(Updated) Specialized Announce Demo Alloy, UK Pricing

Previously said to only be possible in carbon fibre, Specialized’s engineers have created an aluminium Demo frame (or, aloo-min-num as Americans pronounce it). The rather head-turning frame was notable for its single sided seat tube, made possible by shifting all the linkage components downward toward the bottom bracket. I’d probably get more excited about that as a mechanic than a rider, because it makes the shock look very easy to work on.

They also take an interesting approach to sizing, whereby all sizes of the frame are designed to have low standover, and riding style is a part of the consideration rather than simply pegging specific frame sizes to rider heights.

(UPDATED) Availability is touted as “the coming weeks”, and in the US it’ll be available as two complete bike builds or a frameset. We asked for clarification and Specialized confirmed The complete Demo 8 I is the only one coming to the UK, with an RRP of £3500. Here are the US pages for the Demo 8 II and the frameset if you want to look though.

See below for a video of it being razzed in’t woods, as well as more images and details from the release.

(No video? Click here).

From the release:

“Before we’d even released the Demo Carbon, we knew we had to make it in aluminum. Making an asymmetrical, singled-sided frame out of aluminum, however, was no small task, but the engineering team worked hard to apply the signature look of the Demo at a more accessible price. It also has all of the amazing performance benefits of the carbon version, like internally routed cables, new FSR layout, and it’s still fully customizable for the riders with no new crazy standards.

More important than the features is that it has the geometry and handling riders have come to expect from the Demo & Specialized. Its S3 geometry was introduced last year, and it takes all of the sizing woes out of buying a bike. Now, you can buy the size you want based on how you want to ride — see below:
• All sizes have low standover and seat tube heights — no more hoping you can touch the ground. Short & Medium sizes share head tube heights, as do Long & Extra-Longs.
• Each size has its own reach measurement, making them truly unique sizes.
• Most importantly, they all have low BBs (343mm), slack head angles (63.5°), and short rear ends (430mm chainstays).”