Specialized 2012 Pre-View: by Grannygear
We received some images of the new 2012 Specialized 29″er Mountain Bike line but not too many details, and we still do not have all the bikes that will be available in big wheels. One thing is for certain…Specialized is moving down the trail in 2012 with more 29″ers than last year, including two new women’s models, one, the Fate hard tail, in all carbon. In fact, carbon is more present than ever as shown by the carbon main framed Camber Pro and the carbon FSR. The S Works FSR is all carbon tip to tail!
So, here are some pics and a bit of info for you so you can plan ahead for 2012!
Control Trail 29 wheels (Image courtesy of Specialized)
Many of the bikes in the line retain the OS28 hub/fork dropout interface for 2012. With 15QR becoming the standard, it seems a bit awkward to stay with the ‘old’ 9mm quick realease standard. However, in its defense, the OS28 is a light and remarkably stiff interface and lab tests show it stiffer than a 15QR. The only issue is, that if you want to upgrade your wheels to something better/lighter/blingier, then only Roval hubs/wheels offers that OS28. A bit limiting in that sense. However, the high end Rovals on the 2010 Epic Marathon have been absolutely flawless. Good thing.
Stumpjumper FSR Carbon 29 (Image courtesy of Specialized)
The Brain is back and now has the Fox Racing Kashima coating on the shock. As well, there is the new Auto Sag which is intended to do the thinking for you by auto-setting the correct amount of Sag in the rear shock based on rider weight. Time to toss the shock pump? Not likely, but it is interesting as I imagine the average rider is not up to the task of getting the typical 20% sag setting right without some sort of help. I predict that newbies will love it and old timers will look askance and do it the old fashioned way, but who knows?
Camber Pro Carbon 29 (Image courtesy of Specialized)
The Camber grows some longer legs and stretches to 110mm of travel front and rear besides offering a carbon main framed model. It also has a tapered steerer now, but no Brain rear shock. The high end Pro with the carbon frame also comes with carbon Roval Control SL wheels, those being 27mm wide (external) and 1350g. They come ready to go tubeless but carry a 240lb rider weight limit. There is also a Roval Control Trail SL that is 28mm wide and has 32 spoke drilling for an even beefier bike like the FSR, The biggest issue this past year was being able to actually get them as they were darn scarce. Hopefully 2012 will be better in that regard. The Camber is poised to step into the role of all around XC trailbike, lighter/lower than the FSR and burlier/slacker than the Epic. Great place to be.
The Fate Carbon Comp 29 (Image courtesy of Specialized)
The ladies selection of 29″ers just grew a bunch with the addition of the aluminum Jett hard tail (the men get the new alu Carve HT 29″er) and the all FACT IS carbon Fate. The Fate gets all the goodies with a Specialized/RockShox 80mm travel SID 29″er with Brain tech inside. Tapered steerer, of course. Interestingly, the 15” version has a 51mm offset crown to keep toe/wheel overlap issues from happening.
Carve Pro 29 (Image courtesy of Specialized)
The Blacklite adjustable-on-the-fly dropper seat post which we looked at recently on The Cyclist is appearing on more bikes including some of the Cambers and I even have heard that there is internal cable routing for the Blacklite release cable on the carbon frames. Cool.
Something else I noticed that I applaud…all the hard tails I have seen so far are spec’d with 27.2 diameter seat posts. Yay! Much more comfy, all other things being equal. I am also seeing a fair amount of Shimano brakes on the bikes, which is a departure from the all nearly all Avid of previous days.
Is there more? I am sure there will be including real specs and details as time goes on. We are looking to be in France for the official roll out of the 29″er line at the 2012 Roc d’azur. If that happens, we will do our best to ride some of these and report back.
Till then, enjoy.
We’d like to thank Specialized Bikes for the images and information for this post.
Who did they sue now?
I just picked up my 2012 29 epic comp and rode it for the first time today. It’s my first 29er. I read many a pre-view and update posted by Guitar Ted, and he was right on with the specialized epic. I am really going to enjoy this ride! I actually sit between the wheels, instead of on top like a “bear on a circus bike” feeling. I am 6″3″ and 245 lbs, and the 26 inch wheels just never made me feel secure on downhills. I always seemed to feel like I was pitching forward. Two years ago I did a header on my HT bike (26″), and broke both wrists. I have researched 29ers and demo-ed the Stumpjumper 29er and the epic, and I was sold on the both bikes, but being 51 yrs old, I figured I deserved a sweet ride and some cushin for my back, so I went for the next best thing to a HT, the Epic 29er. This years model comes with the 2×10 front chain rings, and it was great! This bike rocks!!
so the SW FSR is not 15mm in front ?
Is it a talas fork ?
