the aloy will come out with the screws. under Waranty Specialize will drill out and put a bolt straight through.
other than that the bike is very light and i think it would purform well if the rear triangle was summetric.
after 8 months of riding and three months of fighting with Specialize i have purchesed a INTENSE TRACER and i am as happy as Lary. mind you i still have a Specialize FSR comp frame that is no good.
My sugestion for any wonting to by a Specialize FSR comp, save some more money and bye the S-Works or Intense Tracer. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Brent
a Cross Country Rider
from Hermosa Beach, Ca Date Reviewed: March 4, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Bulldog, Santa Monicas | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Super Go | | Strengths: | Fox Front fork and rear shock, nothing compares from my research for the cost. I am 6'5", 220lbs - needless to say, finding a good fit can be a pain, this frame works great for tall lanky fellows like myself. The bike puts you in a good position for those long painful climbs in SoCal. | | Weaknesses: | Brakes, I had em replaced with Hayes Hydraulic disc. I highly reccomend this change, super go has em' for sale. | | Similar Products Used: | Marin Rocky Ridge, Norco Sasquatch both hard tails. | | Bike Setup: | Replaced brakes with Hayes Hydraulic, needs new seat, it's painful, rest is stock. | | Bottom Line: | This bike smokes down hill and lands so smooth it's like butter. For you X-country nuts like myself (2 Adventure races under my belt) it won't slow, the dooly that is, it'll only make you faster. And for those gram nuts, try losing a pound off your gut, it'll be better for you in the long run any how!
SEE YA... | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Rob P
a Cross Country Rider
from Chandler, Az USA Date Reviewed: March 3, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Desert Classic/National | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1349.00 | | Purchased At: | Supergo | | Strengths: | Front and rear shocks with lockouts on the fly. bike rides smoothly in very rocky sections. | | Weaknesses: | I already broke 2 pivots on the rear suspension. weak rims for the larger riders. must change the seat, very uncomfortable. need to upgrade brakes | | Similar Products Used: | K2 evo 4 | | Bike Setup: | egg beater pedals,higher rise handlebars, upgraded to disc brakes, different grips | | Bottom Line: | Overall the bike performs well in rocky sections. on climbs in flat sections i use the rear lockout for a more efficient climb. for the money it works quite well. hopefully i wont have anymore trouble with the rear pivots. but other than that its a decent bike for someone looking for a comfortable ride and that rides a few days a week for recreational purposes. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Ex
a Cross Country Rider
from SE Michigan Date Reviewed: March 2, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Poto | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1300.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Light weight, fox suspension | | Weaknesses: | None yet. | | Similar Products Used: | 1st full suspenion, so nothing to compare it to. | | Bike Setup: | Hayes Hydraulic disc added, otherwise stock. | | Bottom Line: | This is my first full suspension bike. I started riding and racing back in 1991 on a custom hardtail. It was alot of fun, but I parked the hardtail (for the most part) in '98 to move back to motocross. A couple of my riding buddies started talking about picking up mountain biking again to keep in shape, so I dropped by a few bike shops to see what was new. Wow, have times changed. After looking over a few different models, I chose the FSR Comp over comparable Kona's, Giant's and Cannondale's. I like the disc brakes (hey, they just look better), but also wanted the Fox fork which wasn't available on the FSR Disc model. Supergo was running a special on the Hayes hydraulic discs, so I went with the Comp model for the Fox fork and ordered the Hayes discs from Supergo. All said and done, it's a sweet ride. Believe it or not, this bike weighs less than my old hardtail, and cost me a lot less as well!
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Pat
a Cross Country Rider
from Simi Valley Date Reviewed: February 22, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Suprego | | Strengths: | Shocks, weight, Lockout feature price | | Weaknesses: | Brakes... ( i upgraded to Avid TI much better) | | Bike Setup: | Stock except for brakes | | Bottom Line: | This is a lot of bike for not a lot cash. The only weakness that I found were the brakes. But that can be changed. Plus the color rocks | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a Weekend Warrior
from Gainesville, FL Date Reviewed: February 15, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Santos | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Chain Reaction | | Strengths: | Light, great looking, awesome Fox shocks, decent parts spec, full suspension rocks. | | Weaknesses: | Brakes. | | Similar Products Used: | 98 Rockhoppper hardtail (not all that similar I suppose) | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | I love this bike. Coming off of my rockhopper, it's like biking on air. I feel much more confident and can ride things that I couldn't before (and faster too). I'm fairly new to the sport, and I've got a long way to go before I reach the full potential of this bike. Unlike a lot of the other reviewers, I really like the seat also.
