Stumpjumper Comp - Any Good?
Discussion
2009 Stumpjumper FSR comp like this:
http://www.specialized.com/gb/gb/bc/SBCProduct.jsp...
Are they any good?
My current (ancient - 1997!) Mount Vision has got Hope C2's and Pace RC36 carbon/steel forks on it, which, for some reason I think will last a lot longer than the stuff on the Stumpjumper. I'm torn between getting a newer bike like this with allegedly better geometry, more travel and lighter weight, but somehow I think I'm sacrificing some quality on components: I have lost touch with what componets are good quality and what are average. Plus there are hundreds of pivots on that thing, all of which will wear out sooner or later, but there are only three on the Mount Vision and I've only replaced them once in 13 years. I dunno...
Riding I do is cross country, Peak District, usually extreme mud.
Friend of a colleague is selling his Stumpjumper becasue he never rides it - it's in excellent condition. What would be a sensible offer on price?
http://www.specialized.com/gb/gb/bc/SBCProduct.jsp...
Are they any good?
My current (ancient - 1997!) Mount Vision has got Hope C2's and Pace RC36 carbon/steel forks on it, which, for some reason I think will last a lot longer than the stuff on the Stumpjumper. I'm torn between getting a newer bike like this with allegedly better geometry, more travel and lighter weight, but somehow I think I'm sacrificing some quality on components: I have lost touch with what componets are good quality and what are average. Plus there are hundreds of pivots on that thing, all of which will wear out sooner or later, but there are only three on the Mount Vision and I've only replaced them once in 13 years. I dunno...
Riding I do is cross country, Peak District, usually extreme mud.
Friend of a colleague is selling his Stumpjumper becasue he never rides it - it's in excellent condition. What would be a sensible offer on price?
Had one exactly like this.
Good all round bike. Seemed to work best on fast, swooping flowing trail centre stuff.
Be prepared to give it a decent annual service every year if you're in gritty/sandy mud - I'm guessing this may apply to all FS bikes of similar budget. Also, from what I hear, I'd steer clear of any FS (other than fairly expensive and durable stuff) if you're much over 16 or 17 stone.
Very enjoyable ride.
Good all round bike. Seemed to work best on fast, swooping flowing trail centre stuff.
Be prepared to give it a decent annual service every year if you're in gritty/sandy mud - I'm guessing this may apply to all FS bikes of similar budget. Also, from what I hear, I'd steer clear of any FS (other than fairly expensive and durable stuff) if you're much over 16 or 17 stone.
Very enjoyable ride.
Digga said:
Had one exactly like this.
Good all round bike. Seemed to work best on fast, swooping flowing trail centre stuff.
Be prepared to give it a decent annual service every year if you're in gritty/sandy mud - I'm guessing this may apply to all FS bikes of similar budget. Also, from what I hear, I'd steer clear of any FS (other than fairly expensive and durable stuff) if you're much over 16 or 17 stone.
Very enjoyable ride.
Thanks for that.Good all round bike. Seemed to work best on fast, swooping flowing trail centre stuff.
Be prepared to give it a decent annual service every year if you're in gritty/sandy mud - I'm guessing this may apply to all FS bikes of similar budget. Also, from what I hear, I'd steer clear of any FS (other than fairly expensive and durable stuff) if you're much over 16 or 17 stone.
Very enjoyable ride.
I'm 11 stones, and I've been riding a Mount Vision for the past 13 years, so I thought I'd get something a bit more up to date.
Servicing's no problem, but I've always been wary of multi-linkage designs: in muddy conditions, riding a couple of times per month, how long would you estimate the bearings will last?
What's it like for climbing?
Thanks again for the advice.
dr_gn said:
I'm 11 stones
Absolutely no problems. I have a mate who is 18ish stone and he had an S-Works version of this bike that he got rid of because of the very high maintenance costs. He's fit and a decent rider too, so it was kind of the worst of all worlds for the bike...dr_gn said:
how long would you estimate the bearings will last?
I ride on cannock Chase a lot and that's very sandy and abradsive, to the opint that on of the leading global component suppliers has deemed it neccessary to come and take soil samples... Depends how much air you like to get too, but I'd say 18 months minimum for headset and rear shock bushings and longer for the other bearings.dr_gn said:
What's it like for climbing?
Very good, locking the pro-pedal makes it extremely effective. I think it's a hard bike to beat for the combination of weight, descending adn ascending capabilities at the price. Component spec was decent too.Digga said:
dr_gn said:
I'm 11 stones
Absolutely no problems. I have a mate who is 18ish stone and he had an S-Works version of this bike that he got rid of because of the very high maintenance costs. He's fit and a decent rider too, so it was kind of the worst of all worlds for the bike...dr_gn said:
how long would you estimate the bearings will last?
I ride on cannock Chase a lot and that's very sandy and abradsive, to the opint that on of the leading global component suppliers has deemed it neccessary to come and take soil samples... Depends how much air you like to get too, but I'd say 18 months minimum for headset and rear shock bushings and longer for the other bearings.dr_gn said:
What's it like for climbing?
