Submitted by
bjtmhp
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Angeles, CA USA Date Reviewed: August 26, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Sycamore CYN/Guadalasco Trail
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$3485.00
Purchased At:
Cycle World
Strengths:
As a big rider (6'7" 230 lbs) a 29er is a better fit for me. Specialized was an easy sell when they introduced a XXL frame. The bike climbs great. The SRAM X-0/X-9 set-up has been a pleasant surprise.
Weaknesses:
S-Works The Captain Tires. These Tires are very light weight but not at all durable. I have had to replace both tires due to sidewall damage.
Seat Clamp - Light weight quick release clamp stripped out easily. It's a XXL Frame - the size of the rider should have been considered.
Similar Products Used:
Specialized Epic Comp
Bike Setup:
Stock except for a Giant non quick release seat clamp and WTB ExiWolf tires.
Bottom Line:
Awesome for a tall rider. I was worried about the not so beefy Rock Shox Reba forks but haven't had any problems. SRAM X-0/X-9 has been crisp and reliable. Avid Ultimate 7 and "The Brain" have all been great.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
wedelmaster
a Cross Country Rider
from Canmore Alberta Date Reviewed: August 25, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Ross Lake
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$3300.00
Purchased At:
Bicycle Cafe
Strengths:
Fits taller rider well (6'4"), comfortable for long rides, good fork and shock (the Brain seems to do it's thing pretty well), climbs well, very stable cornering and downhills and great rolling momentum. The Captain tires seem pretty decent for the dry/rooty/rocky conditions around here.
Weaknesses:
Stock (Crank Bros. Smarty) pedals seem kind of cheap - creaking 10 minutes into the 1st ride and felt loose on their axle at the end of the ride. Put my old shimano's on after a week.
Similar Products Used:
First 29er.
Specialized 2001 Enduro Sport
Bike Setup:
stock
Fork and shock pressure set according to Specialized website info.
Bottom Line:
Well, did my research and drank the 29er koo-aid, so took a gamble and ordered up the Stumpjumper in an XL without having even sat on one. First ride out, immediately noticed the great climbing at the start of a favorite trail, ate up roots and small rocks. The best thing is the fit, the bike just seems more in proportion to my size. Gone is the tippy/riding high feeling I had on the Enduro. The geometry makes for a very comfortable ride, somewhat upright but still pretty responsive on tight turns and switchbacks...I was expecting it to be a bit sluggish but I find it more maneuverable and less twitchy than the Enduro.
The Brain seems to do it's thing quite well, I have it about 1/4 turn off of full firm but haven;t really played with it that much.
Reba fork feels solid and damp. Stock tires (Specialized The Captain) have great grip. SRAM stuff works great, no complaints, as do the Avid discs. Definitely noticed the increase in rolling momentum in a 24 hour race on rolling parts of the trail, i'd coast much farther on hills and flats than ever before.
All in all, sold on the 29er concept for my size (6'4" , 195 lbs) and really impressed with the overall feel of the bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
AzArmyPA
a Downhiller
from Chandler, AZ, USA Date Reviewed: July 26, 2008
Favorite Trail:
48th to Mormon loop, to buena Vista, down to east Loop, to 48th
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$2200.00
Purchased At:
Most parts LBS, fram
Strengths:
Awesome strong bike, comfy ride.
Weaknesses:
haven't seen any yet.
Similar Products Used:
Gary fisher rig S/S
Bike Setup:
Duc32 Forks with front hub, Hope II brakes, rear hub Hope II pro with WTB dual duty rims, bontrager cranks, diety bars, CK headset, 1x9 SRAM Rear cassette, shifters.
Bottom Line:
Sweet light ride, I went 1 x 9 on this one. Feels a little slippery on loose gravel(may change tires). Bike setup is awesome, thanks to Rage Cycles. Have been building for awhile. Love the Cushy ride. Still adjusting, did a cross country type rides so far, nothing down hill or real hard. Bike fits me great due to my 6'6" frame. Definately recommend for a clydesdale.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dr Long
a Weekend Warrior
from Santa Monica, CA Date Reviewed: June 9, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Sullivan Canyon
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$4100.00
Strengths:
Comfort. Climbing Ability. Downhill Speed
Weaknesses:
none so far
Similar Products Used:
Ibis Silk Ti, Fat City Yo Eddy, Cannodale Scalpel
Bottom Line:
The 29-er is the greatest change in Mtn Biking in the last 20 yrs. Call me a convert. Better climbing, more comfort, faster downhills.
This Specialized 29er is, in my opinion, the best of the bunch. The geometry is set for an upright postion, but you sit "in" the bike, rather than on top of it. You feel a low center of gravity, and amazing stability. The "Brain" shock is amazing. Set it to a mid setting, and have it lock out as a hardtail on climbs, the absorb all the hits on the downhill.
I can see that the bike is a little slower on a sprint than my other traditional-setup cc bikes, but because it is so forgiving to ride, you have more energy overall. An an average rider will probably improve his times. (mine did)
I can also see where a very light rider would feel the slight increase in extra weight. For the rest of us (i'm about 185lbs), if you need to shave the extra 2 pounds, skip tomorrows pasta
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Bill
a Cross Country Rider
from Gallup, New Mexico Date Reviewed: January 4, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Purple Haze Trail, Zuni Mts
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$4700.00
Purchased At:
High Mesa Bikes, Gallup, NM
Strengths:
Smooth ride... wow! Handles a bigger rider (220) with ease, strong, no flex. No seat post slippage, Halleluja! I personally find the subdued brown and green colors refreshing, always hated the SWorks scream in your face red and white.
Weaknesses:
This is a big rig! Some 4" longer than my 07 26er. Feels slightly military with the dull earth toned anodizing scheme.
Similar Products Used:
94 SWorks FSR, 97 MaxBackbone FSR, 04 SWorks Epic, 07 Stumpy FSR, all 26ers of course.
Bike Setup:
I bought the frame kit,added a Reba Race w/remote lockout, Mavic c29ssmax wheelset, xtr cranset, Sram XO shifters, Juicy 7 brakes w/180 front, 160 rear rotors,Thompson post and stem, WTB Pure V saddle, Time Atac xs pedals, Fast Trak 2.0s w/ Stans. Approx 27.5 lbs on bike shop electronic scale.
Bottom Line:
The bottom bracket is proportionally lower in the wheels than the 26" models, so the cockpit is more centered between the wheels as opposed to being stretched out over them, and a more upright seating position results. Took a while to adjust my timing to this and the longer over all length, but it feels more natural and agile with each ride. To say this bike feels stable is an understatement- it proceeds through loose and rough obstacles with a smooth rolling authority that lets the rider keep spinning the cranks, while wasting less energy on finessing of obstacles.
My bike was set up very well by the LBS, so no unpleasantries at this point. They even put nitrogen in the front and rear shocks once we established the correct pressures. I haven't changed suspension settings more than a click or two from initial recommended settings. The brain is a marvelous thing and contributes much to the way smooth ride and Hummer like climbing ability. Bigger riders who feel undergunned will love this rig! Endurance racers will appreciate the towncar ride without all the weight, and I expect it will excell for back country touring as well.
All pivots are sealed bearings, a good thing. Pivot maintenance can be frustating and expensive, and these look to be as maintenance free as you can get. Specialized has really improved their suspension pivot bearings over the years and I've seen none better.
I have been riding Specialized FSRs for a long time because that's what my LBS sells. I rode a Surly KM SS rigid 29er for a year before deciding I wanted my full squish to be a 29er as well. I'm feeling real good about that decision at this point!
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Overall Rating:
