yeah I'm also wondering...can you get a 19 yet? I know I could call my lbs but I'm here now LOL

 

I've put over 350miles on my chisel so far, can't think of a time that locking out the front fork would have been an advantage. Having some cush helps on root and rock climbs.

My riding varies from xc racing to single black diamond downhills.

 

Did the Chisel finally meet it's match?

Been riding the Chisel Expert 1x for almost 2 months. Love it.

Taking bike all over the place. Multiple states. Lots of mountains. Been riding daily. Chisel has rocked it all.

But I may have pushed too far.

Rode Apex Trail in Golden, Colorado. MTBProject rates it as an expert (black) trail. Heavy tech sections. It has tons of oversized 1-2 foot SHARP rocks, rock gardens with lots of jagged edges, drops, rock piles, steep climbs, and even roots (rarer here - see below on Enchanted Forest Trail).

Did not get any photos of the biggest tech challenges. Too paniced riding it. : )

I have to admit I did NOT make it through all tech obstacles. I walked at least 2% of the trail. Lost confidence in the steep sharp rocks descending. Bit of bouncing. Felt too far over the bar. Might have been better with a dropper post. Need to be very particilar about line choice. And that day, I was not.

Climbing multiple large rock sections was difficult (1-2 foot step ups ... stacked 3-5 in a row). Bike did hook up most of the time, but tires slipped several times mid obstacle. Rode a lot in lowest gear (42). This ride taxed the bike.

Did not crash, but I was rattled in the heavy tech sections.

Of course, I have to be fair. This ride is near the top of my skill level. Could be more of rider limitation than bike. Chisel handled the trail as well as any other bike I've ridden on it.

Anyone else taken on a trail that was too tough for the Chisel to easily master?

 

Been riding the Chisel Expert 1x for almost 2 months. Love it.

Taking bike all over the place. Multiple states. Lots of mountains. Been riding daily. Chisel has rocked it all.

But I may have pushed too far.

Rode Apex Trail in Golden, Colorado. MTBProject rates it as an expert (black) trail. Heavy tech sections. It has tons of oversized 1-2 foot SHARP rocks, rock gardens with lots of jagged edges, drops, rock piles, steep climbs, and even roots (rarer here - see below on Enchanted Forest Trail).

View attachment 1213935

Did not get any photos of the biggest tech challenges. Too paniced riding it. : )

I have to admit I did NOT make it through all tech obstacles. I walked at least 2% of the trail. Lost confidence in the steep sharp rocks descending. Bit of bouncing. Felt too far over the bar. Might have been better with a dropper post. Need to be very particilar about line choice. And that day, I was not.

Climbing multiple large rock sections was difficult (1-2 foot step ups ... stacked 3-5 in a row). Bike did hook up most of the time, but tires slipped several times mid obstacle. Rode a lot in lowest gear (42). This ride taxed the bike.

Did not crash, but I was rattled in the heavy tech sections.

Of course, I have to be fair. This ride is near the top of my skill level. Could be more of rider limitation than bike. Chisel handled the trail as well as any other bike I've ridden on it.

Anyone else taken on a trail that was too tough for the Chisel to easily master?

Nothing wrong with getting off the bike occasionally. The Chisel is a simple bike that is reasonably versatile. I have three bikes, Chisel, Stumpjumper 29 with 120 up front, and Stumpjumper with 150 up front. I ride them all on the same stuff. Some days I walk the intense stuff...I see it ahead and don't feel confident. I've been on podiums in races when I've walked a few feet. Ain't it awful?

 

By the sounds of it you need an enduro bike.

 

... or to develop better skills. : )

 

Hey guys - New member from Sweden here, and hopefully soon-to-be new mountainbiker aswell.
I've been looking at the Specialized Chisel as a first ever mtb and believe it fits the bill. Mainly writing here in order to get some advice.

