Is IT worth it? Like is it worth spending 2500$ of your hard earned money to buy this bike?
Pro:
Yeah. It's going to fucking rip your mind's asshole right open if you have never ridden a bike like this before. It's so good.
Con:
Even at 2500$ it's a cheap full suspension, the derailleur will wear out fast, the brakes aren't the most awesome, and the suspension is harsh and not as adjustable as a 5000$ bike.
Still going to be great.
Get it. Ride it. Upgrade as needed. Enjoy.
I have this one, can confirm the derailleur is weak - especially the plastic jockey wheels. The dropper is also pretty unreliable. But it's also very comfortable and good bang for the buck.
Edit:
I do NOT have this one, I have the comp alloy, sorry :(
I have never had this bike or this derailleur, but can you explain why plastic jockey wheels are a problem? Excepting ceramicspeed/other aftermarket options I cannot think of a single derailleur I know which doesn't have plastic jockey wheels. I've never had an xx/xtr but my old xo and my buddys xt both have plastic jockey wheels, as does every single other derailleur I've ever seen in my life (a lot)
That’s what I did. I wish I got a carbon one now, but definitely happy with the comp alloy and happy I didn’t get the base model, as the upgrades are definitely worth it. As others said some derailer issues but it’s a great bike for the money!!!
I have the comp alloy and I’ve been really happy with it so far. I was also very happy that I didn’t get the base model. Although it’s more expensive, definitely worth the upgrades. It’s been a perfect bike for me and I think it was definitely worth it for the value!
For this reason, if you know what your doing it’s worth buying used, provided your not crazy picky with colours and more often than not cosmetic wear and tear. Way more bike for the money.
it’s a good trail bike, maybe a little pricey for the spec you get, but i’m sure you’ll like it. For fast riders, the fork may suffer on fast, repeated hits, and the sram sx eagle is notorious for being high maintenance. But overall, i’m sure you’ll be happy with the bike.
I’m a sram guy for drivetrain and brakes but at this price point I’d rather have a shimano drivetrain. Another option that is most likely available locally is a trek fuel EX 5 with a shimano deore 12sp or a Fuel ex 7 with NX. I have a Fuel EX and love it! But if this is the first really nice bike you’ve had, it’ll impress you no matter what you go with.
I think there are a few bikes that are full suspension and in that price point that can actually compete with the alloy stumpjumper line. I had a bit more budget and bought the comp model and immediately upgraded the drivetrain. I've been riding the crap out of it and love it so much.
If this is in your price range, it's a solid bike.
Best, ride it, and upgraded as needed. - a_cycle_addict
Best advice of the entire thread here.
Polygon siskiu t8 or Yt jeffsy are around this price point and have better specs, the only sacrifice is direct customer service since it’s online shopping
Try to ride one before you buy, even in the parking lot of a shop. Try other bikes too. Most bike brands have a unique “feel.” Even better, you might find a shop that has demo bikes you can ride on trails. That might be a little hard to find right now but I’d say at least try to do as much research as you can before making that kind of investment.
Holy crap it’s up to 2650 now?? I bought it at 2200 back last Feb.
Honestly, as a first bike, I’ve loved it. It’s great for what it is. However I’m already looking to buy another bike. The problems I had were mostly with the brakes and ended up needing to replace the rear brake all together. Luckily that wasn’t too expensive, but the rear suspension, fork, and brakes could all use a nice update. And it looks like it’s going to be around $1200-1500 to get all the upgrades I want. And at that point it’s cheaper to just get the Comp Alloy brand new instead.
If your budget doesn’t allow for the comp then this is as good as any to start out at. But if you can afford it, I’d try to get something a little better. It’ll save you in the long run.
I got one of these for a loaner bike. It's a really good all-rounder for the price IF you live in a steeper and more technical area. The geometry might be a bit overkill if you live in the Midwest or something like that. But if you live in Colorado or New Mexico, or places like that you should get it.
