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10/06/2008
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Specialized
for 2008
Fresh from Spain
Cam McRae
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I wandered into Madrid just as a party was ending. It was just shy of
midnight and city workers were pushing mounds of garbage up a blocked-off boulevard
while crowds flowed in the opposite direction. The banners and decorations
that remained revealed a rainbow theme, and while Europe throws off North American
gaydar, straight people appeared to be scarce. The tanned and muscular
identical twins dressed in skin tight Kobe Bryant Lakers uniforms, accented
by army boots and shaved heads, confirmed my suspicions; I had stumbled
upon the tail end, so to speak, of the Euro Pride Fiesta. Feeling a little
out of my element, I drank a beer, ate some patates braves at a street corner
cafe and called it a night.
Madrid is a beautiful city with lots of interesting stuff going
on.
The next day I wandered around the neighbourhood near Calle Gran Via and into
the Chueca District. Madrid is a modern city oozing with style and I would
have loved some time to really explore. After a tasty lunch under an umbrella
it was time to catch the shuttle to Navacerrada, north of Madrid, where Specialized
was going to show off their 2008 mountain line. Looking south from Navacerrada
reminded me of Tuscany but behind us stood some imposing peaks. Good riding
perhaps? My fingers were crossed.
First thing the next morning we arrived for the big unveiling.
Product manager Brandon Sloan talks strategy with Mike Sinyard
before the lid comes off.
Even after countless reminders I forget. It slips my mind that for most
of the world a bike with more than five inches of travel is like a freighter
in the desert. In Vancouver you see DH bikes riding the cycle path around
the seawall and large bikes being pedalled uphill. It's a funny little
zone we live in. As soon as I leave the B.C. bubble I'm confronted with
a world that is more interested in XC or 'trail' bikes than DH or freeride by
a 10:1 margin. Even a company like Specialized that bases much of its
marketing efforts on the backs of riders like Berrecloth, Hunter and Strait
makes a lot more cake on little bikes than big. In fact Mike Sinyard told
us that Specialized sells more units of their Roubaix road bike than any other
model. The upshot is that while I was hoping to see something new for
gravity junkies I had a feeling that this would be a stay the course year.
The Demo 7 and 8 bikes really didn't need much tweaking just yet and the SX
Trail has been a home run by any measure.
The 2008 Specialized Stumpjumper S-Works Carbon. She's
a beaut' eh! Click
to enlarge.
Instead the product managers and engineers were working on a brand new five
inch travel platform - a sexy all-carbon Stumpjumper that displays some revolutionary
technology - and like last year's Enduro, it's sprung fore and aft by Specialized.
Anyone thinking I don't appreciate light weight bikes or that they might compromise
my manhood better think again: I started out, like most of us who've been
doing this for awhile, as an XC rider who just happened to like the trails
on the Shore. Going fast on a light bike is a blast and if you've never
tried it you are missing out.
Does that mean I get to keep it?
Total Suspension Integration
This is what Specialized calls their development model when it includes designing
and manufacturing the fork and shock of a given bike. The Future Shock
S120 fork was designed for the S-Works Stumpjumper frame and vice versa.
The same can be said of the AFR rear shock. Both front and rear suspension
units incorporate Specialized's Brain system. In essence the suspension
is said to firm up over smooth terrain and to respond actively when a bump is
encountered. This system is also adjustable with 'Brain Fade' so the rider
can ramp up the firmness of the ride on smooth terrain.
The steerer of the Future Shock S120 Fork bulges from
1 1/8" to 1.5" at the crown.
Tweaking and tinkering don't do it any more for a top level bike. You need
to start with a clean slate to make any real headway if you plan to make performance
headway and shave some weight. The front end of the new Stumpy is both a
1.5 and a 1 1/8. The steerer fits conventional stem and headset components
at the top and then flares smoothly to a 1.5" diameter at the bottom where
most loads are felt. This keeps the weight down and provides what Specialized
calls 'category leading torsional stiffness.' The carbon steerer and crown
coupled with the 'Buddy System' - where the air spring and damper share the right
fork leg - makes this an incredibly light 120mm fork, tipping the scales at 1450
grams or 3.2 lbs.
The headtube sports the same bulge. An insert allows
the Stumpjumper to be used with a conventional 1 1/8" fork.
I did a couple of laps on the Stumpjumper near where we were staying.
At 10.4 kilos or 22.9 lbs this thing should climb well and I wasn't disappointed.
Lately I have been pedalling up on a bike weighing in at around 16.8 kilos
or 37 lbs so it was bound to feel like I had a motor assist on the Stumpy.
The climb had some rough sections and despite a lack lustre pilot it
never lost its footing. On the way down this bike was playful and lively.
The feathery front end was begging to be hoisted in the air at every opportunity.
I wouldn't call the ride a forgiving one given what I'm used to. The
26 x 2.0 tubeless tires (named 'The Captain' after Ned Overend) weren't
the ideal downhill tool for the loose and rocky terrain, but with some meatier
rubber this could be a great ripper for some of the tamer trails on the
Shore - like Seventh Secret, Pipeline or even Severed Dick under a capable
pilot. For many of the routes around Squamish or on The Sunshine Coast
this could be the perfect tool for the trails. If you are thinking
about Comfortably Numb in Whistler or pretty much anything in the Chilcotins
you couldn't do better than the Stumpy. The full length seat tube
allows riders like you and I to drop the saddle as far as we like as well
- and in that trim the bike feels like a low level fighter jet.
Subtle red accents and understated branding - the anodizing
on the Marta SL brakes matches the link plates - make this is one very fine
looking bicycle. Click
to enlarge.
The bigger news may be on the women's side of the line. Specialized,
under the direction of Women's Product Manager and former Shore resident Eron
Chorney, is getting very serious about designing for the female market.
It isn't enough to paint a bike pink and toss on a 'ladies' saddle anymore.
Specialized has committed to developing an autonomous line of products for
women that is based on 'anthropometric' research into women's reach, average
height, strength to weight ratios and hand size. Experienced female
riders realize that men's products don't work for them and Eron is incredibly
passionate about making products that will help women enjoy riding and succeed
on their bikes.
The Safire shares the approach of the Stumpjumper - a feather light
5" travel trail bike - but the geometry, carbon layup and suspension
tuning on the bike are all designed for a female pilot. At this point
this is the most aggressive bike in the line but Specialized is examining
longer travel bikes for women - which is probably the area where women are
served the worst.
It's not even pink - and it's one of the nicest looking
bikes in the line.
Click to Enlarge.
The Safire is as light at the S-Works Stumpjumper at 10. kilos or 22.8lbs.
I expected it to be a little lighter being made specifically for female riders
but with an almost identical spec perhaps it was tough to shave any additional
grams.
Eron Chorney getting passionate about bikes designed for women
from the knobs up.
I'll have more to tell you about my short Spanish adventure in the days
to come. To view more photos of the 2008 Specialized Line click
here.
What do you think about the Stumpjumper and Safire? A nice addition
to your stable or too spindly for your kind of riding? Give
us the lowdown here.
For more on Specialized click
here.
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