Specialized Stumpjumper FSR 29er
Posted by FatBob on March 3, 2010
Specialized Stumpjumper FSR 29erIf you have been following 29eronline, you would know that we had a very poor opinion of the 2009 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR.
When I saw the redesigned 2010 Stumpjumper I got really curios if the changes Specialized made would really make a difference.
29eronline called Specialized to see if they would sell us a 2010 Stumpjumper FSR. I expected to be laughed at and told no. As you can see I did not get laughed at, quite the contrary Specialized welcomed the challenge and sent us a frame.
This is what you get when you order frame kit. MSRP $2000 usd.
We give Specialized a lot of crap! It's kind of fun. They are the big boy's and true or not there is a lot of negative vibes that go with the public perception of the Big S. I have had a few conversations with Nic from Specialized bikes and the fact that even after a poor review from us they were still willing to let us use a frame says a lot. O yeah he is a really down to earth guy! Now don't think for a minute that this means
they will be getting off easy. That is not going to happen! We want to make sure that you the consumer will be getting a product that we can recommend, our reputation depends on it.
Click the picture to make it bigger.
So here goes the build report for Specialized Bikes Stumpjumper FSR 29er Expert. Congratulations Specialized you have won an award for the bike with the longest name in history!
Insert this spacer before you install the lower head set bearing
Specialized employs the use of a 1.5 tapered steer tube. If you read the Rocky Mountain Altitude report, you will see that there are a couple of different tapered steer tube standards. The one on the Specialized uses is a Campy style bearing. There is an adapter that must be used on the lower cup even to use the 1.5 lower bearing and crown race. This means there is only 1 choice for a headset, the one the Specialized comes with. Specialized also sends an adapter so you can use a 1 1/8 fork if that is what you have or choose to use. The headset works fine and it comes with the frame. Some may wish for a high end headset. It would be nice but really unnecessary. We have no preference either way.
Down tube cable routing.
The cable routing still is not our choice, but again it works. Charlie Storm from Storm Endurance did a maintenance cost estimate. The really long cables are continuous. This means they don't get contaminated as quickly as traditional cable runs. It will pretty much wash out any cost incurred to you. The real benefit is that you don't have to change them as often, and should have less down time. We will yield our preference in this case to the big red S.
The cables going under the Bottom Bracket: We talked to Specialized about this. It kind of bugs us. Specialized basically told us that it works for them. They have been running it for years and don't have problems. O.K. I can except that.
If you are concerned about the cables hitting trail obstacles I wouldn't worry to much. Just don't run your cables too long. The way we have it, the cables do not extend past the middle chain ring. For all intents and purposes that is far enough out of the way. The only cable I will still dispute with Specialized is the brake line. I would still like to see it above the bottom bracket out of harms way just in case...
Hydro Forming and a cool steer tube cap.
The front derailleur comes with the frame also. It is a direct mount E style front derailleur. It is a very tight fit. I would try to run the cable while the crank is off the bike. This is becoming more and more the norm with 29ers. The Specialized is a little more awkward then most but this really can't be counted against them. This is just the price of good 29er geometry.
I would like to see them go to a D style front derailleur . The reason for this is that it would eliminate the need to use their spacer and adapter set up. When I originally put the front derailleur on it was contacting the chain stay. Fortunately I had read the owners manual(yes I read them all). I knew about the spacers and adapter that Specialized used and quickly solved the problem. Suggestion; Set the derailleur up at the factory so the consumer does not have to , or better yet spec a "D" style front derailleur and design it so the bike does not need an adapter.
6 pounds 15 ounces. This is a best in class travel to weight ratio
One of the reasons Specialized specs the frame with the E style derailleur is because they run the derailleur so that it pivot's with the rear triangle of the frame. I imagine it is lighter also. I would not sacrifice this just to make the derailleur easier to tune and install. I am not an engineer so I won't comment further.
We really are being very picky. None of this is that abnormal. It is just things I noticed building the Stumpjumper as a regular home mechanic.
Weight in Kg
There were no burs in the seat tube. The disc brake tabs are faced and the Bottom Bracket threaded in with such little resistance that I hand threaded it in and only had to snug it up with a bottom bracket tool. Specialized included cable guides for dropping style seat posts. Excellent! More company's should be this picky. No excuses for any of the high end boutique brands anymore.
The Brain shock and beefy Horst Link.
My only real complaint is that the paint by the disc brakes is already chipping after 3 rides. I would really love to see Specialized anodize this frame. It would make the already light, size large Stumpjumper at 6 LBS 15 oz about 4 oz lighter(1/4 pound) Also there would not be paint chipping.