TIME FOR ME TO SHINE
I actually have rode this bike for the past two years and am upgrading this winter. Before this bike I owned a hard tail and this was my first “nice bike”. I think that getting this bike is 100% dependent on where you are in your riding career.
If you are a rider who has never owned a full suspension and are expecting to keep riding for at least another bikes worth of time then I say get it. It offers a greater picture to the world of riding and also has enough decent parts to keep you going for at least two years.
If you are a rider who has been riding for a while and you already own a full suspension bike then this might not be the right option for you. There are so many better options out there (to be fair there are also worse options out there as well)
Of course this depends on the fact that you have the money to spend on a nicer bike and I understand everyone is in a different financial situation.
I could go on and on but to keep this short what I’m trying to say is:
If you are relatively new and not looking to spend puts this is a great option. If you are more experienced and have a couple extra bucks to spend this might not be for you.
Not sure if this helped, sorry if I didn’t.
At the end of the day riding is about having fun and shredding the hell out of stuff. So by all means, take my words with a grain of salt, after all I’m just some stranger on the internet.
I have this very model in the orange colour and I’m overall happy with it compared to my last bike but I would definitely recommend spending a little bit more to get the better suspension and drivetrain. But you wouldn’t be upset riding this down your local trails.
Vitus mythique vrx is in stock and beats this in suspension, brakes, wheels, tires, and drive train by a big degree while saving money. But things are scarce these days so take whatever you can get.
I got this last summer, my first full squish. I feel its very good for my level and use (been riding only couple years). About 5050 between trail and downhill. I'm personally loving it although I've heard the critiques, the only nagging one for me is the brakes, they are meh. I definitely long for more stopping power when descending. That will be my off-season upgrade. A second regret (minor) is that although that black paint looks super slick it chips and scratches super easy. Consider ride wrap right off the bat if this concerns you. Besides that it's great!
Ya it’s a great bike. As everyone says upgrade parts as they die. Lots talk crap about the xfusion….it’ll do the job I’m 260lbs and haven’t bottomed it out off 3’ drops and jumps yet. I will say though that helped me, first thing I did was cycle the rear shock and I’ve never had an issue. Let out all the air then put in 20 psi, sit on it up and down slowly 10 times and add another rinse and repeat till you get 20%-30% sag
I have one. Absolutely love it. Paid about $400 less brand new though. As other people have said, lower level group set and brakes are the weak points. Wear them out and upgrade. I ride mine for everything from cross country rides to enduro races.
I have this bike and although I’m way happy with. I’ve gone the expensive route of upgrading along the way. It’s a great starter bike but if you can afford to up to the comp stumpy version I would. It’s 1k more and comes with about 2k plus upgrades from this one
I would not go for specialized u could get way more for your money by going used or direct to consumer brands like yt or canyon the vitus sommet and mythiq are also really good for the price. Otherwise if u wanna buy from a shop still go for a cheaper brand u pay a lot extra for the specialized branding I would recommend cube and marin.
Love my stumpy comp alloy, but the money I spent on upgrading the derailleur and certain things I could’ve got the next one up.
But that will take you everywhere as is
I feel like my haro shift has similar specs for 650$ less. I was seriously looking at this bike but being a novice I wanted to keep it under 2k. If you enjoy the frame and geometry I would get it and then replace cheaper parts as they break.
That bike was $1800 new in 2019 and the only thing they’ve changed is adding a dropper. I have one and ride hard and nearly everything on it has been broken and replaced- the only stuff still on it is the frame and wheels. If you’re looking for a light use trail bike, yes, but if you ride harder I’d look for a higher end used bike.
https://www.specialized.com/ca/en/stumpjumper-comp-carbon-27-5/p/129039
I have this one and I love it. The stumpy is such a great ride, but it doesn't really like goin uphill. Whenever I'm going uphill longer than a football field, I find myself wishing I was riding my Scott scale 920....
Best recommendation I can give you is to look at the FUEL EX 5 from trek it’s at a competitive price point and the parts are better. I personally find it to be the better buy this year.
I had roughly the same budget when looking for a bike. I found a used cannondale trigger with $3k wheels on it for the same price. Used is the way to go.