@20.100 FR…well, I do not have all the details yet, specs, etc. so I cannot comment with any certainty. If there is not a 15QR on the FSR, that would be an odd decision and will not be well received. The Fox dropouts limit the hub/axle end caps to a 24mmOD, not the 28mm that Rockshox accepts.
grannygear
Any news on the differences between 2011 Epics and those of 2012? New colours for Epic Comp and Epic Comp Carbon?
NNNN
@GG.
I recall you guys liked the 2011 Camber quite a bit last year……
I know it’s early, but how do you see the Camber Pro Carbon comparing to the Tallboy ?
@paxel…we don’t have that level of detail yet.
@SS29er…Well, it is very early to say. Obviously the TB is full carbon where the Camber Pro is half caff…the Camber gives up the Brain and it is hard to say how much that will do to the performance overall. Propedal will be your best friend, I expect, but that may not be a big deal.
I would wager you cannot run a 120mm fork on the Camber without having warranty issues.
And, you are right, I did like the Camber very much and it seemed like a great all-rounder. Now you get the tapered HT and carbon options. There are a lot of folks who just go ride on trails that are not demanding enough to really want an FSR, but the Epic may be too racy or they are not into the Brain approach. The Camber is right in the middle ground where a big, fat chunk of riders pedal in little tiny circles every weekend.
However, the TB is, right now at least, still a very versatile bike that has nothing on the market to compare it to that I can think of (until the new JET RDO hits the dirt). 120mm fork ready, all carbon, short link rear sus, very active VPP…pretty good combo. I am not a real fan of VPP bikes so far, but everyone has a preference there.
SO what would have been totally cool IMO? Keep the Epics at 100mm and make them as racy as they need to be. Take the Camber to 120mm f/r with a Brain at the Pro/Expert level and make it slacker compared to the Epic (which it is now), then bump the FSR to 140mm. You know how we are never satisfied! But there is always 2013.
But, no one asked me (and likely never will!)
grannygear
@20.100 The bike pictured above, the FSR with the Fox, looks to have a 15QR in the image I have of it on a pdf Specialized sent over. However; in the description of the FSR, it states that it has the OS 28 system with “modified version of OS 28 end caps available for Fox forks”. Not a conclusive statement, but it points to no 15QR as I read it.
@paxel: We do not have detailed info on the Epics yet.
@SS29er: The tale of the scale may sway some, and we don’t have any weights for the Specialized Camber Pro carbon yet. Obviously, without the Brain on the bike, it won’t ride quite as efficiently as the Epics, but we’ll have to see how the new damper works and then decide. Hopefully at Interbike.
GG,
As always, thank you for the informative insight.
Sounds like it’s going to be a great year for new 29ers
@paxel
The 2012 Epics have a re-designed derailleur hanger and slightly adjusted brain tunes.
The S-Works Epic 29er will come in both SRAM and XTR flavors this year and come with kashima coating on the rear shock.
Other than what I’ve mentioned above, the only changes for 2012 are modified parts specs and colors.
Here’s a link with most of ’12 bikes from the dealer catalog -
http://jut8.pinkbike.com/album/2012-specialized/
One thing puzzles me, why the heck all 29ers get less travel than 26er counterparts: f.ex. FSR ought to have 140mm not 130mm Camber 120mm not 110mm. What is wrong?
At GG: +1 on the 140 mm FSR. This will be my last Mammoth year with a 100 mm 2008 HiFi with some bulletproof Mikesee Flows. Would love you to do a comparo on what 2012 brings us in bigger-hit 29ers – or I’m getting a Lunchbox, finally.
@Lee T…you bring up an interesting point I have been pondering. What is up with 130mm? So we finally get a 140mm fork and EVERYONE I have seen from the factory…at least the big guns…is de-rating them to 130mm.
I figure one of two things:
130mm is somehow magically better than 140mm on a 29er as in easier to design around, 140mm is too much, etc.
or
They are setting us up for future 150mm stuff and if they go 140mm now, it won’t seem like enough of a jump to make it worth a new bike purchase.
grannygear
Quick correction: ” The only issue is, that if you want to upgrade your wheels to something better/lighter/blingier, then only Roval hubs/wheels offers that OS28. A bit limiting in that sense”
I have been riding a set of Trail SL 29er carbon wheels for about two months now, they are unbelievably strong and track like they are on rails. Just so your readers know, the wheelset came (will ship with) adaptors for a 15/20mm thru-axle, and 24/28mm QR end cap options, the 24mm fitting to fox forks. So they have the ability to morph to any front axle combo thus far…
@29erEpic…Ah, I was not clear. The limiting factor is not the Roval hub’s ability to work with most any hub config, but rather if you want to run some other brand of wheels on the existing fork. Then you are stuck with the standard drops on the fork lowers. See what I meant?
As you pointed out (and I agree) the higher level Roval wheels seems to be truly excellent and do not call out for a replacement. But, what if you have a lower end spec’d bike with the OS28 set up and the stock wheels are just so so? Then what?
