If there’s one model name that’s synonymous mountain biking, it’s the moniker “Stumpjumper.” The Stumpjumper has been around basically as long as mountain bikes have existed, but it has continued to morph and evolve over the years with the changing of mountain bike technology. The new Stumpjumper FSR Expert Evo Carbon 29er embodies some of the most advanced mountain bike technology in existence.
The Stumpjumper Evo boasts 135mm of plush rear wheel travel thanks to a Fox CTD shock (with autosag), and 140mm of front wheel travel thanks to the award-winning Rock Shox Pike. A SRAM X01/X1 combination 1×11 drivetrain propels the bike, with Shimano XT brakes providing the key stopping power.
I instantly felt at home when I got this rig out on the trail! Fast and nimble on the climbs, the big wheels and the 140ish travel soaked up all kinds of obstacles and gnar. I pinned this bike off of ledges and through chundery rock gardens without a care in the world, and it soaked up everything!
While I wouldn’t personally race this bike in any sort of cross country race, or on the other end of the spectrum in a legit enduro race, the FSR Evo is exactly the kind of bike that I would ride on a day in, day out basis. With great climbing capability and full-throttle, aggressive descending, I could see myself completely at home on this bike on almost every sort of recreational terrain.
Specialized Command Dropper Post
This was my first time riding a Specialized Command dropper post, and at first I couldn’t find the lever for it… until I realized that it was perfectly shaped like a thumb shifter lever and in the exact same position! Not only does this make for a clean-looking setup, but it makes the control of the dropper post even more intuitive than ever before.
Additional bonus: the up/down action on the Command is much faster than a Rock Shox Reverb, which is great when you want your saddle back up quickly.
