Stumpjumper EVO Ride Impressions

Date Aug 21, 2011

Disclaimer:
Paul rides for nsmb.com. He is a sponsored team rider and the frame he speaks about below was part of that sponsorship. We realize that there could be a perception of bias here. Fortunately Paul is the type to tell it like it is. Add a grain of salt if you like. Now that we’ve got that out of the way I’ll let Paul take over.
Cam McRae

Specialized have been winning over cross country riders for years with the Stumpjumper FSR, and more recently, they have made an assault on the aggressive trail bike market with the Enduro and the Pitch. Now they have blurred the border in between, and in a bold move, have taken the XC influenced chassis of the Stumpjumper, and pumped it full of steroids! The Stumpjumper EVO is only available right now as a full (expert) build. My bike has a similar build, but not the same as what Specialized spec, so these impressions are predominantly focused on the frame.

My Stumpjumper EVO has a full Sram build, with DT wheels, Chromag saddle and Maxxis Tires. This is not the spec you will find on the stock bike, but is similar.

The Stumpjumper EVO shares a lot of qualities with the regular Stumpjumper. The geometry, besides one vital number, remains very similar. The quoted top tube length, chainstay length, and bottom bracket height only change by 3mm or less between the two bikes. The EVO gets slightly longer travel than the regular Stumpy, but only by 5mm in the frame (10mm in the fork). So apart from the more aggressive spec that comes on the full build (including ditching the brain shock), and the introduction of ISCG mounts, what makes the EVO so different? I think that Specialized have done to this bike exactly what riders like me are looking for. They have taken their light, fast, cross country frame, and changed the single most important part of the geometry for aggressive riding. The head angle. The EVO is a full 1.5 degrees slacker than the regular Stumpjumper, which puts it in a very different ball park, and almost in a category of its own when you are classifying types of bike.

The head tube is tapered on the EVO, allowing for a stiffer fork than the regular stumpjumper will take.

The build:
My bike does not have the stock build that Specialized spec. But I stayed with the 150mm travel fork (although I went for 20mm axle instead of the 15mm) and kept the build light, but still sensible for riding hard. Sram’s XX groupset helps a lot with shedding the grams, but whilst nothing is too heavy, I don’t feel like I have made any big compromises with strength. This is still a solid bike. The tapered steerer compliments the 20mm axle, keeping things nice and stiff at the front end. The reverb dropper post is almost a necessity for me now on this kind of bike. I have been running a 50mm stem and 740mm bars, as I like my cockpit to feel similar to my downhill bike.

The “Expert” build kit on the stock bike is similar to my build in that it is put together with more aggressive trail riding in mind.

The ride:
The back end of this bike is derived from a cross country bike. And when you want it to it really feels that way. As you put the power down for the climbs it really wants to take off, and being so light, and using the tried and tested FSR platform, you know this bike will climb well before you even get on it. It actually feels like a lot less than 145mm rear travel when you’re climbing. Having said that, to get the feel on the climbs that this bike deserves, I think a height adjustable fork is a must, which is a shame, because the fork that is specced on the full bike is the non-adjustable Float 32. Climbing with the fork at 150mm shifts your weight back, and traction on the front wheel is seriously compromised. Drop the fork down, and it will climb almost like a regular Stumpy. Just watch out for the lower BB height, I have been hitting my pedals on a few climbs! Winding the forks back up for the descent, the 67 degree head angle means that this bike really wants to go fast! It almost gives you a false sense of security having a light bike that is this slack, it feels so comfortable on steeps and at speed, that it is easy to forget that you are only supported by a Stumpjumper chassis, and it’s tempting to start ploughing stuff like you are on a downhill bike! The FSR linkage gives a super supple yet responsive ride. Specialized also offer a lifetime warranty on their frames, and the fact that they have knocked back the head angle so much is another obvious testament to their confidence in the strength of the frame. A slack head angle creates extra stress, not just induced by extra leverage from the fork, but also by the abuse from the new audience it attracts.

Comfortable with steeps and speed, the geometry of the EVO is perfect for the aggressive rider.

When you do start smashing through chundery sections, and hitting turns with some force, the back end of the bike will tap you on the shoulder and remind you that it is based on an XC bike. You do have to pick your lines a little more carefully than you would on some of the 6 inch trail bikes out there, it is definitely not as stiff as, say, the Enduro, but it is also not really that kind of bike…

I think that the Stumpjumper EVO is the perfect bike for the downhiller looking for a light, aggressive trail bike. If you want a bike aggressive enough to allow you to get rid of your downhill bike, look elsewhere. Specialized, along with a number of other companies, have already catered for you with other models. The same applies if you are looking for a cross country race bike. Let’s face it, you will never ride the XC race of your life with this head angle. This bike is something different. It is for the rider who wants to hammer the climbs faster than all the guys on their bigger trail bikes, but still rip past all the spandex bandits on the descents. It is in a little sub-category all of its own, which before too long will probably have other peers, and some ridiculous name like “cross mountain” or “all country”. Speculation aside, I can tell you for now that this is one fun mountain bike.

All mountain? Trail? XC trail? Enduro? Cross mountain? Or maybe just what it used to be called; “mountain biking”.

Conclusion: Is this the one bike to replace all of your other bikes? Probably not. Is it a light weight, aggressive, fun trail bike that compliments the rest of your quiver perfectly? Yes, yes, I think it is.

Anything to add? Add it over on the boards here…