Specialized Stumpjumper FSR 29 vs Gary Fisher Rumblefish 1

[scout_about]

I am looking to purchase a 2010. I have narrowed my search down to these two bikes but can’t make a clear decision. I am wondering what bike people think is better and why. I am 6’4” and weight 240lbs so I am looking at the XL frames. Does anyone think I should go XXL? They have simlilar components though the Stumpy has a Reba fork, which I have heard is actually a good fork compared to previous models. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[skillDreamer]

Have a cannondale rush 5z thought it was too soft. Test rode the rumblefish1 was a 29er version of the rush. Just bought the 2010 epic comp 29er. Check them out- smooth ride and nothing like the brain on them.

[bikerdirragon]

Hey there. Was just surfing and found this posting, and thought I might add something. I bought a Specialized 29er last year, and while I liked the way it felt on the trail, and found it nice to ride in many respects, there was one thing that made me trade it in: clearance.
I was banging pedals left and right on that thing. You’d think a 29er would actually have more clearance, but that’s not the case with the Specialized. Now I have no idea what changes they’ve made for 2010, but if the bottom bracket is the same height, get ready to nail some rocks. I’m not kidding. There was one incident where I was almost severely injured because of hitting my pedal in a spot that never should have happened, and had never happened before.
You can find people complaining about it all over the web, too, so it’s not just me. Anyway, I just ordered my Rumblefish II. Before I did I compared the bottom bracket height to the bike I currently have, a Yeti 575, and it was comparable (I think even a little higher).

Anyway, just a word of caution from someone who’s been there and is done with that. If Specialized has made changes to the frame this year, then it could be a great bike. But be careful. Good luck finding something awesome to ride!

[eric-29er]

I ride the Specialized in the ’08 version, Have no issues with BB or pedal banging. At least no more than I did on any other FS bike. There is a MYTH that the 29ers have more clearance, which is actually false. They typically have the same as a 26. Thats why they feel so stable. For a bigger rider you actually feel like you are riding in the bike as opposed to hovering above it like you do with the 26" frame.

I am 6’5" 210lbs. I ride a L frame. Probably SHOULD have an XL, as I have had to lengthen the stem to 130mm and add an offset Seatpost but I am comfy on it now. If you are 6’4 you should look at L or XL, You will not need an XXL In my opinion.

I don’t know that much about the Gary Fisher. I am sure it is a quality bike, but I can vouch for the Specialized. Quality frame and it shipps with quality components.

[bikerdirragon]

Okay, so I just got my Rumblefish II and took it for its first spin around the mountain. Some thoughts:
Does this bike climb slower than my Yeti 575? Yes. Enough to be annoying? No.
Does this bike eat the downhill up better than any bike I’ve ever ridden? Absolutely. This thing rips the downhill like no other. The shocks are great, great, great. Love the big wheels, no pedal banging (like I’d experienced with the specialized).
However, I found the Bontrager Rhythm Elite wheelset to be a little too flexy… so I upgraded to the Rhythm Pro’s. Theyr’e on order from my LBS. Hopefully a little stiffer. The brakes seem a little soft to me as well, but nothing I can’t get used to. Also, changed the shifters to Sram X0, and the rear derailleur to Sram X0. Just like Sram better.
Also, the wheelset that comes on the bike is tubeless ready, but the tires they give you aren’t. Whafu? Found that to be pretty annoying. So I ordered a good set of Jones tubeless to be put on my new wheels.

Anyway, the bulk of this stuff is great, great, great. I love the bike, and can’t wait to ride the better wheels. Good luck making a decision if you haven’t already.

[scout_about]

Thanks for the info. much appreciated.
I ended up going with the Sumpy Comp 29. I got it for several hundred dollars under MSRP. I had concerns because of the reviews complaining about BB hits. Then I read reviews saying the same about the Rumblefish I. I started realizing that many who wrote the reviews(not all) were first time 29er riders. I do feel that much of the negative feedback is based on lack of understanding 29ers. Many think that they have a higher BB height. They do not and this needs to be understood by more 29er first time riders.
The shop sized me for a XXL. They said they were certain and did take reach, inseam etc. measurements. There were two Specialized sponsored riders there who also said that I need to go XXL. Even after their input I was still concerned. They ordered the XXL and when I got on it felt great. I thought about how reach is such a big part of sizing. I sit in much better riding position than I did with my large. I have ridden it several times since then and love it. It rides great and I feel so much more comfortable on it, it’s like night and day. I made the mistake however of only filling the negative air chamber on the Reba and not the postive(because I have never had dual air) and thought it was broken when the top seal popped. Then I found out how it really works,lol. I do love the bike and if anybody has any questions about components or the ride let me know, thanks.

[bikerdirragon]

Very very true in most cases. And I’m super glad you’re happy with your stumpy. But actually, when I took my Stumjumper 29er back to the bike shop to complain about the BB height, they actually got out a tape and measured it in comparison to the Yeti I ended up buying at that time. It was significantly lower. I had no delusions that the BB height would be higher on a 29er… you don’t want to be riding on "top" of a bike, for sure.
Just because of this, I took the extra precaution to make sure I compared the BB height on my Yeti to my new Rumblefish II. They are very, very close, and I think the Fisher ended up being a little higher, in fact. Also (and I’m not up on the Specialized tech, so not sure if they do the same thing), the Rumblefish has a shorter wheelbase, which Fisher specifically did to get rid of the "long" feel of the 29er bikes. So theoretically, if the Rumblefish has a shorter wheelbase than the Stumpy (I haven’t compared, so have no idea), then one should find they bang pedals less, even if the BB height were the same.
Regardless, man, I’m psyched we both got bikes we love. Mine’s getting better wheels and components put on it as we speak. Can’t wait to ride it again!!!! Ride safe!

[scout_about]

The BB height according to the geometry Specialized lists says the Stumpy FSR Comp 29 has one of 338mm and the Rumblefish II according to the Fisher website it’s BB height at 332mm. So they are pretty close but the Comp 29 is a bit higher.
Also according to the two companies website’s listed geometry and using the size large as a base line the FSR Comp 29 has a wheelbase of 1156 mm and the Runmblefish II has a wheelbase of 1145.1 mm so there is only a difference of 11.1 mm which to me is slight. Thought I would put that out there, happy trails

[bikerdirragon]

Well it looks like they fixed whatever issue they had when I had one. That’s kick ass, man! Good ridin’! =)

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