The Stumpjumper Expert came fully tooled up for trail riding, what really leaps out is the trail ready features of the bike, especially those pertaining to\u00a0SWAT. In simple terms SWAT means you can ride with everything that you might normally have in your pack only it’s stored in\/on the bike or in your bibs. Chain links, a space to carry tools and tubes inside of the downtube, a trail tool embedded near the shock and a feeling of freedom from not having to carry it on you and having the weight low on the bike.<\/p>\n BOTTOM BRACKET – SRAM, PF30, OS press-in bearings, sealed cartridge We set up our Stumpjumper out of the box with about 2 bar of\u00a0 tyre pressure and we used the auto sag feature to set 30 percent of sag on the back and 30 percent on the front. Out of the box the bar setup was ideal and we felt we needed no changes here.<\/p>\n There are two things a trail bike must do, that is climb and descend. The Specialized’s state of the art frame and geometry gave the Stumperjumper an impressive all-round poise on the trail in all the situations we threw at it. Consistency is the key with a trail bike, and the Stumperjumper covers each element of riding well.<\/p>\n Climbing is smooth and predictable with the wheels maintaining traction in all the situations from roots to technical rocks to twisty climbs. If the trail gets steep the front end remains stuck\u00a0to the ground with minimal body movement necessary to keep the bike balanced.<\/p>\n Downhill is fun and predictable with the 29″ wheels eating up the small chatter and FSR suspension handling the multiple stutter and bigger hits with aplomb. \u00a0The geometry was dialed as well – a nice low bottom bracket rewards you in the corners but if you aren’t careful with the timing of your pedal strokes, it can bite back. \u00a0We found the rear chainstay length to be ideal for those that like a bike that’s snappy\u00a0and carries the speed through the corner with a lively\u00a0feel.<\/p>\n Component choices on the trail were ideal with XT brakes giving a dependable response to rider input and the\u00a0 SRAM 1 X 11 drivetrain with a 30T up front had enough range to climb all normal trails that 90 percent of us ride. If it’s high mountain riding then swapping out the 30T for a 28T up front might be necessary for longer steeper climbs with weaker riders, otherwise the gearing is good for all other situations.<\/p>\n The aluminum Roval wheels were stiff enough to keep the bike on track. Switching to carbon rims would improve the responsiveness of the bike in technical situations that are twisty, but the Roval Fattie’s are some of the stiffest Aluminum 29″ wheels that we’ve used to date.<\/p>\n The SWAT system was brilliant for keeping the rider comfortable on the trail as you don’t need a pack. The cockpit\u00a0layout was simple and effective withno strange remote positions, everything was intuitive so the rider can\u00a0focus on the trail.<\/p>\n The \u201cout of the box \u2013 on the saddle \u2013 feel comfortable\u201d ride is what makes trail time with the Stumpjumper enjoyable and consistent in every situation.<\/p>\n We noted in our group test, “If you really are searching for something\u00a0to gripe about\u00a0on this bike, maybe you can find it in the high release speed of the dropper post and in the tricky position of the autosag valve. \u00a0Those are small matters in the grand scheme of things though.” Really those were our only extremely picky negative comments.<\/p>\n There is no doubt that to be able to pick up any trail bike and ride it within the same short time window really allows you to focus on those things that you like \u00a0in a bike. Specialized covered about every element possible\u00a0in a trail bike package.\u00a0 The Stumpjumper is not an Enduro bike, let’s be clear about that.\u00a0 If the going gets heavy, a bike with extra travel would be appreciated, with every other type of riding though, if you like 29er wheels then this steed will keep a\u00a0constant smile on your face.<\/p>\n “I felt pretty much at home on the Stumpjumper from as soon as I sat on it, there are very few trail bikes which cover so many elements so well. SWAT has become a fundamental for me on my bikes. \u00a0Why do it any other way? The Stumpjumper was very forgiving with my riding errors and it became my preferred choice of trail bike.”\u00a0 (Alex Boyce 29er group tester).