2021 Stumpjumper Rant

[T_Boss]

I made mention of this in the "Bikes for Trail Riding" Thread, but that was a few days ago and I am still losing sleep over this.

 

Having owned two stumpjumpers in the past 10 years, and honestly, absolutely loved how they rode, especially the ST versions, im really a bit confused by the 2021 version, and a bit upset by Spaz SA for what they are choosing to sell.

 

 

So, lets start with the confusion part: What is the purpose of a Stumpjumper EVO? The Stumpjumper is already a very capable trail bike. adding more travel and making it more trail capable, pushes it into the realm of the Enduro.... or am I missing something? (Okay, my bad, on reading the press release properly, I now understand. They are droppin the ST - short travel - from the naming, the 130mm bike will just be called a Stumpjumper, and the 150-160mm bikes will be branded as Stumpjumper EVOs.....) makes sense now....

 

 

Then secondly, why on gods green earth is Specialised only brining out a R40k Entry level Alu version, and a R80k S-works Frameset only option to SA? Is there really no market for a 55-60k, XT or GX specced allu trail bike? Because if thats the case, someone ought to go and tell every other manufacturer that. SInce that seems to be the sort of sweet spot for trail bikes (Giant Trance 2/ Trek Fuel EX8 etc). I guess, these are the same dudes that convinced me to start the Are hardtails dead thread last year when they told me that no one wants to be hardtails anymore so they dont stock well specced hardtails anymore. 

[DR ◣◢]

Major missed opportunity. Trail segment of the market is experiencing a lot of growth and R50k to R70k should buy a very capable bike.

 

My recent build showed me how expensive custom bikes are so being able to buy in at around R50k makes a lot of sense.

 

Jeez... just saying R50k for a bicycle makes me **** myself.

[Jewbacca]

They also don't import the Enduro to SA.

 

I get what you are saying, but Spaz really do know their market and what works re sales in SA.

 

YOU might want that specific rung in the ladder, but they can't cover every single part of the industry. They cover 'most' and they have to make business decisions that exclude some parts.

 

It does suck if you are part of that 'some', but they are one company/brand that smashes the local market and making those hard decisions is why.

[DR ◣◢]

The market is still dominated by the XC/stage/marathon crowd. Maximum HR, distance, AVG speed etc. They definitely cater for that and they definitely do well there.

 

Bugs me a bit that trail bikes are not being embraced more.

Edited October 19, 2020 by DR ◣◢

[T_Boss]

They also don't import the Enduro to SA.

 

I get what you are saying, but Spaz really do know their market and what works re sales in SA.

 

YOU might want that specific rung in the ladder, but they can't cover every single part of the industry. They cover 'most' and they have to make business decisions that exclude some parts.

 

It does suck if you are part of that 'some', but they are one company/brand that smashes the local market and making those hard decisions is why.

 

 

The market is still dominated by the XC/stage/marathon crowd. Maximum HR, distance, AVG speed etc. They definitely cater for that and they definitely do well there.

 

Bugs me a bit that trail bikes are being embraced more.

 

I know you are both right, and its not by accident that Spaz has cornered the market here the way that they have. 

 

That said, I think its also a bit of a circular argument. People tend to buy what their friends have, and what the sales people tell them to buy.

 

So, your mates convince you to get into riding, they all ride XC bikes, so thats what they tell you to get, you go to the bike shop, and they want to sell you the the most highly strung 100mm race rocket in stock, and convicne you its the best bike, because its the fastest. This is true, and it is a very capabable race bike, and very fast in the hands of Nino Schurter or Jaruslav Khulhavy, but will most likely show up your lack of bike handling skills every time the going gets slights gnarly, destrying your confidence and not allow you to progress your riding. So while you watch XCO world cups and are amazed at the terrian the guys ride, you will never actually try ride it yourself.

 

When the reality is, a well specced (meaning light) 130mm trail bike, would probably have been a better choice bike for you from the get go. with fast rolling rubber, it would be as fast as your mates on your regular 60km saturday morming ride, and it would blow them all out of the water whenever any technical riding came across your path. Maybe its not as efficient, but its pretty close, and on a 3 day sani to sea type marathon event, it would be a far more comfortable bike to ride, which would make up for all the efficiency losses anyway....

 

I, like most of us in SA grew up on XC, and I know an XC bike can handle everything, but that doesnt mean it that right bike for everyone all the time.

 

I love watching the Paris Dakar too, and have mad respect for the drivers and the machines, but when I go spend a week in the desert, a Prado or a Discovery is a far more suitable choice for me, than a stripped out race buggy. 

[Grease_Monkey]

They also don't import the Enduro to SA.

 

I get what you are saying, but Spaz really do know their market and what works re sales in SA.

 

YOU might want that specific rung in the ladder, but they can't cover every single part of the industry. They cover 'most' and they have to make business decisions that exclude some parts.

 

It does suck if you are part of that 'some', but they are one company/brand that smashes the local market and making those hard decisions is why.

No man... the Stump is a hugely poppular bike here. This import strategy now means I can only buy an Epic and Epic evo from Specialized. I kinda get the Enduro not being brought in, maybe even the Stumpy Evo (that would be my pick), but the Stumpy I don't get.

 

History shows the Camber and now Stumpy ST to be massively poppular. You see them almost without fail every time you go for a ride.

 

I used to own the Stumpy 2016 model and I have to say it was one of the bikes I miss most. If the frame had not broken or Spaz replaced it under warranty I'd probably still be on it.

