I picked up a 21' Stump Evo Expert and was thrilled with how it handle climbs and decents. I was expecting climbs to be a hassle coming from a 14' Camber, but can't say I notice that much of a difference. Peddle strikes is a bit of a problem so I had to relearn how to Peddle though the rough stuff. Upgrading to a set of Reynolds carbon hoops with I9 Hydra hubs (which made doing half peddles over roots and rocks much easier) and OneUp carbon bars real brought the bike from excellent to outstanding.
Yep linkage design has come a long way. I'd argue the T160 and Stumpy bridge the gap between trail and full enduro though, most "trail" bikes are still around 140mm.
Great video (as always)! But I really think you should have tested the normal Stumpjumper and not the Evo. The Evo really is a bikepark/enduro bike IMHO. And to be fair, bikes with 160 mm forks are they really considered trail bikes??? I am confused by the title...
Yes, trail bikes can mean different things to different people, so whichever way we went with the Stumpy it would only have pleased part of the audience. Given how well the Evo pedals, and how we didn't really like the standard Stumpy when we rode it when it was launched, on balance we think we made the right call.
What I appreciate about this upload is that the editors, and content creators chose bikes that are priced reasonably. No sense in reviewing a $6-7K: Hightower... Tall boy...SB130...or Trail429. But one bike that was clearly left out, and should not have been is the RIPMO AF.
I ride a 160 29er as my trail bike. With the modern geometry I can scale any mountain with ease and comfort and shake the forest on the way down. I even have 36 mm internal wheels and Cush core inserts front and rear.
@@th_js 2.6 Assegai 29 in front and 2.5 Aggressor in the back. Cush core pros front and rear too. 18 PSI in the rear and 16 in the front. It makes an enduro bike feel like it can fly.
In 2020 I was looking at the stumpy evo comp and while it was a stretch at $4100 usd, I still would have considered it. Specialized bumped the price of the comp to $5000 for 2021 and it immediately left my list as a whole.
@@tweaker_on_a_bike9809 I got myself a bike in October. 2021 GT Force 29 alloy. Cost me 3650 with shipping. The cost on their site is 3800… I think I beat the price hike
@@tweaker_on_a_bike9809 I got myself a bike in October. 2021 GT Force 29 alloy. Cost me 3650 with shipping. The cost on their site is 3800… I think I beat the price hike
Soo glad I just dawned on mountain biking so I didn't get raped during the COVID boom. Now every bike brand is about to decrease their prices. Get ready. Just picked up my Stumpy EVO Comp for $3600@@tweaker_on_a_bike9809
Nice video 👍 On the issue of chain guides, do you guys drop chains very often? I got a new bike about a year ago and have never had the chain come off. That's with enduro style riding in the Tweed Valley. SLX drivetrain.
You're right, it's not something that happens often, but as the chainring starts to wear it can become a problem. At which point it's really frustrating!
While it's barely a trail bike (much like the Canyon Spectral 29 featured in the Direct-to-consumer video), I do think the Stumpy Evo is probably the single best bike overall for the most people. That said, much like the Spectral 29 CF7 in the accompanying video, I'm not impressed by the presence of a Fox 36 Rhythm fork, especially at this price point (also, why did you make such a point of the Spectral using a 36 Rhythm, but not the Stumpy, even though it was noticably more expensive?). Much like with the Spectral 29, I'd be inclined to skip the EVO Comp Carbon entirely, and either save money with the basically identical EVO Comp Alloy (which is honestly still a bit overpriced for a Rhythm), or keep saving and upgrade to the Performance Elite/X01 equipped EVO Expert.
I have the 2021 Focus Jam and really happy with it. It is heavy though, so i am gonna upgrade the wheels, headset an go for a carbon bar. This will save me a kilo and transorm the bike. Havent had the issue with the shock lever and i use it a lot for climbing. Bombs downhill and probably more appropriate for that, not biking 100k.
@@robert-janvanderh.1561 i have the Jam 6.9 with the Fox DPS damper. Actually it does a really good job, i am using all my travel on big jumps without harsh bottom out. I had to tune the settings, correct sag and rebound because it is a very active suspension. Took me about 3 or 4 rides, but very pleased with it now. I see many Jam riders upgrading to a coil or shock with piggybank, so maybe in the future i will do it too out curiosity.
