Comments on: Specialized Plans Confirmed On 29″ers

By: Cloxxki

Cloxxki — Wed, 16 May 2007 19:53:29 +0000

No no no no no!
They have a very new secret geometry, haven’t you heard? The best bike company spent years developing this, don’t you humble shop rat think you know it all

The short rear ends (Origin 8 Scout will have 425mm) don’t seem to intrigue me. I want them, and I do not want them.

Time for some extensive long vs short chainstay shoot-out. Hurray for the singlespeeds.

Also, a 23″ specialized frame should be pretty big fitting. A good thing for the megaclydes out there that still have little choice.
Especially if Sp don’t follow the long-offset, short top tube stream. Let’s just hope they don’t spec these bikes like most do with road bikes : ever steeper HTA’s on larger frames, only because it’s technically possible.

By: Guitar Ted

Guitar Ted — Wed, 16 May 2007 01:32:36 +0000

michael: I didn’t see the geometry charts on these bikes but they are using the Tora 29″er and the new Dart 29″er from Rock Shox, so I’m guessing the head angle is about 71.5-72 degrees and the fork offset to be about 38mm.

By: michael

michael — Tue, 15 May 2007 17:53:39 +0000

Any news on what fork offset and head tube angle they’re using, yet?

By: Cloxxki

Cloxxki — Tue, 15 May 2007 17:51:49 +0000

I bet if a big company commited, they could make affordable wheels that are also light. It just takes a bit more effort, but the quantities would be there.

What’s a tricross?

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 15 May 2007 15:46:20 +0000

So…just saw the Specialized 08 Dealer Preview book the other day. The three hardtails are there is all their glory, along with some other cool entries including a singlespeed tricross!

I think the only reason there is a crappy suspension fork on any bikes is because the bikes at Wal- Crap have them and if a $200 bike has them, the $650 better too in order to appease the masses who don’t really know the total difference. Seems silly for us, but then again we’re posting on a dedicated 29er mountain bike site! I do agree with upgraded wheels…I hate heavy wheels with crappy hubs that can’t handle off road trails.

By: Guitar Ted

Guitar Ted — Tue, 15 May 2007 12:04:20 +0000

George Krpan: That’s a great idea. The companies doing such a model could upsepec the wheels instead, which would be a far smarter thing to do when it comes to a 29″er than having the suspended front end. Especially for the upcoming Rockhopper and Diamondback Overdrive, both bikes to be about $650.00.

Cloxx: And in referance to that 5″ travel 29′er, I wonder if it’ll have the home grown Specialized suspension fork/damper. I’m betting it does and that will kill the “semi-affordable” part of it right there.

By: Cloxxki

Cloxxki — Tue, 15 May 2007 06:11:32 +0000

LOL, how about a steel one, like in their (to me) good days?

Seriously, it’s good to see a big company is hitting the 29″ market with something else than a half-assed entry. No 2 years on a sole SS model to test the waters (like that’s ever realistic). Cheap, bling, hardtail, FS, doing their thing with it, claiming market share from the get-go, if they can intrigue enough 29″ newbies.
Those will like the short chainstay argument, although for rolling XC I’m getting more and more warmed up to really long CS’s myself. Tested it on my horizontal dropout Redline once, and 464mm rode great. Note to self : when buying a new chain and chainring, use 2 powerlinks from the get-go so I can switch!

Would Sp dare to make a semi-afordable 5″ bike right away? That would make them marketLEADER early on in that segment…

By: George Krpan

George Krpan — Mon, 14 May 2007 23:09:33 +0000

Let’s hope that they have a geared rigid model. Have you noticed that no one makes one? I’d rather have a rigid cheap bike than one with a really cheesy, heavy suspension fork.