Pedal bob is a non-issue. Although, I will admit I tried locking out the rear shock - you really can tell a difference with power transfer. But, I wouldn't go back to a hard tail for anything. The loss of energy from full susp. is more than countered by the improved ride.
All in all, this is a great bike, definitely worth the cost, I do reccomend upgrading the brakes though.
At this price range, I definitely think the bike is worth 5 out of 5. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Uli
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego, CA Date Reviewed: February 5, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Grand Loop in the Cuyamaca's, Anderson Truck trail | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1350.00 | | Purchased At: | Supergo | | Strengths: | Awesome front+rear suspension. Balanced ride. Stiff frame. Great value. | | Weaknesses: | The only real weaknesse are the Avid SD-3 brakes. The seatpost should have better adjustability. | | Bike Setup: | Thomson Seatpost and flat Weyless carbon handlebar, otherwise stock | | Bottom Line: | O.K., first thing you've gotta know is that for the past 5 years, I've been riding a steel hardtail, Marin Pine Mountain, which I still own, ride, and love. So that's mostly my reference point for comparisons, although I've demo'ed a bunch of other full-suspension and hardtail bikes. My main reason for buying the FSR was that I felt beat up after 40+ mile rides on my Marin and wanted more comfort without sacrificing speed.
Well, I sure got a lot of comfort. The suspension on that bike is just incredible. I have it on the 75 mm rear travel setting and feel like that's all the suspension I'm ever going to need. But it's nice to have the 90 mm option anyway. And the Fox fork is as good as everybody says, although I must say that the noise it makes when it's quickly compressed does bother me a little - I'm not into noises coming from my bicycle (after all, noise is why I hate motorbikes).
In the beginning, I wasn't so sure about the not sacrificing speed part. Downhill was fine, could go much faster than ever thanks to suspension, but flat or uphill, I felt really slow. It turned out that was a problem with my position on the bike. Part of the problem was the seatpost. I like to have my seat level or even slightly tilted forward, which is simply not possible with that post - even in the max-forward position the seat is slightly tilted backwards when you sit on the bike (due to rear suspension sag). I decided to spend the ridiculous amount of $80 for a Thomson Elite seatpost. In general, I don't support the ongoing trend for overpriced bike components (heck, these days you can spend $350 for some pedals), but sometimes I just need to have the perfect product, and the Thomson post is certainly one of those. Anyway, that took care of the seat positioning problem. The other part of the problem was the riser bar, which I changed to a flat one (Weyless carbon for $45 from Supergo - makes a really good impression so far). Bottomline: now I feel at home on my bike, became a lot faster, and improved my uphill riding skills without sacrificing downhill confidence.
I wouldn't call the handlebar and seatpost spec a weakness of the bike though, since different people have different preferences and some of you guys probably love the riser bar. [Although, wouldn't it be great if one could order and customize Specialized bikes online like with those Airborne bikes?] I think the only REAL weakness of the bike is the brake spec. Those Avid brakes are weak and squeal even after fiddling around with the pad positioning. On the other hand, the bike is really made for disk brakes, and with the disk hub spec, it seems like Specialized put the cheap V-brakes on it only to make you take them right off and put some real brakes. I haven't done that yet, but I certainly will once spending money on expensive bike components has become a less sensitive issue at home ...
