Specialized Stumpjumper 15 Pro: first ride review

The 50th anniversary of Specialized brings us the fifteenth Stumpy: here’s our early verdict on the Specialized Stumpjumper 15 Pro.

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By ben_haworth

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Specialized Stumpjumper 15 Pro: first ride review

Proprietary shock, really expensive and locked into SRAM/ expensive derailleur /  likely unsupported in a few years derailleur.

Not a chance I would touch it. Possibly in a few years when wireless is cheaper and Shimano provide competition. What a miss as otherwise it looks great!

I agree, and I’ve had 3 Specialized full suss bikes in a row. Not for me, I don’t want wireless shifting any more than I want an E-bike. People should have the option. Plus seems very expensive compared to previous models.

will Specialized (re)introduce a model to sit between the Epic EVO and the Stumpjumper 15 – a Camber perhaps?

Specialized Chisel FS Evo coming to a bike launch near you soon…(or maybe not 😂)

Stupidly expensive!!

will Specialized (re)introduce a model to sit between the Epic EVO and the Stumpjumper 15 – a Camber perhaps?

my first thought when I saw the price

I’m not the target market, I couldn’t spend that much on a push bike.

The shock doesn’t put me off – as Benji says, it’s standard sized and the frame isn’t bringing any kind of ‘locked’ to that shock.

I’m less keen on the AXS. I would rather some plain old Deore….

No routing for cable operated derailleurs!

I don’t see that it adds much to my current Stumpjumper Evo, apart from less travel?

Is the S-Works frame coming to the UK?

One thing that is easily missed is that Specialized offer a lifetime, no-questions-asked bearing replacement policy. Which is nice.

This is the first time I’ve heard of this, and Google doesn’t come up with anything about it. Are you sure you’re not thinking of Santa Cruz? https://www.santacruzbicycles.com/en-GB/warranty/claims

This is the first time I’ve heard of this, and Google doesn’t come up with anything about it.

Guy in Bikescene (Spesh store) told me the same thing at the weekend. I knew the frames were lifetime warranty, but he said bearings too. Wonder if that’s a new(ish) thing.

Another disposable carbon frame with limited cross-brand upgrade options? That should look nice in the landfill next to the unrepairable ebikes. It undoubtedly demonstrates some astonishing engineering but definitely doesn’t support a sustainable future. I am definitely not a target market for this so I’ll stick to my (significantly cheaper) alu frame and external routing for a bit longer.

I don’t see that it adds much to my current Stumpjumper Evo, apart from less travel?

They’ve got rid of the awful-looking asymmetrical frame 😀

But less travel can be better on an all-mountain bike. My latest steed is 145mm travel and I’m loving it.

Guy in Bikescene (Spesh store) told me the same thing at the weekend. I knew the frames were lifetime warranty, but he said bearings too. Wonder if that’s a new(ish) thing.

Wording of the warranty explicitly excludes bearings as a wear and tear item.

https://media.specialized.com/support/collateral/0000109731-warranty-uk-en.pdf

They’ve got rid of the awful-looking asymmetrical frame 😀

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that. I liked the side-arm.

Personally I don’t see the point of having so many things to adjust/muck up. I have never, ever, read a bike review in any publication that said ‘This bike would be better shorter and steeper.’ I’ve been out on my bike earlier just down the old railway line and back up the canal. Should I have spent an hour beforehand altering the geometry to suit, only to have to slacken it out again next time I ride the steeps? I’ll stick with my Orange. It’s fast, it’s simple, it’s fun, it rides like a dream. I genuinely think we’ve hit peak bike now. Geometry and suspension are as good as they’re going to get. There’s only so much they can sell you so they’re focusing on e-bikes and MORE TECHNOLOGY.

I don’t see that it adds much to my current Stumpjumper Evo, apart from less travel?

I was glad to see this release for this very reason – it’s nice when the new version of your bike doesn’t immediately seem more desirable than the one you already have.

Makes me wonder what direction they’ll go in with whatever replaces the Enduro. If it ends up some sort of super-enduro monster, does that leave a bigger gap in the range? That said, there was arguably a fair amount of overlap between the Evo and the Enduro, in terms of what could reasonably be ridden on them, albeit they get the job done a bit differently.

Also, they can have my asymmetric side arm when they prise it from my cold, dead hand.