This next comment is just a note, stating a fact. The Specialized Brain shock is a shorter stroke length then most. I jumped a log, felt like I bottomed the shock, when I looked the o-ring was 1/4 inch(estimate ) from the end of the shaft. I measured it when I got home and according to the stroke length I had indeed bottomed out. This is worth mentioning because when you set up the shock you have to measure your sag off the stroke length. The stroke length is 1.8 inches. The shaft measures longer. The easiest way to do this is convert it to metric. The metric measure of the stroke is 45.72mm. Multiply that by .25(25%) and you get 11.43mm. Divide this by 25.4 if you need to convert back to inches. You get .45 inches to achieve 25% sag.
Specialized Stumpjumper FSR expert. Built on the heavy duty side of trail riding. The 140mm Marzocchi fork is not recommended and does void the warranty. Yes it was fun, no you shouldn't try it.
The Brain shock works excellent. I have ridden it tuned fully firm, wide open and a few variations in between. I settled on 4 clicks from full open, but see my self changing this based on the trail I am riding. It really make this bike very versatile.
One more time. I believe that this style of bike is what most enthusiast riders will get the most use out of. Don't confuse the fact that this bike has 130mm of travel with a bike that is designed as a down hill oriented bike. From my couple of rides it climbs great. It is comfortable, capable and versatile as a trail bike or one bike does all.
I will reserve my ride comments until I have more time on the bike. I will say that the pedal strike issue is no more. This bike is a contender!
Related Posts:
Specialized Stumpjumper FSR 29er
Comments
16 Responses to “Specialized Stumpjumper FSR 29er”Leave a comment, and if you'd like your own picture to show up next to your comments, go get a gravatar!
Thanks for the info so far. This Stumpy is on my short list of bikes to buy this year. I love the 26″ version of this bike and hope to get a demo on the 29″ this spring to determine which is best for me. I look forward to your thoughts after a few more rides.
It seems the FSR might be an another answer to the question answered by the Niner RIP 9 (i.e. “What does a do-everything, quiver of one, full-suspension 29er look like?”). They are very similar in price, travel, and weight (though obviously their approaches to suspension are quite different). I’m curious to hear how they compare.
Glad to hear that the pedal strike issue has been improved/solved. I am considering the 2010 FSR Comp 29er. Do you think that the solve put in place would also work on the Comp model?
It is pretty cool how completely different these two bikes are. Even though they are labeled for the same use they are so different. Don’t let the travel on the stumpjumper fool you, it is pretty light and pedals really well even with the brain fully open.
I wont talk to much about a comparison until I have more time on the Stumpjumper. One thing is for sure the difference between the head angles is very noticeable!
One thing that is making this a little hard to differentiate between the Specialized and Niner is that the Specialized fits me like a glove. I am in between sizes on the RIP9.
I will be able to do a side by side ride soon as Storm Endurance has a Large RIP9 demo and agreed to let me take it out to compare notes.
More to come.
After buying a 2009 FSR Expert I have been so disappointed. My gut tells me that there was zero “real” trail time on this puppy during development. My Stumpy is broken so it is looking like I might be getting a 2010 for a replacement.
I took the RIP out for a ride and it was a dream. I believe the head angle along with how Niner approach to the rear suspension really makes it a very good 29er. My Stumpy looks like a stretched out chopper bike compared to the RIP.
Looking forward to your ride review.
The 2010 is a totally different animal. It is still very different from the Niner. The 2010 Stumpjumper has a much more progressive suspension feel. Even with the brain turned off it still is a little less supple then the RIP9. I like them both but for different reasons. I’ll do a comparison post after I have more time on the Stumpjumper.
I am going to switch to the tire combo I had on the RIP9 to get a closer weight to what the RIP9 was when we rode it. The 2.4 Purgatory tires are crazy as far as traction goes. The weight penalty for our local trails is significant. So to be fair I have to switch to a Thomson Seatpost and a different tire set.
I hope you enjoy the new Specialized when your warranty comes in. As far as the head angle I see its strength and weaknesses. Again, I just want to put it through more on different trails to see where it shines and where it doesn’t do as well. 29eronline readers will get the full scoop!
Please let us know your thoughts when you ride your new one.
Thanks for the build information. I have been test riding the SJ/FSR 29er as well and love it. The cockpit is a great feel for me, (Head angle is right on) I’m upright, centered and generally feel comfortable going up or down. Had no pedal strike issues on my local trail, usually hit at least once per ride on my hard tail. I couldn’t believe how easily I rode over obstacles going up hill. I rode full open and was surprised how easily I was able to ride with very little bob, and the comp doesn’t have the brain shock either.