Anyway, I think this bike is the best value on the market at the moment, and probably one of best bikes out there period. I'm sure those Epic bikes are really great, too. But to spend all that extra $$ only to remove the rear suspension bob during the few seconds it takes you to put in the lockout? | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
rob
a Cross Country Rider
from san antonio Date Reviewed: January 27, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | Big Bend NP | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Hank at Helotes Bike | | Strengths: | Fox float fork and fox rear shock simply rock. You can lock out for climbs at OP Schnaebel or Downtown San Antonio Urban Assalt on Thursday nights If you're in the area come on out | | Weaknesses: | Hard to reach rear lockout on the run. Stock bars are too long and need to be cut. I wish it came in blue. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek y-3, raleigh m-60, trek fuel 80, trek 8000, GT Karakom | | Bike Setup: | Only changed stem for shorter set up and went to kalloy bars with cane creek bar ends. I use for weekend epics, running to get milk for the wife and TMBRA races. It also is wonderful for night rides at the tank trails and Mac Park. | | Bottom Line: | If you got a budget of $1500 buy this bike. In fact buy it from Hank at Helotes (Texas). You will like the service and no BS. If it ain't the bike for you he'll tell you so. This is the first bike I have bonded with since my M-60 was turned into a pretzel by a 17 year old and his 1980 Honda Civic. I rode the m-60 in Hotter n Hell 100 last year and opted to buy a roadie. I think the Specialized will be the 100 miler this year! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
george gamez
a
from phoenix, az usa Date Reviewed: January 27, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | trail 100 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | supergo | | Strengths: | awsome handling. great front and rear suspension by Fox. great price!!!! rear lockout is great to have, but i doubt you'll ever use it! rims come /w disc brake compatability, not that it's needed in AZ. color kicks azz! light weight, especially after upgrades. | | Weaknesses: | cranks,seat rims and tires(heavy), brakes. Call me anal, but my bike had a nick and a scratch which i didnt notice till i got home. i'd like to be the first one to put those on my $1600.00 bike. still waiting on LBS to see what they can do.... | | Similar Products Used: | specialized hard rock comp w/ many upgrades. | | Bike Setup: | XTR rear and front derailuer, XTR cranks and bb, XT rear cassette,XT shifters, Avid arch Rival w/SD 7 levers, selle italia USPS seat, 517's w/xt hubs, S Works stem | | Bottom Line: | this is by far the best bike i've ever ridin. it handles 4 foot drops like they were 1 foot curbs. It also handles great on tight, twisty single track. Rock Gardens arent the same anymore. Climbing has never been so much fun!At $1600.00 bucks, it is quite a bargin. this is great for the novice and racer alike! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Daniel
a Cross Country Rider
from Victoria, Australia Date Reviewed: January 10, 2003 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2950.00 | | Purchased At: | Le tour cycles | | Strengths: | Great full suspension design, works as well climbing as it does decending. Excellent fork | | Weaknesses: | Cranks and chain rings. Avid V's. Seat | | Similar Products Used: | Cannondale Jekyll 600, Marin Eldridge Grade | | Bike Setup: | Stock (except seat) | | Bottom Line: | Strengths:
A very smooth ride, with easily adjusted suspension. Overall, the components are of good quality with a few easily fixed exceptions. Climbs very well, almost as good as my hardtail on smooth trails, albeit a little heavier.
Weakness:
The cranks and rings are poor, shifting performance and looks simply don't compare to Shimano. The 2002 deore cranks on my hardtail are better than this.
The Avid V's are average at best. The shoe compound is too hard and there is little stopping power. Buy new inserts (eg Koolstop). I intending to upgrade to discs very soon.
The Body Geometry Saddle is horrible. After my first ride, I removed it. Specialized say by removing material at the rear of the seat you take pressure off your sit bones. Well, the effect on my body was no support and rocking in the hips, very painful after 40km.
Overall: This is an excellent bike, I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone looking for a good Cross Country full suspension. It is, however, a Cross Country bike, do not buy if you're into the "free riding" style, buy the enduro.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Murphysboro, IL. USA Date Reviewed: January 9, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | The Kink Spot | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | Carbondale Cycle | | Strengths: | Good solid, proven frame. FOX FORX, Disk Hubs, Paint scheme is SIKKKKK!!!. | | Weaknesses: | Crankset, Bar (pig), Stem, seatpost and brakes | | Bike Setup: | Hope mini hydro's (f/r), Truvativ Stylo Team Crankset, Easton Monkeylite XC bar (26" oh yea!) | | Bottom Line: | Overall, this is an excellent platform for a first timer into the dual suspension market, or even someone who wants a high end bike with sans a few upgrades. This is my first time on a dual suspension and it rocks! Smooother riding and traction out the whazoo! Super sexy paint scheme with the Fox Forx. Specialized got supper swank points for building up their entire stumpjumper line with disk hubs even though they ran rim brakes. Makes for easy upgrading. Years of experience let them hit this setup on the head. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bob Thomas
a Cross Country Rider
from Austin Tx US Date Reviewed: January 7, 2003 | | Favorite Trail: | greenbelt | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycle Sportshop | | Strengths: | Great bike for the price, good suspension, components, light | | Weaknesses: | Handlebars too wide ( you can always cut them) seat, tires, cranks | | Similar Products Used: | specialized stumpjumper hard tail | | Bike Setup: | stock, except for bars which i cut and installed bar ends | | Bottom Line: | Great bike for the money, i looked at many different bikes with similar suspension and components. I felt this was the best bike for the money and most importantly it fit my type of riding and needs. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Feideaux
a Cross Country Rider
from Tasmania Date Reviewed: November 25, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | The Freedom Machine | | Strengths: | Bold Mango/Gold Colour, comparatively lightweight, excellent components, the front forx (holy moly), rear shock, handling, lock out f/r. A good bike | | Weaknesses: | Learning curve for hardtail holdout, hard to avoid turning into a overly relaxed rider at times, front tire scrubs in loose gravel, hard seat (soft rider) er...not a lot else really. There is nothing wrong with the stem, seatpost and handlebars. It does bob in granny if you are not pedalling smoothly, but that's what the lock out is for, and when you are going that slow, you don't need suspension (my ten cents worth) | | Similar Products Used: | Giant NRS (tested), 00' stumpy | | Bike Setup: | Stock (Not for long), will get a front tire with more bite and will add bar ends. | | Bottom Line: | After 10 years of riding hard tails I was thinking "there must be a better way", particularly as I suffer from a stiff back when racing. I was looking for a good point-to-point bike for an annual multi-day stage race we have in Tassie. I had a number of options, which I'll yak about here.