<\/em><\/p>\n Specialized<\/a> [ad3] As we have seen with our recent comparative test in Punta Ala, the Stumpjumper came out on top in the 29er category. Each of the testers had our preferred bike, in this case the Stumpjumper was Alex Boyce’s particular preferred ride.\u00a0\u00a0 We take a closer look at the bike\u00a0and its features out on the trails. Our test Stumpjumper in large size. Specifications The Stumpjumper Expert came fully tooled up for trail riding, what really leaps out is the trail ready features of the bike, especially those pertaining to\u00a0SWAT. In simple terms SWAT means you can ride with everything that<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":172966,"featured_media":123637,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3683,3677],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.mtb-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/F75R7170.jpg\")
\nOur test Stumpjumper in large size.<\/em><\/p>\nSpecifications<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.mtb-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/dettagli5.jpg\")
The SWAT tube storage, the auto sag shock, sweet internal cable routing that allows a change over in minutes as there are embeded internal tubes for the cables and the FSR linkage that keeps the bike stable and glues to the trail.<\/em><\/p>\nDetails<\/h3>\n
\nCASSETTE & CHAIN – SRAM XG-1180, 11-speed, 10-42t, SRAM PC-X1, 11-speed
\nCRANKSET – Custom SRAM S-2200, carbon, PF30 spindle, 30T, 94mm BCD spider
\nFORK – RockShox Pike RC 29, Solo Air spring, 140mm travel, compression adjust, rebound adjust, tapered steerer, 46mm offset, 15mm Maxle Ultimate thru-axle
\nFRAME – FACT 9m carbon, Trail 29 Geometry, FACT IS carbon construction, M5 alloy rear triangle, SWAT Door integration, PF30 BB, fully enclosed internal cable routing, 142mm dropouts, sealed cartridge bearing pivots, replaceable derailleur hanger, front derailleur compatible w\/ Taco Blade, 135mm travel
\nGRIPS – Specialized Sip Grip, light lock-on, half-waffle, S\/M: regular thickness, L\/XL: XL thickness
\nHANDLEBARS – Specialized, 7050 alloy, 8-backsweep, 6-upsweep, 10mm rise, 750mm, 31.8mm
\nHEADSET – Hella Flush, 1-1\/8″ and 1-1\/2″ threadless,
\nBRAKES – Shimano XT, hydraulic disc, Ice-Tech metallic pads, I-spec compatible
\nREAR DERAILLEUR – SRAM X1, 11-speed, alloy cage
\nREAR HUB – Roval Traverse 142+, SRAM XX1 XD driver body, 12mm thru-axle, 28h
\nREAR SHOCK – Custom FOX FLOAT Factory CTD, AUTOSAG, Rx Trail Tune, Boost Valve, Kashima coating, 197×47.6mm
\nTYRES – Specialized Purgatory Control and Specialized Butcher Control, 60TPI, 2Bliss Ready, folding bead, 29×2.3″
\nRIMS – Roval Traverse 29, alloy, disc, 29mm inner width, 24\/28h
\nSADDLE – Body Geometry Henge Comp, hollow Cr-Mo rails, 143mm
\nSEATPOST – Command Post IRcc, cruiser control technology, micro-adjust height adjustable, alien head design, bottom mount cable routing, remote adjust SRL lever, 30.9mm, S: 100mm travel, M\/L\/XL: 125mm
\nSHIFT LEVERS – SRAM X1, 11-speed, trigger
\nSTEM – Specialized XC, 3D forged alloy, 4-bolt, 6-degree rise<\/p>\nSetup<\/h3>\n
![\"IMG_8283\"](\"http:\/\/www.mtb-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_82831-750x500.jpg\")
\n<\/a>Before being ridden, each bike was given a once over by the Punta Ala Trail Center professional mechanic.<\/em><\/p>\nOn The Trail<\/h3>\n
![\"F75R7493\"](\"http:\/\/www.mtb-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/F75R7493-750x500.jpg\")
\n<\/a>Take the high or low line, the Stumpjumper makes it all possible.<\/em><\/p>\n![\"F75R7486\"](\"http:\/\/www.mtb-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/F75R7486-750x477.jpg\")
\n<\/a>Like its predecessors from years past, the Stumpy 29 is light on it’s feet.<\/em><\/p>\n![\"F75R7391\"](\"http:\/\/www.mtb-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/F75R7391-750x500.jpg\")
\n<\/a>The weather\u00a0during our testing was clearly quite nice.<\/em><\/p>\n![\"F75R7539\"](\"http:\/\/www.mtb-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/F75R7539-750x500.jpg\")
\n<\/a>Grip is solid and defined in corners.<\/em><\/p>\nConclusions<\/h3>\n
![\"IMG_8233\"](\"http:\/\/www.mtb-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/IMG_82331-750x500.jpg\")
\nToo many trail bikes to choose from…give us the Stumpy…
\n<\/em><\/p>\nA Final Word<\/h3>\n
\nTest Location: Punta Ala Trail Center<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"