Specialized.com has Specialized Stumpjumper Alloy Mountain Bike on sale for $2099.99. Shipping is $50.
Thanks community member frozenflame4326 for sharing this deal
Available Colors:
Satin Black/Smoke
Gloss Ca White Sage/Black
About this Bike:
The Stumpjumper Alloy brings all-new suspension kinematics and progressive geometry into a full-alloy package that's both lightweight and extremely durable. Outfitted with a no-fuss SRAM SX 12-speed groupset, the Stumpjumper Alloy is your all-access pass for trail adventure.
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Specialized.com has Specialized Stumpjumper Alloy Mountain Bike on sale for $2099.99. Shipping is $50.
Thanks community member frozenflame4326 for sharing this deal
Available Colors:
Satin Black/Smoke
Gloss Ca White Sage/Black
About this Bike:
The Stumpjumper Alloy brings all-new suspension kinematics and progressive geometry into a full-alloy package that's both lightweight and extremely durable. Outfitted with a no-fuss SRAM SX 12-speed groupset, the Stumpjumper Alloy is your all-access pass for trail adventure.
Here's my take: I got super into mountain biking last year and have been riding/upgrading my $400, too-small-for-me hardtail since then. I bought the bike to see if the sport was for me and it very much is.
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.
The Ripley (AF or not) is indeed an excellent bike, playing up there with the "big boys". It was on my shortlist too and I was tempted to get one, but ended up getting a deal on a '22 Rocky Mountain Element C, to replace the Siskiu T8 I ended up with when ibis postponed deliveries for the Ripmo I had originally ordered And it is not a ding on the Siskiu, I love it still, I just realized that I rarely use the travel (mine is 140/150 with a 36 front) and I would rather have something more pedal friendly. The '22 Element is actually the same geo as the Siskiu T (65 HTA, 480 reach on a L, same stack, just with more pedal-friendly sus kinematics and shaves 6-7 lbs)
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.
Is this really a good deal? I have a specialized hybrid. Looking to get into mountain biking. Thank you.
As always, "it depends." Are you looking at really bumpy, rough technical trails then this bike might work. If doing light trails then a hard tail Rockhopper at half this price might be a better fit since it's much lighter.
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.
The Ripley (AF or not) is indeed an excellent bike, playing up there with the "big boys". It was on my shortlist too and I was tempted to get one, but ended up getting a deal on a '22 Rocky Mountain Element C, to replace the Siskiu T8 I ended up with when ibis postponed deliveries for the Ripmo I had originally ordered And it is not a ding on the Siskiu, I love it still, I just realized that I rarely use the travel (mine is 140/150 with a 36 front) and I would rather have something more pedal friendly. The '22 Element is actually the same geo as the Siskiu T (65 HTA, 480 reach on a L, same stack, just with more pedal-friendly sus kinematics and shaves 6-7 lbs)
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.
Last edited by Dimitris January 21, 2023 at 09:21 AM.
25% off MSRP pricing from top level MSRP (there are different levels publishable by dealers and cost given to dealers depending on their volume and relationship with Specialized, this being directly from them) is not what I would consider good. Now, good used to be 50-55% off but I haven't seen much near that post-COVID. This was always new old stock at least a year old and typically higher end builds.
I don't know the current market and all the "off brand" manufacturers who are basically white labeling similar designs to truly comment but based on MSRP, it's a decent deal at worst.
My main issue is that for anyone in shape who truly wants to ride cross country (which is what an Epic is for anyway and which has proprietary suspension technology which is problematic) is that this bike weighs...I'm not sure! Specialized doesn't list it. 30 lbs? 32 lbs? That's HEAVY and not enjoyable to pedal uphill for long intervals.
I ride a Canyon Lux, a straight up XC short travel full suspension with "outdated, non-modern geo" but it's the right bike for me. This bike felt like riding a dirt bike to me and not in a good way. Different bikes for different uses and different strokes for different folks.
Whatever you do, unless you really know bikes well, don't buy one blind off the internet. I'm of the opinion that modern geo is not beneficial for a lot of riders and people would be better served riding 27.5" bikes with geo in between the crazy slack angles we have now and something considered older based on where I see most people riding and the terrain they ride at least where I live in Southern CA. There is almost zero benefit to a bike like this riding up and down fire roads accept for bump absorption.
"this bike is no good because it's not a different bike" is really flawed logic.
The truth of it is that 4-5lb difference on a full suspension is no big deal at all. Could that make a 8 second difference on a 5mi loop? Maybe. But who cares? And if your legs are getting tired you're getting stronger.
I say this as a previous "weight weenie". I was convinced a couple lb was some huge difference and it just simply isn't. You want good construction, smooth suspension response, and a bike that fits you.
You know what it costs for those few lb difference (like the difference between having a full VS empty water bottle)? Like 2-3 thousand dollars. My HT is 21lb and my FS trail bike is 29lb, and both are damn fun to ride. After years of buying into the "weight is everything" I upped my miles driven and stopped worrying and learned to love the ride and not the performative BS of pretending an average starting mountain biker would ever find substantively negative impacts from a couple lb bike difference. The enduro people have it right - build it stout and resilient. Those pro enduro folks have bikes well over 30lb and they are professionals. These days I hear weight complaints and all I think is "casual".