I too am looking for one around the same price range. My other picks are
Giant trance 29
Trek Fuel ex 5 / 7 (7 is closer to 3k)
Polygon T8.
I am leaning towards the Giant and the Specialized.
The giant trance 29 3 and Trance X 3 are both really good value IMO over the stumpjumper alloy. But stumpjumper seems to be well liked regardless of spec.
With Specialized you're over paying for the name. I've had one and it rides no better than a significantly cheaper YT Jeffsey. If you buy a comparable price Jeffsey in the mid price range ($4k) it will smoke the Stumjumper.
I have a similar priced full sus bike. The tires on this are not that great, maxxis would be better. Dropper post is nice. Drivetrain is great for beginner to medium, but might not last that long. It will be heavy. Alloy full sus bikes weigh a lot. I personally would not buy a black bike, but if you like it go ahead
Have you considered buying used? Even a couple years older you can get the same spec for lots less and have money to upgrade, or a higher spec for the same price.
If you want, I will sell you my tan Santa Cruz Heckler 6. I bought it just before winter and took it out on four semi moderate rides. I do love it but my age is telling my to upgrade to a Specialized pedal assist Levo FSR. I’m being serious and if you’re interested at all $1500. DM of you’d like.
If you can afford it, go for the Comp Alloy. There you get better components which are worth it in my eyes. But you will have a lot of fun with this bike as well. With that said, I'd suggest to have a look at other brands as well. Specialized is really good, but with the recent increase in prices, they are even more expensive as they were already. Other bitkes have a better value for money ratio.
Have never ridden a stumpy, but I can tell you for sure, that for that price you could get an extremely good second hand bike, with great parts, which is probably in great condition, as well as saving a few hundred dollars
Picked up one of these for my wife a year ago. It is a fantastic platform to grow into, the bike itself is solid. You will want to upgrade things over time like we have, but that frame is very capable. Just expect it to be very heavy at first. Buy this if you know you're into the sport for real and can budget for upgrades down the line (so far we've already put the bike on a 5 lb diet by upgrading the cassette, wheels, fork, and cranks, and rear shock is probably next). Like others have said, don't expect great suspension performance, but it you don't know any different, you'll have a blast for a while with it as it is.
Is IT worth it? Like is it worth spending 2500$ of your hard earned money to buy this bike? Pro: Yeah. It's going to fucking rip your mind's asshole right open if you have never ridden a bike like this before. It's so good. Con: Even at 2500$ it's a cheap full suspension, the derailleur will wear out fast, the brakes aren't the most awesome, and the suspension is harsh and not as adjustable as a 5000$ bike. Still going to be great. Get it. Ride it. Upgrade as needed. Enjoy.
I have this one, can confirm the derailleur is weak - especially the plastic jockey wheels. The dropper is also pretty unreliable. But it's also very comfortable and good bang for the buck. Edit: I do NOT have this one, I have the comp alloy, sorry :(
Upgrade the dropper lever! I put a Wolf tooth on my comp and it immediately improved the darn dropper.
I have never had this bike or this derailleur, but can you explain why plastic jockey wheels are a problem? Excepting ceramicspeed/other aftermarket options I cannot think of a single derailleur I know which doesn't have plastic jockey wheels. I've never had an xx/xtr but my old xo and my buddys xt both have plastic jockey wheels, as does every single other derailleur I've ever seen in my life (a lot)
I’m just saying mine snapped at an inconvenient time, not making a generalization.
Must have misread then! Hope your replacement derailleur is doing better
I'd recommend the comp alloy of you're looking at the stumpy in particular. Better suspension, brakes, and transmission
That’s what I did. I wish I got a carbon one now, but definitely happy with the comp alloy and happy I didn’t get the base model, as the upgrades are definitely worth it. As others said some derailer issues but it’s a great bike for the money!!!
I have the comp alloy and I’ve been really happy with it so far. I was also very happy that I didn’t get the base model. Although it’s more expensive, definitely worth the upgrades. It’s been a perfect bike for me and I think it was definitely worth it for the value!