You have a worldwide audience but these bikes are not really available broadly except the specialized. Why not include a giant or other worldwide brand?
It wasn’t easy getting 8 bikes together for this test. Yes it would have been nice to have a Giant or Trek in the test but neither brand had any bikes available at this price point. Cheers
@@williambate8249 same deal with electric mountain bikes. All GB and no US. California might take credit for mountain biking but the US has dropped the ball with promoting the sport and technology at home. Particularly on the east coast where I live and ride.
The Stump Evo Comp is down to $3,750 US on their website. My dealer said to order it online to the store for setup or they couldn't order it and make a dime on it. Doing it that was the only way they got allocation at that price.
Exactly my case, my local shop had it at regular price of $5400, also their bike sales are "final" while buying on the website one has up to 30 days to return it (although I have no idea what issues one may encounter doing so). I paid 3750 + 50 for delivery/setup. My shop is also installing my choice of tubeless tires and not charging the labor on that (I went w/ the tan version of the Butcher and Ground Control T7/T9) Boomslang pedals too. I have not received it yet but I am sure I lack the experience to ever outgrow it!! It is crazy to think that nowadays bikes can cost so much but this bike's spec is great for the $3750 sale price, buy once and be done!
@@yoadriaaannn I bought a Levo Comp recently and wanted to go tubeless since it will have to endure front range Colorado prickly junk, it's heavy of course and I'm heavy too and I'm not helping with my lack of mechanical sympathy, so after the first few rides I ordered CushCores and had my local shop do both at the same time. Have to say, besides being able to beat the bejeezus out of it, stability is waayyyy better now.
Maybe I’m living in the (not too distant) past here. But it seems to me that of that bunch, the only trail bike you tested was the Reactor. The others, not so long ago were classed as Enduro bikes and still could be used very effectively as such.
I think the difference is that with the modern geo, these 140-160 bikes pedal just as well as much smaller trail bikes from a few years ago. Because of that, the "trail" catigory has become much broader.
Full suspension trail bikes I find is really just an ambiguous term and different manufacturers have different ideas on what classifies as enduro, trail, all mountain etc. I was super confused at one stage trying to figure out what classifies as what, and not one particular number for suspension travel or geometry classifies a particular bike category. What I did actually find is that the bike industry is just ever evolving and one bike that was classified as 'enduro' bike a few years ago may be more of a 'trail bike' in todays standards as per geometry and suspension travel. I now think of trail bikes with subcategories of enduro, all mountrain, park and trail bike. I'm sure I'm missing another type of trail bike.
Thanks. In some ways yes, you're right, but also that's compared to the winner of last year's test (the Nukeproof) that also beat the old Scott Genius, Cube Stereo 150 and GT Force. We've also got the direct-sales bikes video going live today, so that's another four bikes.
@@MBRmagazine you've done a great job under the circumstances. Ive heard that some brands are gonna drop the year when naming bike additions mainly because people may have to wait over a year to get them. And because of environment/consumption issues of course.
We've been trying to get various Orbea models for ages, but the supply of test bikes in the UK is extremely limited. Hopefully this will change as Orbea makes some really cool bikes.
Do you have any tips for setting up the rear shock? The specialized dealer used their own website and set up the shock to 320 psi I do weigh 105 kg. However seems to hard despite the sag being right as getting no where near full travel.
Now that nukeproof have introduced the giga as their more hardcore enduro , it almost seems like the mega is a little bit more trail , like it’s come back a bit towards these bikes , with its shorter chain stays and more playful feel,
I disagree. The mega is still a full blown enduro bike. The difference is that the mega is more built for racing and speed whereas the giga is more of a Freeride bike
@@SpencerBaum I guess I’m talking about ride characteristics, and you are probably right with the giga I haven’t had one . I had the 2020 and 2021 mega , the 2021 has more of an alrounder feel , more agile with and more supportive faster pedaling platform . The 2020 had more of a monster truck feel , great descender but not as adaptable to general trail riding
my reaction exactly, I remember when I got into mountain biking a few years ago an enduro bike had 150-160mm rear travel and that's now just a normal trail bike. ridiculous
Wish bike companies would keep 26ers alive. I actually sold my 29er and tricked out my 26er. My 26er is so much more nimble and fun on the trails and not much different in rolling or climbing. And it's funny shredding the 29er boys on my 26er.