Very good, locking the pro-pedal makes it extremely effective. I think it's a hard bike to beat for the combination of weight, descending adn ascending capabilities at the price. Component spec was decent too.I've got a WTB Greaseguard headset on the Marin, had it for 10 years and it's still smooth as silk. Same with the Pace forks - they have greaseports. I think they are a great idea becasue you just purge a bit of grease/crud/water out after every ride or wash and these components last forever. Greaseports don't seem to be 'the thing' to have though. Also fitted ceramic BB bearings which have been fine.
I suppose I can upgrade these things when they get knackered.
Thanks for the info.
It all depends how much he wants for it. Looking at the spec, most of the money has gone on the frame and fork with the finishing kit and other bits from the budget end of the spectrum.
All of the stuff on there should work fine, but the hubs might not last long if in mud the whole time and while the Avid brakes feel really good and have loads of power I've had a few problems with leaks on mine, whereas I've got Hope brakes on other bikes and they seem more reliable and easier to maintain. The Specialized own brand finishing kit isn't very bling, but will do the job and probably doesn't weigh too much.
The suspension action will definately be superior to your Marin as it will respond to small bumps more efficiently and the suspension will remain active when using the rear brake, which is usefull when desending rough trails. I've owned a Santa Cruz Superlight (single pivot like your Marin) and currently have an Intense Tracer (uses the same FSR rear linkage as the Stumpjumper). The main difference I've found is the single pivot feels more reponsive and accelerates faster than the linkage frame , but the linkage frame isolates you from bumps more and gives less feedback for the terrain you're on which may or may not appeal to you. You get beaten up less on the linkage frame so won't feel as tired and they seem to find traction better on slippery climbs. The closest modern design to your Marin is something like an Orange 5 or Santa Cruz Hecker, but both of these cost quite a bit more than the Specialized.
I'm not sure how long the linkage bearings will last, but you'll probably be looking at around £100 to have them replaced at a dealer. The Fox forks work well, but are quite maintenance intensive so if you're riding alot in muddy conditions you'll need to remove the lower legs of the forks and give everything a clean and oil change every couple of months otherwise the anodising on the stanctions will wear down. Videos of how to do this are on youtube or the Mojo (Fox importers) website.
The only other things to mention are the bottom brackets on these bikes are quite low compared to other bikes in the same class, so they're not ideal if you ride terrain with alot of roots and rocks as you'll be catching the pedals quite often.
It's also worth checking if the guy selling it has the original receipt and would be willing to assist in any warranty claim as I think these frames either have a 5 year or lifetime warranty, but that only applies to the original purchaser. I'm not sure about the Stumpjumpers, but the chainstays have been know to crack on the Enduro frames.
All of the stuff on there should work fine, but the hubs might not last long if in mud the whole time and while the Avid brakes feel really good and have loads of power I've had a few problems with leaks on mine, whereas I've got Hope brakes on other bikes and they seem more reliable and easier to maintain. The Specialized own brand finishing kit isn't very bling, but will do the job and probably doesn't weigh too much.
The suspension action will definately be superior to your Marin as it will respond to small bumps more efficiently and the suspension will remain active when using the rear brake, which is usefull when desending rough trails. I've owned a Santa Cruz Superlight (single pivot like your Marin) and currently have an Intense Tracer (uses the same FSR rear linkage as the Stumpjumper). The main difference I've found is the single pivot feels more reponsive and accelerates faster than the linkage frame , but the linkage frame isolates you from bumps more and gives less feedback for the terrain you're on which may or may not appeal to you. You get beaten up less on the linkage frame so won't feel as tired and they seem to find traction better on slippery climbs. The closest modern design to your Marin is something like an Orange 5 or Santa Cruz Hecker, but both of these cost quite a bit more than the Specialized.
I'm not sure how long the linkage bearings will last, but you'll probably be looking at around £100 to have them replaced at a dealer. The Fox forks work well, but are quite maintenance intensive so if you're riding alot in muddy conditions you'll need to remove the lower legs of the forks and give everything a clean and oil change every couple of months otherwise the anodising on the stanctions will wear down. Videos of how to do this are on youtube or the Mojo (Fox importers) website.
The only other things to mention are the bottom brackets on these bikes are quite low compared to other bikes in the same class, so they're not ideal if you ride terrain with alot of roots and rocks as you'll be catching the pedals quite often.
It's also worth checking if the guy selling it has the original receipt and would be willing to assist in any warranty claim as I think these frames either have a 5 year or lifetime warranty, but that only applies to the original purchaser. I'm not sure about the Stumpjumpers, but the chainstays have been know to crack on the Enduro frames.
Gachet said:
It all depends how much he wants for it. Looking at the spec, most of the money has gone on the frame and fork with the finishing kit and other bits from the budget end of the spectrum.