There are a few options;

1. I'd prefer to buy a frameset but sadly the swedish Specialized concept store don't sell framesets. I've been scouring the web in order to find one to buy online. I did find the frameset I'm looking for (The pink/yellow/purple) in size XL on an american website but apparently specialized don't allow for frames to be ordered online. Is there a way around this? Can I get a store to order the frameset and then have them ship it to me? If so - can someone advice me as to which store might be able to do so, if any.

My other option is to either purchase the Expert 1x which is currently on sale for $1700 with
or buy a used Comp with a 2014 reba fork and old 2x10 xt-components.
These two options will of course be cheaper economically but I'm not a fan of either paint job. The life of a vain person is a struggle, I tell thee! And ideally i want 1x12.

Any advice as to which option to go for? Is there a difference between a -14 reba fork vs. a -18?

Thanks for your guidence!

edit: also, what is this XD-adaptor being discussed?

 

Hey guys - New member from Sweden here, and hopefully soon-to-be new mountainbiker aswell.
I've been looking at the Specialized Chisel as a first ever mtb and believe it fits the bill. Mainly writing here in order to get some advice.

There are a few options;

1. I'd prefer to buy a frameset but sadly the swedish Specialized concept store don't sell framesets. I've been scouring the web in order to find one to buy online. I did find the frameset I'm looking for (The pink/yellow/purple) in size XL on an american website but apparently specialized don't allow for frames to be ordered online. Is there a way around this? Can I get a store to order the frameset and then have them ship it to me? If so - can someone advice me as to which store might be able to do so, if any.

My other option is to either purchase the Expert 1x which is currently on sale for $1700 with
or buy a used Comp with a 2014 reba fork and old 2x10 xt-components.
These two options will of course be cheaper economically but I'm not a fan of either paint job. The life of a vain person is a struggle, I tell thee! And ideally i want 1x12.

Any advice as to which option to go for? Is there a difference between a -14 reba fork vs. a -18?

Thanks for your guidence!

edit: also, what is this XD-adaptor being discussed?

I assume a local shop can order the frame on your behalf. I'm a bit surprised the concept store couldn't do the same. (?)

The XD driver is required for SRAM 11sp and higher drivetrains, so given you want 1X12, you'll need it.

 

Niles, I am a huge fan of my Chisel with a lot of that passion coming from it reminding me of my early 90s M2 Stumpjumper; so a bit of a Specialized fan. That said, go with the Canyon. Unless you have access to take-off / used components you are going to be way higher in cost making a like-for-like Chisel relative to the Canyon with the spec you listed.

 

I agree. Component wise, the Canyon can't be beat. The fork, wheels, and drivetrain are higher spec on the Canyon. Plus you get a carbon frame.

Having said that, there might be a few reasons why you might prefer the Chisel:

1. Lifetime frame warranty.
2. You are a novice mechanic or don't have time to work on your bike and need LBS support.
3. The simplicity of the Chisel. I love how simply engineered it is. I have friends who have Canyons and there is a little bit of over-engineering. For example, the headset setup seems much more complicated than it needs to be.
4. For some strange reason, you don't want a carbon frame. I do know people who prefer aluminum.
5. Aluminum frame + threaded BB means less potential creaking.

Good luck.

 

Thanks for the advice fellas. Although my heart is set on the Chisel, the Canyon is the smart buy for sure. But apparently it doesn't have boost which I understand is the new standard. It would feel so-so buying an old standard which I guess won't be as upgrade friendly. But still, the price can not be matched.

One of the bike shops I've contacted said that the 2019 chisel frames might be available for purchase later this fall although he didn't know the price yet. I'll probably wait for a quote and then see what a custom build would land at. If the cost is too unreasonable, i'll chose the Exceed.

Thanks for the help

 

Redemption Ride on Cherry Chisel

Today I rode Bergen Peak Mountain in Evergreen Colorado. MTBProject rates as Intermediate/Expert (blue/black). 10.6 mile loop (sleepy s, bergen, summit, and too long trails). 1700 vertical feet. Lots of rock outcropings, rock gardens, drops, roots, water bars, and other tech challenges. It was a blast.