Which one would you recommend between Marshal devinci, Trek Fuel EX 5 and RM Instinct Alloy 10? I have never ridden Full Susp but had ridden HT in easy trails. I rather a bike that is more confident in descent, corners and efficient enough on the climb. So, which one do you think is best for the price and what I am looking for? Thanks
Checking out used bikes for couple weeks now. Stumpjumper in Germany be like: 5400€ New with parts that are good for a 3000-4000€ Bike. Used 5000€ or older version 4500€ 👍 Not gonna happen for me. Can buy a brand new Custom Propain Tyee/Hugene with Fox Factory or Rockshox Pike /Lyrik ultimate and some other great components like actually good brakes and so on 🤷♂️
Hi there, thanks for both of the reviews, but being I am new to mountain biking I’ve got a few questions, 1, I’m 5.6” 77kg 30” leg I’m will to spend the money in the specialised or something up to 5-6 k max what would you recommend for me, the kind of trails would be what you where on on your test, I also have been looking at e bikes, but not sure which is my best option, I’ve been on the road for years would like a change thanks in advance
Pretty broad set of questions there! Not sure we can really answer that without really digging into what you want from your bike and where you ride. An e-bike is a very different proposition to a pure analogue bike. Maybe check out the Specialized Turbo Levo SL for something between the two that works on a wide variety of terrain.
We've got a test coming up on the Trek Slash in the April issue of MBR (against the more expensive Stumpjumper Evo). It's the Slash 9.8, but it will give a good idea of sizing, geo, suspension and handling performance.
considering it has the newest Shimano group set it looks like a really solid bike but for the price I myself wouldn't pay that much but if given the opportunity I would definitely pick it up put my 2016 specialized Evo that I've had going on almost 7 years now has seen me through quite a bit and just by looking and really taking a deeper look into what I saw on this video I would definitely stay on the s-works but every other bike look like they really had a good setup to them some not as good as I was expecting and some even kind of flopped but overall The 20/20 to line up is going to be really rad
@@MBRmagazine instead of asking which rider, why not just say rider a is wearing x, and rider b is wearing y. You can answer the question the 1st time without going back and forth. Just my 2 cents as someone that deals in customer correspondence.
Mainly because the direct sales bikes would likely win every time on price and spec. We can’t test the direct sales buying experience against buying from a bike shop so we leave that up to the reader/viewer’s personal preference.
@@MBRmagazine I really appreciate the video and it's really well made but personally id prefer if you did a 'best bike' award with worthy dtc and shop bought bikes with similar low to mid specs so people can judge the bikes performance and decide if the extra costs are woth it. For example, id love to see a comparison between a specialized sje vs a Canyon Spectral just to see if the price difference is worth it
Part two of the test is direct sales models and the Canyon Spectral is included so that should give you a good idea of how the two compare. We should have the video live later this week.
Whyte's effective seat tube angle is disappointingly slack. Could do with being 2 degrees steeper. Could also do with at least 20mm off all their seat tube lengths. I mean it's so obvious as soon as you see the Stumpy just how much shorter the seat tube is and how much more it will utilise the advantages of a dropper post. Manufacturers like Whyte need to shake off this old fashioned need to make 18"> seat tubes, you really don't need to now, we have dropper posts. Look at what Bird are doing. Would have liked to see the Slash included in this.
It’s getting a bit like trail bike out of these 4 brands now instead of trail bike of the year. Don’t bash me I know it can’t be helped. So many brands that are left out that would probably have done well. I’m guessing it all to do with the pandemic
@@MBRmagazine That's 100% not true for most coatings. The cheapest is chrome/polish, which is used on industrial equipment and motorcycles. If it works for those applications, it's likely better than Kashima. Rockshox has none at all, it's all black. All they are doing is anodizing the metal to a color. It's all polished smooth regardless of color. Personally I think it's all marketing gimmicks.
It’s 100% true in that only the most expensive forks and shocks in the range get the kashima coating. Whether the costing actually costs more to apply is another thing. Either way Fox charges more for it.
@@MBRmagazine There are far more companies than fox, and I just find the marketing excuses old and tired. $500 for a bicycle fork is ridiculous, let along $1500... this is why I'm hate Fox products.
