Has anyone heard about the 2011 Demo 8? My initial idea was to get a 2010 Demo 8 frame for this season, but it seems like I may not be able to get my hands on one til mid-summer. If I'm waiting til July or so, I thought it might be worth waiting a few extra months for the new frame, especially if it's an upgrade.
Rumors, whispers, e-specuation on 2011 Demo 8?
- Thread starter yd35
- Start date
The 2010 Demo 8 frames (with the exception of a few smalls in Red) are sold out for the rest of the '10 season. Spesh has/is running out of a lot of bike and frames early because they under produced in response to the downed economy. Some 2011 models are already ready to ship and most new models will be released earlier than in previous years to compensate for the unexpected sell outs.
Well, scratch the whole mid-summer estimate for a 2010 Demo then! If I do indeed have to scrap my wishes for a 2010, do you know if the 2011 will be different?
You and me both. I had been waiting for a L Demo to come in stock since they showed up on the dealer website back in August. It seemed like every week the estimated "in stock" date was pushed back another month. I've already put in a pre-season order for a 2011 SX frame since they sell out extremely fast.
As far as I know there won't be any changes to the 2011 model but the Spesh rep for my shop has been known to feed me white lies in the past.
Weren't they talking about Sam's bike having a 150mm rear end this year?
I think Sam's been running a custom 150 rear end ever since he signed with the S. From what I gather, this will never make it into production bikes made for us mere mortals as the company engineers have determined that a 135 rear is plenty stiff as is.
Team bikes have been custom 150mm rear ends. There were very few of these as the demo line shares the same main machined BB area piece and it's too expensive to change it for just one bike, basically.
The 150 rears required special seat and chain stays, dropouts and were through axles (obviously).
The 150 rears required special seat and chain stays, dropouts and were through axles (obviously).
Let's see;
Hill, Brendawg, and now Brosnan all racing World Cup DH for Specialized.
Demo platform hasn't changed in quite a while.
Team bikes are usually a predictor for future production models. Just like the geo changes made to the 2010 Demo based on the team race bikes.
I bet the 2011 Demo will be a full-bore DH race machine.
Expect some sick stuff, worth the wait for a 2011.
Hill, Brendawg, and now Brosnan all racing World Cup DH for Specialized.
Demo platform hasn't changed in quite a while.
Team bikes are usually a predictor for future production models. Just like the geo changes made to the 2010 Demo based on the team race bikes.
I bet the 2011 Demo will be a full-bore DH race machine.
Expect some sick stuff, worth the wait for a 2011.
And the 2010 is not a full-bore race machine ???
Of course not.. it's a freeride bike. I mean Sam only got 1st overall riding it. He could do way better on a "full-bore" race bike!
Jokes aside, I too have been waiting for a '10 Demo 8 ever since I rode one last July, and I finally got it the other week!
At times, I was tempted to just wait for the '11 since the '10 was taking so long, but then I realized it'd likely take til at least next Dec/Jan to get one of them, considering how long the '10 was taking.
SO stoked to get mine though! It's going to be a good summer.
And I too have heard there won't be a major platform change for '11, but Spesh keeps their cards pretty close to their chests when it comes to big releases like that.
So it's really up to you. If you can find a dealer with one for you, you're in luck, but as far as I know Spesh is all sold out (except maybe small frames? you'd have to double check).
oooo wow, one of the first tim's I'm in the loop. I got to bounce on one of these a few weeks ago. Some speci reps and they're pro team were doing some runs on a few of them on tunnel, and I happened to hanging out at the car park! Anyways. It looks similar, but the tubing is a bit cleaner. Geo felt basically the same as the 10's. However the linkage was a bit different. I only got to bounce on it and riding it around the parking lot, but it felt REALLY progressive. Like, way way too progressive, as in a 210lbs guy couldn't get through more than half the travel in the parking lot on a shock sprung for someone around 140. And the engineer confirmed this to me that this prototype at least had a much more progressive leverage curve.
Anyways, gossip away.
Anyways, gossip away.
Yeah the shocks thought of it getting its shimz handed to it by a pro or like on the TUNNEL trail scared it stiff.
Spec is one of the companies guilty of the marketing bs war so if they want to sell and convince ppl that they have the latest and the greatest they have to play the game they've been playing for their other bikes.
Though if marketing wasnt a factor I'd see no reason to make major changes.
and have they been marketing it as a freeride bike? no
Fast guys don't even touch the ground much on Tunnel. It's too flat.Yeah the shocks thought of it getting its shimz handed to it by a pro or like on the TUNNEL trail scared it stiff.
