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Edited January 21, 2023
at 04:22 AM
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Several bikes from Specialized are on sale but the Stumpjumper Alloy is an especially solid deal. Modern geometry, very upgradeable down the road, and a pretty solid spec as is for this price.
The Status is probably the best deal of the bunch but it's a mullet setup (29" wheel in the front, 27.5" in the rear). Comes with Fox Suspension which will be much lighter and better performing than the entry level Rockshox/X fusion on the Stumpjumper. $2249 marked down from $3k:
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/status-140/p/199765?color=320386-199765
I know I know, it's still a $2k+ bike and mountain bikes are way too expensive. BUT if you're in the market for a full suspension bike this is a killer deal.
https://www.specialized.com/us/en...391-199784
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With that said, if I knew then what I know now I would have jumped on this deal for the price. We're in a unique moment where the bike industry grew a ton during the pandemic, then overproduced, and now there are sales ramping up on great bikes because there are too many and the demand can't keep up.
There's some chance that good bikes get a little cheaper, but 25% is a pretty steep discount. Demand will also pick back up in Spring so now is a solid time to watch for deals. From my research, the stumpjumper is a very solid bike if you're looking for a full suspension, ride anything trail bike. Sure you can spend thousands more on a carbon frame, lighter everything, etc, etc but for someone who wants to get into biking or get back into it on a modern geo bike this is a great buy. Though it is on the heavy side for sure.
Most local bike shops are running the same discounts so I would definitely check there first if there's a specialized dealer near you.
On the Stumpy...
The Stumpjumper is the benchmark for mid-travel trail bikes. It does everything above average to great. It is not as sophisticated a platform as the DW Link on Ibis and Pivots and Evils, but it is really nit-picking here. Anyone that insists that "it has to be this or that" and nothing else, is the same as someone saying that "oh, if you don't have an engine with twin overhead cam-shafts, you cannot have fun or you are not a driver" or BS like that.
Yes, the Stumpy build in this config on sale is meh, but it is not atypical.
The Achilles hill with all of these, IMHO, are the deals with Sram: a Shimano Deore build would simply be much better, both in shifting and especially in the brake department. But Shimano doesn't make suspension components, and shimano doesn't make a HG hub based 12s Drivetrain (which marketing demands), so I bet that between the "cheaper than Fox DPS + 34 Rhythm or Bomber Z2", and the package deals Sram can provide for getting an all Sram (Rockshox = Sram) build, Specialized and others opt for that. Remember that Specialized is not a boutique brand like Ibis who de-facto sells all their bikes for $3500+ or w/e is the baseline for the Ripley AF and the Ripmo AF, not orders their base bikes in the hundreds, rather THOUSANDS, so the combined savings are substantial.
Again, Sram is not bad, the contrary, and all of the components can serve well and are an upgrade to anything you could find on a big-box store (other perhaps the Sram 11s NX on that unicorn Nishiki Colorado Comp+ that was selling for $400 back in 2019 (?), and I will argue every time that the 11s NX was superior to the Eagle NX, especially for its time). The Fork and Shock on this are fine. The vast majority of their buyers will not need more. It is like a 3-series BMW...all the forum warriors will think "nothing less than 6-cyl turbo or M3 can cut it, but 99% of the 3-series sold are probably 4-cyl or older undertuned 6-cyl NA and are more than enough. Actually, just like this bike, these cars will have more to offer than what the avg. driver/owner will ever need.
Yes, this Stumpy is not light and I'd bet will be 32-35lbs ready to ride, but nothing much lighter in this price range, unless you go for a XC focused hardtail and gradually upgrade the heavier parts as it makes sense. Specialized Chisel, Marin Team & BMC Two Stroke are really nice platforms to build from. Plus as soon as you get the Stumpy and if you start forum/reddit-warrioring on what to upgrade, most will jump straight into DH focused tires, like Maxxis Assegai & Minions etc, that are pigs to pedal around and super heavy to boot, so...moot.
If you are thinking into getting in MTB, this is not a bad bike. It is not a great deal, but this is indeed a good "do it all" starter. Other options to keep in mind in the same class would be the Polygon Siskiu T7 (or T8 if you want to stretch the budget), the Giant Trance 29 3 or Trance X for a bit longer travel. The Trance 29 (non X) is probably one of the more pedal-friendly FS designs you can find (and it is not DW link). For a bit more $, you can also look into an Alloy Rocky Mountain Element for more XC-ish trail, or RM Instinct for bit worse pedaling, bit better DH performance. Specialized doesn't make something much better than the Stumpy for pedalling before you jump to an Epic Evo, which ofc is much saltier in price. The Status is more of a cheap enduro bike, i.e. definately DH oriented and if you ride a lot, will be tiresome. If you are a weekend warrior, riding once a week or so for 10-15mi, it matters less. If you ride a lot of miles a week, getting the zippier, lighter bikes becomes more important (and you put down the miles/experience to tackle staff without the help of lots of suspension travel).
Finally, just to finish my morning rant, a significant portion of the people who can afford even the 2K bikes like this, are in their mid-30s or even 40s. and up. Unless you have a lot of experience in MX or were riding 10y ago MTBs etc, might get intimidated by "teh gnar", the jumps and the steep DH in blue and black rated trails, or at least I know this is the case in SoCal and other areas. So over-biking to "be ready" for when the "heroics" come into play, is too often the case. Too often I see people on mid/long travel Pivots or Specialized enduros etc, and they ride mellow blues that I know are easily rideable on a Chisel or even a well shorted gravel bike...they are people my age, that know that they have to go to work tomorrow and cannot afford the "heroics"...duhh...so don't go too far into the "not good enough" critiques. Get a bike that can grow with you, but be realistic and realize that maybe your ceiling is far lower than that of the bikes, so overspending on stuff you will never need will only be useful for flexing to your friends, not actual riding. This doesn't mean "go HT, no need for FS", FS is easier and more forgiving = safer for beginners to learn on, I strongly believe that, but little bit gan go a long way. You don't need the stupid-expensive bikes to enjoy cycling, just like you don't need a Porsche or a M3 to enjoy driving.