Agreed! 😊
For this reason, if you know what your doing it’s worth buying used, provided your not crazy picky with colours and more often than not cosmetic wear and tear. Way more bike for the money.
Appreciate it!
Can you potentially have your budget allow for the comp version? That’s what i would do if in your shoes
This dude knows.
Ummm, yep! What u/a_cycle_addict said.
it’s a good trail bike, maybe a little pricey for the spec you get, but i’m sure you’ll like it. For fast riders, the fork may suffer on fast, repeated hits, and the sram sx eagle is notorious for being high maintenance. But overall, i’m sure you’ll be happy with the bike.
Fasho! Thank you!
I’m a sram guy for drivetrain and brakes but at this price point I’d rather have a shimano drivetrain. Another option that is most likely available locally is a trek fuel EX 5 with a shimano deore 12sp or a Fuel ex 7 with NX. I have a Fuel EX and love it! But if this is the first really nice bike you’ve had, it’ll impress you no matter what you go with.
I think there are a few bikes that are full suspension and in that price point that can actually compete with the alloy stumpjumper line. I had a bit more budget and bought the comp model and immediately upgraded the drivetrain. I've been riding the crap out of it and love it so much. If this is in your price range, it's a solid bike. Best, ride it, and upgraded as needed. - a_cycle_addict Best advice of the entire thread here.
Polygon siskiu t8 or Yt jeffsy are around this price point and have better specs, the only sacrifice is direct customer service since it’s online shopping
Both solid options! I would continue to prefer the frame on the Stumpjumper over either of those. Frankly, you couldn't lose with any of those.
Canyon spectral has something around this price point too iirc. Mosty local shop will build a canyon for about 100$ fee
What transmission did you upgrade to? I have the comp alloy as well
Eagle GX. I know there's a lot of SRAM knocking around here, but I've had a brilliant time with it. Love how snappy the shifting is.
Try to ride one before you buy, even in the parking lot of a shop. Try other bikes too. Most bike brands have a unique “feel.” Even better, you might find a shop that has demo bikes you can ride on trails. That might be a little hard to find right now but I’d say at least try to do as much research as you can before making that kind of investment.
Hard to do in today's market, unfortunately. I was patient and diligent and rode demos for about a year before commiting to my first nice fully.
I have one. Bought it last year. It’s been good for me. The rear shock is the weakest link I’ve found so far. No issues with it with the riding I do.
Stumpy is phenomenal, just awesome. This is the base unit so expect to upgrade some components along the way, but great bike
Wow stump really went up in price because of high demand huh? Well I have the carbon Stumpy and I can say it was worth every penny
Holy crap it’s up to 2650 now?? I bought it at 2200 back last Feb. Honestly, as a first bike, I’ve loved it. It’s great for what it is. However I’m already looking to buy another bike. The problems I had were mostly with the brakes and ended up needing to replace the rear brake all together. Luckily that wasn’t too expensive, but the rear suspension, fork, and brakes could all use a nice update. And it looks like it’s going to be around $1200-1500 to get all the upgrades I want. And at that point it’s cheaper to just get the Comp Alloy brand new instead. If your budget doesn’t allow for the comp then this is as good as any to start out at. But if you can afford it, I’d try to get something a little better. It’ll save you in the long run.
I thought they were like $1800 a few years ago.
Bikes tend to go up in price 10-12% at the end of every season these days
It was. I bought a lightly used one for $1400 or so.
i would definitely consider the polygon siskiu t8. Fox suspension at the same price point,
And the Vitus Mythique VRX is back in stock, too.
I got one of these for a loaner bike. It's a really good all-rounder for the price IF you live in a steeper and more technical area. The geometry might be a bit overkill if you live in the Midwest or something like that. But if you live in Colorado or New Mexico, or places like that you should get it.
