SPECIALIZED ROCKHOPPER ELITE 29 £949
The Rockhopper is the most cross-country orientated bike here, weighing an impressive 13kg and boasting correspondingly fast rolling speed and acceleration. It has a playful, nippy feel on fast, flowy trails and through small tabletops and berms. This bike will appeal to novice and experienced riders alike who are looking for a hardtail with upgrade potential at a bargain price.
Specialized use their premium butted ‘A1’ alloy for the frame, which features hydroformed (ie. shaped using pressurised fluid) top and down tubes. The straight head tube means you’ll need to fit external headset cups if you want to upgrade the fork, though. Cables run through the down tube and under the chainstays, while a full-length chainstay protector is an often-overlooked finishing touch that quietens down chain-slap noise nicely.
Up front is an air-sprung RockShox Judy fork. Travel increases with frame size, from 80mm (XS) to 100mm (M-XXL). Shimano provide their reliable MT200 brakes and 1x11 Deore drivetrain, with 11-51t cassette. Own-brand wheels are wrapped in rounded, low-profile Specialized Fast Trak Control T5 tyres.
While the Rockhopper has a relatively steep 68.5-degree head angle, the steering doesn’t feel twitchy, and its low front end makes it easy to keep the front wheel weighted and pointed where you want it. We did have an issue with the fork getting sucked down into its travel, though, which meant we had to run it at a higher pressure than recommended. If you were to buy the bike, this is something the shop should get fixed for you.
If it’s the climbs you love, this bike will put a smile on your face with its lightweight frame, fast tyres and steep seat tube angle, which puts you in a strong pedalling position. With 15mm of stem spacers fitted as standard, you have the freedom to lower the bar to give a more race-focused position. Add the wide-range cassette and 30t chainring combination, and the bike has a way of making you want to pedal harder for the reward of speed, and will rarely leave you struggling up hills.
With its 90mm fork, our small size was less forgiving over rough ground than its closest competitors, the Jamis Highpoint and Cannondale Trail SE, which made tackling technical blue and red trails more fatiguing. But of all the budget bikes on test, the Spesh was the most efficient and comfortable to spin along the flats and up climbs. This makes it the perfect choice for the rider who plans long days out in the saddle and loops of mellow graded trails.
Impressively lightweight, highspecced hardtail that’s the best here on the climbs