First Ride Review: Specialized Stumpjumper 2018

Specialized Stumpjumper 29

The S-Works model is the flagship of the Stumpjumper lineup. With its eye-watering price-tag of € 8,999 it’s likely to remain a dream for most of us.

The new version of the 29er Stumpjumper comes with more travel – 150 mm on the front and 140 mm at the rear. The geometry of its 3-year-old predecessor was only minimally tweaked and the new bike is now slightly longer and a little slacker – but the dimensions are still moderate. On a size L frame, the reach has increased by 14 mm and comes up to a total of 445 mm while the wheelbase grew by 22 mm and now measures 1201 mm. The chainstay length and bottom bracket-height remain unchanged and the head-angle was slackened by half a degree.

Specialized Stumpjumper 29 Geometry

Size	S	M	L	XL
Seat tube	380 mm	410 mm	455 mm	505 mm
Top tube	572 mm	595 mm	628 mm	662 mm
Head tube	95 mm	95 mm	125 mm	140 mm
Head angle	66,5°	66,5°	66,5°	66,5°
Seat angle	74,8°	74,5°	74,1°	73,7°
Chainstay	437 mm	437 mm	437 mm	437 mm
BB drop	33 mm	33 mm	33 mm	33 mm
Wheelbase	1.149 mm	1.169 mm	1.201 mm	1.231 mm
Reach	405 mm	425 mm	445 mm	470 mm
Stack	614 mm	614 mm	641 mm	656 mm

What about the 27,5”-Stumpjumper?

The new Stumpjumper is available in both 29″ and 27.5” versions but not all markets will see both bikes. We had the opportunity to test both bikes and compare them against each other, the differences are striking! In order to match the outstanding composure of the 29er version, Specialized stretched the reach and slackened the head-angle of the 27,5” model – respectively by 10 mm and 1°. However, we would still choose the 29er version over the 27.5″ any time. The big wagon wheels offer superior rollover characteristics and maintain the speed better than the 27.5″ model. It’s true that the 27.5” version has an additional 10 mm of rear-travel but since both bikes share the same 150 mm fork the 29er still rides much smoother.

The 27.5″ Stumpjumper is not a bad bike at all but we still prefer the 29er version.

Model overview

The Stumpjumper is available in 4 different models and as a frameset. The Comp version is the gateway to the Stumpjumper world and costs € 2,999. One thousand euros more will buy you a carbon frame with the same spec. For more experienced riders the € 5,499 Stumpjumper Expert should be the most exciting option; the RockShox suspension combo, GX Eagle groupset and fancy Roval Traverse Carbon wheels leave very little to be desired. The € 8,999 S-Works model marks the high-end of the Stumpy lineup. With its beefy FOX 36 Factory fork and the FOX FLOAT DPX2 shock the S-Works is trimmed for top trail performance rather than for weight efficiency – a choice we welcome very much! If you have your very own idea of spec and prefer building your own bike the S-Works is available as a frameset with a FOX FLOAT DPX2 shock for € 3,699.

	S-Works Stumpjumper	Stumpjumper Expert	Stumpjumper Comp Carbon	Stumpjumper Comp
Fork	FOX 36 FLOAT Factory, 150 mm	RockShox PIKE RC, 150 mm	FOX FLOAT 34 Rhythm, 150 mm	FOX FLOAT 34 Rhythm, 150 mm
Shock	FOX FLOAT DPX2 Factory	RockShox Deluxe RT3	FOX FLOAT DPS Performance	FOX FLOAT DPS Performance
Brakes	SRAM Guide RSC 200/180 mm	SRAM Guide R 200/180 mm	Shimano SLX 200/180 mm	Shimano SLX 200/180 mm
Drivetrain	SRAM XX1 Eagle	SRAM GX Eagle	Shimano SLX/XT	Shimano SLX/XT
Seatpost	Command Post IRcc	Command Post IRcc	X-Fusion Manic	X-Fusion Manic
Stem	Syntace MegaForce 2	Specialized Trail	Specialized Trail	Specialized Trail
Handlebars	Specialized Trail Carbon, 780 mm	Specialized Trail 7050 Alloy, 780 mm	Specialized 6061 Alloy, 780 mm	Specialized 6061 Alloy, 780 mm
Rims	Roval Traverse SL	Roval Traverse SL	Roval Traverse	Roval Traverse
Hubs	Roval Traverse	Specialized	Specialized	Specialized
Tires	Specialized Butcher/Purgatory GRID 2,6”	Specialized Butcher/Purgatory GRID 2,6”	Specialized Butcher/Purgatory GRID 2,6”	Specialized Butcher/Purgatory GRID 2,6”
Price	€ 8,999	€ 5,499	€ 3,999	€ 2,999

