2019 Stumpjumper Expert/First Ride Impressions
The newly redesigned Stumpjumper FSR is here, and it is a party!
When we were told a new design of the Stumpjumper would be coming out this year, each of us were pretty curious as to how Specialized could improve on our already favorite trail bike.
The 2019 Stumpjumper comes with a new frame design, short travel & long travel options, new suspension tune, a flip chip to change the bottom bracket height, and a whole lot of fun!
I rode the previous Stumpjumper design last year. I did all sorts of riding on it - All-Mountain hangout gnar days, XC racing, and 100 mile racing. The bike did everything, and I really enjoyed it. However, there were a few issues I had with it that at the time I had attributed to just not being experienced enough on the trails. But then I rode the new Stumpjumper and realized that it wasn't my fault that I couldn't keep the front end of the older model down on steep climbs, or that the floppy feeling I experienced through some techy stuff wasn't because of a lack of "aggressiveness".
The new model made all of the issues I had on the older model completely vanish. My first ride on the new Stumpy was at the Massanutten Western Slope - one of our local trails systems with all the rocks you could want in all of the difficulty levels you could want. It's one of my favorite places to ride, with no shortage of spots to work on rock/tech riding. I have a few places on these trails that always give me a hard time - a steeper switchback with a small rock step right in the middle of a long climb, a couple of steeper climbs with a bunch of loose rock, some boulders on a ridge I've always struggled to ride... The 2019 Stumpjumper got me over, and through, and up all of these features that I have burned so well into my brain - they turned into fun features to ride instead of "Kelly's struggle bus section." This bike feels planted through everything. The front end doesn't come up on me at all; I just pedal right along through rock gardens, and on descents I feel like I'm on a rocket ship.
These improvements in my riding are likely attributed to the change in frame geometry - slacker fork, longer top tube and wheel base, BUT the chainstays have stayed the same shorter length of 437mm (same as the previous model). The new frame with the Sidearm design is lighter and stiffer. All of these features combined with the new suspension trail tune make for a bike that truly is ready for anything and everything. It's gone above and beyond what we could have ever expected.
Another feature that completely blew my mind is the new Command Post dropper. It now drops 160mm from what used to be 125mm in the old model for size Medium through X-Large. The first time I dropped the saddle I almost didn't know what to do. We were heading down a descent from the mountain overlook, I hit the dropper lever, and all of a sudden the seat was gone (not really but I was just so surprised lol). Having the seat go so low brought my center of gravity to a new position and it was pretty fun getting real rowdy heading down the mountain.
I haven't completely opened up on the bike up yet - I'm still going through my "break-in" phase on it - but on my second ride I did get it going pretty good and got a bunch of PR's on some Strava segments :)
'19 Stumpjumper Expert Specs:
Frame: FACT 11m, full carbon chassis and rear end, asymmetrical design, 29 Trail Geometry, SWAT™ Door integration, threaded BB, fully enclosed internal cable routing, 12x148mm dropouts, sealed cartridge bearing pivots, replaceable derailleur hanger
Fork: RockShox Pike RC, DebonAir, rebound/low-speed compression adjust, tapered steerer, 51mm offset, 15mm Maxle® Stealth thru-axle, 15x110mm Boost™, 150mm of travel
Shock: RockShox Deluxe RT3, Rx Trail Tune, rebound and 3-position compression adjust, 210x50mm
Wheels: Traverse Carbon rims, 30mm internal width, Hi-Lo disc hubs
Tires: Front - Butcher GRID, 29x2.6", Rear - Purgatory GRID, 29x2.6"
Drivetrain: SRAM GX Eagle, 12speed
Seatpost: Command Post IRcc, 16-position micro-height adjustable, two-bolt head, bottom mount cable routing, remote SRL lever, 34.9mm, S: 130mm, M/L/XL: 160mm of travel
Brakes: SRAM Guide R, hydraulic disc, organic pads, Guide S4 4-piston caliper
2018 Roll Elite - Low Entry
Don't let the big tires fool you! The Roll Elite
One of our favorite bikes is now here with hydraulic disk brakes and more gears!
- Wide diameter, 650bx2.3" Nimbus Sport tires provide excellent traction, stability, and cushioning, which creates a safer, more reliable, and more comfortable ride on either paved or dirt roads.
- Equipped with the Specialized Body Geometry "The Cup" saddle, you can expect a supreme level of comfort anywhere you take the Roll. It delivers on these expectations by "cupping" your sit bones, which reduces pressure without feeling obtrusive or constraining.
