2015 Specialized Enduro Elite 650b – A quick review

Had the opportunity to try out a new 2015 Specialized Enduro Elite at the weekend, as I’m pondering replacing my own Enduro which is getting rather long in the tooth. Thought I’d pen a quick test/review type thingy on here in case anyone’s interested!
Rides – CwmCarn XC trails and BPW allsorts.
Firstly, the negatives…
Seatpost – The Spesh Command Post just isn’t as good as a Reverb. Sorry, Spesh, but you should take a leaf out of Giant’s book on this one. They spec their own post on the cheaper bikes, but admit defeat and put Reverbs on their top end ones. I just couldn’t get used to trying to find the “middle” position, whereas on my Reverb I can just pick and choose wherever it sits. The remote lever, shaped like an upshift Sram lever on the left, is superb, however. Really neatly mounted on a Matchmaker clamp, taking advantage of the 1×11.
Fork and climbing – Not very good on techy, switchback climbs, as the front end is a little high, and wheelbase is pretty long. Would love to have something with an adjustable travel fork to aid on climbing. Even on steeper, smooth climbs, the front end needed a lot of attention to keep it in check. Going around really tight uphill hairpins was a pain in the proverbial.

Glad to say that there’s many a positive to balance out
1×11 – Stunning. Crisp, clean shifting, but the real highlight was the utter silence from the chain when pointing the bike downhill. Brilliant. Only ran out of gears at points where I would already have run out of gears with a “normal” drivetrain.
Tyres – Butcher/Slaughter F/R set up, running tubeless. The front gripped like shit to a blanket, and the rear was fast and loose. Really good fun! At BPW, a few landings were made enjoyably sketchy by the lower tread rear tyre. Bike apparently came with a tubeless conversion kit in the box, and that’s a very worthwhile switch to make.
Fork – Pike RC. Despite comment above re climbs, when it came to getting down, the fork was brilliant. Stiff, precise steering and soaked up everything I could throw at it.
Shock – Cane Creek DB Air – Was it even there? I really couldn’t tell, as it just felt like nothing was happening at the back, but in a REALLY good way! Plush as a plush thing, and easily tuned for both high and low speed compression/rebound on the trail (Which was useful given it was a demo bike on a try out ride!)
650b – Yeah, yeah, I know, killing kittens really brings the trail alive etc. However, I really liked it. Didn’t feel as cumbersome as 29ers I’ve tried, and didn’t really feel much different to a 26, except on the climbing (As above). However, on stuff like the BPW fireroad climb, especially the last bit after the right turn, it seemed to roll just that little bit better than a 26, so I’m not overly concerned that my next bike will pretty much have to be a tweener-wheeler!
Handling – I went for a Medium as that’s the size I already ride. Am 5’10″ish. Very solid handling overall, and really easy to get it airborne at BPW. Really good change of direction, and the frame picked up pace very quickly when stamping on the pedals. With the post on full-down setting, it was very easy to move my body around on the bike and get way over the back for the steep stuff.

Withholding judgement –
Brakes – SRAM Guide R. They were pretty nice once the pads were bedded in and very good single finger braking. Levers were pretty small for my big paws, and I did get the occasional squeak out of them later on at BPW.
Grips, bars and saddle – All Spesh own branders, and not really to my taste. Would have Intense Lock-ons, Easton Carbons Havens and probably something from Fizik for me.

Overall – Not a bike for the mountain goat climbers or those looking for an all day epic ride, very much a winch and plummet plaything. The suspension action was deliciously good from both ends, and the steering was perfectly pinpoint. If you get on with the contact points, there’s very little you’d need or want to change out of the box, apart from that seatpost (Unless you can get on with it better than I can!). For a trail centre skill compensator, an uplift day at BPW or the likes, and even as a mini-DH for non-super-gnar courses, though, I was very, very impressed.

Massive thanks to the lovely folk at http://www.stonehengecycles.com for the loan of their demo bike before anyone else got their hands on it! No riding pics, saldy, too busy having fun! Also, bike is stock as seen above, but pedals are my beloved old Times!

Nice write up, this bike is on my list for a FS in the new year.

650b – Yeah, yeah, I know, killing kittens really brings the trail alive etc. However, I really liked it. Didn’t feel as cumbersome as 29ers I’ve tried, and didn’t really feel much different to a 26, except on the climbing (As above). However, on stuff like the BPW fireroad climb, especially the last bit after the right turn, it seemed to roll just that little bit better than a 26, so I’m not overly concerned that my next bike will pretty much have to be a tweener-wheeler!

Exactly what i felt when i went to 650b on my hardtail, not too cumbersome like a lot of 29ers are, not much different to 26ers…but they do roll noticeably better on square edged hits…i’m a convert.

not much different to 26ers…but they do roll noticeably better

You do know that you’re actualy standing there with no clothes on don’t you? 😉

Has the recent spesh enduro been 29 er up to this point?

NCB, that particular bike is available in both flavours for this year.