Cycling is amazing, decompressing on even easy fire roads is amazing, MTB can be risky as you see in YT but doesn't need to be and is a low-impact exercise vs. running etc. Much better for your joints if you don't have the muscle structure to support it or already have strained joints. Look into it.
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If you're just going to start mountain biking, I suggest getting your first full suspension Mtb from Craigslist or pink bike
Do not settle when choosing a bike just because it seems affordable. Do some research, read plenty of forums, and decide what YOU need.
Very few people that love the sport ever regret buying too much bike.
2. If you are new then get a mid range quality hardtail. If you ride the hell out of it and can't stay off the trails then it is time to back to step 1.
Re: geometry, to each his/her own. I've been riding mountain bikes for 15yrs. I've bought and sold a bunch. Started on a hard tail, quickly realized that full suspension was the way to go for me. I rode a stumpjumper for nearly 10yrs because I couldn't afford anything new. It was 26", "traditional geometry", no dropper. Last year, I splurged and bought an ibis Ripmo which is definitely longer travel and slack geo. I've ridden it about 1k miles so far. Though the bikes are not even in the same universe, I will tell you I am never going back. 29" wheels and slack geometry make the bike WAY less twitchy and WAY more predictable at the expense of being a bit less precise. It's a 160/150 bike that's full carbon and over 30lbs with carbon wheels. But you know what? It still climbs every bit as good as the old xc bike and smokes it on the descent. I would buy it a hundred times over. I am finally in a position that I could buy just about any bike on the market, though I don't feel the itch because I love it so much.
I would say for most folks, hardcore xc geometry/positioning is going to be uncomfortable and twitchy unless they are used to it.
The build on this bike is okay, but not great. The fork is fine for most folks. My son rode it on his fuel ex for two years without issue. The nx drivetrain is not the lightest, but works great. The brakes are definitely the first thing I'd swap out, but you'd be fine for a while.
Have fun and ride!
Agreed. Just a 29er even with my less modern geo is a revelation!
Re: geometry, to each his/her own. I've been riding mountain bikes for 15yrs. I've bought and sold a bunch. Started on a hard tail, quickly realized that full suspension was the way to go for me. I rode a stumpjumper for nearly 10yrs because I couldn't afford anything new. It was 26", "traditional geometry", no dropper. Last year, I splurged and bought an ibis Ripmo which is definitely longer travel and slack geo. I've ridden it about 1k miles so far. Though the bikes are not even in the same universe, I will tell you I am never going back. 29" wheels and slack geometry make the bike WAY less twitchy and WAY more predictable at the expense of being a bit less precise. It's a 160/150 bike that's full carbon and over 30lbs with carbon wheels. But you know what? It still climbs every bit as good as the old xc bike and smokes it on the descent. I would buy it a hundred times over. I am finally in a position that I could buy just about any bike on the market, though I don't feel the itch because I love it so much.
I would say for most folks, hardcore xc geometry/positioning is going to be uncomfortable and twitchy unless they are used to it.
The build on this bike is okay, but not great. The fork is fine for most folks. My son rode it on his fuel ex for two years without issue. The nx drivetrain is not the lightest, but works great. The brakes are definitely the first thing I'd swap out, but you'd be fine for a while.
Have fun and ride!
Love it!
I posted this deal but I actually JUST ordered a Ripley AF from my local bike shop. They're doing 20% off right now and it's been my dream bike for awhile so couldn't pass it up. This stumpy deal is a lower barrier for entry so figured I'd share it to spread the MTB love.
https://www.specialized
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I posted this deal but I actually JUST ordered a Ripley AF from my local bike shop. They're doing 20% off right now and it's been my dream bike for awhile so couldn't pass it up. This stumpy deal is a lower barrier for entry so figured I'd share it to spread the MTB love.
How much and where for Ripley AF
Specialized makes the best mountain bikes in the world.
I was often infuriated by the fact that my bike store would never offer discounts or negotiate on price. Finding Specialized on sale is indeed special.
I agree with some previos comments that a full suspension is unnecessaryfor most. I prefer a hard tail.
https://www.specialized
This is a very good deal on a solid electric mountain bike!
This is my local bike shop in Louisville, KY, they are a pretty big Ibis dealer. They have Mojos on close out right now. Their new years sale is still live (not sure how much longer). If you use the code NEWYEAR20, it's 20% off anything.
https://shop.n1bikes.co
They're great, lots of people bought Ripleys and Ripmos from them online throughout 2020-2021 but they carry other brands as well.
Specialized Is Desperate To Get Rid Of 2022 Stock! [youtube.com]
Browse the Specialized MTB section, lots of markdowns not just this model.
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These are 2 completely different style bikes so it will depend on what you plan on doing with it. The status is more of an enduro bike or downhill with 2 different wheel sizes (29 front and 27.5 rear)while the stump jumper is more of a trail bike.
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https://shop.n1bikes.co
They're great, lots of people bought Ripleys and Ripmos from them online throughout 2020-2021 but they carry other brands as well.
I have a Specialized Turbo Levo, but I'm itching to get the Ibis Hakka gravel bike and go on a month-long tour in Patagonia