1. The 'Epic': Sounds like a good theory. Unfortunetely, the local specialized dealer is...how do I put this...not the best, and is unlikely ever to stock one, unless someone wins the world road championships on it. To be honest, the reviews on this site cast doubts upon me about its trail worthiness, particularly the operation of the inertia valve. I didn't like the idea of it only operating AFTER the first bump. It's often that first bump that causes havoc, I wanted a bike that was plush all the time. The stumpy is certainly that, and it has two lock outs when I want them. Also, first generation stuff usually come with an associated set of problems that take a while to iron out. Just look at integrated headsets on road bikes, many of those stiffened up because of incompatible headtube tolerances...ok, so maybe I'm generalising, but mine did (giant tcr 1) and it really annoyed me! Also, the campagnolo hiddenset has had its problems on the cannondales. Where was I? Oh yes...
Gary Fisher 3+: The reviews sound great, except it has plastic bushings, and is overpriced for the components that come on it. Oh, and there's none in the shops around here.
Giant NRS: Rides nice, but why not just have a hard tail.
The Stumpjumper has awesome suspension. It works almost too well, because you are not carving zig zag lines all the time like you may do on a hard tail. Rather, you tend to go more in a straight line. This increases your speed so you find the limits of your brakes and tires earlier. Riding down rocky shutes I feel like I'm flowing rather than getting hammered. Provided that you have smooth pedal strokes, you can avoid suspension bobbing. It's hard to avoid on those slow 30% uphill granny climbs, but like I said, just lock out the rear it's all foward motion. The components are just fine, the fox forx are pretty amazing really, very progressive rate towards the end so it's hard to bottom out even the 80mm setting. haven't tried 100mm yet. They have no flex, at all. Smooth stroke and all that.
This is a good bike and I'm only going to swap out the pedals, front tire and handlebar (have to get a tad more forward for the climbs). I'll post up a follow up review after my stage race in feburary.
| Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Neal
a Cross Country Rider
from College Station, TX Date Reviewed: November 21, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Lake Bryan East Loop | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1800.00 | | Purchased At: | lbs | | Strengths: | Awesome forks! The front fox is rock solid. Quality components (except the ones listed in the weakness section), The bike rides like a it's ten pounds lighter than it really is. Also it doesn't bobb when your pedeling hard, but it's active on all but the smallest bumps. Also this bike is at home as a downhill bike as well as a uphill bike. | | Weaknesses: | Cranks, Handle Bars seem a little long, a few other small problems. Most can be easily upgraded later on. | | Similar Products Used: | Gary Fisher Sugar 2, Trek Fuel 98, Giant NRS 1 & | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | Out of all the best I tested, this bike and the Giant NSR 2 were the best value. In the end though I felt this bike was better suited to me and it just felt more solid to me. Overall this bike rules! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Woody G
a Cross Country Rider
from Clarksville, TN, USA Date Reviewed: November 18, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | the long one | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2300.00 | | Purchased At: | Bikes And Moore www.bikesandmoore.com | | Strengths: | Time tested 4 bar Horst link suspension, efficient but active without any brake jack. Value. Fox Fork. | | Weaknesses: | Some "bobbing" of the suspension. Fork is on the heavy side. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek Fuel, GT I-Drive, Specialized Enduro, Cannondale Scalpel. | | Bike Setup: | Easton CT-2 bar, Easton EA-50 stem & seatpost. 2003 XT crankset. Selle Italia Flite saddle. Hayes Disc brakes. Handbuilt wheelset: Mavic 317 rims on XT disc hubs w/DT spokes. Time ATAC Carbon pedals. Stainless water bottle cage. Cateye Enduro 2 computer. Stock otherwise. | | Bottom Line: | It's amazing what Specialized is able to offer for $1500 (mine has $800 worth of upgrades).