After my last ride, I was nervous about a challenge ride. So that's why I did it. Got to get back on the horse. So glad I did.

Going up, I did walk several tech sections. But I continued to move no matter what (pedal or walk constant movement). This helped with fatigue.

Today made me super happy I purchased the lighter Chisel over the Stumpjumper. I was looking at an 8 pound difference (alloy to alloy). Glad I did not have to haul that extra weight up the mountain today.

In the picture above, I only made it up half way (about an hour into ride). Need to work on my tech climbing skills. But cleared all of this section going down.

Descent was so fun. Super happy I added the quick release Salsa Seatpost Collar (see post #673 for special sizing).

At the top, I dropped the seat almost half a foot down. Best move of the day. I hung off the back just a few inches above the rear tire on almost all of the steep tech ... typcially a rock garden (sometimes with a rock outcrop in middle) and drops from one to three feet often into gnarly rocky junk. With the seat up, I definitely would have gone over the handlebars.

On downhill tech, learning to go against instinct to take flattest line ... which often runs right into a terrible obstruction. Instead, the higher line with rocky tech is typically a smoother transition down the backside of the obstacle.

Also helps to stay off seat (I like to squeeze seat between mid legs while standing to throw bike left or right - trying not to do that), keep knees and elbows bent (like shocks), keep momentum thru rock garden, and be willing to jump/bunnyhop while moving thru rock spears.

These thru axles are awesome. So much stronger that the old QR axles. I had bent my old bikes axles several times. These Chisel axles are so strong (and I've been jumping and hammering them a lot). Funny, I was mad at salesmen when he told me the Chisel did not have QR axles. Turns out, much better.

The Scram Level TL disc brakes worked flawlessly. Zero squeal under massive braking. Reworking the brakes (rebending a bent disc and recentering the caliper) was a success.

The summit had one last challenge section to conquer.

But what a view.

So I guess there is a limitation to this hardtail Chisel, but I did not notice it today. Dropping the seat way, way down, and crouching off the back made a big different. Felt way more confident today ... and feel the Chisel can do way more they just a simple crosscountry ride.

 

nice report Mike!

 

Has anyone extended front travel to 120mm by taking the spacer out?

Race season is over until Jan19 and I find myself on more daring trails. Following friends on squishy stumpys down black diamonds is good training for next year, right?

 

Has anyone extended front travel to 120mm by taking the spacer out?

Race season is over until Jan19 and I find myself on more daring trails. Following friends on squishy stumpys down black diamonds is good training for next year, right?

I did my frame up build with a 120 fork, I love it.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

I just noticed this post and i have experience with both the Chisel and Exceed, i actually took delivery of a 2018 Exceed SL 6.0 last month and covered about 70km on it. Ive had a 2018 Chisel comp for 1 week and covered around the same distance. I rode both bikes on the same trails, one of which is 22km and has 984m of vertical elevation gain to gove some idea.
The Canyon was £300 more than the Chisel comp.
On paper the Canyon wins. It has a lovely build kit, on spec alone it kicks the backside of the Chisel with Shimano XT 2x11, Mavic Crossmax with Rocket Ron eve tyres and Rockshox Reba remote lockout forks. The Carbon frame is nicely finished and it accelerates like a bat out of hell. With XTR pedals the Exceed weighs 11kg. The Exceed kicks the ass of the Chisel on fire roads and road climbs too.

