Issue #047, Review - June 11, 2021

Bridging the gap between tours, climbs and descents? – Bridging the gap between tours, climbs and descents?

The latest incarnation of Specialized’s evergreen bike strikes with an impressive look and cool features such as the SWAT box. But can the Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper convince on the trail with its featherlight 12.48 kg weight and modern geometry?

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best mountainbike of 2021 – 22 models in review

**Specialized** S-Works Stumpjumper | 140/130 mm (f/r)
12.48 kg (Size S4) | € 9,999 | Manufacturer-website

Undoubtedly, many bike brands reach deep into their bag of tricks to create unique and striking frame designs. The Californian cult brand is no exception, making the latest version of the Stumpjumper distinctively recognisable as a Specialized. Thanks to the carbon yoke, the elegant black S-Works carbon frame is a smidge lighter than the standard carbon version. The Stumpy’s classic Horst-link FSR pivot point has been replaced by flex stays. By moving away from the FSR linkage, Specialized were also able to squeeze the rear brake calliper between the seat and chainstays, ensuring a tidy look and making room for a big 200 mm rotor. While at 12.48 kg, the S-Works Stumpy is the lightest bike in our big 2021 mountain bike group test, it still offers a generous 130 mm travel at the rear. The frame features Specialized’s proprietary SWAT storage box with an integrated bottle cage, in which you can store all your essentials like snacks, CO2 cartridges and spare tubes. On top of that, there’s a SWAT tool hidden in the steerer tube, where it’s quick and easy to access – awesome! The internally routed brake line combined with the wireless AXS groupset and dropper post ensure a tidy look. Only the separate shifter clamp spoils the otherwise clean cockpit, leaving us with one simple question: why not use a Matchmaker? Moreover, the frame comes with a big down tube guard and a reasonably-sized chainstay protector that helps keep noise down.

A low system weight is great for climbing and accelerating. But if you shave off grams by using a light, puncture-prone tire with little tread, you won’t get far on a mountain bike. Because with the first rock you come across, your hard-earned momentum will vanish in a white cloud of tubeless sealant

The bling department – The high-end spec of the Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper

For their exclusive S-Works models, Specialized rely only on the finest components – but they don’t give them away for free! Our test bike retails at € 9,999 and is the only bike in test with a 140 mm FOX 34 Factory with a GRIP2 damper. Cool! At the rear, the FOX DPS Factory shock is easy to access and controls 130 mm travel. The high-quality SRAM XX1 AXS drivetrain with a 10–52 t cassette in oil-slick finish contributes to the tidy look. There’s even room for a small chain guide, which holds the chain in place on rough trails. The wireless package is rounded off by a Rock Shox AXS Reverb dropper, which has 170 mm travel on our size L test bike. All levers and shifters are attached to 780 mm Specialized Trail FACT carbon handlebars with 27 mm rise. SRAM G2 Ultimate four-piston brakes with a 200 mm rotor at the front and smaller 180 mm disc at the rear take care of the braking. While these offer tool-free lever reach and bite point adjustments, in combination with the small rear rotor they overheat quickly and require strong fingers, especially for heavy riders. The Stumpy rolls on Specialized’s own-brand tires mounted on a lightweight XC Roval Control 240 carbon wheelset, which is not as robust as the Traverse SL model of the Stumpjumper EVO and Turbo Levo SL. Unfortunately, for the tires, the Americans still rely on an old-generation Butcher and Purgatory (f/r), both with the old rubber compound and puncture-prone GRID casing, which, in combination with the carbon wheelset, could lead to costly breakdowns. For the rear in particular we would prefer a tire with a more pronounced tread and more robust casing, like the Eliminator GRID Trail. The fastest acceleration in the world is useless if it vanishes in a white cloud of tire sealant on the first rock you come across.

**SWAT aka “Store Waffles And Tools”**
Plenty of room for whatever you want. We love to fill ours with sweets and tools.

**Lightweight**
The standard Specialized Purgatory tires come in the puncture-prone GRID casing and old GRIPTON rubber compound. To protect the carbon rims from impacts and improve grip, we’d like a tire with a more robust casing and grippier profile.

**Caution hot!**
The small 180 mm brake rotors tend to overheat quickly. However, the new position of the brake calliper is great!

Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper

€ 9,999

Specifications

Fork FOX 34 Factory GRIP2 140 mm
Rear Shock FOX DPS Factory 130 mm
Seatpost RockShox Reverb AXS 170 mm
Brakes SRAM G2 Ultimate 200/180 mm
Drivetrain SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS 1x12
Stem Deity Copperhead 35 mm
Handlebar Specialized Trail FACT Carbon 780 mm
Wheelset Roval Control 240 Carbon 29"
Tires Specialized Butcher/Purgatory GRID GRIPTON 2.3

Technical Data

Size S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6
Weight 12.48 kg

Specific Features

SWAT-box
SWAT-multitool

**As you can hear, there’s nothing to hear!**
The chainstay protector is well-positioned and padded, effectively eliminating annoying chain slap. We love quiet bikes!

**Weird flex dude!**
No linkage here! While the flexible seat and chainstays are manufactured in one, integrated flex allows for suspension travel.

**Treasure hunt**
What do you find at the end of the rainbow? An elegant oil slick XX1 cassette.

**That’s how we like it!**
The high-quality GRIP2 damper allows the 140 mm FOX 34 Factory fork to work at its best.

The geometry of the Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper

The revised Stumpjumper adopts Specialized’s new S-sizing system, which lets you pick your frame size depending on your riding style and preferences: go large if you want a stable bike or go small if you’re after playful handling. This is possible thanks to the low seat tube, which is just 425 mm in size S4. However, the dropper can still be fully inserted into the frame and, in combination with a reach of 475 mm (size S4) and high stack of 632 mm, ensures sufficient freedom of movement. This means that most riders can choose from up to three different frame sizes, from S1 to S6 – great! In addition, a flip-chip integrated into the shock mount lets you adjust the geometry of the bike. In this test, we ended up riding almost exclusively in the downhill-oriented low setting. Specialized combine a rather slack 65° head angle with very short 432 mm chainstays.

Größe	S1	S2	S3	S4	S5	S6
Seat tube	385 mm	385 mm	405 mm	425 mm	445 mm	465 mm
Top tube	563 mm	583 mm	605 mm	632 mm	660 mm	692 mm
Head tube	95 mm	100 mm	110 mm	120 mm	130 mm	140 mm
Head angle	65.0°	65.0°	65.0°	65.0°	65.0°	65.0°
Seat angle	76.0°	76.0°	76.0°	76.0°	76.0°	76.0°
Chainstays	432 mm	432 mm	432 mm	432 mm	442 mm	442 mm
BB Drop	47 mm	42 mm	42 mm	42 mm	42 mm	42 mm
Wheelbase	1,152 mm	1,175 mm	1,200 mm	1,228 mm	1,268 mm	1,302 mm
Reach	410 mm	430 mm	450 mm	475 mm	500 mm	530 mm
Stack	614 mm	613 mm	622 mm	632 mm	641 mm	650 mm

**Helmet** Fox Speedframe | **Glasses** 100% Hypercraft | **Shirt** Carhartt T-Shirt | **Shorts** Fox Ranger Short
**Shoes** Ride Concepts Men’s Transition Clipless | **Socks** Stance

Downhill, the low bottom bracket (42 mm drop) integrates you nicely between the wheels but also requires good timing to avoid smashing the cranks into obstacles. Uphill, the Specialized Stumpjumper shines with its comfortable pedalling position, which also makes it a great option for long rides. The position is comfortably rear-heavy but at the same time sufficiently centred to prevent the shock from sinking into its travel on steep climbs. The suspension is always supportive even with the shock fully open and only starts using its travel on impacts and steps, whilst always generating sufficient traction even on loose terrain. Moreover, the light carbon wheelset combined with the thin and light Specialized tires ensures great acceleration. Nevertheless, the Stumpy doesn’t rank amongst the best bikes on test and even lags behind the equally comfortable Trek Fuel EX, which is actually a whole kilogram heavier!

Bridging the gap between tours, climbs and trails ain’t easy. However, the Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper manages this perfectly. If you ride fast and love to get rowdy on rough trails, we recommend you take a closer look at the Stumpjumper EVO.quote]

[quote]Tuning-tips: more robust tires with grippier profile | bigger brake rotor at the rear

Finally downhill! The Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper on the trail

Downhill, the Specialized Stumpjumper is fun to ride for everyone! The short chainstays and high front ensure playful handling and, in combination with the low system weight, make it easy to pull into the air. Add the low bottom bracket, and the Stumpy conveys great amounts of confidence on steep terrain and only rarely triggers unpleasant OTB-chills on high gradients. Where beginners benefit from the intuitive handling, experienced riders take advantage of the Stumpy’s great manoeuvrability, which lets it chase after the Trek Fuel EX at close distance on singletracks. While the suspension of the Stumpjumper works effortlessly and generates good traction in corners, the poor tire choice gets in its way! At high speeds and on very rough terrain, you’ll reach your limit and, like with the Yeti SB115, have to slow down to avoid losing control or bottoming out harshly – aggressive riders need far more support from the suspension to feel safe and confident.

