side to push the Stumpjumper evo to extremes. Make it a long, low, slack and shuttle-worthy rig by moving the headset and BB settings to one extreme. Or make the bike more snappy and playful for long days in the saddle at the other end of the settings. All in, there are 2.5 degrees of head-tube angle, from 63.0 to 65.5 degrees, and 10 mm of bottom bracket adjustment to play around with.
While the evo is primarily interested in maximizing your fun on the way down, it’s no slouch climbing, either. Specialized does a good job making the Stumpjumper pedal efficiently, even when you are standing on the pedals, while keeping it active enough over roots and rocks to maintain traction. In the low setting, you do have to watch the pedals more, but it’s not so low that you’ll be constantly concerned about pedal strikes.
Even the swat box benefitted from the engineer’s touch, growing slightly. It can now hold a 22-oz. water bladder inside the frame. Or you can use that space to carry tools and more snacks.
Pure racer-types will still look to Specialized’s dedicated Enduro model. But riders wanting one bike for all kinds of all-mountain riding, including the occasional race or bike-park day, will be well served by the Stumpjumper evo in at least one of its configurations.
The 9.7 model of Trek’s Slash – relaunched this past September – has the same OCLV Mountain Carbon frame as the top-end
9.9, but with a more workhorse spec. It’s a mix of bougie and budget. Fox supplies a 170-mm Rhythm 36 Float EVOL fork and 160-mm Performance DPX2 EVOL shock. The frame rolls fast on 29" Bontrager Line Comp 30 wheels and XR4 Team Issue tires. A mix of GX and NX Eagle components from SRAM makes up the 12-speed drivetrain. The Slash’s geometry – a slack head tube and long wheelbase combined with a short stem (35 mm) – aims for a balanced ride, whether you’re charging steep trails or rolling more mellow terrain. (
Giant’s Trance X takes the liveliness of the short-travel Trance and adds some more squish to make the X model a bit smoother on rougher trails. The Rockshox Pike Select fork travels 150 mm, while the Rockshox Deluxe Select+ shock moves 135 mm. With this slight boost in travel, the Trance X toes a fine line between spry and tough that covers more ground than most. Move the bike more to either side of that line to suit your riding style by using the flip-chip in the rocker arm to adjust the frame’s geometry. From the frame to the Giant TRX-2 29 rims, there’s a lot of carbon on the machine. The 12-speed SRAM NX Eagle drivetrain helps you wind up speed when you need it and four-piston Shimano MT520 hydraulic brakes will scrub it. (
The geometry and suspension of the Norco Sight make it an excellent descender. A rider-forward position, however, keeps it moving efficiently uphill as well. The A3’s aluminum frame rides on 160-mm Rockshox’s Yari RC fork and a 150-mm Deluxe Select R shock. Norco continues to give riders the choice between 29" or 27.5" wheels on the Sight platform. Shimano’s new 12-speed Deore group takes care of the drivetrain and brakes. The Sight is the right machine for exploring. You can climb comfortably in search of great rips downward. (