Riding the Specialized Stumpjumper 29

Specialized fans will immediately feel at home on the new Stumpy. Once again the popular American brand has succeeded in developing an extremely well-balanced geometry which requires only a short adaptation time. In our big group test, the previous version of the Stumpjumper delivered a solid downhill performance but had to admit defeat to other bikes on the uphill. The new version is taking a similar approach. Its uphill performance is comparable with the previous model but the new zero-setback seatpost makes for a more centred riding position which allows you to put more power into the cranks. And still the bike feels a little sedate on climbs which is not ascribable to the suspension – the bike doesn’t bob or wallow even when riding with the shock in fully-open mode – but to the relatively heavy spec. We happily live with this because the wide rims and grippy tires increase the riding pleasure considerably.

The new Stumpjumper requires only a very short adaptation time. The relatively tame geometry makes for lots of riding fun even at low speeds.

But on the downhill, the Stumpy is an entirely different story. The 150 mm front- and 140 mm rear-travel lay a solid foundation and the revised suspension curve and new geometry round off the package. The slightly longer reach and slacker head-angle are welcome additions which make the Stumpy feel more composed on the downhill without affecting its nimble character. The new Stumpjumper suits a broad range of applications and feels just as comfortable on flowy trails as it does on challenging EWS stages.

The spec underlines the high demands of the bike and tells us clearly that the Stumpy is a very capable machine. Powerful brakes, wide rims and a generous cockpit – straight out of the box (almost) everything feels right. We don’t even mind the slightly heavier weight simply because the bike wouldn’t be the same without its robust components. The new dropper with more travel is a true blessing for tall riders and the huge gear range of the SRAM Eagle drivetrain makes even the steepest climbs bearable.

The new Stumpy rolls on beefy 2.6″ tires. In many scenarios this can be of great advantage but the heavy reinforced carcass makes itself noticed on long uphills.

Long overdue: Up to the current model year all Stumpys came with a 125 mm dropper-post. Finally Specialized decided to swap it with a new Command post with up to 160 mm drop.

Until not long ago Specialized’s in-house tires couldn’t quite equal the superb performance of brands like MAXXIS or Schwalbe. But over the years Specialized’s tire experts worked hard to improve their rubber and the latest generation of Specialized tires can convince with a superb performance. However, the grippy 2,6“ tires are still dividing opinion. On descents the fat tires are a true blast – they’re easy to control, precise and generate tons of traction. However, when climbing they feel a bit heavier than the popular 2.3 version and require a little more leg-power. Rolling characteristics aren’t any worse than with the slimmer 2.3″ cousins but the higher rotating mass doesn’t go unnoticed.

The Stumpjumper is Specialized’s very own idea of trailbike… Once again the Americans haven’t promised too much.

We had the opportunity to test both the high-end S-Works version and the Expert model which is € 3,500 cheaper. The super-stiff FOX 36 fork of the S-Works offers outstanding dampening characteristics in rough terrain and superb tracking at high speeds. For a more relaxed riding style, however, it can end up feeling a little too stiff. The RockShox PIKE on the Expert model feels slightly more lively at normal trail riding speeds and is, therefore, a great option for most “normal” riders. Apart from this, both bikes deliver a very similar performance on the trail with the Expert offering an all-over better price/performance ratio.