INTRODUCTION
I had been taking a greater and greater interest in full suspension
bikes of late. After reading numerous reviews and articles i decided it
was time to drag my mtbing ass into the 21st century and invest in a
long term full bouncer.
To pay for this new investment in my pleasure time i had to sacrafice
two of my current bikes. My Ribble Em2 went on Ebay and sold within
five days. The second sacrafice was my trusty old Cape Wrath. Given the
condition of this three year old bike i decided to break it down and
sell the parts seperatley.
So with the funds sorted out i embarked on the long and difficult
search for the right bike. Still hanging onto my traditional roots i
was looking for a frame that retains as much of a hardtail shape as
possible. I dont know if its just my reluctance to accept the new
direction of bike design but most of the full sussers around today are
just plain ugly to me.
After several weeks of research and agonising over the choice i decided
that specialized had the nicest looking bikes and a well proven link
design.
A trip toLeisurelakes bikes in Wolverhampton ended with me returning
home with a shiny new Stumpjumper FSR120 comp.
Over the next few months i will update this review to see how the bike
performs over its first summer of riding in various trail conditions.
PART 1 (pre and post first ride)
Frame
TheM4 manipulated alloy frame
with Transform Monocoque TT is very easy on the eye, with what seems a
good paint finish (only time will tell). There is plenty of standover
room thanks to the dip in the top tube. The 06 model has a new pivot in
front of the dropout on the chainstays which allows the rear wheel to
move in a more vertical line. The Horst link design is tried and tested
and is still considered the most efficient design out there for
isolating brake influence and pedal bob.
Suspension.
Fox supply the travel both front and rear. At the back is the exclusive
to Specialised Fox Triad. This shock has 120mm travel, external rebound
adjust, and a three position switch to change the ride characteristics
from 1, full open 2, pro pedal, 3 full lock. This shock feels very
plush and the pro pedal setting is excellent for isolating pedal bob. I
tended to leave the shock in this position most of the time as it
provides a stable pedaling platform which becomes fully active when you
hit the rough stuff.
Up front is a 120mm Fox Float rl. Pre ride i was a bit concerned about
how sticky the fork felt, but after 10 minutes riding it became very
plush indeed and full travel was achieved easily. I have read that
these forks can make some funny noises but no sign of that as yet.
Components
Avid juicy five hydraulic discs provide the stopping power with a 185mm
rotor front and 160mm rear. The levers are reach adjustable and have a
nice shape and feel.
Deore shifters match to a LX front and XTR rear mechs.
To help keep the weight down a hollow two piece chainset is used in the
form of a Truvativ Stylo GXP.
Finishing kit is all in house, the stem, bars and post have some detail
in the finish. However the Specialized Rival saddle may not suit
everyone (it is very very hard) but Specialized claim it will reduce
pressure on nerves and increase blood flow.
Wheels are Mavic 317 rims laced to m525 rear and Specialized Stout
front hubs. The Specialized 2.0 tyres have a huge air volume. Standing
next to a wheel with 2.1 panaracers the Specialized are nearly an inch
higher !
Pre ride
I decided to change the saddle for a tried and tested WTB race.
Also i swapped the wheels for the Mavic cross rides i bought recently
with Panaracer fire xc tyres. This will alow me to sell these
components as new to pay for any cockpit changes.
The rear shock is preloaded to the manual guidelines, but the front
shock is reduced to 70psi to achieve the preload. This is half the
recomended psi for my weight.
Post ride.
After a 3 hr shakedown i have to say i am very impressed! The ride is
ultra smooth with the rear end tracking superbly well and the fox
suspension eating up everything in its path both front and rear. The
lockout is a very usefull feature that i had not experienced before. It
makes road riding and long fireroad climbs alot easier. Having to reach
down to lock the forks or change the rear setting is not as awkward as
i thought it may be, you just have to pre-empt the trail slightly so
your not fiddling around after you start you descent.
It obviousley doesnt climb like a hardtail but is still very
proficient. The biggest surprise after coming from a hardtail is the
enormous amount of grip availiable when climbing. As your weight shifts
slightly forward with each hard pedal stroke the rear end pushes itself
down and digs into the trail. This does take away something from the
ride as you can just sit there and pedal smoothly up technical climbs,
whereas on a hardtail you are using bursts of speed and power to
overcome the tricky bits.
Its on the decents that the bike really comes alive, urging you to go
faster and rewarding you for doing so. On the local trails the
bike just eats up everything you throw at it, i am looking forward to
giving it a true test on some Welsh singletrack.
Grip in the corners is awesome! The active rear end gives you so much
confidence and buckets full of grip. If the going gets a little too
hairy then the avids have ample stopping power and good modulation.
Conclusion.
One ride on fairly tame local trails isnt enough to draw any real
conclusions, but first impressions are that this bike will handle all
the rough stuff and still be light enough to ride all day. Compared to
the hardtails i`m used to it does take a little away from the technical
sections. There is a feeling that you can just point the bike in the
right direction and hold on. In return for this sacrifice it gives you
a ride that just haves you grinning from ear to ear.
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Specialized Stumpjumper FSR120 comp 2006
FSR technology
Fox Triad with rebound, lockout and pro-pedal switch.
Fox Float RL 120, the lightest 120mm fork availiable.
Avid Juicy five with 185mm wavey rotor.
Truvative Stylo GXP helps keep weight down.
XTR rear mech for extra showroom glitz
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