This is a classic dual suspension XC mountain bike. I have mine set up as a trailbike. With the disc brakes it weighs in at 27.6 lb., a little heavy for XC racing but right on target for my intentions. The suspension is very balanced and the bike climbs well.
I considered a Santa Cruz Blur but read that it suffers from brake jack and I never had the chance to test one. I also needed to save $1000 but that's another story. I also considered the Specialized Enduro, Trek Fuel, Trek Liquid, Rocky Mountain Slayer and many others but opted for the FSR as I feel it has the best balance of weight, price and performance. There is a lot of new technology out there for '03 but I went with a bike that I knew would server me well on the singletrack. I demo'd the Epic but did not like the transition from locked out to active, the price, or the weight.
The Fox Float RL 100 is super stiff and very plush for an air fork. The bike handles great, especially compared to my old Trek 8000 hardtail. It slices up tight singletrack and climbs very well. With the suspension set up on the soft side it descends almost as good as the Enduro.
If you want a solid XC dual suspension bike for the money avoid the hype and go with the good old Stumpjumper FSR. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Kent
a Weekend Warrior
from Phoenix, AZ Date Reviewed: November 17, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Desert Classic/So. Mountain | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | South Mountain Cycle | | Strengths: | Fox fork, Handlebar sweep is better than I thought, rock solid feel | | Weaknesses: | Seat isn't great, not sure on the tires yet | | Bike Setup: | Out of the box stock | | Bottom Line: | Very, very nice bike. Lock outs are great, climbs well, decent brakes (pobably should have waited and got disks, but it is disk ready and I can add them later). Fantastic supension, good rebound, tracks great in all conditions. Very easy to place on the trail, very responsive. This bike makes me look like a better rider than I actually am. I enjoy being on this bike more than I would have thought. A top value, I gave it a four on Overall just cuz there are other top flight bikes out there (for twice the price) that do eclipse this bike, but it will be a long time and a lot of training before this bike isn't more than enough for me. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Scott S.
a Weekend Warrior
from Chandler, AZ USA Date Reviewed: November 14, 2002 | | Favorite Trail: | Phoenix McDowell Mtn Park Comp Loops | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Purchased At: | Supergo Phoenix | | Strengths: | Great frame. Dual Fox susp w/lockouts & 300 bucks cheaper than the '02 FSR Comp (this earns an extra value chilli...). Roll-X tires are much better than the (wimpy) Rocksters on the 02 FSR XC. 80-100mm adj. front Fox matches nicely with the 75-90 adj rear travel. Disc ready. Nice group w/ XTR rear. Bearing pivots on the industry's best 4-bar linkage. Upsweep on the bars feels about right. Tried & true geometry...nothing crazy but this adds to the precise ride. | | Weaknesses: | Only one color available is a bold golden yellow - fine if you like it. Group is down a little from '02 but so is the price. The weld bead inside the seat post keeps you from lowering the seat deep when your lining up on top of a big ole' drop but I guess it also keep you from jamming the rear shock with your seatpost. Fox fork is a sweetheart but a little heavy...my size XL was 29 lbs total. | | Similar Products Used: | My last was a very similar 02 Stumpjumper FSR XC (Props to Supergo for an extra discount off retail when mine was recently ripped off. (Hope that guy eats a cactus...I'm looking for you Dic#hea#. | | Bike Setup: | Stock with 3/4" cut off each end of the bars, and puncture-sealant jelly in the tires. | | Bottom Line: | Unbelievable responsiveness and accuracy - works better than anything else (a bike or otherwise) I own. You might find something you like as much but you can't get much better. I expect a lot for 1500 bucks but the SJ FSR Comp delivers. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
David Schiller
a Weekend Warrior
from Santa Monica, CA, USA Date Reviewed: November 9, 2002 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1499.00 | | Purchased At: | Supergo | | Strengths: | Lightweight M4 composite! Fox Float RL 100 in front, Fox RL in back. XTR rear deraileur. Disc ready hubs. | | Weaknesses: | Mediocre Avid brakes, LX front derailleur a bit dodgy. | | Similar Products Used: | Mongoose D40r (not really that similar) | | Bottom Line: | Superlight compared to my 43lb Mongoose POS, awesome suspension, disc ready hubs were a major plus. My first real bike, and I'm loving it so far. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
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