We're just trying to make it a bit fairer. Most riders have a preference for wether they buy online or from their LBS, and seeing as we can't really review customer service, it seems unfair to penalise a shop-bought brand on price when your money buys you something less tangible.
I think it’s the biggest purchase factor if your buying an ebike. Not so sure it matters for an acoustic bike. When does a frame really go bad. Components are just replaced and not covered by warranties
I’ve come to realise that trial bikes are pointless, I’m quicker everywhere but the most roughest of tracks on a ht. I run a ragley mmmbob with fox 36 160mm which can handle almost everything and is faster then my 2021 carbon mega in 90% of riding. When things get really rough the mega pulls ahead. I ride in the lake districted where it’s rock central. I run Michelle wild enduros 2.6 with cushcore insert in rear at 18psi and I smash through rock gardens on the ragley. And have top 3’s on several strava segments on enduro tracks. By a ht you’ll have more fun trust me.
disagree. I spent years trying to find the best trail bike for me. hardtails even rigids. I ride rooty rolling trails with punchy climbs and mild decents. settled on 130/130 full sus trail bike. Rocky Mountain Thunderbolt A50. It's a knife on the trails and never reach for the lockout switch. Really makes me crave trail rides, A 130/130 trail bike and a gravel bike for long day explorations throught river valley covers anything i could ever ride. Took my Thunderbolt to mountains occasionally and feel only the slightest underbiked but add's to the fun. I'm set for life on these two bikes.
@@rickybarker4023 No offense, but it's just pure stupidity to think that s hardtail is faster than a full-sus anywhere other than smooth trails or pumptracks. Have you actually timed yourself? Also, just because you like to ride your hardtail doesn't mean that other people would prefer a hardtail. I love riding a hardtail, but a hardtail simply can not be as fast or faster than a sus.
Internal routing on MTB´s is a service disaster, and unlinke racing bikes there really isn´t any aero advantage. Aesthetic for sure, but a really annoying for usability and serviceability...
Been using internal routing for years, ripping off the crap sram’s and installing Magura. Never had a service disaster. Most modern carbon internal frames are routed inside, just thread it through and it comes out on the other side.
Sneaky practise dividing direct to consumer from shop-bought which are a lot pricier. Cannot shake a feeling that I am not watching a test, rather a paid-for commercial.
Not really sneaky, just practical. We can't test customer service, which is essentially what you're paying for with a shop bought bike, and we know people have hugely varied experiences buying online (and through a dealer) and this can colour their buying decision to the point they will only consider a bike from one sales model and not the other.
@@MBRmagazine I hadn't considered this perspective and it seems reasonable. It would be interesting to see quantitative performance data between the two groups for a bit of perspective though.
Yeah ‘trail’ means different things to different riders, but as Enduro has started pushing 170/180mm of travel, so trail has moved up a notch too. All of the companies represented here have enduro bikes with more travel in their ranges.
@@MBRmagazine does this mean and XC bike is gonna start being 130 rear and DH bikes are gonna start having 220mm rear travel or more? if you start to shift 1 or 2 bikes up the spectrum you're either gonna need to add categories to fill in the blanks or shift the entire spectrum. I have no idea what happened with allmountain but the area where trail bikes are today is what was called allmountain or enduro when I started riding a few years ago. in my mind a trail bike is something that's about a 50/50 up and down being able to blast flat trails, climb steep hills and bomb down hill all of them compromised but none of them being bad. These bikes feel more like they're 65 or 70 downhill and the rest is up, they'll pedal just fine thanks to modern geometry and good linkages but they're hardly a trail bike just because they can climb up a smooth hill well. perfect examples of "trail" bikes no longer being trail is that some EWS riders will ride these "trail" bikes with a coil shock on some crazy stuff.
Cheaper versions are available of both the two winning bikes as well as some of the other models on test. Unfortunately Brexit and global price rises mean there are fewer full suspension bikes under £3k now.
Hey guys I like your reviews a lot. It’s just that I would recommend maybe getting a haircut or at least taking that bulky thing out of your belly-pocket before filming. I know you’re all down to earth riders and legit people with profound insights into the bike world. But would it hurt to also look a little more as if you’re brushing your teeth regularly? Sorry that was joke, I just think your appearance could help underline your professional work on these bikes. Cheers
