Specialized Stumpjumper 15 Review
The Stumpjumper 15 combines the lightweight agility of the previous Stumpjumper with the technical prowess and big hit ability of the award winning Stumpjumper EVO.
True To Its Roots
Usually when a bike ups its game to handle gnarlier terrain it loses some of its playful feel, but this isn’t the case with the Stumpjumper 15. This new bike retains the lightweight agility that has always made it so much fun to ride while adding a whole new layer of capability. It’s an easy climbing bike that offers plenty of support in the turns but never seems to run out of travel. It doesn’t leave you feeling that you’ve got ‘too much bike’ on mellow tracks, but maintains its composure when things get lairy.
Crushes the Big Hits
It’s when you push the Stumpjumper 15 onto bigger, rougher terrain that the magic of this new bike becomes obvious. It feels composed on steep terrain and eats up the big hits with ease. The confidence it inspires when things get rowdy is something special. It doesn't feel like it, but this is a bike with only 145mm of rear travel.
The Genie
It’s the new Fox Genie shock that allows the Stumpjumper 15 to feel like a lightweight trail bike while offering the confident abilities of an enduro rig. Developed in partnership with Fox, the Genie is very supple off the top with good mid-range support and plenty of big hit ability.
Specialized claim, that compared to a regular air shock, the Genie offers 57% more traction along with massive bottom out resistance.
How It Works
The Genie is a dual chamber shock that offers a two-stage spring rate. Through the first 70% of travel both chambers are open which offers a linear spring rate for a very supple, sensitive feel. When the shock reaches the last 30% of travel the outer chamber is shut off which reduces the air volume, so the spring rate ramps up dramatically offering incredible bottom out resistance.
Capability And Control
The Stumpjumper 15’s geometry is similar to the award winning Stumpjumper EVO which offers a confident riding position. You get big bike capability when you need it, a nimble feel in tight sections, and lively, efficient climbing manners. The generous cockpit centres you on the bike, optimizing traction and corner control. The low bottom bracket and slack head tube angle keep things stable in the rough.
Adjustable Geometry
The Stumpy now features 6-way adjustable geometry. You can easily adjust the head angle between 63° and 65.5° via a unique eccentric upper headset cup. You can also fine tune the bottom bracket height and chain stay length using the flip chip in the rear stays. This means that you can personalize the feel of the bike to your own preferences, or for particular trail conditions.
Size Specific Features
The Stumpjumper 15 uses Specialized’s S-Sizing system which allows you to select the size to suit your riding style. It’s nice to see that chainstay length is size specific too on this new bike.
*The four larger sizes come with 29” wheels front and rear while the smaller S1 and S2 sizes come with a 27.5” rear wheel and a 29” front wheel. There is one exception to this in that that there is one model with an Öhlins coil shock that comes with a 27.5” rear wheel in all sizes. An aftermarket shock link is available if you want to fit a 27.5” rear wheel on a full 29er.
Capability Across The Board
Component specification is impressive across all models and is geared towards robust reliable performance. All bikes get a SRAM Transmission electronic drivetrain for flawless shifting under power. SRAM’s super powerful Maven brakes on each model are a nice touch too.
With the exception of the Öhlins coil equipped model, all the bikes in the range feature a Fox 36 fork which complements the hard-hitting potential of the Genie shock.