They really nailed the new Epic / Epic Evo 8, but missed the mark with this one.

I wonder if they will bring out a cheaper alu version with normal cable routing?

I wonder if they will bring out a cheaper alu version with normal cable routing?

That seems likely to me – seem to remember that there was a bit of a lag before the alloy version of the Evo came out?

As an Evo owner, I shall be spending a lot of time hanging around trailheads, loudly and obnoxiously proclaiming that it was so good, Specialized had to nerf it to make the Enduro seem worthwhile.

On the launch video you can see an alloy one with what looks like normal routing. Don’t know why they don’t just launch them altogether.

I’ve read a bit more about the carbon one today, and I definitely think they’ve missed the mark with this one – as others have said, a shame given the success of the previous model and corresponding Evo and the recent winners with the Epic and Chisel FS.

Great review and accompanying pictures. I didn’t realize that the lower shock mounting had an offset capability. I looked up the manual and there is nothing mentioned about this feature. I’m assuming this came directly from Specialized during the test?

“Makes me wonder what direction they’ll go in with whatever replaces the Enduro. If it ends up some sort of super-enduro monster, does that leave a bigger gap in the range?”

It was already kind of a super-enduro monster, eh?

My theory is that by dropping the travel of the SJ and merging two bikes there, they will also drop the travel of the Enduro to 160 or 165.

They will want their enduro race team actually riding the Enduro next season IMO.

(erm, where have the quote and other tabs gone? And why won’t that Cannondale video shut up FFS?)

Funny, did exactly what @Benji mentioned with my current Stumpy Evo.

In the S6 size, I run the rear in the long setting to get some more balance front : back.

But, that lowers the BB even further, and thanks to the giant wheelbase, it was way too easy to smack pedals and chainrings all the time. (Even with shorter, 170mm cranks)
So I run the mullet link from WRP with the 29” rear wheel. Thanks to the angle adjust, you can compensate for the steeper headangle if needed.

@chakapingFull Member
“Makes me wonder what direction they’ll go in with whatever replaces the Enduro. If it ends up some sort of super-enduro monster, does that leave a bigger gap in the range?”

It was already kind of a super-enduro monster, eh?

My theory is that by dropping the travel of the SJ and merging two bikes there, they will also drop the travel of the Enduro to 160 or 165.

They will want their enduro race team actually riding the Enduro next season “

I was thing the same thing: they shortened the travel of the Stumpy (EVO) so why would they then increase the Enduro in travel ? That would only create a bigger gap.

Good point about Charlie riding the Evo in the Enduro WC , I hadn’t thought about that. Do the women also race the Evo? So maybe (slightly) shortening travel on the enduro would make sense.

KramerFree Member
I don’t see that it adds much to my current Stumpjumper Evo, apart from less travel?

I think that’s a good thing. We have reached a point where new bikes are a slightly tweaked and updated version of the old one. Just like cars.

So yes, it’s not massively better.

But, one of the gripes I have with the Evo is that the seatpost insertion depth is short. So my 6’0”+ kid with long legs, can only run a 180mm Oneup, even with 165mm cranks. And I, at 6’5” , with long legs, had to down-shim my Oneup 240 to 230mm. Both of us have the collar miles above the seat tube.

Then there is the thing about fitting more shocks, and hopefully not killing as many coil shocks.

And, best of all for anyone on a S4 and up, or even on an S3, size: 20 mm more stack!

Since I push mine towards light enduro use, I would have preferred if they kept it at 150/160 mm, but I can see why they went for 145/150mm, since the regular Stumpy is gone.
They should have kept the fork at 160mm though: at 64 degrees, the vertical travel is very much less than total, so you need quite a bit more travel up front to match front and rear wheel travel.

It looks great!

I don’t want one though cos it’s kinda expensive… when’s the cheaper Aluminium one due?

Last time round, it took quite a while for them to release the alloy version, like 8 months or so if I remember correctly? But, for the Epic/Chisel, they came pretty close on each others heels.

I find the lack of a piggyback on the shock very strange. They obviously don’t mind adding some weight with more capable spec (Maven brakes in a trail bike), so why not the Piggyback?

In another first look, Spesh claims the bike doesn’t need it, but that doesn’t make sense to me. Yes, the new shock has a better air spring. But that doesn’t change the fact that damper oil heats up, insulated by he air sleeve, as well as the normal space constraints for damper components.