Riding Characteristics

Uphill

sluggish
efficient

Agility

cumbersome
playful

Stability

nervous
confident

Handling

demanding
balanced

Suspension

harsh
plush

Fun Factor

planted
poppy

Value for money

terrible
very good

Intended Use

XC

Trail

Enduro

Downhill

Conclus

Die edle Ausstattung und der schicke Look ziehen so einige Blicke auf das Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper. Zusätzlich schafft es einen gelungenen Spagat zwischen Tour, Uphill und Trail-Performance. Durch sein intuitives Handling lässt sich das Stumpy von jedem Fahrertyp gut beherrschen und liefert erfahrenen Piloten ein sehr agiles Bike. Will man es richtig krachen lassen, bietet das Fahrwerk nicht ausreichend Gegenhalt und die Reifen zu wenig Grip. Hier sollte man zum großen Bruder, dem Stumpjumper EVO greifen, welches mehr Sicherheit vermittelt und große Hindernisse leichter wegbügelt.

Tops

intuitive, good-natured handling
SWAT features and great build quality
bridges the gap between touring, uphill and singletrail performance

Flops

puncture-prone tires paired with XC carbon wheelset
brakes overheat quickly and require strong fingers on long rides

Find more information here: specialized.com

The testfield

Get an overview of the grouptest here: The best mountainbike of 2021 – 22 models in review

This scale indicates how efficiently the bike climbs. It refers to both simple and technical climbs. Along with the suspension, the riding position and the weight of the bike all play a crucial role.↩
How does the bike ride and descend? How spritely is the bike, how agile is it through corners, how much fun is it in tight sections and how quickly can it change direction?↩
Is the bike stable at high speeds? Is it easy to stay in control in demanding terrain? How composed is it on rough trails? Stability is a combination of balanced geometry, good suspension and the right spec.↩
This is all about how balanced the bike is and particularly about how well it corners. Balanced bikes require little physical effort from the rider and are very predictable. If a bike is unbalanced, the rider has to work hard to weight the front wheel to generate enough grip. However, experienced riders can have a lot of fun even with unbalanced bikes.↩
How sensitive is the suspension over small bumps? Can it absorb hard impacts and does it soak up repeated hits? Plush suspension not only provides comfort and makes a bike more capable, but it also generates traction. The rating includes the fork and the rear suspension.↩
This aspect mainly comes down to the suspension. How much pop does it have, does it suck up the rider’s input or is it supportive, and how agile and direct is the bike?↩
We don’t calculate value for money in an excel spreadsheet or based on how high-end a bike is specced. We are more concerned with how a bike performs on the trail and how the bike benefits the rider. What good are the best components if the bike doesn’t perform well on the trail? Expensive bikes with a lower-end spec can offer very good value for money – provided they excel where it matters. Just as supposedly cheap bikes with good components can get a bad rating if they don’t deliver on the trail.↩
No, it’s not about racing, it’s about efficiency. Fast, fleet-footed and efficient – those who want to speed along flowy singletrack and gravel roads need a defined and spritely bike that accelerates with ease and efficiency. Nevertheless, reliable components are important too. We interpret XC more like the Americans do: big back-country rides instead of a marathon or XC World Cup with the ultimate in lightweight construction! Uphill-downhill ratio: 80:30 (not everything has to be 100%!)↩
...also known as mountain biking. Classic singletrack with roots, rocks and ledges – sometimes flowy, sometimes rough. For this, you need a bike with good all-round qualities, whether climbing or descending. Uphill-downhill ratio: 50:50↩
Even more extreme and challenging compared to Trail riding, riddled with every kind of obstacle: jumps, gaps, nasty rock gardens, ruts and roots. For this, you need (race)proven equipment that forgives mistakes and wouldn’t look out of place on a stage of the Enduro World Series. Climbing is just a means to an end. Uphill-downhill ratio: 30:70↩
Strictly speaking, a 200 mm travel downhill bike is the best choice for merciless tracks with big jumps, drops and the roughest terrain. Those would be the black or double-black-diamond tracks in a bike park. But as some of the EWS pros (including Sam Hill) have proven, it’s the riding skills and not the bike that define what you can ride with it. Climbing? On foot or with a shuttle, please! Uphill-downhill ratio: 10:90↩
You can find more info about our rating system in this article: Click here! ↩

Back to ENDURO Mountainbike Magazine