Fairfax in Marin County, California, is a historic place. If not THE place to visit for mountain bikers. This is the birthplace of mountain biking: Joe Breeze welded the first MTB here and the legendary Repack race took place here in the 1970s. Fairfax is mentioned in the same breath as Gary Fisher, Charlie Kelly, Mount Tamalpais and will soon be home to the MTB Hall of Fame. Fairfax is still a rather sleepy nest, through which the spirit of Love & Peace blows. Those travelling to Fairfax usually take a spin on the Tamarancho trails - a network of trails located on Boy Scout territory and maintained by them.
So when Ben Capron, head of marketing at Specialized, gives me a brand new bike to test, where do I go? Of course, up to Camp Tamarancho. I rode the first Transalp Challenge with Ben in 1998 and since then we've met up every few years to ride somewhere in the world. Now he's brought me a bright yellow Stumpjumper Expert Evo 29, a 2015 model from the US test fleet.
The Stumpjumper 29 Expert Carbon Evo comes from the US test fleet
Evo stands for the downhill-orientated version of the classic. While the 29er Stumpjumper is equipped with 130 mm suspension travel and a 32 mm fork, the Evo version boasts 135 mm at the rear, a 35 mm Pike fork and 140 millimetres of suspension travel. The carbon main frame with aluminium rear triangle, single crankset with chain guide, a large Shimano XT brake system and chunky, 2.3-inch-wide tyres on 29-millimetre-wide rims are available for 5299 euros. If you prefer to ride with smaller wheels, the Expert Evo is also available in a 27.5-inch version with 150 millimetres of suspension travel.
From downtown Fairfax, a wide forest track leads two miles up towards the trailhead (start of the trails). Moderate gradient, ideal for warming up. You immediately feel at home on the Stumpjumper, the 29er geometry fits perfectly. In size XL, however, you're riding a big, long machine. The handling of the bike does not puzzle you. You shift eleven gears on the right and the lever for the dropper post is on the left. That's all you need to think about, and that's a good thing.
Even in the first section, the Alchemist, you have to concentrate on the surface and the route. In the uphill serpentines, you have to ride cleanly and make full use of the bends. Take the weight off the rear wheel on the steps, change gear, brake, steer through narrow trees. The lap has a good 500 metres of uphill climbing, most of which you work your way up in well-trodden hairpin bends. The limits of the single transmission with 30/10-42 teeth are not reached. Personally, I would prefer Shimano XT shifters or Gripshift over the Sram Trigger X01, because the shifting speed is even higher.
While you can leave the fork open, the trail mode on the Fox shock suits the terrain best. Climb mode is only needed on hard uphill terrain. However, it is not a tight lockout, the setup allows a little movement - an advantage over the Brain system.
In the USA, grip counts more than rolling resistance
The Specialized Butcher and Slaughter tyres work very well. Sloping corners and loose surfaces demand grip and stability, and the new models deliver. Under no circumstances do you want to slide off the towel-wide path into the green, where poison oak lurks.
A short breather after the Wagon Wheel section. The view to the south shows the summit of Mount Tamalpais, with the Golden Gate Bridge behind it. To the left, a steep Fireroad leads to the White Hills, with only the Pacific Ocean beyond. It's a good thing that the B17 trail section leads northwards, downhill at first. The washed-out path rumbles into the chassis, but it remains unimpressed. The obstacles of the Tamarancho loop leave the Stumpjumper Evo cold. The suspension feels quite firm, but is overpowered for this terrain, where there is no fall line, no full throttle section and bumps of no more than 40 centimetres.
Shortly afterwards, I decide against the Broken Dam passage at the junction in favour of the newly built Endor Flow Trail. The Boy Scouts have been hard at work here, shovelling steep curve after steep curve, interspersed with tables, doubles and bumps - fun for everyone! The 29er Stumpjumper is not as powerful on steep turns as a bike with smaller wheels, and the XL size has an even greater effect here. The Expert Evo doesn't feel imprecise - no, the stiff Pike fork responds directly to steering commands - it's just the wheelbase and the enormous overall length of the bike due to the large wheels. If 29ers can be criticised for anything, it's their system-related dimensions. Even on the way back to Fairfax, in the tight downhill bends of the Alchemist, you have to steer with concentration, the XL bike feels a bit bulky.
Conclusion:
Overall, the Stumpjumper Evo cannot play to its particular strengths on the Tamarancho circuit. These lie in its smooth downhill ride and its ability to master difficult trails, such as those in Sölden, with confidence and composure. The Evo model is equipped for this, where it knows only a few opponents.
Over the obligatory wheat beer at Gestalthaus with a chicken burrito from Grillys, I make my judgement: the Stumpjumper Evo 29 is a thoroughbred all-mountain with enduro capabilities, a real mountain bike and definitely not a cruiser. It's a bike that gets bored on normal terrain. A bike that was created for difficult tasks. Demanding bikers will find one of the best 29ers for the 2015 season here.
