At first glance, the new 2021 Stumpjumper appears pretty similar to both the model that came before it, and to the new 2021 Stumpjumper EVO that appeared a week or so ago. However, much has changed, both in where the bike sits in the range and with how the bike rides and the numbers and angles that carry it.
The Stumpjumper is an important bike for Specialized, being its most iconic name as well as the bike that represents the mid-travel trail bike that is likely to appeal to the biggest number of riders. It might be that Specialized felt that the launch of the similarly-travelled EVO model a couple of years ago muddied the waters a little, as for the 2021 season, Specialized has delineated its range much more clearly, actually reducing the travel on the 2021 Stumpjumper (to 140/130) while boosting the travel on the Stumpy EVO (to 160/150). There’s now a nice, even step in travel across the range, from Epic to Epic EVO, then the Stumpy, the Stumpy EVO, the Enduro and finally the Demo. So, with that explained, let’s look and see what the 2021 Stumpjumper is all about.
2021 Stumpjumper Travel and Geometry
The 2021 Stumpjumper is a 140mm front, 130mm rear, 29in wheel only, all round trail bike. There is a flip-chip at the rear shock to allow a +/- 7mm BB height change, but there are no other adjustments. There is no 27.5 option. As you might expect, the angles are slacker in the head and steeper in the seat tube than the previous model, with the geometry in ‘Low’ the numbers for an S3 ‘medium’ are:
- Reach: 450mm
- Stack: 622mm
- Head tube angle: 65°
- Seat tube angle: 76°
- Horizontal TT: 605mm
- BB height: 333mm
Our S4 2021 Carbon Comp weighed in at 13kg/29.75lbs without pedals.
“Singletrack Flow Finder”
That’s how Specialized is pitching the Stumpjumper. It’s not ‘rowdy’ as that’s the EVO. By shifting responsibility for conquering ‘janky chunder’ to the Stumpjumper EVO, the revamped 2021 Stumpjumper can concentrate on being an all-round trail bike. That’s not to say it isn’t capable, though, the 140mm of fork travel isn’t far off six inches of 29in wheel travel – something that would have put it in the ‘enduro’ category just a few years ago – the same could be said for the 65°/76° angles.
We know a lot of people don’t like to wade through the description, so we got Neon from Specialized to give you a quick video rundown of the new Stumpjumper features for you. Yes, it was in a pub, but where better to talk about bikes?
That’s how Specialized is pitching the Stumpjumper. It’s not ‘rowdy’ as that’s the EVO. By shifting responsibility for conquering ‘janky chunder’ to the Stumpjumper EVO, the revamped 2021 Stumpjumper can concentrate on being an all-round trail bike. That’s not to say it isn’t capable, though, the 140mm of fork travel isn’t far off six inches of 29in wheel travel – something that would have put it in the ‘enduro’ category just a few years ago – the same could be said for the 65°/76° angles.
Something else that shows that Specialized is really behind the 2021 Stumpjumper is the sheer number of sizes available. Everything from an S1 (410mm reach) to an S6 (530mm reach) in five models: four carbon and one alloy and with a couple of colour options per size. Specialized is obviously keen to get riders on board.
No Horst Link?
Where’s the Horst Link gone? After all, the Stumpy EVO has one? It seems that Specialized reckons that the job can be done well enough by the flex in the carbon rear end, without having a pivot on the chainstays. This simplifies things, makes the back end more rigid and saves a not-inconsequential 55g. And that’s one more thing to differentiate the 2021 Stumpjumper from its bigger cousin. The same is true for the spec. You won’t find 200mm rotors on the back (though you will on the front!) and you won’t find a bigger fork specced either. If you’re the kind of rider who ‘needs’ a Fox 36 or a coil shock, Specialized is only too happy to point you at the EVO or Enduro.
Kinemata-what?
Specialized has made many smaller tweaks to the frame construction in the name of marginal stiffness and weight-saving gains, but not a huge amount appears to have changed visually. The charts suggest that the bike is designed to retain small bump compliance with a big ramp up at the end of the travel to give the bike some big hit (or unexpected drop-off) capabilities. The shock tune has been tweaked so that the rebound damping remains fast for quick recovery on smaller bumps and then has a big ramp at the end so that it controls those bigger hits.
The geometry too has had a big tweak from the previous Stumpy too. The old one was criticised for being a little conservative on the reach, but the 2021 Stumpjumper features a roomy enough reach of 450mm on the S3 – medium equivalent (and 475mm on the S4), but with a seat tube height on the S3 of 405mm and 425mm on the S4 it’s easy enough to go up a size if you want more reach, as there’s still plenty of room for droppers.
Bike Range
As mentioned, the Stumpjumper range is pretty extensive, from the base Stumpjumper Alloy at a very reasonable £1900 up to a bells-and-whistles SRAM AXS Eagle S-Works model at a cool nine grand. There are six bikes in the range (in six sizes, most with a couple of colour options each, plus the S-Works frame-only, that’s a lot of choice…)
STUMPJUMPER ALLOY – £1,900
STUMPJUMPER COMP ALLOY – £2,500
STUMPJUMPER COMP – £3,500
STUMPJUMPER EXPERT – £4,750
STUMPJUMPER PRO – £6,500
STUMPJUMPER SWORKS FRAME – £3,000
STUMPJUMPER SWORKS – £8,750
As is the way these days, the bikes should be appearing in shops and on online listings about as soon as you finish reading this. There’s bound to be more info here too: specialized.com
And there’s a very fast and dusty video to make you want one – or to move to wherever is that dry and dusty at the very least… (It’s Park City, Utah, by the way, and about half the Singletrack staff already want to move there regardless…)
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