Mitch Chubey's Specialized SX

Team Rider Bike Check

Words by Mitch Chubey.
Date: 2009-03-09

Specialized SX

A slope bike in my mind is a bike with no more than 5 inches of travel. It has to be light, but strong enough to take some big hits. From Specialized the SX fits my criteria. I am not a person that can just jump on a bike a go for a rip. I spend a lot of time trying new setups and tinkering with things in order to find what works for me. The Specialized SX though, was the first bike I was in absolute love within 3 minutes of riding. It did everything so much better than I expected it was almost scary.

Frame
The SX shares its features with its bigger brother the SX trail. One piece forged bottom bracket, Specialized’s forged Cobra head tube, Quad Bearing Self Aligning Pivot, and FSR suspension are just some. The travel of the frame is less at 4.2 inches rather than the 6.7 inches. This achieved by using a 7.5x2 inch shock rather than a 9.0x2.75. This creates a bike with a low center of gravity. The head tube is tiny bit steeper then SXT at 69 degrees. The stack measurement on the bike is smaller, while the reach measurement remains the same over the SXT. This makes the bike turn unbelievably and incredible fast. It is the 2008 world 4x champ after all. The 2008 SX was available only in the United States, while the 2009 will be available in Canada as well, in limited quantities though. I cannot wait to get on an 09.  They look amazing.


crankworx slopestyle 2008
 Mitch busting it out on his Specialized SX at the Crankworx Slopestyle final in 2008. Photo ~ Malcolm McLaws

Fork
I have ridden several single crown forks and the Fox Racing Shox 36 Float RC2 is an absolute marvel of a fork. It has it all; light weight, stiff, and versatile. At 4.8 pounds it's equally at home going up the trail as it is bombing down and off a 20 foot rock drop. It is an air fork making it easy to adjust it on the fly. I never leave home without my shock pump. I ride 50-55 psi on the trails and 60-70 psi when in race mode and 85-100 psi while on the slope style course. Rebound does not change a lot. 5 clicks from full closed when pinning the trails or on a race lap. I slow it down to 2 clicks from closed while it is in business mode.

Shock
I am running the Fox DHX Air 5.0. The bottom out is turned in all the way and the boost chamber is maxed out at 200psi in order to prevent bottoming and I have not touched it. I have never bottomed it out to the point where it clanks set up like this. It feels absolutely bottomless. The main chamber I play around with pressures. The lowest I can go is 150psi, since at that pressure I achieve 25% sag. My 4x set up is any were from 180-220. For slope style is above 260 but under 300.  It does move, just not much, making the bike more predictable. I also change my rebound depending on the application; 4-6 clicks from open for trails and racing, while on the slope it's set at 4 or 5 from closed.


Wheels
Syncros DS28 rims are light and durable. I put these wheels through some rough times and they keep on rolling. I have them laced up to a Syncros FL hub in the rear and 20mm FR hub in the front. Both are tough and the bearings are as smooth as can be. They are 32 hole in a standard 3 cross pattern with double butted spokes and brass nipples.

Tires
2.35 Syncros Point 'n Chute supply the traction. At 640 grams they are light enough to be an AM tire, but they slay in the wet. They hook up on wet roots and rocks and power through the mud. They are only a single ply tire so you have to be conservative, but I have not ridden a slope style course with a rock garden obstacle yet. I run 70 psi for slope style, so that there is no tire roll, when the bike is called to spin, flip and whip. On the trails it is half that, at 35 psi.  I have just you standard tubes inside, 26x 1.95-2.125.  No funny sizes in this bike, unlike my hardtail, since durability is an issue.

Drive Train
Sram delivers the power to the ground. I run a PG970 11-26 road cassette. It helps to save some weight off the back which makes the bike easier to whip around. A PC 991 Cross Step chain with 102 links  (had a super slow day at the shop) connects the 36 tooth Race Face single ring to the back. The Cross Step chain offers the highest “Push Pin Power” around; I know my chain isn’t going to fail me. The Race Face Ring is made from 7075 – T6 alloy so they're long lasting and tough, which I need since I don’t run any kind of bash ring on this bike.

Cranks/Pedals
I have never run a brand of cranks other than Race Face. Their craftsmanship and quality is top notch. With their new Atlas FR crank Race Face addressed the need for a light but super strong crank, and they are a perfect match for my SX and what I put it through. Mated to the cranks are Syncros Metal Mag pedals. I have the 3mm pin put in all the spots. They deliver an unbelievable amount of grip. Slipping a pedal is not an issue, but I have my shin pads on just in case.

Brakes
Avid Juicy Carbon on 7 inch rotors brings the whole thing to a stop. Both lines have been lengthened for bar spins and tailwhips. The front has been routed though the steerer tube. I could run 6 inch rotors rather the 7 inch, or even just a rear brake in order save some weight, but you got to be able to ride down the trails to get to the course. Why walk up when you can ride down.

Cockpit
A 50mm Syncros FR stem hold the 710mm Bulk bars in place. I have my SRAM shifter on the inside of brake lever. It can make it tricky to shift, but it is out of the way and free from having one of my hands accidently shifting gears after a bar spin. There is about an inch between my grips and brake levers. This puts my finger right on the outside of the lever giving maximum leverage. The pad contact dial is turned all the way out. I prefer my levers touchy. I have them screwed in as close as I can get them without hitting my other fingers. Syncros 4 Bolt Locking grips are comfortable and have a soft and grippy feel to them.  I orignally had my stem upside down with 20mm of spacer under it.  The 20mm's were for a hydraulic giro untill I found out how much they cost and how hard they are to get in Canada.

Slope Style Necessities
There are a few modifications and tricks of the trade that I have applied on my bike. The first being the infamous rubber anti crank spinner. It is just a rubber pipe connector, 2 ¼ inch in size, and a hose clamp. They are available at your local Home Depot for $2.99. It is mounted on the external bottom bracket and rubs against the non-drive side crank. This holds the cranks in place when your feet leave the pedals, so they are always right where you want them. One connector makes two devices since you cut them in half, and they include the two hose clamps. The other is Nokon shifter housing. It is half the weight of normal shifter housing, but it is ten times the price. Shifting quality is improved, but that isn't the only thing it is good for. I use it because it allows the bars to pre-wound for tricks. Normal shifter housing will actually shift gears upward when wound tight around the steer because of the tension put on the cable inside. You can counter this be pre-shifting and winding up the cable without actually shifting. If that sounded confusing, it is. You never know which gear you are in and after a trick the cable can slacken and the bike can shift on its own, something you do not want happening when your are cranking in between obstacles. You also can not shift when it is wound either. Nokon on the other hand can be wound tightly and will not pull the derailleur up.

Weight
The SX is not the lightest bike out there, but I know it will hold up to what ever I throw at it.  At just under 31 pounds it feels nice and balanced.

Final thoughts
There is not my more to say other then in my opinion they spelt the name of the bike wrong; they left the "e" out between the "S" and the "X." It is that good.

Any questions for Mitch about his set up?  Toss 'em this way...

I would like to that everyone who has helped me out in the 2008 season;

Specialized
Fox Racing Shox
Sram
Avid
Adidas Eyewear
Dakine
Whistler Mountain Bike Park
Denny's
Toyota

Velocity Cycles
And most of all the guys @ NSMB.com