TESTED: Specialized Stumpjumper EVO Elite Alloy

Photographer: Nick Waygood

The Specialized Stumpjumper EVO was popular as soon as it was launched, but being carbon only did put it out of reach for some, or less appealing for those wary of fantastic plastic. In October 2021, Specialized revealed an alloy range, with none of the features of the carbon model missing, from geometry adjustability through to the SWAT box in the down tube.

Specialized say that the Stumpjumper EVO Alloy is 'built to get gnarly, plain and simple.' The EVO line of Stumpjumpers are no compromise trail bikes, with more travel and adjustability than the Stumpjumper, along with burlier suspension and more aggressive geometry. As a 160/150mm 29er trail bike the Stumpjumper EVO Alloy Elite toes the line with bikes like the Norco Sight A1 ($7399) or Commencal Meta TR Signature ($8000), amongst others. Coming in at $8500, the Stumpjumper EVO Elite Alloy hits a sweet spot in top end bikes. Specialized deliver high function and adjustability, excellent suspension, quality design and a capable ride. So – how does it all play out?

Tester: Ben Morrison

Riding Experience: Enough to score prototype test work and magazine covers
Generally Rides: Trek Slash, Trek Top Fuel
Height: 177cm
Weight: 74kg
Bike Test Track: Majura Pines and Stromlo Forest Park

First look

According to Specialized, the 150mm-travel M5 aluminium frame of the Stumpjumper EVO Alloy is just 1.18kg heavier than the carbon version. Otherwise, they are identical in every way, using the same linkages and items for the geometry adjustment. This model comes with a SRAM GX Eagle group set, including the 10-52 cassette, and a bump up to lovely Guide RS brakes with 200mm rotors at each end. Fox provide their popular 160mm travel 36 Factory with GRIP2 damper, and the Float X Factory rear shock has the 2-position lever to firm it up, and low speed compression adjustment. Our test bike weighed 15.4kg without pedals and an empty SWAT box.

The Stumpy EVO has geometry that’s a bit more on the aggressive side for the trail category with a 64.5-degree head angle, 475mm reach (S4 size) and 76.9-degree seat angle in its standard settings. This is kind of inline with a trend we have seen come into shorter travel bikes where they get aggressive geometry, to give them great handling and confidence mixed with a nimble shorter travel package. The Stumpy EVO is just that next step for the rider that doesn’t want all that travel but has been thinking about what changes they could make to their trail bike to make it capable.

If you include the chain stay-mounted flip chip and option for head angle adjustment, the Stumpy EVO has six completely different geometry options available to you that can be changed in minutes to suit just about any type of riding preference you have or geometry you want to try. The bottom-bracket height can be fine-tuned up or down by 7mm, it steepens or slackens the seat and head angle at the same time. There is a 5mm change in chain stay length with this adjustment as well.

The head angle has three available positions: Standard (in line with the head tube), -1 degree and +1 degree. The headset is a lot like the aftermarket adjustable head-angle offerings with a conical lower bearing that can rotate within its cup as the upper cup sets the angle. What Specialized have done here is very clever, the upper cup is keyed and so is the head tube so proper alignment is guaranteed. Also it’s not a normal press fit system, as its using an o-ring and the key to hold it in place, which means you can adjust this and the other geometry settings trail side using the supplied SWAT multi tool. Just quietly I love this and it performed faultlessly! 

With the two cup options and chain stay flip chip, the head angle can be adjusted between 63 and 65.5 degrees in .5-degree increments. The sweet spot that I landed on was -1 degree on the head angle and the high setting on the chain stay flip chip.

This bike is also easily convertible to a mullet setup, via an aftermarket shock link that’s made and sold by Specialized (we are very keen to try this), allowing the standard 29-inch rear wheel to be swapped out for a 27.5-inch. Specialized use what they call S-Sizing on the Stumpy Evo which is based on reach with similar head tube and standover heights and allows riders to choose between playfulness and stability by sizing up or down. 

Specialized offers a page on its website that shows the exact geometry with each of the six available options and with a mullet setup. It also recommends geometry settings by terrain for those who don’t know what they want or where to start, along with a suspension setup guide.

Just like the carbon model, the aluminium Stumpjumper Evo has an integrated SWAT storage box inside its hydroformed downtube. This is the first appearance of a SWAT door in a Specialized aluminium frame, and they have done an amazing job! Inside, you can stash spare parts, tools or even water with Specialized’s SWAT bladder. It has to be said that this is the best executed frame storage on any mountain bike. The big opening is easy to use with no levers hanging down impacting the storage space, its rock solid and doesn’t rattle!

 The list of issues I found with the Stumpy Evo is so short its almost more of a wish list than flaws or issues and is really some personal spec choice. A 30 tooth front chainring is pretty small and a 32 tooth would mean you use a bigger range of gears. Pad contact adjust would be nice on the brake levers but not everyone uses it so that’s a personal thing along with switching out the grips. But that’s really it, this bike has performed faultlessly and even a task that can be often offputtingly and disconcerting for some like adjusting headset cups is a total breeze and very satisfying thanks to the keyed system. 

At 177cm tall I am not the biggest person out there so when the S4 Stumpy Evo turned up I thought, great this is going to be a boat of a thing in corners coming off the back of testing an S3 mullet Levo Expert. 

