All New Specialized Stumpjumper 15: The Best of Both Worlds

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The name Stumpjumper is synonymous with mountain biking; at this point it's practically a household name. One of the first true mountain bikes, and while it's changed a lot over the years, its purpose remains the same: to be the best all around mountain bike for any trail, any conditions, any time. The new Stumpjumper embodies that spirit more than ever, and we'll dive into what that really means.

All Things to All People

It's tough to build a bike that spans such a wide range of riding styles, and shreds while doing it. Specialized have more than a little experience in building high performance bikes though, and they put all of their combined knowledge into the new Stumpjumper to build a bike that climbs as well as it descends; light and efficient enough for all day pedalfests, capable enough for burly descents, forgiving enough for beginner riders, and progressive enough for hard chargers.

The big news for the new Stumpy is that it splits the difference between the regular Stumpjumper and Stumpy Evo, getting rid of the Evo line. Instead, the new Stumpjumper strikes a balance between the two bikes, with all the adjustability of the Evo, and tuned suspension kinematics that should work for a broad swathe of riders, as well as optional burlier builds that will appeal to those harder charging riders.

The Stumpjumper 15 uses Specialized's S-Sizing, from S1 to S6, it's designed to fit pretty much all sizes of rider. S1 and S2 builds come out the box with a mixed wheel setup, while S3-S6 are full 29", with the option of mulleting it. The standard spec bikes come with 150mm travel up front and 145mm out back, with an Ohlins coil option that bumps the fork up to 160mm and is mixed wheel in every size. 

More Bike, More Travel

The new redesign makes the Stumpjumper a more well-rounded bike, while leaving space for the Epic Evo to pick up where the old Stumpy left off. The new Stumpjumper has 145mm travel out back, and 150mm up front, splitting the difference between the Stumpy and Stumpy Evo, sitting right in perfect trail bike territory. Dropping weight and a slight bit of travel, it's more sprightly on the climbs than the Evo, but with more travel and slacker geometry than the Stumpy, it's more adept on the descents.

Suspension

As mentioned, the new Stumpjumper gains more travel than the old Stumpy, but less than the Evo, sitting at 145/150mm. Still using Specialized's tried and true FSR suspension platform, the new Stumpy doesn't deviate too far from the norm in that regard - though it gets rid of the flex-stay design that the previous generation Stumpjumper used.

Specialized have worked their magic however in the new Genie air shock, in partnership with Fox. The Genie shock does two things, and essentially gives the bike two distinct personalities; supple and supportive, and sendy and progressive. The Genie shock uses an extra high volume air can to give the shock a coil-like linear feel through the beginning to mid-stroke, make it super supple and giving it a ton of traction - Specialized say up to 57% more grip.

The smart part comes at the end stroke, where a spacer cuts off the volume of the main shock body, dramatically reducing the air volume, the equivalent of filling the air can with tokens, right at the very end of the stroke. What this essentially means is that the progression ramps up significantly at the end, increasing bottom out resistance during big impacts.

Geometry

The geometry of the new Stumpy is closer to that of the previous generation Stumpjumper Evo - long and slack is the name of the game, though Specialized have been careful to balance things like reach and seat tube angle to make the bike useable day to day - where too steep seat tube angles can make cockpits feel too short while climbing, for example.

While Specialized have consolidated the range with the new Stumpy, they know that extreme geometry is not for everybody, so the new Stumpy includes 6-way geometry adjust, including three different head angles with two different headset cups, and a two position flip chip at the chainstays for high/low bottom bracket height. 

In the neutral position, the new Stumpjumper comes in with a 64.5º head tube angle and 77º seat tube angle. Reach on the S4 (large equivalent) is 475mm, in line with the rest of their range. BB drop comes in at 38mm, chainstays between 430mm and 445mm, and stack at 608mm and 667mm depending on size.

Frame Details

The new Stumpjumper frame has undergone a bunch of revisions that make it sleeker, lighter and more refined. Going away from the side-brace design in the front triangle, the shock is now accessible from both sides, and looks a lot cleaner, while also dropping weight, though the overall silhouette of the new Stumpjumper is very recognisable.

Big news for the new Stumpy, that may be somewhat contentious, is that the new bike, currently only available in carbon, is not compatible with mechanical drivetrains. It is of course T-Type compatible, and backwards compatible with older generations of AXS. The only ports available at the front of the bike are for dropper post and rear brake. Worth pointing out is that brake hoses are not routed through the headset, for ease of service.

Updated for the new Stumpy is also the SWAT Box, with a new flush mount lid, and a mechanical CNC machined latch with a much neater fit and finish. Other frame details include the usual threaded BSA bottom bracket, 34.9mm seat post diameter, boost 148mm hub spacing, and a standard 210x55(?) shock, so those wanting a different shock spec can swap it out.

Who Is The Stumpjumper For?

The new Stumpjumper marks a departure from the older bikes that occupy more of a niche, and instead aims squarely at the the trail and all-mountain rider that just needs one bike. Tuned for novice, intermediate and advanced riders alike with handling traits that inspire confidence on the descents, while being nimble and enjoyable on the climbs.

Build & Spec

There are five spec levels to choose from - the Comp, Expert, Pro, Ohlins Coil and S-Works, as well as a frame-only option. Each build comes with SRAM Maven brakes, Transmission drivetrain, Fox 36 fork and the Genie shock, with the exception of the Ohlins coil build which uses TRP and Ohlins. 

The S-Works build comes decked out with SRAM's XX SL Transmission, Maven Ultimate brakes, and a Fox Factory 36 fork and Factory Genie shock, as well as AXS dropper post, carbon Roval Control SL bars and rims with DT Swiss 240 hubs.

The Pro level bike comes with Factory 36 Grip X2 fork and Factory Genie shock, SRAM XO Transmission drivetrain, Maven Silver brakes, BikeYoke Revive dropper post, Roval Control SL bars, and Traverse SL rims on Industry Nine 1/1 hubs.

The Ohlins Coil bike comes with an RXF38 fork with 160mm travel, TTX 22 M coil shock, Deity cockpit and PNW dropper post, TRP DH-R EVO brakes, GX Transmission groupset, and Roval Traverse Alloy wheelset on DT Swiss 370 hubs.

The Expert build comes with Performance Elite suspension, GX Transmission drivetrain, Maven Bronze brakes, Roval Alloy cockpit, PNW dropper post Roval Traverse Alloy wheelset on DT Swiss 370 hubs.

The Comp build comes with a Fox Performance level shock, and Float Rhythm 36 fork, SRAM Maven Bronze brakes and their latest S1000 Transmission drivetrain, X-Fusion dropper post, and aluminum Roval wheels. 

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