The Chisel weighs 1.5 kg more with pedals, it has a Rockshox Judy Gold fork (which leaked after 2 rides) and after about 40km there was loads of creaking from the bottom bracket area (turned out to be 2 loose chainring bolts on the stout cranks)

But even with all that i would still take a Chisel over an Exceed. The Chisels frame is an absolute work of art. And specialized should be commended for the ride quality of this bike, it rides like an absolute dream and inspires so much confidence especially on decents , in fact i found myself being more and more cheeky with technical descending on this bike the balance is so good.
In a way what makes the exceed so good on the climbs is what makes it a handful when it gets rough. The frame is so stiff and ive owned plenty of carbon hardtails in my time but they still manage the comfort. The Exceed is unforgiving and there definately is a difference between the front and rear of the bike ( its almost like you are riding a bike with two completely different frame materials stuck together). The Chisel feels like a product which has been tested, tested and then tested again until they had the ride nailed.

Im super impressed with the wheels and tyres. The fast track 2.3's are brilliant.

I went for the Chisel comp as i wasn't keen on the 2019 colour of the Expert in my Country (blue/grey with red graphics) and really had my heart set on the grey and black of the comp. But if you like the colour of the Expert i would definitely go for one of those over an exceed. Worth every penny!

 

Made My Day

I have experience with both the Specialized Chisel Comp and Canyon Exceed 6.0. On paper the Canyon wins. But I would still take a Chisel over an Exceed. The Chisels frame is an absolute work of art. And specialized should be commended for the ride quality of this bike, it rides like an absolute dream and inspires so much confidence especially on decents , in fact i found myself being more and more cheeky with technical descending on this bike the balance is so good. The Chisel feels like a product which has been tested, tested and then tested again until they had the ride nailed. Worth every penny!

andygravelman, you made my day. I had reduced my search to the Chisel and the Exceed too. I could not test an Exceed, so I went for the Chisel. Your review makes me ten times happier I chose the Chisel . Thank you for sharing.

 

I've heard some carbon hardtails are too stiff in the wrong places. Under load they go fast but over rough stuff they are janky and pull speed from the lack of compliance.

I ride a Epic HT and its pretty good mix of speed and compliance. It's super fast!

 

I've heard some carbon hardtails are too stiff in the wrong places. Under load they go fast but over rough stuff they are janky and pull speed from the lack of compliance.

I ride a Epic HT and its pretty good mix of speed and compliance. It's super fast!

Exactly my view. I have several 29er's including a hardtail SJ and the Chisel, both weigh now about 22 lbs with pedals. The Chisel and the SJ ride far different to the point where I simply do not like riding the SJ anymore.

 

Got mine built up this week and finally rode it yesterday and it feels great. Current build came in at 20.7 as it sits right now and once the mail mans shows up it will lose about another pound!

 

Nice build - so what's going to to drop another pound off?
19lbs is freakin light!

 

Bars, grips, seatpost, saddle, cassette, and tires

 

Pretty set on getting a Chisel. Can get an '18 or '19, both a decent amount under MSRP. Which should I go for?

I currently ride a 1x9 plus size 27.5. ride in Dallas Texas area. It's mixed terrain. Has short hills but their can be quite a few at times. Looks like other than color a couple components changed to go 1x12. Think it's worth it to get the '18 to stay away from nx-eagle as opposed to gx?

 

I was considering the 2018 as i liked the red but at the LBS it was confirmed the XL 2018 are sold out. This is in Belgium.

 

To be honest either 2018 or 2019 are a great buy. The GX on the 2018 expert is 11 speed wheras the NX is 12 speed. From experience the gear range on 12 speed suited me better ( i have NX on my Scott Spark). There is a greater jump between ratios on the 11 speed gear setups but its all personal preference really.

The bottom line is both bikes are equally as good, its just down to price and colour for me..

 

I found another bike at the LBS with NX-eagle and tested it out. I liked the GX stuff better. So probably going that route. I don't really need 12 gears.

 

Hi, the new frames options colours are on the website... beautiful ...but how is that possible that the price went from 750 to 1000?? Same frame. Can someone explain this? Are there any differences besides colours? Thanks

 

price increase is due to us dollar vs taiwan dollar

 

Price increase most likely caused by Trump Tariffs on aluminum.

 

I understand that...but 250 $ price increase in few months? For the Same frame just different paint??

