Specialized Stumpjumper 15 First Ride Review - Big Travel Performance In A Mid Travel Package

The problem is there are a lot of amazing bikes built in the last 5-7 years that are still able to shred on the trails and the new bikes are only marginally better and they have huge price tags compared to what you can get on the second hand market atm. Also, if you are going to buy a new bike, why would you buy a Specialized and pay £100 for bearings every year when you can buy a Santa Cruz and get free bearings for life? The V5 Bronson frame only is also £400 cheaper in CC, which is S Works equivalent. I would get the new Bronson over this, but My 2018 Enduro Ohlins coil and V2 Bronson are still rapid, so I will just keep riding those.

I have no hate for the shock tech or this brand in particular but I perceive it as everything that's wrong with the industry pushing higher prices for "ordinary" trail bikes and "limiting" new tech ... This is not supposed to be a niche product but it's packaged like one.

I'm on the edge of buying one of these in the expert trim but I'm also a fan of Mondraker bikes and the Foxy Carbon RR is a similar price with some pretty nice Ohlins suspension. How would you compare these two bikes?

Will never trade my SJevo for this bike. Extra 10mm front and back is not replaceable by a nicer shock. Plus this bike now looks like every other Canyon, Ari, and other bikes with 4 bar linkage without that asym strut

It seems Spesh has slimmed down it's engineering staff and eliminated options in the Stumpy line. There will never be a bike suited for all disciplines. It is searching for unicorns. I have been burned by Spesh and proprietary stuff in the past. "Innovate or die" may be the downfall of Spesh with their adherence to proprietary stuff. Nothing "Special" here, except an expensive, unproven shock.

Another vid says it has 142mm rear travel... Is this the Swedish rounding up system?

How in the hell can something without an engine cost 10 grand??

Ah yeah, the 145mm stroke shock that we designed and got the idiots at Fox to make, service and warranty on our behalf 🤣 someone needs to send their brand manager on a training course if they don't even understand stroke Vs travel or maintaining supplier relationships. Other than that you can tell that this bike was designed during the COVID boom...

"Yeah mechanical shifting option, who needs that, people will bite our hands off for a bike no matter the price"

Could have been a killer bike if they could get a base model in under 3k

Its finally here. Now mine is irrelevant