On the trail

The reach on the S4 has been great and despite its longer wheelbase over an S3 I never really noticed it. The benefit of S sizing, where length changes more than sat tube height, means you can size up or down depending on your reach or wheelbase preference, without an impact on standover, or what length dropper post you can run.  

Once the brakes were bedded in, some time was spent getting the Fox Factory 36 and Float X dialled in to find the sweet spot so only a click here or there was needed on rebound or compression as more time was spent on the bike. The Float X comes with an RX Trail tune. Essentially the shock is tuned for the frame of the bike and what Specialized think it will be used for and the fork that is coming on it. 

Part of what makes this bike ride so well is this excellent suspension setup and it's something you should really take the time to set it up, riding the same trail (one you know and like) with a mix of obstacle on it will allow you to notice any changes you make for better or worse. The Stumpy Evo has the best of the best that Fox offer for a trail bike and the time spent doing this will make you just fall in love with your new bike. 

The first thing anyone noticed on the trail was the lack of noise! This bike must be the quietest bike I have ever ridden. The feeling of just hearing tyres on the ground is an amazing and gives a feeling of pure speed and enjoyment. While shooting we ran into one group of riders that asked if I was riding without a chain due to the lack of noise. Now look this isn’t all up to amazing design by Specialized because part of the lack of sound comes for the DT 370 hub that makes only the slightest tick as you spin it, but the rest can be traced back to a few things that Specialized did have a hand in. One being the chainstay protection, that thing works so well to deaden impacts and the other is the excellent tuning of the Fox Factory suspension. 

At 15.4kg the Stumpy Evo is no feather weight but it’s not a pig with lipstick on it either, the additional kilo or so over the S-Works carbon frame is not even something that comes up on the radar while descending or even climbing. It also makes me wonder even running the same great Factory suspension from Fox would a carbon frame offer the same sure footedness and stability when ploughing into a rocky section of trail or would the lower weight just ping you about?

The way the Stumpy EVO rides is confidence inspiring and gives you the ability to attack sections of fast, rocky trail at speed with very little negative feedback to you as the rider. Despite the longer wheelbase at no point did I feel like the rear wheel was getting hooked up and I could still make line choice changes when I wanted without having to drag the back of the bike with me. In fact, I would go so far as to say the Stumpy EVO was actually still very lively and playful. Being able to tune the back end with the geometry adjustment means just about anyone will be able to get the Stumpy EVO to ride how they want it to. I would not say you have to attack rough and steep trails in order to get the most of this bike, as you can sit back and let it do the work for you. But if you want to push hard and take some risks the Stumpy EVO is certainly up for it and will reward you for doing so. 

The Stumpjumper frame design gives very easy access to a climb switch so you can flick it with ease as the trails go up. The Fox Float X  does about a 90% lockout so there is still a little give allowing some grip as you climb loose terrain. When going the other way on a trail the Stumpy Evo is just plain fun and is super playful, allowing some last second direction changes to be made with little thought. The amount of grip this bike has is something special, a combination of good tyres, excellent suspension and balanced handling. Despite trying there was never that feeling of a harsh bottom out at either end of the bike and if I am truly honest, I did jump online one ride and confirm that it was in fact 150mm travel in the rear and 160mm out front because it rides like you have much more. 

Some things that were not noticed during the test was the drive train, because it just worked and did what it should. SRAM’s newer version of GX is a little stiffer so offers better shifting and because of this it was often overlooked on each ride. 200mm rotors on the SRAM Code RS 4-piston brakes meant braking was never a concern. It's clear that Specialized know what this bike can do when they put a 200mm rotor on the rear and not just the front. 

Our take

The Specialized Stumpjumper EVO Elite Alloy is the bike that starts quintessential argument of “I don’t know why you need so much travel” and is one of a new bread of bike that’s really showing, if it's done right less can really be more. As a package you get a lot of bike for the $8500.00 you are dropping on it. No, it;s not cheap but what you are getting is a bike that rides like an S Works for a lot less. The key component points are  the Fox Factory Suspension, powerful SRAM Code RS brakes and long 180mm One Up dropper. But the real magic comes from the frame design and geometry adjustment, so you can really fine tune the handling to suit your riding and your trails.

Specifications

Brand: Specialized

Model: EVO Elite Alloy

RRP: $8500

Weight: 15.4kg 

From: specialized.com/au/en

Available Sizes:  S1-S6 (S4 tested)

Frame Material: M5 aluminium

Fork: Fox 36 Factory, GRIP2, 44mm offset, 160mm

Shock: Fox Float X Factory, 210x55mm (150mm)

Shifter: SRAM GX Eagle, 12sp

Derailleur: SRAM GX Eagle, 12sp

Crank: SRAM GX Eagle, DUB, 170mm, 30t

Bottom bracket:  SRAM Dub BSA 73mm

Chain: SRAM GX Eagle, 12sp

Cassette: SRAM XG-1275, 10-52, 12sp

Wheel set: Roval Traverse 29 alloy, 30mm

Tyres: Specialized Butcher/Eliminator GRID TRAIL, 2.3”

Brakes: SRAM Code RS, 200/200mm

Stem: Deity 35mm

Handlebars: Deity 35mm

Seatpost: OneUp V2, 34.9mm, 180mm drop

Saddle: Specialized Bridge Comp