 

It happened all at once early this year. Trek raised prices across the board right away and specialized changed a few bikes right away but not ones already built it seems.

Probably why the new FS-i is made in mainland China. It's still 9 grand though

 

2018 Chisel 1x with SunRace CSMX8 11-speed 11-46

The stock NX 11-42 cassette works great. But on a few super steep trails, I was wishing for one more granny gear. So I finally broke down and bought a new SunRace CSMX8 11-46 cassette ($57) and installed it. Also installed a brand new KMC X11 chain ($30). Plus bought a cool tool, the Park Tool Master Link Pliers ($15) to open and close quick links.

To change the cassette, you need:

- SunRace CSMX8 11-46 cassette ($57)
- KMC X11 chain ($30)
- Park Tool Sprocket Removal / Chain Whip ($27)
- Park Tool Master Link Pliers ($15)
- Park Tool FR-5.2 Cassette Lockring Tool ($6)
- spanner wrench

Also, about an hour of time.

You might want to reference YouTube for cassette replacement.

Also, Sram has excellent quick directions here:

https://www.sram.com/sites/default/...default/files/techdocs/95-7518-006-000_rev_d_1x_mtb_derailleurs_user_manual.pdf

This PDF was super helpful for sizing the chain and tuning the derailleur.

I did NOT have to change the alignment of the derailleur. It shifted perfect. But I DID adjust the "B-Screw" to create more space between the large 46 tooth cog and the top derailleur cog (need 15 mm).

Weight & Ratio Comparision: SunRace is 73 grams lighter than NX and 150 grams lighter than eagle cassette.

Original NX (PG-1130) 11 speed cassette is 538 grams
11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 22, 25, 28, 32, 36, 42

New SunRace (CSMX8 ) 11 speed cassette is 465 grams
11, 13, 15, 18, 21, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 46

NX Eagle (PG-1230) 12 speed cassette is 615 grams
11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 22, 25, 28, 32, 36, 42, 50

Ratio comparison. Low/high gear ratios.

NX 11-42 with stock 30 front chainring: 0.78 / 2.99
SunRace 11-46 with stock 30 front chainring: 0.71 / 2.99
NX Eagle 11-50 with stock 32 front chainring: 0.70 / 3.19

*Note: same lowest gear ratio between SunRace and Eagle for climbing.

Why I Changed The Chain.

Initially, I used the original chain. But the derailleur looked super stretched due to the bigger large cog. I did not want to ride it that way and over pull the derailleur spring. I choose to get a new chain and resize it based on new larger cog. Added 2 inner and 2 outer links. Looks and shifts great now.

Ride Quality of SunRace.

After 2 rides, VERY happy with the new cassette. It runs very smooth with the SunRace cassette. I only needed the granny gear twice. Once on super steep "East Wall" ride with tons of lose rocks, ruts, and loose dirt. Kept slipping with old NX. Now easier to grip on steep and able to keep cadence. Second time was on a slow moving ascent up mixed rock garden with big and small boulder clusters. Other than that, the 2nd gear of SunRace is basically same as 1st gear NX. So you are just adding a granny gear. The SunRace progression through gears is well thoughtout with smooth increments.

Tested the new cassette/chain on a 13 mile ride today with 2,000 feet of climbing. Rode Alderfer/Three Sisters/Dedisse Loop. MTP project rates as intermediate (blue), although few sections of 3 Sisters are advanced (black).

New combo did great ... and bike rocked it to the top no problem.

And was a blast jumping off 6-18 inch rock and root drops and flying over gaps while racing downhill. Made all tight switchbacks up and down.

So if you are thinking about getting 12 speed eagle, consider quick fix of SunRace 11-46. SunRace is lighter and has a lower granny gear (equal to new 2019 NX eagle set up).

Not sure if I mentioned: I LOVE THIS BIKE. Specialized really made something special with the Chisel. My red rocket rips.

 

What lightweight 27.2 seatpost options are out there?