Endurance test performance: 2,890 km | 57,600 altitude metres
Right at the start of the test phase, I was really at war with the Evo. The brakes squeaked, the bottom bracket cracked after just a few kilometres and the tyres really bit into the corners, but rolled slowly uphill. With a little tuning, we were able to bury the hatchet and became great mates, especially on fast, technical trails. One centimetre more suspension travel, a slacker steering angle and the standard chain guide make the Stumpjumper Evo a bulwark against bumpy Alpine trails. Thanks to its long wheelbase, the "Stumpi" is stable and controllable even in fast sections. In tight bends, however, it requires a little physical effort. The almost 13 kilos can be pedalled uphill effortlessly. I didn't miss lowering the sensitive Fox fork even on steep ramps, especially after I replaced the somewhat high cockpit with its long stem with a flatter riser and a 75-millimetre stem. In order to utilise the full travel of the rear suspension, I used a relatively soft setup with just under 30 percent sag. Even with this, the rear suspension hardly tended to bob uphill and the platform was rarely used.
From size L upwards, Specialized gives the Stumpjumper a 200 mm brake disc at the front. This means that the brakes decelerate properly and hardly tend to fade even on long descents. The only thing the Elixir CR couldn't get rid of until the end was the annoying squeaking. The double cranks suit my riding style. The wild mix of components doesn't quite match the asking price, but it's certainly appropriate for the area of use.
ConclusionIf you're looking for a bike for fun trails with maximum downhill performance and good uphill characteristics, the Evo version of the Stumpjumper is the perfect choice.
Functionality *****
Shelf life ****
(max. 6 stars)
TUNING
- 250 km: Tyres changed
The rather narrow and slow-rolling Specialized Purgatory tyres gave way to the Continental Mountain King in 2.4 inch.
- 880 km: Handlebar/stem
A shorter stem (60 mm) and a flatter riser (740 mm) from Kore provided more pressure on the front wheel.
DEFECTS
- 560 km: Bottom bracket
Nasty cracking noises signalled the end of the first bottom bracket. A replacement came from bearing specialist C-Bear.
- 560 km: BashGuard
Another creaking noise from the bottom bracket area. After a long search, the plastic bashguard was identified as the troublemaker and replaced.
- 1870 km: Suspension fork defective
The Fox fork responds insensitively and only reluctantly releases suspension travel. Off to a major service.
Stefan Frey
Editor