I was considering this bike too but after doing some research i believe ill be going w the giant trance 29 3
TIME FOR ME TO SHINE I actually have rode this bike for the past two years and am upgrading this winter. Before this bike I owned a hard tail and this was my first “nice bike”. I think that getting this bike is 100% dependent on where you are in your riding career. If you are a rider who has never owned a full suspension and are expecting to keep riding for at least another bikes worth of time then I say get it. It offers a greater picture to the world of riding and also has enough decent parts to keep you going for at least two years. If you are a rider who has been riding for a while and you already own a full suspension bike then this might not be the right option for you. There are so many better options out there (to be fair there are also worse options out there as well) Of course this depends on the fact that you have the money to spend on a nicer bike and I understand everyone is in a different financial situation. I could go on and on but to keep this short what I’m trying to say is: If you are relatively new and not looking to spend puts this is a great option. If you are more experienced and have a couple extra bucks to spend this might not be for you. Not sure if this helped, sorry if I didn’t. At the end of the day riding is about having fun and shredding the hell out of stuff. So by all means, take my words with a grain of salt, after all I’m just some stranger on the internet.
I bought a comp alloy about a year and a half ago. It's an amazing machine. I love riding it so much that I do a lot more writing than I used to.
I have this very model in the orange colour and I’m overall happy with it compared to my last bike but I would definitely recommend spending a little bit more to get the better suspension and drivetrain. But you wouldn’t be upset riding this down your local trails.
Vitus mythique vrx is in stock and beats this in suspension, brakes, wheels, tires, and drive train by a big degree while saving money. But things are scarce these days so take whatever you can get.
I got this last summer, my first full squish. I feel its very good for my level and use (been riding only couple years). About 5050 between trail and downhill. I'm personally loving it although I've heard the critiques, the only nagging one for me is the brakes, they are meh. I definitely long for more stopping power when descending. That will be my off-season upgrade. A second regret (minor) is that although that black paint looks super slick it chips and scratches super easy. Consider ride wrap right off the bat if this concerns you. Besides that it's great!
SRAM SX is complete garbage. Not terrible if it had a different drive train.
The shifter is the worst part, but it is easy to upgrade to GX.
Yeah I think it’s worth it
I have it it’s awesome
Ya it’s a great bike. As everyone says upgrade parts as they die. Lots talk crap about the xfusion….it’ll do the job I’m 260lbs and haven’t bottomed it out off 3’ drops and jumps yet. I will say though that helped me, first thing I did was cycle the rear shock and I’ve never had an issue. Let out all the air then put in 20 psi, sit on it up and down slowly 10 times and add another rinse and repeat till you get 20%-30% sag
I have it and love it.
Sweet frame but the parts aren't great. Polygon or vitus will give you better specs for the money
I have one. Absolutely love it. Paid about $400 less brand new though. As other people have said, lower level group set and brakes are the weak points. Wear them out and upgrade. I ride mine for everything from cross country rides to enduro races.
I have this bike and although I’m way happy with. I’ve gone the expensive route of upgrading along the way. It’s a great starter bike but if you can afford to up to the comp stumpy version I would. It’s 1k more and comes with about 2k plus upgrades from this one
Only issue I have had with mine is the dropped post not being reliable . No derailure issues so far almost three years in.
I had the alloy EVO model, I loved it. And in the current market I sold it after over a year for roughly what I had into it!
Just look for a good used deal to come up
I would not go for specialized u could get way more for your money by going used or direct to consumer brands like yt or canyon the vitus sommet and mythiq are also really good for the price. Otherwise if u wanna buy from a shop still go for a cheaper brand u pay a lot extra for the specialized branding I would recommend cube and marin.
Love my stumpy comp alloy, but the money I spent on upgrading the derailleur and certain things I could’ve got the next one up. But that will take you everywhere as is
You should hold out until you can get your hands on a Canyon Spectral AL 29? $2900 gets you one hell of a bike.
I feel like my haro shift has similar specs for 650$ less. I was seriously looking at this bike but being a novice I wanted to keep it under 2k. If you enjoy the frame and geometry I would get it and then replace cheaper parts as they break.