All of the stuff on there should work fine, but the hubs might not last long if in mud the whole time and while the Avid brakes feel really good and have loads of power I've had a few problems with leaks on mine, whereas I've got Hope brakes on other bikes and they seem more reliable and easier to maintain. The Specialized own brand finishing kit isn't very bling, but will do the job and probably doesn't weigh too much.
The suspension action will definately be superior to your Marin as it will respond to small bumps more efficiently and the suspension will remain active when using the rear brake, which is usefull when desending rough trails. I've owned a Santa Cruz Superlight (single pivot like your Marin) and currently have an Intense Tracer (uses the same FSR rear linkage as the Stumpjumper). The main difference I've found is the single pivot feels more reponsive and accelerates faster than the linkage frame , but the linkage frame isolates you from bumps more and gives less feedback for the terrain you're on which may or may not appeal to you. You get beaten up less on the linkage frame so won't feel as tired and they seem to find traction better on slippery climbs. The closest modern design to your Marin is something like an Orange 5 or Santa Cruz Hecker, but both of these cost quite a bit more than the Specialized.
I'm not sure how long the linkage bearings will last, but you'll probably be looking at around £100 to have them replaced at a dealer. The Fox forks work well, but are quite maintenance intensive so if you're riding alot in muddy conditions you'll need to remove the lower legs of the forks and give everything a clean and oil change every couple of months otherwise the anodising on the stanctions will wear down. Videos of how to do this are on youtube or the Mojo (Fox importers) website.
The only other things to mention are the bottom brackets on these bikes are quite low compared to other bikes in the same class, so they're not ideal if you ride terrain with alot of roots and rocks as you'll be catching the pedals quite often.
It's also worth checking if the guy selling it has the original receipt and would be willing to assist in any warranty claim as I think these frames either have a 5 year or lifetime warranty, but that only applies to the original purchaser. I'm not sure about the Stumpjumpers, but the chainstays have been know to crack on the Enduro frames.
Thanks for that, kind of confirms what I was thinking about finishing kit. Then again I'd replace with better stuff as and when it wore out. Main disadvantage I can see is the brakes: I'd love to stick with Hope. I wonder If I could shove my C2's on there?All of the stuff on there should work fine, but the hubs might not last long if in mud the whole time and while the Avid brakes feel really good and have loads of power I've had a few problems with leaks on mine, whereas I've got Hope brakes on other bikes and they seem more reliable and easier to maintain. The Specialized own brand finishing kit isn't very bling, but will do the job and probably doesn't weigh too much.
The suspension action will definately be superior to your Marin as it will respond to small bumps more efficiently and the suspension will remain active when using the rear brake, which is usefull when desending rough trails. I've owned a Santa Cruz Superlight (single pivot like your Marin) and currently have an Intense Tracer (uses the same FSR rear linkage as the Stumpjumper). The main difference I've found is the single pivot feels more reponsive and accelerates faster than the linkage frame , but the linkage frame isolates you from bumps more and gives less feedback for the terrain you're on which may or may not appeal to you. You get beaten up less on the linkage frame so won't feel as tired and they seem to find traction better on slippery climbs. The closest modern design to your Marin is something like an Orange 5 or Santa Cruz Hecker, but both of these cost quite a bit more than the Specialized.
I'm not sure how long the linkage bearings will last, but you'll probably be looking at around £100 to have them replaced at a dealer. The Fox forks work well, but are quite maintenance intensive so if you're riding alot in muddy conditions you'll need to remove the lower legs of the forks and give everything a clean and oil change every couple of months otherwise the anodising on the stanctions will wear down. Videos of how to do this are on youtube or the Mojo (Fox importers) website.
The only other things to mention are the bottom brackets on these bikes are quite low compared to other bikes in the same class, so they're not ideal if you ride terrain with alot of roots and rocks as you'll be catching the pedals quite often.
It's also worth checking if the guy selling it has the original receipt and would be willing to assist in any warranty claim as I think these frames either have a 5 year or lifetime warranty, but that only applies to the original purchaser. I'm not sure about the Stumpjumpers, but the chainstays have been know to crack on the Enduro frames.
I do all the work on my bike myself, so replacing bearings is fairly cheap and easy from what I've read, but another hassle that I don't currently have.
One went on EBay today for £540. If he'd accept that I'd have it, any more and I'll stick with my Marin. I always said I'd never have a multi-linkage bike, and I'd never have anything than coil sprung suspension. From what you say, it does sound like a bike very well suited to my kind of riding. All depends on price I suppose.
Thanks a lot for the info.
PST 1 said:
I bought my Stump Jumper a couple of months ago and love it, its a lot faster than my GT hard tail.
ETA, was chatting to someone with an FSR in Wharncliffe car park yesterday - said his was great, no problems at all with swingarm bearings, but the Avid brakes are dodgy (as I'd feared).
Edited by dr_gn on Sunday 20th March 13:44
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