2017 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR 6Fattie
Specialized 2017 Stumpjumper gets even better than ever.
I'm a long term Specialized Stumpjumper rider but, when I started to look for a new bike, I thought I might have a change and look for something different this time. I looked at what brands had to offer in full suspension and must admit it was very hard to pin point the bike I fancied. After trying out a few demo bikes I definitely wanted a plus tyre, feels great on the trail with very little drag.
One day a customer order came in and it was the Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Expert Carbon 6Fattie. This bike hit straight away as a serious contender. After checking out the Rock-Shox front and rear set up, Sram 1 x 11 I was starting to smile. Okay a few upgrades started to come to mind...Roval Carbon Wheels, Renthal Carbon Fatbar, Thomson seatpost and stem, Hope Brakes, Sram Grip shift....
Got the new bike and accessories on order and we were ready to start playing in the workshop. The mechanics started their magic and in a flash the bike was ready to roll, tubeless ready for a few no fuss rides. First day on the trails and I knew I had made the right choice of bike and upgrades. Nothing wrong with the standard specification but working in a bike shop it's easy to get carried away with upgrading your bikes. Hit the trails with tyres running at 17psi the traction felt very confidence inspiring and the tricky downhill sections seemed faster than my 29er bike. Running the gripshift was also a great choice, super smooth and very positive. Played around with suspension pressures until the rebound and speed of travel felt perfect and the bike really started to eat up the tree rooted sections. Hope brakes are on all my bikes and after 25 miles of riding I was extremely happy that I fitted them on this new machine. Progressive braking with lots of lever fine tuning available. Bars, Stem and seatpost don't do a lot but sure do look very cool when you look down at the cockpit!
First bike with fattie tyres and well impressed, great fun and looking forward to some really rough terrain. I have a few winter trips planned for Wales, the Alps and Iceland.
More updates to follow......