- A spring suspension seatpost takes the sting out of rough terrain, giving you an extra bit of "cushion" that'll have you riding longer and more comfortably.
All-City Cosmic Stallion
"The Gravel / All-Road / Endurance thoroughbred!
Cosmic Stallion - "The party bike you can also rip on."
Ryan took this bike out to our local grassroots event, the Harris-Roubaix, this past weekend. Ryan was pretty stoked on this bike - it has a comfortable endurance geometry without sitting too upright; it clears big gravel tires, but still feels like he could take it out to one of our local weekly fast rides to shred the pavement. We think he's going to have a hard time bringing the bike back to the shop!
If you'd like to demo our Cosmic Stallion, hit us up or stop by! Visit our demo bike page by clicking HERE!
Cosmic Stallion Complete Build Specs:
- Headset: Cane Creek 40 IS42/28.6 IS52/40 Short Cover Headset
- Stem: Zipp Service Course 6˚
- Handlebar: Salsa Cowbell, 31.8mm
- Bar Tape: All-City Super Cush w/ lock on plugs, Black
- Shifter/Brake Lever: SRAM Rival 22 Hydraulic, 11-speed
- Front Derailleur: SRAM Rival 22, Braze on w/Band Mount Clamp (28.6mm)
- Rear Derailleur: SRAM Rival 22, long cage
- Brakeset: SRAM Rival Hydraulic, Post Mount, rotors: 160mm front , 140mm rear
- Crankset: SRAM S-390, 50/34t
- Bottom Bracket: SRAM GXP
- Seatpost: Zipp Service Course, 27.2mm
- Saddle: All-City Gonzo
- CassetteSRAM PG1130, 11-32t
- ChainSRAM PC1110
- WheelsNovatec 6-bolt hubs, WTB STP i19 32h, tubeless ready, 32h
- Tires: Clement X'PLOR MSO, 700c x 40mm, 60TPI
2018 Fuse Comp Carbon 6 Fattie/29
If you have yet to ride a bike with our 6Fattie Wheel/Tire system, we challenge you to do so without walking away with a stoked-out grin.
If you love the hardtail mtb life, but still wish for a little extra plush factor, the Fuse is the bike for you! Never before has a hardtail been so fun to ride (especially around here with some of our gnar east coast trails!)!
The Fuse Comp Carbon's FACT 10m carbon fiber frame construction blends stiffness with light weight to form the pinnacle of efficiency, while internal routing tubes and integrated an SWAT™ Door create a tidy aesthetic and zero-hassle storage.
A RockShox Reba RL fork handles suspension up front with ease, soaking up bumpy terrain with 120mm of plush travel.
SRAM's 11-speed GX groupset features a wide gear range that delivers climbing and descending efficiency in spades. On top of this, the one-by setup is notorious for being next to impossible to drop a chain with, plus it provides significant weight savings in comparison to a standard two-by setup.
2018 Tarmac Expert SL6
The newly redesigned 2018 Tarmac Expert is here, and it's going to blow you away.
Weighing 16.3lbs out of the box, the new Tarmac SL6 means business. The Rider First Technology frame takes on a new meaning with the SL6 frame model, and it's performance is second to none. Stiff and responsive, yet smooth and a total blast to ride, the Tarmac Expert is ready to shred... Especially because it clears 30c tires!
Tarmac Expert Specs/Info:
- The FACT 10r carbon frame combines the lightweight performance and compliance of our top-end carbon production methods with our Rider-First Engineered™ design that ensures every frame size has the same legendary climbing responsiveness and descending prowess you'd expect from a Tarmac.
- S-Works full FACT carbon fork with a tapered construction provides incredible front end stiffness and steering response for instantaneous accelerations and high-speed descents.
- The 11-speed Shimano Ultegra 8000 shifting is extremely reliable, lightweight, and precise.
- Seatpost: S-Works FACT Carbon Tarmac seatpost, 20mm offset
- Wheels: Roval SLX 24 Rims, DT Swiss 350 hubs, DT Swiss Competition spokes
- Brakes: Shimano Ultegra 8010 direct mount
2018 Women's Pitch Comp 27.5
Welcome to the trails!
The Pitch Comp is a great bike that features an even feel for wherever you choose to ride! It has a light aluminum construction that's durable and compliant, while the Women's Sport Trail 27.5 Geometry ensures that you'll remain both comfortable and confident on any trail. Add in corrosion-resistant hardware and plenty of custom tuned front suspension, and you'll be ready to ride wherever your will takes you.