 

I also get the argument that they cannot bring in every model in the range - but at least the entry level one, one somewhere in the middle of the range (comp carbon, maybe expert) and then the S Works bling mobile.

Edited October 18, 2020 by Grease_Monkey

[T_Boss]

Basically what I am saying is I would rather ride a bike like this: https://www.specialized.com/us/en/stumpjumper-comp-alloy/p/175252?color=300706-175252&searchText=93321-5301

 

on a wine to wales or Karoo to Coast (or insert any generic SA stage race) 

 

Than this: https://www.specialized.com/us/en/epic-evo-comp/p/175240?color=281562-175240&searchText=94820-5102

 

that said, the epic EVO is an awesome bridge between trail bike and XC Bike, and if you really had to have one bike to do it all, and it had to be a specialised, then the Epic Evo is probably the bike for you....But, if I could only have one bike and I needed it to do it all, It would have to be a short travel trail bike..... Because I would rather have my bike compromised on the boring stuff, than have it compromised when it gets fun....

[T_Boss]

No man... the Stump is a hugely poppular bike here. This import strategy now means I can only buy an Epic and Epic evo from Specialized. I kinda get the Enduro not being brought in, maybe even the Stumpy Evo (that would be my pick), but the Stumpy I don't get.

 

History shows the Camber and now Stumpy ST to be massively poppular. You see them almost without fail every time you go for a ride.

 

I used to own the Stumpy 2016 model and I have to say it was one of the bikes I miss most. If the frame had not broken or Spaz replaced it under warranty I'd probably still be on it.

 

I also get the argument that they cannot bring in every model in the range - but at least the entry level one, one somewhere in the middle of the range (comp carbon, maybe expert) and then the S Works bling mobile.

 

They are importing the Stumpy, but only the very entry level model, and then the S-works as a frameset only option. So, your choices are very limited - To really enjoy the base model, you would need to upgrade the brakes right from the get go, and lets face it, SRAM SX is a pretty pathetic offering, so that would also need to go. The Judy fork will probably be toast in under a year if you ride hard. By the time you have upgraded those pretty major components, your pushing into the price range for some pretty decent offerings from Giant and Trek.

 

And if you start your build with a R75k S-works framseset, your finished bike will be very deep into the R140k price range, at best. 

 

Like I said earlier, Spaz probably knows what they are doing, but I dont get it. 

 

AND - if you keep telling everyone that they need to ride the same bikes that XC world champions ride, then thats what people will keep buying, even if its not really suitalbe for the riding they are doing. 

 

As per my dakar comment above, here another analogy: Because Lewis Hamilton wins F1 titles for Mercedes, Mercedes can market their cars using their racing pedigree, based on that, you buy a GLC because its comfortable, practical and gets you need to go. it does a damn good job of it too, and after a 6 hour drive in it, you still feel comfotable and refreshed. 

 

It also helps them sell C63AMG, but you dont buy that, because your 50 years old, and everytime you go over a speedbump on one of those, you slip a disk, and your actaully a little bit afraid to drive it with the nanny turned off, because it feels like it wants to kill you all the time...... I feel XC/Trail bike is the same thing

[hansolo]

I agree and it boggles my mind as well, I would have seriously considered a mid spec aluminium Stumpjumper for my next bike but seems I have to look elsewhere. It would also be nice if they did swat on alloy bikes, Trek managed to do it for the Slash.

 

I suspect/hope Specialized SA is sitting with plenty of current model Stumpjumper stock that they first want to clear.

Edited October 18, 2020 by hansolo

[T_Boss]

I agree and it boggles my mind as well, I would have seriously considered a mid spec aluminium Stumpjumper for my next bike but seems I have to look elsewhere. It would also be nice if they did swat on alloy bikes, Trek managed to do it for the Slash.

 

I suspect/hope Specialized SA is sitting with plenty of current model Stumpjumper stock that they first want to clear.

 

Unfortunately not the case. Mine had to be replaced after it fell off a bike rack, and no stock at all in RSA

[PhilipV]

I used to work as a merchandise planner at a sports retail chain.

Even with a sophisticated ERP system, all the history we needed and seniors with decades of experience, we made mistakes. Does anyone remember Reebok Easytone?

If your wallet is limited, then you put your stock into items that you know will yield good sell through. That is why I always put Crocs into stores, even if I always had a little kots whenever we did the range.

 

I reckon the guys at spez SA decided to take the safe option and bought more epics. And Levos.

 

Edit: I forgot about the Levo. Also a safe investment for spez SA.

Edited October 19, 2020 by PhilipV

[LazyTrailRider]

At first I was also scratching my head about this, thinking "what am I missing here?

 

My wife had a 2013 Stumpy, my two brothers both had a 2016 Stumpie Expert, and I have a 2019 Expert. We're fans, obviously.

 

I was thinking "maybe the Epic Evo is now too close in purpose?" and then it hit me...

 

It's simple: SA Specialized dealers cannot keep up with demand for Levos. Want a 130-150mm trail bike? Hop on a Levo or Levo SL. I see more of them in Tokai these days than Epics. Mystery solved.

[RobertWhitehead]

But you all know that you pay R20 000.00 just to have the S painted onto the head tube  . 

[porqui]

Bugs me a bit that trail bikes are being embraced more.

 

 

????

 

 

(Could be the start of a whole new fred)

[DR ◣◢]

????

 

 

(Could be the start of a whole new fred)

I think it should be.

[porqui]

I think it should be.

 

 

Yah but the thing is you need skills to ride trails.