SPECIALIZED ENDUROCOMP650B
£3,150 The best Enduro yet, but still not perfect
Specialized’s Enduro has been a contender in the long-travel category for years now. The Comp is the cheapest model, which this year gets better parts and a slightly higher price than its predecessor.
The frame
The Enduro’s frame was updated (read: lengthened) for 2017 and then again for 2018, but this year’s bike uses the same frame as last year. That means you get longish, but not boundary-pushing, geometry – Specialized claim a reach of 444mm for the medium size and 489mm for the XL bike tested. We measured the bottom bracket (BB) height at 330mm, which is super-low. It can be raised by 8mm using an adjustable chip in the shock yoke, but we preferred the low setting. The head angle is a moderately slack 65.5 degrees. There’s neat internal cable routing, a threaded BB and space for a fullsize water bottle.
The kit
The component highlight is the RockShox Lyrik RC fork. With its ‘Charger’ damper and smoother air spring, it’s streets ahead of the Yari on the 2018 bike. We also like the X-Fusion Manic seatpost, with its 150mm of drop and inline head, which e ectively makes the seat angle steeper (this too is an upgrade, over the outgoing Specialized Command post). Better still, 45mm stems are now fitted on every frame size, along with wide bars and short cranks to complement the low BB.
Unfortunately, the SRAM NX Eagle 12-speed transmission on our test bike soon became reluctant to shift, no matter what we did with the cable tension or b-tension screw, and the brand’s Guide R brakes had a spongy and vague feel, even after bleeding.
The ride
We soon realised that the Enduro works best when set up with a firm spring rate, corresponding to around 25 per cent seated sag. Otherwise, the bike feels unbalanced as the rear suspension wallows through its stroke. Even with little sag, it bobs when pedalling with the shock open.
Locked out, the Enduro climbs competently, with the steep seat angle helping when attacking steep ascents and the chunky 2.6in tyres boosting traction. But the ine cient suspension, relatively slow-rolling tyres and 15.7kg heft make it less than enthusiastic on rolling terrain.
When descending, the Enduro gets into its stride. Its 170mm of rear suspension travel calms the most chaotic terrain brilliantly, while the Lyrik RC fork o ers predictable support and superb sensitivity. Combined with the big, grippy tyres and low BB, this makes ploughing through choppy o -camber roots or big braking bumps a breeze, and means the bike is refreshingly comfortable on fast, rough descents. The low BB boosts confidence in tricky turns, but the flexy wheels and tyres can feel vague if pushed hard into berms.
At 6ft 3in, our tester felt the XL frame could have been longer, and couldn’t get the handlebar quite high enough for his liking. The rear suspension also sits high in its travel when braking. This made the Enduro a little harder to handle than some of its rivals when things really got steep and technical. SEB STOTT www.specialized.com