- The frame is constructed from lightweight A1 Premium Aluminum in order to provide a compliant, durable platform to support our acclaimed Women's Sport Trail 27.5 Geometry. Combined, you get a bike that's extremely versatile, making it equally capable on the climbs and descents.
- Custom SR Suntour 27.5 fork features our Multi-Circuit Damping technology to eliminate any "pogo" effect by delivering 80/100mm (size-specific) of hydraulic damped suspension and rebound that smooths out rough terrain.
- The smooth-shifting 9-speed Shimano Acera rear derailleur, combined with an 11-34t cassette has this Pitch ready to climb just as well as it rolls along the flats.
- The Ground Control tires are ready to shred, with flak jacket protection and 2.3" width!
2018 Specialized Turbo Como 2.0
TURBO COMO
The Specialized Turbo e-bikes are built around the concept of “It's you, only faster.” So, no matter if you're a seasoned rider or just starting out, we customize these bikes and E-Bike Technology to the ride experience. This way, you get a seamless, authentic experience, just with a little extra oomph!
The Como’s motor is fully integrated with the frame and features a smooth, silent, vibration-free output. It's also been custom-tuned for city riding, and it intuitively reacts to the force of your pedaling—so the harder you pedal, the more power it delivers. And with an internal belt drive design, it does this without added vibration for the smoothest and most silent ride possible.
Specialized made the custom U1-460 battery to be fully integrated with the frame, removable for easy charging, and lockable for added security. It communicates with the display and has multiple modes to maximize the overall efficiency and range.
This bike is available to demo! Stop by the shop to take it for a ride!
2018 All-City Cycles ELECTRIC QUEEN!
The Electric Queen
All-City Cycles says, "The Electric Queen was expressly made for maximum fun."
Everyone at Rocktown agrees.
With only just a few test rides done so far (the bike was built 30 minutes ago), we are already so stoked on the this bike and the potential it has for mountain biking.
This bike "features modern mountain standards: stealth dropper routing, Boost Spacing, thru-axles, 44mm head tube, and two bottle mounts." All-City Cycles.com
Stock Build Spec:
- Frame: 612 Select CroMoly steel. Double butted down, top, and seat tubes. Externally tapered, ovalized, and dimpled chain stays, tapered seat stays, replaceable derailleur hanger. Stealth dropper post routing.
- Fork: RockShox Reba RL 120mm
- Handlebar: Salsa Rustler, 750mm
- Shifter/Brake Lever: SRAM GX 11spd
- Rear Derailleur: SRAM GX 1x11, Long Cage
- Brakeset: SRAM Level, 160mm Centerline Rotors
- Bottom Bracket: SRAM GXP
- Crankset: SRAM GX 1000, 32t, Boost
- Cassette: Sunrace 11spd, 11-42t
- Hubs: Novatec, 32h, Black
- Rims: WTB Scraper i40, 27.5, 32h
- Tires: WTB Ranger 27.5 x 3.0", 27tpi
Available Tire Clearance: up to 27.5 x 3.0" or 29 x 2.3"
Size currently available in the shop: Large
Price: $2,299.99
2018 Specialized Epic Expert
Lightweight carbon frame? Check. Industry-leading suspension technology? Oh yeah. Race-ready build kit? You know it. The Epic Expert is not only ready to shine in races, it's also ready to shred your local trails!
Race courses have evolved over the past few years. They're more technical, steeper, and simply more challenging to ride. Specialized looked at the sum of parts that make a bike handle well, like the head angle, reach, stack, chainstay length, fork offset, etc., and reevaluated all of it. Increasing the reach made a bike that was more stable at speed and generally more comfortable to ride. Dropper posts? Yep, those fit, and not just a short-travel XC option, but full-length droppers that fit in the 30.9mm seat tube. Head angle? We slacked that out, but not without evaluating the overall handling package. It now lands on a custom offset, 42mm fork that works with the slacker head angle in order to behave itself in tight corners and through switchbacks.
Next comes the redesigned Brain technology, Brain 2.0. The Brain changed the way the bike world looked at suspension, both its inefficiencies and benefits alike. And oh was it good. It won races and put a flag in the ground for Specialized as a true leader in innovation and suspension development, but they knew that it could be made better. Simple physics showed that, by moving the Brain closer to the rear axle, it would be in the most sensitive spot. And after countless hours with the RockShox team, the new Brain became more than just a slight upgrade. It's totally new. Now, it reacts seamlessly to bump forces, it has much more consistent damping performance, and finally, it integrates the hoses into the suspension links. This, in turn, improves oil paths, and it creates an incredibly sleek package that outperforms anything on the market.
