Dream Builds
Jon Staples' EXT Equipped Specialized Stumpy Evo
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Our goal with the Dream Build series is to present the interesting and possibly whacky builds of regular riders. But we're occasionally going to stray from that, and this is one of those times. Jon Staples' new Specialized Stumpjumper Evo perfectly fits the title of Dream Build, but he is far from your regular Joe. Jon is the engineer and co-founder of OneUp Components in Squamish, so expect to see plenty of OneUp bling throughout the build. But Jon also seems to get at least one new bike every year and each is more beautiful than the last.
As one of the engineers at OneUp, Jon's always tinkering. Often special prototype parts can be found bolted to his bikes but there's no sign of them here. He's also incredibly hard on his equipment making him the perfect test subject. In addition to riding his bikes hard, they're regularly the dirtiest I come across at OneUp HQ. Rather than clean it up for the shoot, we opted to leave it as it would normally be found, and this isn't that bad (it is nearly brand new).
Jon's bikes are regularly built up with a mix of Shimano and OneUp components. But this time he's moved away from Fox suspension in favour of checking out the EXT dampers. It sounds like he's impressed.
AJ: What drew you to the latest Specialized Stumpy Evo?
Jon Staples: Clean lines and great Geo. Also, I've never ridden a Specialized before.
What was your decision process choosing the S4 over the S5?
I've never loved super long reach. 475mm is great for me. I'm currently on a 35mm stem.
What were you riding before this bike and why did you change?
Rocky Slayer 29… Looking for something a little shorter in travel.
Why the Gucci EXT suspension? What are you finding with it?
I really wanted to see if the 'plush as a coil' claims were true about the fork – they are. The combo of shock and fork is really balanced and planted.
The Stumpy Evo has quite a bit of adjustability built-in. Have you played around with this much/do you plan to play around with it more?
I haven't played around much but will do. Currently slack at the headset and high (still quite low) at the rear axle.
Tell us about your tire choice. (Is that an EXO—not EXO+—front?)
I would have run EXO+ on the front (stock issues). Ideally, the setup would be a DD rear, EXO+ front, both MaxxGrip. Availability issues meant I had to settle on a MaxxTerra front for now.
Have you found a good use for the downtube SWAT area yet? Any plans for something special in there?
Not yet.
I may run Flat Tire Defender or Huck Norris but full-on inserts make adding a tube almost impossible in the field (and you have to carry a wet insert out). – Jon Staples
Oval vs round chainring. You have both available at OneUp but personally opt for the oval. What benefits draw you to that setup?
For mountain biking, the real benefit is increased climbing traction. To paint a picture of the usage, most mountain bikes don't have a low enough gear to be able to ‘spin’ up steep, loose grades. The pedalling motion, therefore, becomes very biased to powerful sometimes out-of-saddle, downward thrusts. A portion of the momentum is used to help carry the pedals over TDC and the cycle starts again. The oval ring, therefore ‘smooths’ the torque delivered to the ground and allows the rider to maintain traction. Increased traction means less wasted energy used to throw rocks at your riding buddies.
What do you enjoy most about the bike so far?
That it doesn't have a battery.
Worst thing about the bike?
That it doesn't have a battery.
What plans (if any) are there for it in the future?
Thinking about trying the Cascade Components link to increase the amount of progression.
Is this your only bike?
No. I also have a Norco Optic built light.
I have and will wrap every new bike. It easily pays for itself upon resale. – Jon Staples when asked about his Ride Wrap.
Jon's Specialized Stumpy Evo Specs
Frame: | 2021 Specialized Stumpjumper Evo (S-Works Frame) | Size S4. 150mm rear wheel travel. S-Works Layup. Full Ride Wrap (tailored) |
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Shock: | EXT Storia V3 Lok | 575 spring, one turn (1mm) of preload. LSC: 11, HSC: 13, R: 2 (all from closed). Custom tune by Alba Distribution for the 2021 Stumpjumper Evo. |
Fork: | EXT Era (160mm) | Main air chamber: 75PSI Second air chamber: 115PSI / LSC: 7, HSC: 7, R: 11 |
Brakes: | Shimano XT (four-piston) | 203mm rotors front and rear (Shimano IceTech) |
Wheels: | Nobl TR37 on DT Swiss 350 hubs | "The NOBL's have been awesome and the DT350 is a solid dependable setup." |
Tires: | Maxxis Assegai 29 x 2.5 EXO front / DHR II 29 x 2.4 DD rear | Currently MaxxTerra front EXO (not his preferred EXO+) because of supply issues. Front: 26psi. Rear: 28psi |
Drivetrain: | Shimano XT HG12 | 32t OneUp Switch oval chainring |
Cranks: | Shimano XTR | 170mm length |
Chainguide: | OneUp V2 Bash Guide | Black |
Bar & Stem: | OneUp Carbon Handlebar w/ OneUp Stem | 35mm stem length and 35mm rise bar |
Grips: | OneUp Grip | Black |
Pedals: | OneUp Alloy flat pedals and XTR clips | Mostly clipped in but depending on the day, it alternates between these |
Seatpost: | Oneup Components V2 Dropper | 180mm drop length |
Saddle: | SQ Lab 611 | Size 14cm |
Extras: | EDC tool in headtube. OneUp Axle R in the rear wheel | Jon says he'll Ride Wrap all of his bikes because it protects the frame for resale. |
Weight: | 32.8lbs (14.9kg) |
Jon Staples
Height: 6’0"
Weight: 195lbs
Inseam: 34”
Occupation: OneUp Engineer & Co-Founder
Riding Style: Average for Squamish (it’s hard to be average in Squamish)
Bar roll: Neutral
Comments
flatch
2 years, 11 months ago
He could put his wallet in the swat box, cuz it’s fat.
