Stumpjumper 15 Pro Specialized Downhill Performance
In many ways, the latest Stumpjumper 15 Pro reminded me of my time aboard the early Stumpjumper EVO about a decade ago.
That’s not because it shares the same geometry, spec or travel figure, but because at the time, the EVO felt like one of the most capable 29ers on the market – especially considering the 135mm of travel it had on tap.
The Stumpjumper 15 has more travel, but in a world where we’re getting used to more and more jumps at both ends, it was impressive how controlled and secure things felt, even when you’re hitting trails you’d normally reserve for enduro bikes. .
Going down fast, twisty trails, I was immediately impressed by the smooth, almost silent ride of the new Stumpy.
Specialized says it tried to closely mimic the feel of its long-travel Enduro through the first 100mm or so of the Stumpy’s travel, and I’d say it’s, for the most part, achieved that goal.
It’s certainly bouncy and forgiving when bursting through braking noises and bumps, with only the Eliminator rear tire holding it back when I really wanted to push hard, due to the lighter chassis. This needs more air inside it to ensure it doesn’t warp too easily.
On repeated runs riding the same trail, I changed the volume spacers on the shock sleeve – the ones that will change how the first 70 percent of the ride feels.
With zero spacers there, while the Stumpy felt plush and comfortable, it lacked some of the support I was looking for when charging the bike through twisty turns.
Packed with the full complement of four splitters, it feels more like the Stumpjumper of yore. There’s more pep in its step and a much livelier ride, but hit a stretch of roots or a row of brake bumps and I soon found myself holding on tighter and losing the comfort of the previous lap.
What’s interesting here, though, is on both ends of the setup spectrum (zero spacers vs. all four spacers) and without touching the eye spacer, I used the same amount of travel.
After going through multiple variations, I returned to the stock setup for reference and felt happy with the compromise, thanks to ample support and an impressive level of comfort.
I felt like I could still weigh the bike down significantly as well as throw it around when I wanted to, but I felt confident and in control when charging into the unknown.
This became particularly important on one of the later trails on the final day, which began with a series of blind jumps, hard descents and compressions, before plunging into a long, steep and rough hill.
Despite only being 145mm of travel at the tap, I never felt like I was swinging around or on the edge of control. Slap a harder, harder tire on the back and this thing will positively tear up almost any trail. You really feel that capable.
And let’s not forget, I was running it in the mid head angle position and the highest bottom bracket setting. So in theory, handling could feel even safer if you made a few simple changes.
Add to that how easy it is to tune the new GENIE and it’s clear how adaptable the new Stumpjumper 15 can be.
While I may have questioned Mavens’ spec choice when I first hopped on the new Stumpjumper, knowing how hard you can push this bike highlights why it wasn’t a bad move at all.
If Specialized had opted for a lighter weight, less powerful option, I’m sure I would have had more to complain about with the longer descents. But in this case, I didn’t.
Well, except for the choice of tire wear. This is a trail bike and the sticky, heavy tires on it won’t do you any favors going uphill, but even raising the rear case to something stiffer wouldn’t hold it back drastically, just opening up what is possible. this bike and adding even more confidence to the mix.