Romancing the EVO 29er

I had the Specialized FSR Stumpy Expert Evo 29 in the test shed for a month before I rode it. As part of the comparative 26 vs. 29 test we were operating at the time (look out for a full write up soon) the two Stumpys were being handed out and beaten up by various other riders and I just wasn’t that fussed about riding it – that is until I spoke with several friends who owned this particular bike and were raving about it. It seemed I wouldn’t just be silly for ignoring this bike, but I would be cheating myself out of a truly exciting ride.

  The EVO 29er beckoned but Seb resisted for quite a while. He claimed to be busy lining up test subjects for our back to back Stumpy EVO test project, but read between the lines and you’ll find he was actually just afraid he’d like it too much…

I’m a huge fan of Specialized’s fit and finish, I adore the forward thinking Evo concept, and I was truly in love with the 26” version of the Stumpy FSR S-Works Evo when I rode one last year. So why was I so slow to enjoy the company of the Stumpy Evo 29 when it sat in my garage winking at me to take it out and give it a darn good seeing to? I think it was because I knew I might like it and I already have too many bikes I like. It is getting difficult to spread the love around, especially when newer younger models keep coming along and wowing me with how they take on curves, and relish being treated roughly and hammered on the downs.

Then one wet morning I snuck out of the house and succumbed to the allure of this lithe yet tough featured, long limbed, dancer. The passion wasn’t immediate but the romance lasted everyday till I had to hand the beauty back. 

  One of our test riders for the aforementioned project is NSMB Team rider Paul Stevens, whose regular short-travel rig is a 26″ Stumpy Evo. We’ll hear Paulo’s thoughts in the next article, but for now, some photos of him in action.

The Stumpy FSR Expert Evo 29 (what a mouthful) is a stunner to look at and a look through the vital statistics and make-up of this bike shows its class (we took a look at the spec in an earlier First Date HERE). It came specced with a line of great product that suited the 135mm hard hitting yet nimble character of the bike. Highlights were the Specialized Purgatory tires, a flat, wide bar to keep the front end in check, and a guide to help reign in an errant chain when using the 2×10 set-up.

Disappointments in the spec came from the Command Post. Specialized’s own dropper post was a huge pain in the butt. The cylindrical, single-bolt design of the head resulted in the saddle shifting up and down more than a strippers panties. It would let go on technical climbs so that the nose was either pointing skyward or drooping like Gonzo’s nose.

  A highlight of the Expert Evo 29’s stock spec are Specialized’s Purgatory tires, which you can also find at your local dealer for a reasonable price.

I’d prefer to see a sturdy two-bolt, fore and aft seat post design like Thomson has used for years (and Rockshox were smart enough to utilize on the Reverb). More so, the three position height adjust seatpost is just very lacking after getting used to the infinite adjust seat posts on the market. The intermediate position is not as useful as I’d hope, as it is neither here nor there, and finding it is hit or miss. Yes, aside from the sloppy head, having this seatpost would be better than not having a dropper at all, but I’m surprised that Specialized haven’t given it the attention to detail they do on most of their own brand products.

The other grumbles I could have at the spec would be at the fork and wheels. But complaints I could level at the forks and wheels are because of the strains 29ers of this genre put on components. You see, this sub-set of 29ers (The five-inch category of heavy hitting big wheeler) are putting demands on product that simply aren’t ready for it. The big wheels and confidence inspiring suspension of bikes like this ask, nay, beg to be ridden hard. These bikes make you plough through the rough like a bull in a china shop, clatter over the burl, and throw them through heinous terrain. 

  Paul Stevens giving the 29er a go on one of lower Fromme’s should-be-impossible grunty climbs. It took a couple of tries, but he made it.

They urge the rider on, taunting you to go harder, and ride faster. In a straight line they do exceptionally well, but when these bikes find themselves hurled at a corner faster than ever and stressed under braking, bump, and turning forces, something has to give. The big wheels – which have to be kept light so as not to be round boat anchors – just aren’t up to the job. They deform and contort like wet spaghetti. To be fair, I’ve not only experienced this with the Roval Traverse wheels that were on the Stumpy, but with other wheels on other bikes of this ilk. Coming down the line are stronger 29er rims, but for now we’re still behind the curve.

Similarly, the RockShox Revelation fork is overstretched at 140mm travel and at 29er length. The poor thing is just overwhelmed and wallows around like an awkward teenager who has been asked to do his fair share. 

  Airing out the big wheel. These bike likes to be pushed, and you will find their limits in the range of currently-available parts.

And this is the problem with the “long-travel” 29ers. Yes, they are great. They are fast, they can be built light and terribly stiff; agile and yet responsive. But the problem is that they can out run the parts that are strung on them. You simply have to get a good set of solid, stiff forks on bikes like this, and at the moment RockShox doesn’t have a fork that can cope with the abuse. Unless you try one of the smaller suspension fork companies you are left with only the Fox 34 to choose from – which isn’t a bad choice really.

Anyone who isn’t feeling the deficiencies of the forks or wheels really isn’t riding these bikes hard enough, and in which case, is perhaps missing the point of them. The Stumpy Evo 29 isn’t a pedestrian cruiser, it is a fire breathing, leather jacket wearing, spit, blood and snot firing punk monster.

On the first ride I set up the Stumpy Evo 29 using the delightfully simple Auto-sag system. However, I found that the bike wallowed around and pedaled as well as a plate of mashed potato. After plenty of experience with FSR bikes I have come to expect a little bit of a pedaling deficit for a downhill speed thrills pay off. However, I found the Auto-sag setting on the Stumpy Evo 29 just too much on the light footed side so over subsequent rides I added more air to get a firmer, more responsive feel when pedaling. 

  The wheels do really look large under that medium frame, but that isn’t an issue once you saddle up.

Downhill performance is where this bike shines. It lights up and flies. The FSR seems to not only work at smoothing out the bumps but seems to propel the bike like it has a midget pumping third wheel behind the bike. It can flutter over stutter with grace and then pound through the rough ground. Like all good Specializeds, it is its manners in the turns that really set it apart. The testers and engineers at Specialized know what it takes to make a bicycle corner and they really worked on that with this bike.

The low (13.1”) bottom bracket and relatively short chainstays (17.7”) help make the bike feel planted and the rider grounded. As you give this bike hell on the downs, it is as if it looks over its shoulder and asks for more with a devilish grin. It urges you on to manual, pump, jump and skip down the trail.

  Paulo showing us that even a 29er can get sideways. His thoughts on the bike are in the next article, but rest assured he enjoyed his time aboard the big wheel Evo.

You’ll have to wait to read what our assembled testers thought about riding the 26” and 29er Stumpy Evos back-to-back but as far as the Stumpy Evo 29 goes, if I had to own a 29er then this is a great example of the genre. However, depsite being a demon in the sack she still has her hang-ups. Things that I can overlook on a few rides but more time spent on this bike would mean perhaps money spent to bring the whole bike in line with its potential.

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The Stumpjumper Evo 29er has a big fan base, and that group now includes Seb Kemp. Have you had a chance to mount this long legged beauty?