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After
my initial impressions gained from the Adventure expo
a few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to get a Specialized
S-Works Stumpjumper FSR 2006
to test for the weekend. I really looked forward to
this test, as there has been so much said about the
new Stumpy.
I
was even luckier to discover that Rob from Specialized
had sacrificed his own bike for the test. This meant
that I would get to test a bike that was the correct
size for me, an XL.
First
Glance
The
Stumpy turned heads wherever I took it. At the
Saturday morning club ride, many envious Specialized
fans circled the bike for a better look. One of the
main things they were checking out was the, very
unfamiliar to us, Pace RC 41
fork. This fork adds an
exclusive look to the bike. With its carbon fibre
lowers and black stanchions it perfectly compliments
the black anodised S-Works frame.
The
S-Works frame is the top aluminium frame in the Stumpy
range and, judging from the spec on the bike, this was
a frame that was built up; as opposed to a standard
Specialized build. Above this bike in the range, is
the carbon fibre version. According to the Specialized
website, the frame can be purchased separately and
therefore this review will concentrate on the frame
and the suspensions’ performance.
Suspension
The
S-Works version comes equipped with a Fox R rear shock
that has the new improved Brain Fade to handle pedal
platform duties. Normal Stumpjumpers have the
specifically designed Fox Triad. The bike sports 120mm
of rear wheel travel which makes it the longest travel
bike that I’ve had for an extended test. The Pace
fork I mentioned earlier has 130mm of travel and seems
to balance the bike well. The Bike had just been to
Fritz Pienaar Cycles for a service before I collected
it and there was a problem with the lock-out on the
fork. Being a new product in the country it seems that
no-one is able to service these units yet, so for the
test, I had no lock-down function. This would prove to
be a problem on steep climbs, where I could not get
enough weight forward on the bike.
The
Brain Fade is not a lock-out like it is on the Epics.
For me this was good as I had previously ridden a 2004
epic and found the brain very harsh. This mode,
however, is extremely smooth. For Saturday’s ride,
which included some road riding I had the brain on the
firmest setting. This eliminated most bob and still
left the suspension very active. I must admit that I was surprised how hard I had to pump the
rear shock to reach the recommended sag. I eventually
settled on 250psi(!) which supplied the suggested 25%
sag. The back still seemed a bit too “soft” on the
road.
As
with most full sussers, it’s when you hit the single
track that you really start to feel the suspension.
The Stumpjumper does not disappoint. At cruising speed
the bike literally floats over any obstacle. I
didn’t have to choose any lines at all. I simply
rode over anything in my path. Riders behind me
commented on this fact with real amazement.
The
Stumpy is fun to ride. There is loads of travel and I
never bottomed the back. The downhills were by far the
most fun. I even cleared a step that I have not been
able to ride since a crash there.
As mentioned earlier, I struggled on steep
climbs with the long travel fork, but this would be
easily solved with some travel reduction technology.
Based
on Saturday’s ride, I though that a fun bike needed
fun surroundings. So, where better to go stretch the
legs, than at Logwood? Here again people stopped to
look at the bike and ask questions.
After
a few runs at sugar bowl to warm up, I set the brain
to its softest setting and had some real fun. The bike
is perfectly balanced. It is extremely easy to hop
over obstacles. The front is easy to lift and the back
follows, like a well trained border collie. I rode all
the drop-offs with great ease and found that I could
complete most sections at a good speed. The bike
seemed to make me work hard, as when I was finished I
could feel that my arms had been working.
Conclusion
With
the right fork technology this bike would be a great
all-rounder. If you are trying to make the transition
from an XC/Marathon rider to a more radical free
rider, this bike is the passport. With more venues
like Logwood looking set to appear in the near future,
free riding is going to become a factor in the South
African MTB market. And even if you wanted to do some
marathon racing, with some clever set up and some
lightweight components this would be a good companion.
Thanks
to Jaqueline and Rob from Specialized for making this
test possible.
www.specialized.com
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