Nothing but small junk on that trail anyway, so the faster setups are typically WAY plusher than normal.
Read my post again. I'm not saing they have. They are simply one of the companies that go heavy with marketing and in my opinion one that made kids think that you need a completely revamped frame every few years if it has to be the gratest. Demo is actualy one of the few bikes from them that hasn't been completely remade from scratch. Though I think intense still leads in that category
Also they've been marketing the demo as a freeride bike for very long
by my calculations, marketing would help you sell more bikes; right now I don't think that's their problem. Their problem is making enough bikes to meet demand! Maybe they're waiting to roll out the marketing/advertising strategies for when they actually have bikes to sell!Read my post again. I'm not saing they have. They are simply one of the companies that go heavy with marketing and in my opinion one that made kids think that you need a completely revamped frame every few years if it has to be the gratest. Demo is actualy one of the few bikes from them that hasn't been completely remade from scratch. Though I think intense still leads in that category
Also they've been marketing the demo as a freeride bike for very long
Quoted for the truth.
I saw one of the Grom Racing bikes at Clemson decked out. Only it wasn't a Demo, it was a Big Hit. (how's that for a random, unrelated, derailing post for no other reason than bumping my post count).
I'm not saying it doesn't help you sell more bikes. Also you can do your marketing like ie. orange that didn't really change their bike much over the years. Depends on how they want to be percived by their potential customers.
As for underproducing - it's not only them. I've heard there is not enough formula rx's on the market (well that's the reason local distri gives to why the summums are not yet here).
Based on specialized history of changing their bikes, even when they don't need to be changed, I would guess we're in for some big changes to the bikes in the near (2011, 2012) future.
As an owner, I find it frustrating at times (bikes constantly changing), but it's also fun to see the new things that they come up with.
I like how Santa Cruz sticks with a platform for a while and refines it over and over, without "model years".
As an owner, I find it frustrating at times (bikes constantly changing), but it's also fun to see the new things that they come up with.
I like how Santa Cruz sticks with a platform for a while and refines it over and over, without "model years".
Not saying you are wrong on this account but it is interesting how perceptions can be so different. I, on the other hand, have never thought of the Demo 8 as a freeride bike. To me it has only been a DH bike, refined each year to make it more of a dedicated race bike. While the Demo 9 is no longer offered, I always felt that and the Big Hits filled the Freeride market. Again, just difference of opinion or perception.Also they've been marketing the demo as a freeride bike for very long
?? Are you trying to imply I can't tell the difference between a heavily damped shock and a progressive linkage?Yeah the shocks thought of it getting its shimz handed to it by a pro or like on the TUNNEL trail scared it stiff.
I remember when they signed Sam they said he was going to use the demo for one year whilst they worked on a new bike. What happened to the new bike?
I know that the 8 were quite good dh bike and that was how I though about it but most of the ppl I know still remember is as a freeride rig. They didn't do much dh advertising for it and rm was the first place I've seen other ppl noticing demo can be a dh bike
The "they" in your statement were the people on this forum, not Specialized. I could be wrong but I don't recall Sam or anyone from Specialized say they were going to come out with a completely new design.
The way I figure it, the problem is forecasting how many to build. A lot of bike companies got burned last year.
I heard Sam's demo this year is almost 90% faster than production bikes. Mainly because he's riding it.
Where can I get that upgrade for my bike? I want it to be 90% faster too! Also does shaving the eyebrows to loose some weight voids warranty?
I would guess the Specialized is now forced to get emerging trend of the "superlight race machine" offerings from Giant, Trek, and, Intense.
The Specialized Rep's aren't saying much at the moment, and may not know, but I'm sure a lighter weight, refined version is coming.
Everyone calls the Specialized the big Marketing firm, and the bandwagon is on 35 pound DH machines, so I have to assume the market is forcing Specialized to play ball.
As a certified bike snob dork I would never have been caught dead on a Giant, and it's one of the machine's I wanted most in 2010....
The Specialized Rep's aren't saying much at the moment, and may not know, but I'm sure a lighter weight, refined version is coming.
Everyone calls the Specialized the big Marketing firm, and the bandwagon is on 35 pound DH machines, so I have to assume the market is forcing Specialized to play ball.
As a certified bike snob dork I would never have been caught dead on a Giant, and it's one of the machine's I wanted most in 2010....
I know nothing about the inner workings of Specialized, so not even speculating here, but if I were in charge there, they'd be working on a FACT carbon DH bike in order to keep their product story consistent. They sell quite a few of those S-Works bikes, so I do think they could sell as many $9000 DH bikes as they could make and still be rolling out a layman's model in Al.