The new Epic also gets a serious upgrade in the stiffness department. The Rider-First Engineered™ tubes place complex carbon pieces in all the right places, which greatly increases stiffness in the front end for a vast improvement in ride quality and control. To go along with this, each frame size has size-specific tubes that result in the stiffest, best riding XC bike we've ever developed—no matter the frame size.
2018 Epic Expert Specs:
- Frame: Specialized FACT 11m, full carbon frame, XC Geometry, threaded BB, 12x148mm rear spacing, internal cable routing, 100mm of travel
- Shifter, Cassette, Derailleur: SRAM GX Eagle, trigger, 12-speed
- Chainring: Alloy Eagle 32T
- Crankset: Truvativ Stylo, 6K alloy, Boost™ 148, 24mm spindle
- Bottom Bracket: SRAM GXP
- Wheels: Roval Control Carbon, 22mm internal width, tubeless-ready Rims (32h); Hubs - Specialized, sealed cartridge bearings
- Fork: RockShox SID 29 w/ Brain, tapered alloy steerer, bottom-adjust Brain Fade, Solo Air, 110x15mm Maxle® Stealth thru-axle, 100mm of travel, 42mm offset
- Shock: RockShox/Specialized Micro Brain shock w/ Spike Valve, AUTOSAG, 51x257mm
- Seatpost: Specialized, alloy, single bolt, 21mm offset, 30.9mm
2018 Specialized Chisel Expert
The Chisel Expert is here to bring your hardtail mtb experience to the next level!
Given its lightweight and ultra-stiff characteristics, M5 aluminum was the natural choice for the frame's construction. And when complemented with our speed-focused XC 29 Geometry, D'Aluisio Smartweld technology, and internal cable routing, you get a bike that compromises nothing in delivering explosive speed, confident handling, and hassle-free maintenance.
ABOUT D'Aluisio Smartweld:
"Today, many are content leaving alloy frames in the past, but we are not the many. Our aluminum road frames are recognizable in name alone. True, they have a foot rooted in the past, but we've ensured that they're firmly pointed to the future through D'Aluisio Smartweld Technology (DSW). And now that this technology has been proven at the highest levels on the road, we're happy to announce that it's migrated to the trail with the Chisel, too.
Traditional welding methods create frame joints by connecting tubes to cylinders, leaving the performance & security of the connection up to the skill of the welder. DSW, however, takes the joint and gives it back to the engineers. This means we're able to move the joint away from the area of the highest stress, making the finished frame's balance of strength, rigidity, and weight more pronounced than any alloy frame in history.
We've also taken comfort into account by employing a butted tube design, where excess material has been removed from low-stress areas. This allows our engineers to create a natural compliance in the tubes of the frame, so you'll experience less of the harsh ride characteristics that've plagued aluminum frames and more of the smooth ride qualities that we've engineered into the frame.
Consider it aluminum rethought for the future." - specialized.com
A custom RockShox Reba RL 29 fork offers up 90/100mm of smooth travel (size-specific), while an easily accessible compression and rebound adjusts permit you to customize the feel according to the terrain at hand.
SRAM GX handles one-by shifting duties, practically eliminating dropped chains and reducing overall bike weight.
2018 Specialized Turbo Como
Get out, get moving, and have FUN!
The Turbo Como has one goal and one goal only—to inspire you to get out, get moving, and to have some fun along the way. It achieves this with its Turbo technology that makes the ride faster, so you're guaranteed to have a wide smile on your face.
- The custom E5 Low-Entry aluminum frame on the Como, cleanly houses the battery and motor, while still keeping the lightweight properties that E5 is known for. Pair this with Specialized Ground Control Geometry, and you have a durable and lightweight bike that'll keep you rolling in style.
- The Como’s motor is fully integrated with the frame and features a smooth, silent, vibration-free output. It's also been custom-tuned for city riding, and it intuitively reacts to the force of your pedaling—so the harder you pedal, the more power it delivers. And with an internal belt drive design, it does this without added vibration for the smoothest and most silent ride possible.
- The custom U1-460 battery is fully integrated with the frame, removable for easy charging, and lockable for added security. It communicates with the display and has multiple modes to maximize the overall efficiency and range.
Keep an eye out for the arrival of our Demo version of the Turbo Como! We can't wait for you to come test ride it!
In the mean time, if you are curious about the Turbo bikes and the technology behind them, come test ride our Turbo Vado! It's a blast!