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AJ Barlas
2 years, 11 months ago
Haha. Maybe it’s skinny now?
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Ripmoslow
2 years, 11 months ago
Wow... just wow
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Allen Lloyd
2 years, 11 months ago
A ton of companies say "we ride" but with OneUp it is crystal clear it is the truth. Everything I have bought from them installed easy and worked great. This bike is sick, I don't usually like a blacked out bike, but the frame complexity makes up for the lack of color.
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OwenFoster
2 years, 11 months ago
{embedded drool emoji}
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FlipSide
2 years, 11 months ago
I guess he is not using the 18 POE star-ratchet on a build like that. Is he using a 36 or 54 POE?
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AJ Barlas
2 years, 11 months ago
It for sure felt better than the 18 but I’ll confirm what.
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oneupcomponents
2 years, 11 months ago
I run a 36T ratchet. I haven't have great long term luck with a few high POE systems for durability. As well, some suspension designs seem less 'free' once you get to the 90T+ range.
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Salespunk
2 years, 11 months ago
FYI the link provided to send content just goes back to the main page. Might want to share an actual email. Killer build BTW.
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AJ Barlas
2 years, 11 months ago
Thanks for the heads up, Salespunk. It's been updated to the correct format now. Looking forward to seeing what you're sending. :)
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Jerry Willows
2 years, 11 months ago
Salespunk goes through a lot of bikes
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MuscogeeMasher
2 years, 11 months ago
Well done and great pics. I understand why Jon would trade out bikes frequently, but it’s kinda sad to me that as a whole we’ve gotten to a place where Gucci, dream builds don’t even include consideration of the headset and BB. Not at all a criticism of this piece or site. Just remember when people got excited about those components.
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AJ Barlas
2 years, 11 months ago
Noted. We'll keep an eye out for such components/detail!
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Reed Holden
2 years, 11 months ago
Agree. The new frame designs and decent quality cheap headsets have made a CK headset a thing of the past. Hubs, rims and suspension seem to be where its at these days. Given the choice, I'd rather have better hubs/rims/suspension than headset/BB too.
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Tim Coleman
2 years, 11 months ago
To that point I've had issues with CK headset's lack of a tapered lock ring, both with creaking and with them eating into the fork steerer. While boring I've had far better luck with Cane Creek headsets over the years.
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MuscogeeMasher
2 years, 11 months ago
Agreed. That headset lock ring is why I stopped running King headsets.
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MuscogeeMasher
2 years, 11 months ago
I agree on what’s most important to an extent, and I’m not going to evangelize about King (none on my bikes for at least a few years). Currently, running Wheels Mfg BB’s and Cane Creek 70 headsets (I know you candrop the bearings into a 40, but I do thing the 70 has better sealing) and feeling good about the price/quality combo. Curious about what others are doing on custom builds.
My bet is that AJ is not going to have a lot to report on these components. All the various standards, coupled with changing wheel sizes and geo that have made a lot of people view bikes as 1-2 yr investments, have seemed to snuff out a lot of the enthusiasm for quality BB’s and headsets.
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solar_evolution
2 years, 11 months ago
Rad bike and nice write up!
I'm wondering about this: "Even with the DoubleDown rear tire and 28psi, Jon's been flexing those sidewalls."
Is that a reference to the crisscross pattern visible on the sidewall, or just an observation from the rider?
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Cooper Quinn
2 years, 11 months ago
Sidewall wear, yes.
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Jcmonty
2 years, 11 months ago
I hope NSMB can get an ERA to fully vet out and review. The mystique of this fork is second to none, and I want to see how it really stacks up against the Mezzer, 38s, etc. I have a Mezzer and Storia V3 on my setup right now, and it's fairly amazing. I think that my HSC is a bit too much on the Storia, and I plan on getting that tuned my next service, but it's still unflabbable.
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AJ Barlas
2 years, 11 months ago
I have one. My plan was to do a teardown some time ago but COVID and my own illness are holding that back a bit. It will still happen but when it's safe for me to do so.
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Sun Hester
2 years, 11 months ago
Rad rig and not too different than mine. Unfortunately mine isn't a tax write-off!
Now I need to check out that saddle.
PS. The bike works a lot better on the Cascade ime.
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momjijimike
2 years, 11 months ago
Just here to say:
1. very cool bike 😎
2. OneUp - I love your products and your support is great! Thanks!
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Ryan Walters
2 years, 11 months ago
Holy smokes, that's a nice bike Jon. Almost has me second guessing my Enduro. Almost.