Is the spesh 650b still a bodge with the 26″ front end installed with headset spacer to accommodate the bigger front wheel, and 29er rear end bolted on?

I rode that blue stumpy fsr released 2014 and it felt weird too short and tall with high bbh

Or have they actually made a true 650 frame for 2015?

CaptainFlashheart as a Enduro owner (2011 Expert) I thank you for the review really useful I am looking to upgrade next year and was nearly going for a 29er.

But my mate as just got a 650B Ghost and started looking at 650B myself the only fly in the ointment for me is the pricing for Spesh Enduro bikes has just got bloody crazy for 2015! 🙄

Esher, not too sure. No spacer, I think, and the back end looks pretty tight for a 29er, so not convinced. Will try and find out for you.

badllama, glad I could help(ish!). Price? Well, as above is £3600, which isn’t too bad to my mind. Especially when factoring dealer support, proper suspension set up, tubeless conversions, (potential) warranty back up etc. I know there are pretty bikes out there with shinier spec, but the FSR system is tried and tested and it really, really worked well on this one!

Thanks for the write up. I’ve got a real soft spot for FS Spesh’s.

Although not trying a Stumpy 650b, I heard the comments that Esher mentions so would also be interested to know about the set up for 2015.

Very interesting, thank you OP.

I’ve been looking into a number of new bikes myself and I tried a Stumpy 650B for a little pootle, but it seemed to combine the worst of both worlds of 29/26 inches and wound up with a steel head angle and a really low BB – this from a season Spesh owner. What swung it for me however was a test ride of a 29er Stumpy Evo, truly beyond expectations for me and I wound up buying it.

Is the spesh 650b still a bodge with the 26″ front end installed with headset spacer to accommodate the bigger front wheel, and 29er rear end bolted on?

I don’t think the Enduro 650b is a bodge like the Stumpy. It’s the 29er front end by the way on the Stumpy, the rear was shortened specifically for 650b. So it’s the front triangle that’s a bit of a bodge with the head spacer, ended up with a very low BB, but rest of geo seems reasonable.

I’ve got a 2015 Enduro 29 Expert (Carbon version). Haven’t had chance to ride it on tech trails yet, but the big wheel version feels very nimble, you hardly notice the big wheels except for how fast it goes! Originally I was thinking of getting the 650b version, but glad I went 29er now. It’s not cumbersome at all on this bike. I think the 29″ wheels make it a genuine all day epic trail bike – especially in carbon. Certainly doesn’t feel slow on the climbs to me.

the only fly in the ointment for me is the pricing for Spesh Enduro bikes has just got bloody crazy for 2015!

I thought they were more or less the same pricing as 2014?

OP, you need to ride the E29″. Ideally a large with a 30mm stem.

The 650b Enduro has the same front triangle as the old 26″ which results in the BB being a bit high and the seat angle is a bit slack. The latter an issue on larger frames hence the no XL.

It’s a compromise. Not as bad as the 650b Stumpy but overall the geo isn’t as good as the Nomad etc.

I can’t really see the value in the elite over the comp.

You could get the comp, put a reverb on, go 1 x 10 with a 40/42 outer and you’ve pretty much got the same bike. The brakes on the ’15 models are now deores, not the woeful formula C1s, so no need to change. Whether having the Cane Creek is worth the uplift is up for debate I suppose…

Skightly annoyed me that only the S-Works model got a Pike RCT3 – RCs on 6/7 grand bikes seems mighty cheap.

That said, friend is on the same bike as above, and there’s almost nothing out of the box that needs changing or upgrading, it’s really well specced – fair enough, the seatpost is a bit iffy, and the bars/etc could be flashier, but functionally it’s all there.

You could get the comp, put a reverb on, go 1 x 10 with a 40/42 outer and you’ve pretty much got the same bike. The brakes on the ’15 models are now deores, not the woeful formula C1s, so no need to change. Whether having the Cane Creek is worth the uplift is up for debate I suppose…

What’s the saving when you’ve made the spec changes above? – presuming you don’t upgrade the brakes and shock.

Skightly annoyed me that only the S-Works model got a Pike RCT3

Is it that big a deal though? From what I’ve read, the RC is identical apart from the 3 position compression lock – which I doubt I would use.

reverb is, what, £150.
30T raceface narrow/wide is £40
40/42t outer is £40

that’s £230.

if you wanted to do the brakes, that’d be £100 for some SLX.

even if you wanted to do the shock, you could flog the one it comes with for, I dunno, £150? and stick a monarch on or something.

anyway, still only my thoughts on it and either way its a great bike (I have one).

Snorkel, don’t forget to upgrade the wheels as well.

🙂

Also, having ridden a fair few shocks recently, the one on the bike above is by far and away the best I’ve used. It was truly excellent, and so easy to set up and tune.

Agree with what you say about 650b. Not loads different from 26″ so still fun etc but just doesn’t get bogged down the same when the going is up/flat and lumpy.

Still can’t decide if it’s the best of both or a shandy drinking 29er though.