In all fairness I have not tested the RIP 9 yet. It is a bit pricier. I am about 95% sure I will buy the 2010 Comp but am holding out on a Spesh promotion or rebate. Hopefully it will happen in early April however, I heard from my LBS that Spesh SJ’s are selling out very quickly. They ordered a bunch because they didn’t want to sell out by mid summer. Anyone heard anything similar, are they blowing smoke? Any rumors about a promotion or rebate this year from Specialized?
Early May 2010, and I can’t find a 29″ dual-sprung from either Specialized (wait till November) or Gary Fisher (wait till September). Some of the bike shops have been working really hard to sell me one of the 26″ bikes they have sitting in inventory. I’m very confused and have decided to just wait it out for clarity to appear when I get a chance to side-by-side demo some models.
I am hearing that this is a problem Where are you located? Someone has to have something. Let me know and I’ll look around.
I heard the same thing of Fisher. They couldn’t send me a Rumblefish for testing 3 weeks ago due to being sold out. The only suggestion I have is don’t settle on a 26er if you want a 29er. Read our other reviews and try other brands if you have exhausted your search for Specialized or Gary Fisher.
Sorry about your frustration tell me some details and I’ll do some looking for you at least for the Specialized. The Fisher I have no connection, haven’t even ridden one and the only first hand info I have heard was mediocre. Until I test it I can’t recommend it.
FatBob
Don’t ever settle for a 26r, that would be going backwards! Buy a cheap 29 hardtail, or something from ebay for now.
Mel I love comments like this!
If you do buy a 29er hardtail to hold you over you may just end up being content, it wouldn’t be the first time it happened.
I love my 29r hardtail, run it at 28 psi and it feels like full squish! You also have an advantage when it comes to climbing! I will look at the Niner MCR for my next frame, any reviews on that one?
Thank you Bob for all you do for us! You consistently provide invaluable advice and provide a great resource for all of us. Thank you and keep up the good work!
I had the opportunity to ride with FatBob recently and he was kind enough fella to let me try out his 2010 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR (Large) & 2010 Rocky Mountain Altitude (Large). He even ensured the componentry between the two were consistent so that I was just sensing the frame differences.
For baseline, I currently ride an XL 2009 Fisher HiFi so was curious to feel the difference. The trail was Governer’s Creek in central NC which is an adv beginner to low-intermediate flowing trail with some small 6-10′ whoop de oops, a few roots, a small rock garden, some 4-6″ logs/rocks and a few tight turns. No signficant elevation changes or other difficult technical features.
Stumpjumper FSR 29er was suprisingly light to pedal (for a 120mm front/130mm rear travel bike, and it accelerated nicely. It also cornered well and allowed one to easily shift weight forward or back to handle the small whoop de oops very well. Steering was smooth, and not twitchy. I do understand the “chopper” comments, but I didn’t quite get that sensation even with the slacker head angle. Of course, I have a slight bias for slacker head angles. The brain shock was interesting, I tried a couple different settings with it and rear shock, but wasn’t able to find a good balacned setting between small bump compliance and big hit performance. When trying to climb a rock garden, bike had more of a spongy feel that was difficult to damp…descending however, was different story. The geometry and head angle allow this bike to descend very well (at least for the limited short descents this trail could offer). Maybe it was just a matter of more time and tuning. Also, if one is into bling, you might be a bit disappointed with color choices…but if you don’t care about bling…no worries. Overall, coupled with the lifetime frame warranty, the 2010 Specialized Stumpjumer FSR bike seems like it will be a pretty good contender in the 29er field and worthy of a test ride to decide.
Did you ever find a bike that just wasn’t a fit for you? Unfortunately, it appeared the Rocky Mountain Altitude was just that for me. Firstly, the good stuff. This bike cornered at slow speed very well and also climbed nicely. But, it had several challenges for me including: cramped cockpit (felt like I was on a medium), sliding rear at speed and pedal-bob robbing efficiency that I could never quite tune out. The frame simply seemed to transmit shocks from bumps directly to the rider without enough absorption. Again, it could be a matter of riding style depending on what you are looking to get out of a bike.
I have demo’d 2010 Rumblefish and am planning to trying 2010 versions of Niner RIP, Turner Sultan, and Mach 429 in near future. Thanks again to 29er online folks for kindly allowing me to sample some bikes!
TallBob! Nice to meet you. We’ll do it again when the next crop of bikes comes in. Thanks for your comment! San Lee next?