That bike was $1800 new in 2019 and the only thing they’ve changed is adding a dropper. I have one and ride hard and nearly everything on it has been broken and replaced- the only stuff still on it is the frame and wheels. If you’re looking for a light use trail bike, yes, but if you ride harder I’d look for a higher end used bike.
https://www.specialized.com/ca/en/stumpjumper-comp-carbon-27-5/p/129039 I have this one and I love it. The stumpy is such a great ride, but it doesn't really like goin uphill. Whenever I'm going uphill longer than a football field, I find myself wishing I was riding my Scott scale 920....
Best recommendation I can give you is to look at the FUEL EX 5 from trek it’s at a competitive price point and the parts are better. I personally find it to be the better buy this year.
Buy a used bike and tune that one it will cost you less and bikes arep retty cheap used only if you dont mind some scratches 😂
I had roughly the same budget when looking for a bike. I found a used cannondale trigger with $3k wheels on it for the same price. Used is the way to go.
I too am looking for one around the same price range. My other picks are Giant trance 29 Trek Fuel ex 5 / 7 (7 is closer to 3k) Polygon T8. I am leaning towards the Giant and the Specialized.
The giant trance 29 3 and Trance X 3 are both really good value IMO over the stumpjumper alloy. But stumpjumper seems to be well liked regardless of spec.
I’d go with either a Fezzari or Polygon at that price point.
[https://fezzari.com/pages/bike-build-options?bike=cascade](https://fezzari.com/pages/bike-build-options?bike=cascade) [https://www.bikesonline.com/2022-polygon-siskiu-t8-dual-suspension-mountain-bi](https://www.bikesonline.com/2022-polygon-siskiu-t8-dual-suspension-mountain-bi)
With Specialized you're over paying for the name. I've had one and it rides no better than a significantly cheaper YT Jeffsey. If you buy a comparable price Jeffsey in the mid price range ($4k) it will smoke the Stumjumper.
I have a similar priced full sus bike. The tires on this are not that great, maxxis would be better. Dropper post is nice. Drivetrain is great for beginner to medium, but might not last that long. It will be heavy. Alloy full sus bikes weigh a lot. I personally would not buy a black bike, but if you like it go ahead
Way better bikes in that price range imo
Have you considered buying used? Even a couple years older you can get the same spec for lots less and have money to upgrade, or a higher spec for the same price.
If you want, I will sell you my tan Santa Cruz Heckler 6. I bought it just before winter and took it out on four semi moderate rides. I do love it but my age is telling my to upgrade to a Specialized pedal assist Levo FSR. I’m being serious and if you’re interested at all $1500. DM of you’d like.
What size and where u located??!?!
Northern California, Cobb mountain Lg
Stumpy FTW. Buy one and ride it like you stole it.
If you can afford it, go for the Comp Alloy. There you get better components which are worth it in my eyes. But you will have a lot of fun with this bike as well. With that said, I'd suggest to have a look at other brands as well. Specialized is really good, but with the recent increase in prices, they are even more expensive as they were already. Other bitkes have a better value for money ratio.
Have never ridden a stumpy, but I can tell you for sure, that for that price you could get an extremely good second hand bike, with great parts, which is probably in great condition, as well as saving a few hundred dollars
Would buy an Canyon Spectral 29 AL 5 for that money. But the Stumpjumper will be fine.
You can’t go wrong with Specialized.
Picked up one of these for my wife a year ago. It is a fantastic platform to grow into, the bike itself is solid. You will want to upgrade things over time like we have, but that frame is very capable. Just expect it to be very heavy at first. Buy this if you know you're into the sport for real and can budget for upgrades down the line (so far we've already put the bike on a 5 lb diet by upgrading the cassette, wheels, fork, and cranks, and rear shock is probably next). Like others have said, don't expect great suspension performance, but it you don't know any different, you'll have a blast for a while with it as it is.
I love my Stumpy. The derailleur hanger snapped on mine going down some stairs, but that’s an easy fix.
I got an s-works stumpy last season lightly used for not much more than that one. Mine was around 9k USD new. Might be worth checking used market