Limiting.
grannygear
grannygear………. well explained, my appologies. 2012 should take care of the past low end wheel issue’s many people had, in reading that many of the FS bikes are spec’d with wheels similar to the control 29er…we can only hope
thanks for the clarification!
The Stumpy FSR’s get Fox 130 mm forks with 15mm axles.
For those(like Grannyg) who wanted 140 mm Stumpy FSRs, there is the Stumpy FSR EVO 29,
just like 2011 Evo 26″ versions it gets more travel, slacker angles and more beefier components, including a chain guide. etc. It comes with 135mm rear wheel travel and a Revelation 140 up front(with 20 mm axle of course), that should do the trick, it uses a 2012 Fox RP23 Adaptive logic
Also available as frame with command post.
The Stumpies and Cambers go to the 142+ rear hub that the Epics got fro 2011, giving you a stronger rear wheel and stiffer frame, and Stumpies have ISGS mounts.
@20.100FR: S-Works Stumpy FSR get’s Fox 130 RLC Factory fork, not Talas, Expert Carbon gets 130 RL Performance with FIT.
@ Grannyg:Camber Pro gets carbon TRAIL wheels, not SLs.
Thanks, Mr Slim.
I really am not all that interested in a 140mm FSR personally, it just seems to make sense to me from one standpoint. 130mm gets me everywhere I want to go and then some.
grannygear
RE Camber: I have not asked Specialized, but I would guess that a 120 fork WOULD be ok’d as they do on the Epic(which I did ask last year).
@Slim..well, I was told that a 140mm fork on the current FSR would void the warranty. I just assumed from there.
grannygear
Ahhhh, come on. I want a full suspension 29er for my daughter. When they going to introduce a womens specific FS in big wheels?
RE: upping fork travel, from Specialized warranty dept.:
“As long as your head tube is compatible with the appropriate steerer then you can run suspension with the travel questioned below.
Our warranty policy states that you can increase or decrease the suspension up front by 10% of the rear.”
For the upcoming 2012 bikes:
Can a 120 mm fork be run on the new ’12 Camber 29er frames with tapered headtubes without voiding the warranty?
Can a 140 mm fork be run on the ’12 Stumpy29er FSR’s without voiding the warranty?
does anyone know if the 2012 epic comp 29er have the command post seat feature?
@Gerasa: Epics do not come stock with a Commandpost, but you can certainly buy one separately. The frames are not listed as having cable guides,
I am in that small group where suspension movement from pedaling doesn’t bug me. I demo’d an 2012 Epic 29er Expert which was a blast but only really felt comfortable when the brain was in full soft setting or maybe 1 to 2 clicks. Anything more than this felt too stiff when grinding technical climbs. It was hard for me to predict when the suspension was going to move or stay firm. This would definitely be a long term project to maybe find that perfect balance of brain, rebound and psi. I am still hesitant to buy into proprietary suspension systems like the Brain after my horrible mechanical problems with a Scott Genius.
All that being said, the Epic scrambles up climbs with ease and claws through turns at frightening speeds.
I was looking at the Cambers because it lacks the brain and the shock size (at least for 2011) was a standard size that I could replace and maybe get Push’d to get the correct stroke length (I believe 2011 Cambers are 1.9″). The 2012 110mm of fork travel might mean its only a spacer removal away from 120.
@Gerasa: It does not come with the command post but the Comp does come with a 2×10 drivetrain this year. I saw the Black colored model in my LBS and its really good looking.
Thanks for the feedback. Picked up the matte black/gray one today. Very nice looking indeed. Looks like a cross betweeb a lambo reventon and a stealth bomber
Got home from the shop late, so didnt have the chance to ride it. It is sitting in the living room at the moment. Im back to work tomorrow, so can’t ride it until
next weekend
Grats! Both color schemes for the ’12 Epic Comp are sweet. Red and White or Black and Gray, can’t go wrong either way.
I just picked up a demo Camber from the LBS and noticed they are clearing out the ’11 Epic Comps for $2200, gonna have to really think hard about what to buy
The red & white Epic Comp is indeed sweet;-). And from what I understand the 2012 models will be cheaper than the 2011 where I live. Bettter looking and cheaper, difficult decision (not)
NNNN
The ’12 Epic Comps are going for 3k at my LBS, so $100 cheaper than last year.
Just got back from an afternoon ride on the demo ’11 Camber 29er Pro and it was a great. A little bit more slack than the Epic and less wheelies on climbs than the Stumpy. The only that bugs me is the hideous weld from the top tube to the seat stay
Really interested to see what the prices are for a ’12 Camber Carbon Comp.
Over here the price will drop 13% if MRSP from the catalogue is something to go by. I guess I’ll have to wait and see until the 2012 bikes really arrive, which will be a while yet.
NNNN