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Jerry Willows
2 years, 11 months ago
I had the Al EVO with an EXT rear.... Enduro is a way better for the chunk.
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Ryan Walters
2 years, 11 months ago
I said almost Jerry!
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Jerry Willows
2 years, 11 months ago
no substitute for moar travel
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WalrusRider
2 years, 11 months ago
I've never ridden the Enduro but I had the last gen Evo and now I'm on the 2021 Evo. The newest version rides remarkable better than the last generation. I think there is something to the more rearward axle path and longer chainstays of the 2021.
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Cr4w
2 years, 11 months ago
Most people don't have a low enough gear to spin up loose technical sections? Most people I see are on 30 or 32x51- how much lower would we need to go? Or did I misread this comment?
Great build!
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Jordan Yard
2 years, 11 months ago
It's hard to spin a 30x51 up some steep pitches. I can see the use for a 28 in some areas.
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Drinky Crow
2 years, 11 months ago
28, ha - i use a 26 and i ain't spinnin'!
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jamied
2 years, 11 months ago
I’ll just leave this here :)
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AJ Barlas
2 years, 11 months ago
Oh geez, that's incredible! We need to get that in this series, though I assume it won't be on many riders' Dream Build lists
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Cr4w
2 years, 11 months ago
Remember when we used to say that short chainstays help with climbing? Why on Earth did we ever believe that?
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Jerry Willows
2 years, 11 months ago
because bike companies.... remember when Giant said that 275 was the best wheel size (they had graphs!)
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Sanesh Iyer
2 years, 11 months ago
Nerdy question from a Storia owner:
What is the tune code for your Storia? Did it differ from the recommendations? Out of the box I'm running my storia with the rebound fully open, so I'm surprised to see you so close to fully closed.
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Jesper van den Adel
2 years, 11 months ago
I felt the same based on pushing on the saddle, however after riding I slowed it down more. It seems to me that it looks slower pushing on the saddle than it feels on the trail. If that makes any sense?!
Amazing shock though, better than any other I`ve ridden
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AJ Barlas
2 years, 11 months ago
Carpark 'testing' the EXT suspension I've also found it to feel slow but on the trail, it works phenomenally well. That's not to say Sanesh won't benefit from an adjustment to his shock's tune, but to agree with you, Jesper. :)
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Sanesh Iyer
2 years, 11 months ago
I agree. Mine feels slowish in the parking lot but on trail it's great. I would like to have a useable range (at the next service for sure). I'd be curious what one or two clicks more open from my fully open setting feels like... But I think I'd land back in the same place.
I tried setting my 38 to match the rebound speed of my shock and it felt like absolute garbage, so I went back to my normal intuition and feel on the fork. The shock compression tunes are bang on as well.
I think it has to do with the hydraulic bottom out bumper, it feels controlled and never feels packed up even deep in the stroke. I wish I had bought an Arma, not a Storia, to tune play with HBC. I rarely use the climb switch and wouldn't miss it if I didn't have it. That's bike and rider specific but... Yeah. I think Arma + 38 w/ smashpot would be a whole other tuning paradigm thanks to the HBC tunability.
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AJ Barlas
2 years, 11 months ago
Totally! Having that bit more to work with on the open end wouldn't be bad for you to at least try.
I'm with you on the Arma. I too am quite curious about HBC tunability and never use the Lok. But the Storia on the G1 has additional bits that I don't know about having added to the Arma. Maybe one day they'll have something specific for it too?
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Tim Coleman
2 years, 11 months ago
Damn Jon that bike is a beauty!
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Gage Wright
2 years, 11 months ago
Was the seat post sticking out 6 inches above the frame a choice or was there no more room for inserting the post any further and running a 210 dropper? I hate having the seat that high up but other friends like to push and brace against the seat in corners to know and feel the bike lean. Whats the scoop?
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Zayphod
2 years, 11 months ago
This bike deserves some proper hubs. Nothing against DT, but come on... 350 is a budget hub.
Onyx with their silence would be a good match for that stealthy looking bike.
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oneupcomponents
2 years, 11 months ago
350 is the same at 240 just marginally heavier. See my comment on POE above, though honestly I've never ridden an Onyx.
Jon @ OneUp
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Zayphod
2 years, 11 months ago
Fair enough, POE is totally a matter of personal preference, but you already have a superb suspension and even it will benefit greatly from a lower unsprung weight.
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trumpstinyhands
2 years, 11 months ago
I've seen more broken Onyx hubs than DT350. The bearings also last longer and the POE isn't strangling suspension action through chain growth.
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Gage Wright
2 years, 11 months ago
What tends to break in Onyx hubs? Have you seen problems with the vesper, classic or both?
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Ryan Walters
2 years, 11 months ago
Onyx sprag clutch hubs are basically the heaviest hubs you can buy - nearly twice as heavy as a 350.
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Ryan Walters
2 years, 11 months ago
DT 350s are proper hubs. I'd go with DT any day of the week over anything else. And I've been through a lot of hubs.....
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Carmel
2 years, 11 months ago
If only their bearings were a little easier to exchange in the rear driveside (where they usually fail first in my experience).
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