Trust this more than any of the random people trying to convince you that only a $5k+ bike is good enough to ride trails. This is a good bike for a good price and to get better by much its going to cost you literally thousands of dollars. https://youtu.be/uVwOpf_H5Wg
Meanwhile I bought the Axxum for $229 and it never left my neighborhood. Glad that I didn't spend $2k to test my likelihood into biking. All I have is walnut creek in Austin area to bike. Nothin much
Try Canyonlands. Bring a spare set of legs
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Is this really a good deal? I have a specialized hybrid. Looking to get into mountain biking. Thank you.
If your going to spend over $2 on a bike and new to the game find a used Yeti ASR or SB 5 It's a discontinued model of Yeti but rides so good! Plus they hold there value. If you can spend it go new and try looking at the SB 115.
Is this really a good deal? I have a specialized hybrid. Looking to get into mountain biking. Thank you.
Most people start mt/trail riding with a hardtail at the $500-$1000 level. You will lean how to take a turn, climb, balance, weight shift. A full suspension is made for the rougher stuff. That said, many of us (self included) over 50 find a fully much easier on the body. I ride both and each are fun.
"this bike is no good because it's not a different bike" is really flawed logic.
The truth of it is that 4-5lb difference on a full suspension is no big deal at all. Could that make a 8 second difference on a 5mi loop? Maybe. But who cares? And if your legs are getting tired you're getting stronger.
I say this as a previous "weight weenie". I was convinced a couple lb was some huge difference and it just simply isn't. You want good construction, smooth suspension response, and a bike that fits you.
You know what it costs for those few lb difference (like the difference between having a full VS empty water bottle)? Like 2-3 thousand dollars. My HT is 21lb and my FS trail bike is 29lb, and both are damn fun to ride. After years of buying into the "weight is everything" I upped my miles driven and stopped worrying and learned to love the ride and not the performative BS of pretending an average starting mountain biker would ever find substantively negative impacts from a couple lb bike difference. The enduro people have it right - build it stout and resilient. Those pro enduro folks have bikes well over 30lb and they are professionals. These days I hear weight complaints and all I think is "casual".
Bingo. I ride hardtail and fully and never have worried about the weight. Heck, a filled water bottle can weigh 3 lbs. Same with my other favorite sports that are kayaking and paddle boarding. Newbs and weight weenies always ask about weight and often that person is way overweight..lol.
Heck no. Those are not anything like we ride in N California or Utah. This is what I call my Motrin Trail, especially since a senior now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtEc93z4vTQ
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Top Comments
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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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.
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.
I don't know the current market and all the "off brand" manufacturers who are basically white labeling similar designs to truly comment but based on MSRP, it's a decent deal at worst.
My main issue is that for anyone in shape who truly wants to ride cross country (which is what an Epic is for anyway and which has proprietary suspension technology which is problematic) is that this bike weighs...I'm not sure! Specialized doesn't list it. 30 lbs? 32 lbs? That's HEAVY and not enjoyable to pedal uphill for long intervals.
I ride a Canyon Lux, a straight up XC short travel full suspension with "outdated, non-modern geo" but it's the right bike for me. This bike felt like riding a dirt bike to me and not in a good way. Different bikes for different uses and different strokes for different folks.
Whatever you do, unless you really know bikes well, don't buy one blind off the internet. I'm of the opinion that modern geo is not beneficial for a lot of riders and people would be better served riding 27.5" bikes with geo in between the crazy slack angles we have now and something considered older based on where I see most people riding and the terrain they ride at least where I live in Southern CA. There is almost zero benefit to a bike like this riding up and down fire roads accept for bump absorption.
The truth of it is that 4-5lb difference on a full suspension is no big deal at all. Could that make a 8 second difference on a 5mi loop? Maybe. But who cares? And if your legs are getting tired you're getting stronger.
I say this as a previous "weight weenie". I was convinced a couple lb was some huge difference and it just simply isn't. You want good construction, smooth suspension response, and a bike that fits you.
You know what it costs for those few lb difference (like the difference between having a full VS empty water bottle)? Like 2-3 thousand dollars. My HT is 21lb and my FS trail bike is 29lb, and both are damn fun to ride. After years of buying into the "weight is everything" I upped my miles driven and stopped worrying and learned to love the ride and not the performative BS of pretending an average starting mountain biker would ever find substantively negative impacts from a couple lb bike difference. The enduro people have it right - build it stout and resilient. Those pro enduro folks have bikes well over 30lb and they are professionals. These days I hear weight complaints and all I think is "casual".
https://youtu.be/uVwOpf_H5Wg
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The truth of it is that 4-5lb difference on a full suspension is no big deal at all. Could that make a 8 second difference on a 5mi loop? Maybe. But who cares? And if your legs are getting tired you're getting stronger.
I say this as a previous "weight weenie". I was convinced a couple lb was some huge difference and it just simply isn't. You want good construction, smooth suspension response, and a bike that fits you.
You know what it costs for those few lb difference (like the difference between having a full VS empty water bottle)? Like 2-3 thousand dollars. My HT is 21lb and my FS trail bike is 29lb, and both are damn fun to ride. After years of buying into the "weight is everything" I upped my miles driven and stopped worrying and learned to love the ride and not the performative BS of pretending an average starting mountain biker would ever find substantively negative impacts from a couple lb bike difference. The enduro people have it right - build it stout and resilient. Those pro enduro folks have bikes well over 30lb and they are professionals. These days I hear weight complaints and all I think is "casual".
Currently at $1500:
https://www.bikesonline.com/2023-...ntain-bike [bikesonline.com]
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