Pro Bike Gallery: Jared Graves’ Specialized S Works FSR Stumpjumper 29er
Graves was unstoppable in Aspen, sweeping the first five stages on his way to a convincing win. Photo courtesy Enduro World Series
Jared Graves’s transition from Yeti to Specialized has not been perfectly smooth. After dominating the Enduro World Series in 2014 while riding for the Colorado-based bike maker, the Aussie had yet to match those results in his first campaign with the Big Red S. Instead the start of this season has been one of frustration. In the first four EWS races of 2016, Graves’ best result was an eighth place. He missed the second round due to injury and was a DNF at round No. 4.
“It was just a bunch of bad luck,” Graves told Mtbr. “I snapped two chains at the first round, then got injured, and then had two flats and broke a wheel because I tried to ride on the flat. It was all just random stuff.”
It was a different story at EWS round No. 5 in Aspen-Snowmass, Colorado. Graves was on fire all weekend, winning five of six stages on his way to a commanding win in the Rocky Mountain high country.
In the past, Graves has been a diehard 27.5 fan, but he’s starting to see the benefits of the big wheels for certain courses.
Underneath Graves was Specialized’s S Works FSR Stumpjumper. But more significant than the fact that it wasn’t the bike maker’s popular (and aptly named) Enduro steed was the fact that Graves was riding a 29er.
“I’ve always been a bit skeptical of the bigger wheels and was always on 27.5 with Yeti,” revealed Graves. “But now that I’ve spent some time on the 29er I really love it. As this weekend showed, there is definitely a place for them.”
Graves just made the switch to SRAM’s new 12-speed Eagle 1x drivetrain and is using a massive 36t chainring. “I was a bit skeptical about the 50t cassette, but I actually find myself using it a lot,” he said of the massive climbing gear. “You can spin legs a lot more which saves the muscles on long days.” Apparently Graves is not convinced of the system’s chain retention abilities, as he still chooses to run a MRP SXg chainguide for added security.
Graves reasoning is that on less technical, more high speed courses (as most of the Aspen tracks were), the 29er makes perfect sense. Come next weekend’s single day EWS event in Whistler, British Columbia, he’ll switch back to 27.5. Mtbr got an up close look at the Race winning rig in Colorado. Scroll through the photo gallery below to see more.
Graves’ bike is a pretty stock build save for the rear shock mount. Normally this 135mm Super Deluxe would not fit this frame, but Graves says RockShox made him a one-off mount with a CNC machine just so he could use it. Pressure is set at 210psi.
Stopping power comes courtesy of SRAM Guide Ultimate brake levers paired with SRAM Code calipers and 200mm rotors. “It’s essentially a downhill brake, so braking power is really good,” he said. “For me there is no reason to not run super powerful brakes. There’s a minimal weight penalty for much better performance. I’d run them on a XC bike if I could.”
Graves says he choose the 29er for the Colorado race largely due to the many high speed sections. He’ll switch back to a 27.5 Specialized Enduro for next weekend’s more technical EWS race in Whistler. Photo by Eddie Clark
Continue to page 2 for more images of Jared Graves’ race winning Specialized S Works FSR Stumpjumper 29er
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