[Bicyclist]

OK, here's a preface. I work at a Specialized shop. However, I feel my review of this bike isn't biased. I don't ride a Specialized dirt jump bike and I'm looking to sell my Demo 8 for a Commencal.

Recently I got the chance to borrow a 2006 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Expert, size M. It's got 5" of travel and a XC/AM build. I rode it on one of my favorite technical singletrack trails. I am 5' 11" and the M felt spot-on for me with a 90mm stem, but I do like a small bike.

Mainly I ride downhill and urban/DJ/etc. General tomfoolery. However, I want to get into XC-ish stuff a bit more. I just picked up an Enduro and although it's a decent bike, I really don't like it. It feels like a pig on the way up and a road bike on the way down (a slight exaduration, but you get my point). It's just not fast enough.

So right when I hopped on the Stumpjumper I felt comfy. It was quick, just what I'm looking for. As soon as I dialed in the suspension I couldn't wait to get on the trail.

One section of the trail I rode consists of a few rocky stairs into a 1-2' rocky dropoff. This leads into some more rocky stairs, into a left hand corner, into some more rocks. Oh yeah, and it's on the side of a cliff. Now I always ride this section on my "big bike." However, I hadn't felt comfortable enough on my Enduro with two rides on that trail to hit this section. On the Stumpy, within the first hundred feet of trail, I hit it. And it worked great. I actually feel faster downhill on this bike than my Enduro. Weird, huh? This bike is just awesome.

The Fox suspension worked great, the drivetrain is all pretty much top notch, and the controls are good. However, I didn't like the Juicy 7 brakes (I just don't like the shape of the lever and the squeal), the wheels are pretty tanky and the Specialized F hub blows because the QR "Skraxle" comes loose, and I wish the frame had an un-interupted ST. The tires also weren't the greatest. However, I still feel this is one of the most, if not the, most capable XC/AM bikes out there. I feel like I could race super-D and XC on this bike easily.

My plan is now to sell my S-works Enduro (equipped with a Fox 36, DHX Air, Thomson, XTR, etc.) to buy this bike. Yeah, it's that good. I recommend it to someone looking for a great trail bike you can just ride. However, if you are a competitive XC racer or you like to go really big this isn't the bike for you. But then again you probably wouldn't be looking at this bike if it wasn't up your alley.

Here's a picture of the stock bike from the big S:

 

[MMcG]

thanks for the review. Nice lookin bike!

 

[Bicyclist]

BTW, the one I rode was a Specialized "Test Bike," meaning it's a different color. They tested the color to see if people like it. It's a sweet Kawasaki green, I'll post pics later today.

 

[Dirtbag85]

Yea , killer bike. But like you said , they could do a little in the way of the tires...kinda "stock" lookin'. Still a really nice bike though. Got a question though .... I saw where you posted on my Blur XC thread .... but what I was going to ask about was the breaks . I'm living in East Tennessee right now, and unfortunately it rains a lot here. More than most would think. (sometimes it's bad thing) A lot of the riding I'm doing is around or near lakes or bodies of water etc. Point being , there's a helluva lot of mud, water , etc around this part of TN. And like you said, I don't need the squealing/ noise/ p.o.s. breaks. You said in your review of the Stumpy, that the Juicy's just weren't up-to-par with the rest of the bike. Got any suggestions there ....Hopes perhaps ....? Just seeing what you thought.... I'm about to make a pretty big investment w. the Blur, I'd really like to nail this component set up. Fortunately , Santa Cruz has a kit list of about 15 component set ups that you can choose from. So worst case scenario I'd could just pick another kit. Right now I'm planning on going with the Sram X-9 kit. I would love to get a hold of the X-O stuff but for that performance up grade and the price jump, it's just not worth it. From what I've heard, the Avid's have, at least over the last few years , been as-advertisted ... do you agree ?

 

[Bicyclist]

A lot of people love Juicys but I just don't like 'em. They squeal and the lever shape makes my hands cramp up. Shimanos have always treated me right. I hate Hopes more than Juicys, they sqeal and are hard to set up, and they're inconsistent. Some are grabby and some hardly work. Just my opinion, of course.

If I were you I'd look at Shimanos or Formulas for brakes.

As for the Blur, it's way more upright than the SJ. It's got a higher BB, and all the ones I've seen just feel taller. For me the SJ is perfect because it corners well and is VERY stable. However, if you're riding techy woods stuff where you need ground clearance it wouldn't be ideal. I'm a low BB guy so I love this bike though.

 

[Dirtbag85]

Hm... never heard that about the Avid's before. But I'll def. be looking into it.
By the way, how much is the SJ? And what is the travel in the front and rear? Doesn't it have the Fox 100rlt on it.

 

[Bicyclist]

It's 5" of travel front and rear.

It's got a Fox TALAS RL (3-5") on the front and an RP3 on the back. It's nice because you can tune in the front travel or lock it out, and on the back you can have it open/ProPedal/locked out. Super adjustable.

 

[Dirtbag85]

The Blur XC is very comparable. 100r or rlt in the front, depending on if you want to fork (haha, no) out the extra money. rp3 in the rear as well. Interesting little fact though, off topic though, but my shop also carries Jamis. Not sure if you know anything about them , some don't. But they are making a Dakar 1.0 I think it is. Starting at about $1500 or so , same exact setup as both of these bikes. Which is pretty much the reason we carry Jamis. Very good budget bikes, with overrall great ride and excellent comparability to the big bike companies . Somewhat interesting.